第64章
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  Everyvillageswarmswithchildren,whoturnouttoseethewhitemanpass,andrunalongwithstrangecriesandantics;somerunuptreestogetagoodview:allareagileclimbersthroughoutLonda。

  AtfriendlyvillagestheyhavescamperedalongsideourpartyformilesatatimeWeusuallymadealittlehedgearoundoursheds;

  crowdsofwomencametotheentranceofit,withchildrenontheirbacks,andlongpipesintheirmouths,gazingatusforhours。

  Themen,ratherthandisturbthem,crawledthroughaholeinthehedge,anditwascommontohearamaninrunningoffsaytothem,“Iamgoingtotellmymammatocomeandseethewhiteman’soxen。”

  IncontinuingourW。N。Wcourse,wemetmanypartiesofnativetraders,eachcarryingsomepiecesofclothandsalt,withafewbeadstobarterforbees’-waxTheyareallarmedwithPortugueseguns,andhavecartridgeswithironballsWhenwemeetweusuallystandafewminutesTheypresentalittlesalt,andwegiveabitofox-hide,orsomeothertrifle,andthenpartwithmutualgoodwishes。

  Thehideoftheoxenweslaughteredhadbeenavaluableadditiontoourresources,forwefounditinsogreatreputeforgirdlesallthroughLoandathatwecutupeveryskinintostripsabouttwoinchesbroad,andsoldthemformealandmaniocaswewentalong。

  AswecamenearerAngolawefoundthemoflessvalue,asthepeopletherepossesscattlethemselves。

  ThevillageontheKweelo,atwhichwespentSunday,wasthatofacivil,livelyoldman,calledSakandala,whoofferednoobjectionstoourprogress。

  WefoundweshouldsoonenterontheterritoryoftheBashinjeChingeofthePortuguese,whoaremixedwithanothertribe,namedBangala,whichhavebeenatwarwiththeBabindeleorPortugueseRainsandfever,asusual,helpedtoimpedeourprogressuntilwewereputonthepathwhichleadsfromCassangeandBihetoMatiamvo,byaheadmannamedKamboela。

  Thiswasawell-beatenfootpath,andsoonafterenteringuponitwemetapartyofhalf-castetradersfromBihe,whoconfirmedtheinformationwehadalreadygotofthispathleadingstraighttoCassange,throughwhichtheyhadcomeontheirwayfromBihetoCabango。

  Theykindlypresentedmymenwithsometobacco,andmarveledgreatlywhentheyfoundthatIhadneverbeenabletoteachmyselftosmoke。

  Onpartingwiththemwecametoatrader’sgraveThiswasmarkedbyahugeconeofsticksplacedintheformoftheroofofahut,withapalisadearounditAtanopeningonthewesternsideanuglyidolwasplaced:severalstringsofbeadsandbitsofclothwerehungaroundWelearnedthathehadbeenahalf-caste,whohaddiedonhiswaybackfromMatiamvo。

  Aswewerenowalone,andsureofbeingonthewaytotheabodesofcivilization,wewentonbriskly。

  Onthe30thwecametoasuddendescentfromthehighland,indentedbydeep,narrowvalleys,overwhichwehadlatelybeentraveling。

  Itisgenerallysosteepthatitcanonlybedescendedatparticularpoints,andeventhereIwasobligedtodismount,thoughsoweakthatIhadtobeledbymycompanionstopreventmytopplingoverinwalkingdownItwasannoyingtofeelmyselfsohelpless,forIneverlikedtoseeaman,eithersickorwell,givingineffeminately。

  BelowuslaythevalleyoftheQuangoIfyousitonthespotwhereMaryQueenofScotsviewedthebattleofLangside,andlookdownonthevaleofClyde,youmayseeinminiaturetheglorioussightwhichamuchgreaterandrichervalleypresentedtoourviewItisaboutahundredmilesbroad,clothedwithdarkforest,exceptwherethelightgreengrasscoversmeadow-landsontheQuango,whichhereandthereglancesoutinthesunasitwendsitswaytothenorthTheoppositesideofthisgreatvalleyappearslikearangeofloftymountains,andthedescentintoitaboutamile,which,measuredperpendicularly,maybefromathousandtotwelvehundredfeetEmergingfromthegloomyforestsofLonda,thismagnificentprospectmadeusallfeelasifaweighthadbeenliftedoffoureyelidsAcloudwaspassingacrossthemiddleofthevalley,fromwhichrollingthunderpealed,whileaboveallwasglorioussunlight;

  andwhenwewentdowntothepartwherewesawitpassing,wefoundthataveryheavythunder-showerhadfallenunderthepathofthecloud;

  andthebottomofthevalley,whichfromaboveseemedquitesmooth,wediscoveredtobeintersectedandfurrowedbygreatnumbersofdeep-cutstreamsLookingbackfrombelow,thedescentappearsastheedgeofatable-land,withnumerousindenteddellsandspursjuttingoutallalong,givingitaserratedappearance。

