Chap. XVIII. 
DISCOUKAGEMENTS. 
353 
the guides seized them and ran off. As my men knew that 
we should be called upon to replace tliem^ they gave chase, 
and when the guides saw that they would be caught, they 
threw down the guns, directed their flight to the village, and 
rushed into a hut. The doorway is not much higher than that 
of a dog's kennel. One of the guides was reached by one of my 
men as he was in the act of stooping to get in, and a cut was 
inflicted on a projecting part of the body which would have 
made any one in that posture wince. The guns were restored, 
but the beads were lost in the flight. All I had remaining of 
my stock of beads could not replace those lost; and though we 
explained that we had no part in the guilt of the act, the 
traders replied that we had brought the thieves into the 
country ; these were of the Bangala, who had been accustomed 
to plague the Portuguese in the most vexatious way. We were 
striving to get a passage through the country, and, feeling anxious 
that no crime whatever should be laid to our charge, tried the 
conciliatory plan here, though we were not, as in the other in¬ 
stances, likely to be overpowered by numbers. 
My men offered all their ornaments, and I offered all my 
beads and shirts ; but though we had come to the village against 
our will, and the guides had also followed us contrary to our desire, 
and had even sent for the Bangala traders without our knowledge 
or consent, yet matters could not be arranged without our 
giving an ox and one of the tusks. We were all becoming 
disheartened, and could not wonder that native expeditions 
from the interior to the coast had generally failed to reach their 
destinations. My people were now so much discouraged that 
some proposed to return home; the prospect of being obliged 
to return when just on the threshold of the Portuguese settle¬ 
ments distressed me exceedingly. After using all my powers 
of persuasion, I declared to them that if they returned I would 
go on alone, and went into my little tent with the mind directed 
to Him who hears the sighing of the soul; and was soon followed 
by the head of Mohorisi, saying—We will never leave you. 
Do not be disheartened. Wherever you lead we will follow. 
Our remarks were made only on account of the injustice of 
these people.” Others followed, and with the most artless 
simplicity of manner told me to be comforted—“ they were all 
2 A 
