第80章
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  WhileonthewaytoCabangowesawfreshtracksofelands,thefirstwehadobservedinthiscountryApoorlittleslavegirl,beingill,turnedasideinthepath,and,thoughwewaitedallthenextdaymakingsearchforher,shewaslostShewastallandslenderforherage,asifoftooquickgrowth,andprobably,unabletobearthefatigueofthemarch,laydownandsleptintheforest,then,wakinginthedark,wentfartherandfartherastrayThetreatmentoftheslaveswitnessedbymymencertainlydidnotraiseslaveholdersintheirestimation。

  Theirusualexclamationwas“Gabanapelu“Theyhavenoheart;

  andtheyadded,withreferencetotheslaves,“Whydotheyletthem?”

  asiftheythoughtthattheslaveshadthenaturalrighttoridtheworldofsuchheartlesscreatures,andoughttodoit。

  Theuneasinessofthetraderwascontinuallyshowingitself,and,uponthewhole,hehadreasontobeonthealertbothdayandnight。

  Thecarriersperpetuallystolethegoodsintrustedtotheircare,andhecouldnotopenlyaccusethem,lesttheyshouldplunderhimofall,andleavehimquiteinthelurchHecouldonlyhopetomanagethemaftergettingalltheremaininggoodssafelyintoahouseinCabango;

  hemightthendeductsomethingfromtheirpayforwhattheyhadpurloinedontheway。

  Cabangolat9d31’S。,long20d31’or32’E。isthedwelling-placeofMuanzanza,oneofMatiamvo’ssubordinatechiefsHisvillageconsistsofabouttwohundredhutsandtenortwelvesquarehouses,constructedofpoleswithgrassinterwovenThelatterareoccupiedbyhalf-castePortuguesefromAmbaca,agentsfortheCassangetraders。

  Thecoldinthemorningswasnowseveretothefeelings,thethermometerrangingfrom58Degto60Deg。,though,whenprotected,sometimesstandingashighas64DegatsixA。MWhenthesuniswellup,thethermometerintheshaderisesto80Deg。,andintheeveningsitisabout78Deg。

  Apersonhavingdiedinthisvillage,wecouldtransactnobusinesswiththechiefuntilthefuneralobsequieswerefinishedTheseoccupyaboutfourdays,duringwhichthereisaconstantsuccessionofdancing,wailing,andfeastingGunsarefiredbyday,anddrumsbeatenbynight,andalltherelatives,dressedinfantasticcaps,keepuptheceremonieswithspiritproportionatetotheamountofbeerandbeefexpended。

  Whenthereisalargeexpenditure,theremarkisoftenmadeafterward,“Whatafinefuneralthatwas!”Afigure,consistingchieflyoffeathersandbeads,isparadedontheseoccasions,andseemstoberegardedasanidol。

  Havingmetwithanaccidenttooneofmyeyesbyablowfromabranchinpassingthroughaforest,Iremainedsomedayshere,endeavoring,thoughwithmuchpain,todrawasketchofthecountrythusfar,tobesentbacktoMrGabrielatLoandaIwasalwaysanxioustotransmitanaccountofmydiscoveriesoneverypossibleoccasion,lest,anythinghappeninginthecountrytowhichIwasgoing,theyshouldbeentirelylostIalsofondlyexpectedapacketoflettersandpaperswhichmygoodangelatLoandawouldbesuretosendiftheycametohand,butIafterwardfoundthat,thoughhehadofferedalargesumtoanyonewhowouldreturnwithanassuranceofhavingdeliveredthelastpackethesent,noonefollowedmewithittoCabangoTheunweariedattentionsofthisgoodEnglishman,fromhisfirstwelcometomewhen,aweary,dejected,andworn-downstranger,Iarrivedathisresidence,andhiswholesubsequentconduct,willbeheldinlivelyremembrancebymetomydyingday。

  SeveralofthenativetradersherehavingvisitedthecountryofLuba,lyingfartothenorthofthis,andtherebeingsomevisitorsalsofromthetownofMai,whichissituatedfardowntheKasai,IpickedupsomeinformationrespectingthosedistantpartsIngoingtothetownofMaithetraderscrossedonlytwolargerivers,theLoajimaandChihombo。

  TheKasaiflowsalittletotheeastofthetownofMai,andnearitthereisalargewaterfallTheydescribetheKasaiasbeingthereofverygreatsize,andthatitthencebendsroundtothewest。