  Boththetopandsidesofthesierraarecoveredwithtrees,butlargepatchesofthemoreperpendicularpartsarebare,andexhibittheredsoil,whichisgeneralovertheregionwehavenowentered。

  Thehollowaffordsasectionofthispartofthecountry;andwefindthattheuppermoststratumistheferruginousconglomeratealreadymentioned。

  Thematrixisrustofironorhydrousperoxideofironandhematite,andinitareimbeddedwater-wornpebblesofsandstoneandquartz。

  AsthisistherockunderlyingthesoilofalargepartofLonda,itsformationmusthaveprecededtheworkofdenudationbyanarmofthesea,whichwashedawaytheenormousmassofmatterrequiredbeforethevalleyofCassangecouldassumeitspresentform。

  Thestrataundertheconglomerateareallofredclayshaleofdifferentdegreesofhardness,themostinduratedbeingatthebottom。

  Thisredclayshaleisnamed“keele“inScotland,andhasalwaysbeenconsideredasanindicationofgold;buttheonlythingwediscoveredwasthatithadgivenrisetoaveryslipperyclaysoil,sodifferentfromthatwhichwehadjustleftthatMashauana,whoalwayspridedhimselfonbeinganadeptatbalancinghimselfinthecanoeonwater,andsosureoffootonlandthathecouldaffordtoexpresscontemptforanyonelessgifted,camedowninaverysuddenandundignifiedmanner,tothedelightofallwhomhehadpreviouslyscoldedforfalling。

  Herewemetwiththebambooasthickasaman’sarm,andmanynewtrees。

  Others,whichwehadlostsightofsinceleavingShinte,nowreappeared;

  butnothingstruckusmorethanthecomparativescragginessofthetreesinthishollowThoseonthehighlandswehadleftweretallandstraight;

  heretheywerestunted,andnotbyanymeanssocloselyplantedtogether。

  TheonlywayIcouldaccountforthiswasbysupposing,asthetreeswereofdifferentspecies,thatthegreateraltitudesuitedthenatureofthoseabovebetterthantheloweraltitudedidtheotherspeciesbelow。

  SUNDAY,APRIL2DWerestedbesideasmallstream,andourhungerbeingnowverysevere,fromhavinglivedonmaniocalonesinceleavingIonzaPanza’s,weslaughteredoneofourfourremainingoxen。

  Thepeopleofthisdistrictseemtofeelthecravingforanimalfoodasmuchaswedid,fortheyspendmuchenergyindigginglargewhitelarvaeoutofthedampsoiladjacenttotheirstreams,andusethemasarelishtotheirvegetabledietTheBashinjerefusedtosellanyfoodforthepooroldornamentsmymenhadnowtoofferWecouldgetneithermealnormanioc,butshouldhavebeencomfortablehadnottheBashinjechiefSansawepesteredusforthecustomarypresent。

  Thenativetradersinformedusthatadisplayofforcewasoftennecessarybeforetheycouldpassthisman。

  Sansawe,thechiefofaportionoftheBashinje,havingsenttheusualformaldemandforaman,anox,oratusk,spokeverycontemptuouslyofthepoorthingsweofferedhiminstead。

  WetoldhismessengersthatthetuskswereSekeletu’s:everythingwasgoneexceptmyinstruments,whichcouldbeofnousetothemwhatever。

  Oneofthembeggedsomemeat,and,whenitwasrefused,saidtomymen,“Youmayaswellgiveit,forweshalltakeallafterwehavekilledyouto-morrow。”Themorehumblywespoke,themoreinsolenttheBashinjebecame,tillatlastwewereallfeelingsavageandsulky,butcontinuedtospeakascivillyaswecould。

  Theyarefondofargument,andwhenIdeniedtheirrighttodemandtributefromawhiteman,whodidnottradeinslaves,anoldwhite-headednegroputratheraposingquestion:“YouknowthatGodhasplacedchiefsamonguswhomweoughttosupportHowisitthatyou,whohaveabookthattellsyouabouthim,donotcomeforwardatoncetopaythischieftributelikeeveryoneelse?”Irepliedbyasking,“HowcouldIknowthatthiswasachief,whohadallowedmetoremainadayandahalfnearhimwithoutgivingmeanythingtoeat?”This,whichtotheuninitiatedmayseemsophistry,wastotheCentralAfricansquitearationalquestion,forheatonceadmittedthatfoodoughttohavebeensent,andaddedthatprobablyhischiefwasonlymakingitreadyforme,andthatitwouldcomesoon。

