Chap. XVIII. 
WANT OF FOOD. 
838 
forced me to submit. The bead of tbe party remained to be 
ferried over last; so, if I bad not come to terms, I would bave 
been, as I always was in crossing rivers wbicb we could not 
swim, completely in tbe power of tbe enemy. It was but .rarely 
we could get a headman so witless as to cross a river witb us, 
and remain on tbe opposite bank in a convenient position to be 
seized as a hostage, in case of my being caught. 
This trick is but one of a number equally dishonourable wbicb 
are practised by tribes that lie adjacent to the more civilised 
settlements. The Balonda farther east told us, by way of 
warning, that many parties of the more central tribes had at 
various periods set out, in order to trade with the white men 
themselves, instead of through the Mambari, but had always 
been obliged to return without reaching their destination, in 
consequence of so many pretexts being invented by the tribes 
encountered in the way, for fining them of their ivory. 
This ford was in 11° 15' 47" S. latitude, but the weather was 
so excessively cloudy, we got no observation for longitude. 
We were now in want of food, for, to the great snrprise of my 
companions, the people of Kangenke gave nothing except by 
way of sale, and charged the most exorbitant prices for the little 
meal and manioc they brought. The only article of barter my 
men had, was a little fat saved from the ox we slaughtered at 
Katema’s, so I was obliged to give them a portion of the stock 
of beads. One day (29th) of westing brought us from the Kasai 
to near the village of Katende, and we saw that we were in a 
land where no hope could be entertained of getting supplies of 
animal food, for one of our guides caught a light-blue coloured 
mole and two mice for his supper. The care with which he 
wrapped them up in a leaf and slung them on his spear, told that 
we could not hope to enjoy any larger game. We saw no evi¬ 
dence of any animals besides; and, on coming to the villages 
beyond this, we often saw boys and girls engaged in digging up 
these tiny quadrupeds. 
Katende sent for me on the day following our arrival, and, 
being quite willing to visit him, I walked, for this purpose, 
about three miles from our encampment. When we approached 
the village we were desired to enter a hut, and, as it was raining 
at the time, we did so. After a long time spent in giving and 