  Onaskinganoldman,whowasabouttoreturntohischiefMai,toimaginehimselfstandingathishome,andpointtotheconfluenceoftheQuangoandKasai,heimmediatelyturned,and,pointingtothewestward,said,“Whenwetravelfivedaysthirty-fiveorfortymiles

  inthatdirection,wecometoit。”HestatedalsothattheKasaireceivedanotherriver,namedtheLubilashThereisbutoneopinionamongtheBalondarespectingtheKasaiandQuangoTheyinvariablydescribetheKasaiasreceivingtheQuango,and,beyondtheconfluence,assumingthenameofZaireorZerezereAndtheKasai,evenprevioustothejunction,ismuchlargerthantheQuango,fromthenumerousbranchesitreceives。

  Besidesthosewehavealreadycrossed,thereistheChihomboatCabango;

  andforty-twomilesbeyondthis,eastward,runstheKasaiitself;

  fourteenmilesbeyondthat,theKaunguesi;then,forty-twomilesfarthereast,flowstheLolua;besidesnumbersoflittlestreams,allofwhichcontributetoswelltheKasai。

  Aboutthirty-fourmileseastoftheLolua,orahundredandthirty-twomilesE。N。EofCabango,standsthetownofMatiamvo,theparamountchiefofalltheBalondaThetownofMaiispointedoutastotheN。N。WofCabango,andthirty-twodaysortwohundredandtwenty-fourmilesdistant,oraboutlatS5d45’ThechieftownofLuba,anotherindependentchief,iseightdaysfartherinthesamedirection,orlatS4d50’JudgingfromtheappearanceofthepeoplewhohadcomeforthepurposesoftradefromMai,thoseinthenorthareinquiteasuncivilizedaconditionastheBalonda。

  Theyarecladinakindofclothmadeoftheinnerbarkofatree。

  Neithergunsnornativetradersareadmittedintothecountry,thechiefofLubaentertainingadreadofinnovationIfanativetradergoesthither,hemustdresslikethecommonpeopleinAngola,inalooseroberesemblingakiltThechieftradesinshellsandbeadsonly。

  Hispeoplekilltheelephantsbymeansofspears,poisonedarrows,andtraps。

  Allassertthatelephants’tusksfromthatcountryareheavierandofgreaterlengththananyothers。

  Itisevident,fromalltheinformationIcouldcollectbothhereandelsewhere,thatthedrainageofLondafallstothenorthandthenrunswestwardThecountriesofLubaandMaiareevidentlylowerthanthis,andyetthisisofnogreataltitude

  probablynotmuchmorethan3500feetabovethelevelofthesea。

  HavingherereceivedprettycertaininformationonapointinwhichIfeltmuchinterest,namely,thattheKasaiisnotnavigablefromthecoast,owingtothelargewaterfallnearthetownofMai,andthatnogreatkingdomexistsintheregionbeyond,betweenthisandtheequator,IwouldfainhavevisitedMatiamvo。

  Thisseemedaverydesirablestep,asitisgoodpolicyaswellasrighttoacknowledgethesovereignofacountry;andIwasassured,bothbyBalondaandnativetraders,thataconsiderablebranchoftheZambesirisesinthecountryeastofhistown,andflowsawaytothesouth。

  Thewholeofthisbranch,extendingdowneventowhereitturnswestwardtoMasiko,isprobablyplacedtoofareastwardonthemap。

  ItwasputdownwhenIbelievedMatiamvoandCazembetobefarthereastthanIhavesinceseenreasontobelievethemAll,beingderivedfromnativetestimony,isofferedtothereaderwithdiffidence,asneedingverificationbyactualexplorersThepeopleofthatpart,namedKanyikaandKanyoka,livingonitsbanks,arerepresentedasbothnumerousandfriendly,butMatiamvowillonnoaccountpermitanywhitepersontovisitthem,ashisprincipalsuppliesofivoryaredrawnfromthemThinkingthatwemightdescendthisbranchoftheZambesitoMasiko,andthencetotheBarotse,IfeltastronginclinationtomaketheattemptThegoods,however,wehadbroughtwithustopayourway,had,bythelongdetentionfromfeverandweaknessinbothmyselfandmen,dwindledtoamerefragment;and,beingbutslightlyacquaintedwiththeBalondadialect,IfeltthatIcouldneitherusepersuasionnorpresentstoeffectmyobjectFromallIcouldhearofMatiamvo,therewasnochanceofmybeingallowedtoproceedthroughhiscountrytothesouthwardIfIhadgonemerelytovisithim,allthegoodswouldhavebeenexpendedbythetimeIreturnedtoCabango;

  andwehadnotfoundmendicitysopleasantonourwaytothenorthastoinduceustodesiretoreturntoit。

