586 
CONGO EXPEDITION. 
the chief and his attendants understand the mo- 
tives of his mission ; but these they could never 
comprehend ; the words science and curiosity 
did not convey to their minds a single idea. 
They had only two questions, " Are you come 
" to trade ?" and " Are you come to make war ?" 
and upon these they rung changes for two hours 
without intermission, no third alternative ever 
occurring to them as possible. Tired at length, 
if not satisfied, they exacted at least an assurance 
that the English would not interfere with the 
slave-trade ; they then performed the sakilla, or 
sign of welcome, which consisted in one chief 
making gestures like a single man at exercise, 
while the rest struck their chest in unison. A 
keg of rum was then produced, which gave rise 
to no perplexity, except how to obtain the largest 
portion of it. A violent scramble ensued ; and 
one of the party seeing no other method, plunged 
his dirty cap into the bason, and sucked it, while 
another having failed entirely, his neighbour cha- 
ritably transferred a portion from his own mouth 
into his. The English now took a walk round 
the village, after which they had a dinner of 
plantain soup, goat's flesh, and a broiled fowl, 
with a large silver tankard of palm wine. Mean- 
time the Chenoo held a long conference with 
Simmons, and examined him most earnestly as to 
what could possibly be the motive of the English 
