CHAPTER XI 
Moheni’s deception—Falsity of native chiefs—The way native kings rule—Rhino¬ 
ceros hunt—Too much meat—Best articles for trade—Hammar shoots six 
buck in a few minutes—A holiday—Shaky experience in a canoe—Chaffed 
by natives fori our clumsiness. 
Next day, after we had made eight miles in a north-north-east 
direction, at Kayakas’ kraal opposite, on the Chobe, Moheni’s 
men laid down the loads, saying they had orders from their 
chief to go no further, as this was their boundary line. The 
usual deception had been practised on us by Moheni, who 
never intended to see us as far as Matambanja’s, hut wished to 
get as many presents as possible out of us, and then calmly 
made his own arrangements, quite irrespective of what we 
desired, or what we were entitled to consider him liable for. 
During all my wanderings in South Africa, numbering many 
years, this class of treatment has always been my lot from petty 
chiefs, and consequently I have learned to recognise their friendly 
advances as an indication that they wish, by peaceful means, to 
rob one of goods which, but for the fear they stand in of their 
superior chiefs or kings, they would take by force. But in such 
cases where they think themselves safe from the consequences, 
there is little doubt that they would adopt severer measures to 
obtain the goods, unless impressed by a show of possible armed 
opposition, likely to make it not worth their while to murder in 
order to rob more thoroughly. Therefore it is always wise to 
have at least fifteen to twenty well-armed and courageous men 
as escort when tramping the wilds, to let such chiefs understand 
that one is prepared to bite as well as bark. On the other hand, 
should the traveller be proceeding with the avowed intention of 
