ually dishonorable which are
practiced by tribes that lie adjacent to the more civilized settlements.
The Balonda farther east told us, by way of warning, that many parties
of the more central tribes had at various periods set out, in order to
trade with the white men themselves, instead of through the Mambari, but
had always been obliged to return without reaching their destination, in
consequence of so many pretexts being invented by the tribes encountered
in the way for fining them of their ivory.

This ford was in 11d 15' 47" S. latitude, but the weather was so
excessively cloudy we got no observation for longitude.

We were now in want of food, for, to the great surprise of my
companions, the people of Kangenke gave nothing except by way of sale,
and charged the most exorbitant prices for the little meal and manioc
they brought. The only article of barter my men had was a little fat
saved from the ox we slaughtered at Katema's, so I was obliged to give
them a portion of the stock of beads. One day (29th) of westing brought
us from the Kasai to near the village of Katende, and we saw that we
were in a land where no hope could be entertained of getting supplies of
animal food, for one of our guides caught a light-blue colored mole and
two mice for his supper. The care with which he wrapped them up in a
leaf and slung them on his spear told that we could not hope to enjoy
any larger game. We saw no evidence of any animals besides; and, on
coming to the villages beyond this, we often saw boys and girls engaged
in digging up these tiny quadrupeds.

Katende sent for me on the day following our arrival, and, being quite
willing to visit him, I walked, for this purpose, about three miles from
our encampment. When we approached the village we were desired to enter
a hut, and, as it was raining at the time, we did so. After a long time
spent in giving and receiving messages from the great man, we were told
that he wanted either a man, a tusk, beads, copper rings, or a shell, as
payment for leave to pass through his country. No one, we were assured,
was allowed that liberty, or even to behold him, without something of
the sort being presented. Having humbly explained our circumstances, and
that he could not expect to "catch a humble cow by the horns"--a proverb
similar to ours that "you can't draw milk out of a stone"--we were told
to go home, and he would speak again to us next day. I could not avoid
a hearty laugh at the