72 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA 
which he, naturally enough, supposed would en- 
title him to, or at least, induce us to give him, an 
adequate reward. 
The chief of WaUia (a province of Katoba, 
but over which the king has little control) 
lives about fiv^e miles south of this place. As he 
was a person of some consequence in the coun- 
try, and might be of use, we sent him our com- 
pliments, with a present of eight bars in tobacco, 
amber, and beads, and, having made the chief 
of Jindey another, we moved towards the Creek 
at six o'clock on the morning of the SOth, but 
had not proceeded one hundred yards, when 
the horses in front were stopped by some people, 
stating that they were sent by the Wallia chief, 
to say, that unless we would pay him his regular 
customs, in the same way as the vessels which 
ascend the river on trading voyages, we should 
not be allowed to proceed. We laughed at the 
idea of three or four men saying they would not 
allow us to pass, and told them we had already 
despatched a messenger to their master, with a 
present, and to which we would make an addi- 
tion of four bars for themselves. This was not 
satisfactory enough, and they again insinuated 
that we should not move until the chief himself 
should arrive. We ordered the whole to halt, and 
the men to load their muskets ; we asked where 
were those people who wished to dispute our pas^ 
