12 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
banks of the dry bed of the River Kuis, in the centre of 
which is the well, with some large camel-trees growing 
on both sides. 
We had scarcely arrived when the waggon was sur- 
rounded by a number of men begging for tobacco and 
coffee. I thought I should easily get rid of them by 
saying I had none ; but they checkmated me by asking 
for anything and everything that they saw, and then I 
had to meet them with a downright “No.” Then we 
had peace for a time ; but in the afternoon the chief of 
the place came — Makgoe by name, which, being inter- 
preted, means, “ Be quick,” and quite a wealthy man in 
his way, having cattle, sheep, and horses. He was 
accompanied by a white man — an Englishman — who, 
after the preliminary greetings, said his name was Cann, 
and that he was a trader and hunter who had been 
thirty years in the country. 
Cann kindly acted as interpreter, and to the first 
remark made by Makgoe — to the effect that the old 
chief wanted me to give him a rifle as a present — he was 
good enough to add the advice, “ Give him nothing. 
The old scoundrel would let you starve before helping 
y°u- 
The chief had brought with him a fine-looking 
horse — the very thing I wanted — so I paid him out 
in his own coin, by replying to his question with 
another of similar import : “ Will you make me a 
present of your horse ? ” 
Makgoe shrugged his shoulders, and replied, “ You 
must give me ten oxen in exchange for my horse.” 
I then tried argument, explaining that in my 
country, when a stranger came, we took care of him, 
and made him presents, and then, when he went away, 
he made us presents in return. Would Makgoe help 
me while I passed through his country ? But he had 
evidently been taught that “ when you go to Rome you 
must not do as Rome does,” for he quickly replied — 
“ That may be your custom ; but you are in my 
country, and my custom is for everybody who passes 
through to pay me.” 
