Return to the Congo Mouth. 299 
disappeared in the bush, followed by a part of his 
slaves, the others crying aloud to him, “ Wenda !”— 
get out! Seeing that the three linguisters did not 
move, he presently returned, and after a furious 
address in Fiote began a Portuguese tirade for my 
benefit. This white man had come to their 
country, and, instead of buying captives, was bent 
upon enslaving their Mfumos ; but that “ Branco” 
should suffer for his attempt; no “ Mukanda” or 
book (that is, letter) should go down stream; all 
his goods belonged of right to his guide, and thus 
he would learn to sit upon the heads of the 
noblesse , with much of the same kind. 
There are times when the traveller either rises 
above or sinks to the level of, or rather below, his 
party. I had been sitting abstractedly, like the great 
quietist, Buddha, when the looks of the assembly 
suggested an “ address.” This was at once de¬ 
livered in Portuguese, with a loud and angry voice. 
Gidi Mavunga, who had been paid for Nsundi, 
not for the Yellala, had spoken like a “ small boy” 
(i.e., a chattel). I had no wish to sit upon other 
men’s heads, but no man should sit on mine. 
Englishmen did not want slaves, nor would they 
allow others to want them, but they would not be 
made slaves themselves. My goods were my own, 
and King Nessala, not to speak of Mambuco Prata 
—the name told—had made themselves responsible 
for me. Lastly, if the Senhor Gidi Mafung 
