332 
VEXATIOUS TRICK. 
Chap. XVIII. 
Tlth February .—Kangenke promptly furnislied guides this 
morning, so we went briskly on a short distance, and came to 
a part of the Kasye, Kasai, or Loke, where he had appointed 
two canoes to convey us across. This is a most beautiful river, 
and very much like the Clyde in Scotland. The slope of the 
valley down to the stream is about five hundred yards, and 
finely wooded. It is, perhaps, one hundred yards broad, and 
was winding slowly from side to side in the beautiful green 
glen, in a course to the north and north-east. In both the 
directions from which it came and to which it went, it seemed 
to be alternately embowered in sylvan vegetation, or rich 
meadows covered with tall grass. The men pointed out its 
course and said, Though you sail along it for months, you 
will turn without seeing the end of it.” 
While at the ford of the Kasai, we were subjected to a trick 
of which we had been forewarned by the people of Shinte. A 
knife had been dropped by one of Kangenke’s people in order 
to entrap my men; it was put down near our encampment, as 
if lost, the owner in the mean time watching till one of my 
men picked it up. Kothing was said until our party was 
divided, one half on this, and the other on that bank of the 
river. Then the charge was made to me that one of my men 
had stolen a knife. Certain of my people’s honesty, I deshed 
the man, who was making a great noise, to search the luggage 
for it; the unlucky lad who had taken the bait, then came 
forward and confessed that he had the knife in a basket, which 
was already taken over the river. When it was returned, the 
owner would not receive it back unless accompanied with a fine. 
The lad offered beads, but these were refused with scorn. A 
shell hanging round his neck, similar to that which Sliinte had 
given me, was the object demanded, and the victim of the trick, 
as we all knew it to be, was obliged to part with his costly orna¬ 
ment. I could not save him from the loss, as all had been fore¬ 
warned ; and it is the universal custom among the Makololo, 
and many other tribes, to show whatever they may find to the 
chief person of their company, and make a sort of offer of it to 
him. This lad ought to have done so to me; the rest of the 
party always observed this custom. I felt annoyed at the impo¬ 
sition, but the order we invariably followed in crossing a river 