  AfterbeingweariedbytalkingalldaytodifferentpartiessentbySansawe,wewerehonoredbyavisitfromhimself:heisquiteayoungman,andofratherapleasingcountenanceTherecannothavebeenmuchintercoursebetweenrealPortugueseandthesepeopleevenhere,soclosetotheQuango,forSansaweaskedmetoshowhimmyhair,onthegroundthat,thoughhehadheardofit,andsomewhitemenhadevenpassedthroughhiscountry,hehadneverseenstraighthairbefore。

  Thisisquitepossible,asmostoftheslave-tradersarenotPortuguese,buthalf-castesThedifferencebetweentheirwoolandourhaircausedhimtoburstintoalaugh,andthecontrastbetweentheexposedandunexposedpartsofmyskin,whenexhibitedinevidenceofourallbeingmadeofonestockoriginally,andthechildrenofoneMaker,seemedtostrikehimwithwonder。

  Ithenshowedhimmywatch,andwishedtowinmywayintohisconfidencebyconversation;but,whenabouttoexhibitmypocketcompass,hedesiredmetodesist,ashewasafraidofmywonderfulthings。

  Itoldhim,ifheknewmyaimsasthetribesintheinteriordid,andasIhopedhewouldyetknowthemandme,hewouldbegladtostay,andseealsothepicturesofthemagiclantern;but,asitwasnowgettingdark,hehadevidentlygotenoughofmywitchery,andbegantousesomecharmstodispelanykindlyfeelingshemighthavefoundstealingroundhisheartHeaskedleavetogo,andwhenhispartymovedoffalittleway,hesentformyspokesman,andtoldhimthat,“ifwedidnotaddaredjacketandamantoourgiftofafewcopperringsandafewpoundsofmeat,wemustreturnbythewaywehadcome。”Isaidinreply“thatweshouldcertainlygoforwardnextday,andifhecommencedhostilities,theblamebeforeGodwouldbethatofSansawe;“andmymanaddedofhisownaccord,“Howmanywhitemenhaveyoukilledinthispath?”

  whichmightbeinterpretedinto,“Youhaveneverkilledanywhiteman,andyouwillfindoursmoredifficulttomanagethanyouimagine。”

  Itexpressedadetermination,whichwehadoftenrepeatedtoeachother,todieratherthanyieldoneofourpartytobeaslave。

  HungerhasapowerfuleffectonthetemperWhenwehadgotagoodmealofmeat,wecouldallbearthepettyannoyancesoftheseborderersonthemorecivilizedregioninfrontwithequanimity;buthavingsufferedconsiderablyoflate,wewereallrathersouredinourfeelings,andnotunfrequentlyIoverheardmycompanionsremarkintheirowntongue,inanswertothreatsofattack,“That’swhatwewant:onlybeginthen;“

  orwithclenchedteeththeywouldexclaimtoeachother,“Thesethingshavenevertraveled,anddonotknowwhatmenare。”

  Theworrying,ofwhichIgiveonlyaslightsketch,hadconsiderableinfluenceonmyownmind,andmoreespeciallyasitwasimpossibletomakeanyallowancefortheBashinje,suchasIwaswillingtoawardtotheChiboque。

  Theysawthatwehadnothingtogive,norwouldtheybebenefitedintheleastbyenforcingtheimpudentordertoreturnwhencewehadcome。

  Theywereaddinginsulttoinjury,andthisputusallintoafightingspirit,and,asnearlyaswecouldjudge,weexpectedtobeobligedtocutourwaythroughtheBashinjenextmorning。

  3DAPRILAssoonasdaydawnedwewereastir,and,settingoffinadrizzlingrain,passedclosetothevillageThisrainprobablydampedtheardoroftherobbersWe,however,expectedtobefireduponfromeveryclumpoftrees,orfromsomeoftherockyhillocksamongwhichwewerepassing;anditwasonlyaftertwohours’marchthatwebegantobreathefreely,andmymenremarked,inthankfulness,“WearechildrenofJesus。”Wecontinuedourcourse,notwithstandingtherain,acrossthebottomoftheQuangoValley,whichwefoundbrokenbyclayshalerocksjuttingout,thoughlyingnearlyhorizontallyThegrassinallthehollows,atthistimequitegreen,wasabouttwofeethigherthanmyheadwhilesittingonox-backThisgrass,wettedbytherain,actedasashower-bathononesideofourbodies;andsomedeepgullies,fullofDISCOLOREDwater,completedthecoolingprocess。

  Wepassedmanyvillagesduringthisdrenching,oneofwhichpossessedaflockofsheep;andaftersixhourswecametoastandneartheRiverQuangolat9d53’S。,long18d37’E。,whichmaybecalledtheboundaryofthePortugueseclaimstoterritoryonthewestAsIhadnownochangeofclothing,Iwasgladtocowerundertheshelterofmyblanket,thankfultoGodforhisgoodnessinbringingussofarwithoutlosingoneoftheparty。

  4THAPRILWewerenowonthebanksoftheQuango,ariveronehundredandfiftyyardswide,andverydeep。

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