452 
PECULIARITIES OF NATIVES. 
Chap. XXTII. 
CHAPTEE XXIII. 
Make a detour soiitliward —• Peculiarities of tlie inliabitants — Scarcity of 
animals — Forests — Geological structure of tlie country — Abundance and 
cheapness of food near the Chihombo — A slave lost — The Makololo 
opinion of slave-holders — Funeral obsequies in Cabango — Send a sketch 
of the country to Mr. Gabriel—■ Native information respecting the Kasai 
and Quango — The trade with Luba — Drainage of Londa — Report of 
Matiamvo’s country and government — Senhor Faria’s present to a chief— 
The Balonda mode of spending time — Faithless guide — Makololo lament 
the ignorance of the Balonda — Eagerness of the villagers for trade ■— 
Civility of a female chief— The Chief Bango and his people'— Refuse to eat 
' beef — Ambition of Africans to have a village — Winters in the interior — 
Spring at Kolobeng — White ants: “Never could desire to eat anything 
better” — Young herbage and animals—Valley of the Loembwe — The 
white man a hobgoblin — Specimen of quarrelling — Eager desire for calico 
— Want of clothing at Kawawa’s —• Funeral observances — Agreeable 
intercourse with Kawawa — His impudent demand — Unpleasant parting 
— Kawawa tries to prevent our crossing the river Kasai — Stratagem. 
We made a Kttle detour to the southward, in order to get pro¬ 
visions in a cheaper market. This led us along the rivulet called 
Tamba, where we found the people, who had not been visited so 
frequently by the slave-traders as tlie rest, rather timid and very 
civil. It was agreeable to get again among the micontaminated, 
and to see the natives look at us without that air of supercilious¬ 
ness, which is so unpleasant and common in the beaten track. 
The same ohve colour prevailed. They file then- teeth to a point, 
which makes the smile of the women frightful, as it reminds one 
of the grin of an alhgator. The inhabitants tliroughout this 
country, exhibit as great a variety of taste, as appears on the 
surface of society amongst ourselves. Many of the men are 
dandies; thek shoulders are always wet with the oil dropping 
from their lubricated hair, and everything about them is orna¬ 
mented in one way or another. Some thrum a musical instrument 
the livelong day, and, when they wake at night, proceed at once 
to then’ musical performance. Many of these musicians are too 
poor to have non keys to then instrument, but make them of 
