with abundance around them.  The kings and chiefs hold it their duty to entertain the outward bound; but when cloth, beads, and rum have been exhausted, the returning wanderer sits under a tree instead of entering the banza, and it is only an exceptional householder who will send him a few eggs or plantains.  They “cut” you, as a rule, more coolly than ever town man cut a continental acquaintance.  Finally, the self-imposed hardships of the down march break men’s spirits for further attempts, and their cupidity cannot neutralize their natural indolence thus reinforced.

We entered on the next afternoon Gidi Mavunga’s village, where the lieges received him with shouts and hand-clappings:  at the Papagayo’s there was a dance which lasted through that night and the next.  I stayed three days at Chinguvu finishing my sketches, but to have recovered anything from the guide would have required three weeks.  The old villain relaxed his vigilance over the women, who for the first time were allowed to enter the doors without supervision:  Merolla treats of this stale trick, and exclaims,—­

          “Ah pereat! didicit fallere si qua virum.”

I was reminded of the classical sentiment upon the Rio de S. Francisco ("Highlands of the Brazil,” ii. chap, xiv.), where, amongst other sentiments, the boatmen severely denounce in song

          “Mulher que engana tropeiro.”

As a rule throughout West Africa, where even the wildest tribes practise it, the “panel dodge” served, as Dupuis remarked, to supply the slave-trade, and in places like Abeokuta it became a nuisance:  the least penalty to which it leads is the confiscation of the Lothario’s goods and chattels.  Foiled in his benevolent attempt, the covetous senior presently entered the hut, and began unceremoniously to open a package of cloth which did not belong to him.  Selim cocked his revolver, and placed it handy, so the goods were afterwards respected.

At length, on Sept. 19, a piece of cloth (=48 yards) procured a canoe.  But calico and beads are not removed from an African settlement without disturbance:  my factotum has given a detailed account of the scene.[FN#35] Gidi Mavunga so managed that the porters, instead of proceeding straight to the stream, marched upon Banza Nokki where his royal son was awaiting us.  Worse still, Nessudikira’s royal mother was there, a large old virago, who smoked like a steam-engine and who “swore awful.”  The moleques were armed, but none liked proceeding to extremes; so, after an unusually loud quarrel, we reached the river in three hours, and at 9.45 A.M. we set out for Boma.

The down voyage was charming.  Instead of hugging the southern bank, we raced at a swinging pace down mid-stream.  A few showers had wonderfully improved the aspect of the land, where

“Every tree well from his fellow grew
With branches broad, laden with leaves new,
That springen out against the sunny sheen,
Some very red and some a glad light green;”