112 
Seven Years in Central Africa. 
[Aug. 
THREAT CARRIED OUT. 
" Benguella^ August Zth. 
"The West Central African Mission has been plundered, and we 
have been expelled. This puts it bluntly. Ekwikwi, the chief of 
Bailundu, sent a letter to our brethren there, ordering them to leave. 
They took what steps they could to get the order changed, but failed. 
Meanwhile letters reached us at Bihd [where Mr. Sanders then was], 
on which I started for Bailundu. On the road I met the bearers of 
other letters, calling upon all of us to go down as soon as possible, 
and abandon such things as could not be brought. It seems that 
Senhor B , the trader, has so wrought upon the suspicions, 
superstitions, and fears of the natives, by means of falsehoods, threats, 
and promises, that they were led to desire to have us leave, lest by 
giving us asylum they should get into trouble with the Portuguese 
Government. W e all believed that if one of us could get to the war 
camp and see the chief in person all would be well (this camp was 
about five days' journey from the mission station). At last, after many 
delays, the people allowed me to go there. When I arrived, the chief 
permitted me to deliver my message. In about two minutes, however, 
they interrupted me with a storm of abuse. Each headman had a 
complaint, which in every case amounted to the same thing ; namely, 
that we had neglected to load them with gifts. Ekwikwi reproached 
me bitterly with purposing to kill with fetish one who had always done 
well by us. Every attempt at explanation was drowned by a fiercer 
burst of rage and scolding. At last he closed the interview, which 
continued about twenty minutes, with the following words : ^ Get up 
now, leave the camp, and sleep in the bush this night ; and do you 
and your companions leave my country in four days from your arrival 
at your village. If you do not, I will come down in person and make 
war upon you. You are not my white man. B is my white man. 
I do not desire you in my land. I want the powder-man, the gun- 
man, the whiskey-man.' W. H. Sanders." 
In another letter Mr. Sanders writes : 
" Before we could get our carriers to leave. Brother Stover's house 
was completely plundered. At last we started, and went one or two 
miles before nightfall. Next day we went to camp about nine miles 
from our village. All the carriers here deserted ; the headman alone 
remained. Most of the men had rifled their loads, leaving only books 
and food." 
They found, however, other carriers, chiefly children and 
strangers to the country, and so were enabled to proceed to the 
coast, the whole party numbering eight, and two children. 
