448 
FEEDERS OF THE CONOO. 
Chap. XXII. 
capabilities for easy irrigation. On reaching the river Chikapa 
(lat. 10° 10' S., long. 19° 42' E.), the 25th of March, we found 
it fifty or sixty yards wide, and flowing E.N.E. into the Kasai. 
The adjacent country is of the same level nature as that part of 
Londa formerly described; but, having come further to the east¬ 
ward than our previous course, we found that ah the rivers had 
worn for themselves much deeper vaUeys than at the points we 
had formerly crossed them. 
SmTounded on all sides by large gloomy forests, the people of 
these parts have a much more indistinct idea of the geography 
of their country, than those who hve in liilly regions. It was only 
after long and patient inquiry, that I became fuUy persuaded that 
the Quito runs iuto the Chikapa. As we now crossed them both 
considerably further down, and were greatly to the eastward of our 
first route, there can be no doubt that these rivers take the same 
course as the others, into the Kasai, and that I had been led into 
a mistake in saying that any of them flowed to the westward. 
Indeed it was only at this time, that I began to perceive that all 
the western feeders of the Kasai, except the Quango, flow first 
from the western side towards the centre of the country, then 
gradually turn, with the Kasai itself, to the north; and, after the 
confluence of the Kasai with the Quango, an immense body of 
water, collected from aU these branches, finds its way out of the 
country by means of the river Congo or Zaire on the west coast. 
The people hving along the path we are now following were 
quite accustomed to the visits of native traders, and did not feel 
in any way bound to make presents of food, except for the purpose 
of cheating: thus, a man gave me a fowl and some meal, and, 
after a short time, returned. I offered him a handsome present 
of beads; but these he declined, and demanded a cloth instead, 
which was far more than the value of his gift. They did the 
same with my men, until we had to refuse presents altogether. 
Others made liigh demands because I slept in a house of cloth,” 
and must be rich. They seemed to tliiok that they had a perfect 
right to payment, for simply passing through the country. 
Beyond the Clukapa, we crossed the Kamaue, a small deep 
stream, proceeding from the S.S.W., and flowing into the Chilvapa. 
On the 30th of April we reached the Loajima, where we had 
to form a bridge to effect our passage. This was not so difficult 
