Preparations for the March. 241 
placed before me ten heaps, each of as many ground¬ 
nuts, and made me understand that, for visiting 
Nsundi and S. Salvador, he would take fifty short 
“ pieces” (of cloth) for himself and the same number 
for his slaves ; one moiety to be advanced before 
the first trip to the Cataracts and the rest to follow. 
For half my store of beads he undertook to ration 
his men; a work which would have given us 
endless trouble. As I agreed to all his conditions 
he promised to move on the next day—without 
the least intention of carrying out any one of his 
conditions. 
These people are rich, and not easily tempted 
to hard work. During the French Emigration, 
the district of Banza Nokki drove slaves to the 
value of 60,000 dollars per annum, and the dollar 
is to the African the pound sterling of Europe. 
It is one of the hundred out-stations which sup¬ 
plied the main depots, Boma and Porto da Lenha. 
Small parties went out at certain seasons provided 
with rum, gunpowder, and a little cloth ; and either 
bought the “ chattels ” or paid earnest money, pro¬ 
mising to settle the whole debt at their villages. 
Gidi Mavunga, like most of the elders, was per¬ 
fectly acquainted with the routes to Nsundi, S. Sal¬ 
vador, and other frontier places, where the bush 
people brought down their criminals and captives 
for barter. Beyond those points his information 
was all from hearsay. 
11. 
R 
