shion which seems to indicate migration along the lines of color. The
dialects spoken in the extreme south, whether Hottentot or Caffre, bear
a close affinity to those of the tribes living immediately on their
northern borders; one glides into the other, and their affinities are so
easily detected that they are at once recognized to be cognate. If the
dialects of extreme points are compared, as that of the Caffres and the
tribes near the equator, it is more difficult to recognize the fact,
which is really the case, that all the dialects belong to but two
families of languages. Examination of the roots of the words of the
dialects, arranged in geographical order, shows that they merge into
each other, and there is not nearly so much difference between the
extremes of east and west as between those of north and south, the
dialect spoken at Tete resembling closely that in Angola.

Having, on the afore-mentioned date, reached the village of Njambi, one
of the chiefs of the Chiboque, we intended to pass a quiet Sunday; and
our provisions being quite spent, I ordered a tired riding-ox to be
slaughtered. As we wished to be on good terms with all, we sent the hump
and ribs to Njambi, with the explanation that this was the customary
tribute to chiefs in the part from which we had come, and that we always
honored men in his position. He returned thanks, and promised to send
food. Next morning he sent an impudent message, with a very small
present of meal; scorning the meat he had accepted, he demanded either
a man, an ox, a gun, powder, cloth, or a shell; and in the event of
refusal to comply with his demand, he intimated his intention to prevent
our further progress. We replied, we should have thought ourselves fools
if we had scorned his small present, and demanded other food instead;
and even supposing we had possessed the articles named, no black man
ought to impose a tribute on a party that did not trade in slaves. The
servants who brought the message said that, when sent to the Mambari,
they had always got a quantity of cloth from them for their master, and
now expected the same, or something else as an equivalent, from me.

We heard some of the Chiboque remark, "They have only five guns;"
and about midday, Njambi collected all his people, and surrounded our
encampment. Their object was evidently to plunder us of every thing. My
men seized their javelins, and stood on the defensive, while the young
Chiboque had drawn their