  ThecountryofMatiamvoissaidtobewellpeopled,buttheyhavelittleornotradeTheyreceivecalico,salt,gunpowder,coarseearthenware,andbeads,andgiveinreturnivoryandslaves。

  Theypossessnocattle,Matiamvoalonehavingasingleherd,whichhekeepsentirelyforthesakeofthefleshThepresentchiefissaidtobemildinhisgovernment,andwilldeposeanunder-chiefforunjustconduct。

  HeoccasionallysendsthedistanceofahundredmilesormoretobeheadanoffendingofficerBut,thoughIwasinformedbythePortuguesethathepossessesabsolutepower,hisnamehadlessinfluenceoverhissubjectswithwhomIcameincontactthanthatofSekeletuhasoverhispeoplelivingatamuchgreaterdistancefromthecapital。

  AswethoughtitbesttostrikeawaytotheS。EfromCabangotoouroldfriendKatema,IaskedaguidefromMuanzanzaassoonasthefuneralproceedingswereoverHeagreedtofurnishone,andalsoacceptedasmallerpresentfrommethanusual,whenitwasrepresentedtohimbyPascoalandFariathatIwasnotatrader。

  Heseemedtoregardthesepresentsashisproperdues;

  andasacargoofgoodshadcomebySenhorPascoal,heenteredthehouseforthepurposeofreceivinghisshare,whenSenhorFariagravelypresentedhimwiththecommonestearthenwarevessel,ofwhichgreatnumbersarebroughtforthistradeThechiefreceiveditwithexpressionsofabundantgratitude,asthesevesselsarehighlyvalued,becausefromtheirdepththeycanholdsomuchfoodorbeer。

  Theassociationofideasissometimessoveryludicrousthatitisdifficulttomaintainone’sgravity。

  SeveralofthechildrenofthelateMatiamvocametobegfromme,butnevertoofferanyfoodHavingspokentooneyoungmannamedLiulaHeavens

  abouttheirstinginess,hesoonbroughtbananasandmanioc。

  Ilikedhisappearanceandconversation,andbelievethattheBalondawouldnotbedifficulttoteach,buttheirmodeoflifewouldbeadrawback。

  TheBalondainthisquarteraremuchmoreagreeable-lookingthananyoftheinhabitantsnearerthecoastThewomenallowtheirteethtoremainintheirbeautifullywhitestate,andwouldbecomelybutforthecustomofinsertingpiecesofreedintothecartilageofthenose。

  Theyseemgenerallytobeingoodspirits,andspendtheirtimeineverlastingtalk,funeralceremonies,andmarriages。

  ThisflowofanimalspiritsmustbeonereasonwhytheyaresuchanindestructibleraceThehabitualinfluenceontheirmindsoftheagencyofunseenspiritsmayhaveatendencyinthesamedirection,bypreservingthementalquietudeofakindoffatalism。

  Wewereforcedtoprepayourguideandhisfathertoo,andhewentbutoneday,althoughhepromisedtogowithustoKatema。

  Hewasnotintheleastashamedatbreakinghisengagements,andprobablynodisgracewillbeattachedtothedeedbyMuanzanza。

  AmongtheBakwainshewouldhavebeenpunishedMymenwouldhavestrippedhimofthewageswhichheworeonhisperson,butthoughtthat,aswehadalwaysactedonthemildestprinciples,theywouldlethimmoveoffwithhisunearnedgains。

  Theyfrequentlylamentedthewantofknowledgeinthesepeople,saying,intheirowntongue,“Ah!theydon’tknowthatwearemenaswellasthey,andthatweareonlybearingwiththeirinsolencewithpatiencebecausewearemen。”Thenwouldfollowaheartycurse,showingthatthepatiencewasnearlyexpended;buttheyseldomquarreledinthelanguageoftheBalondaTheonlyonewhoeverlosthistemperwasthemanwhostruckaheadmanofoneofthevillagesonthemouth,andhewasthemostabjectindividualinourcompany。

  Thereasonwhyweneededaguideatallwastosecuretheconvenienceofapath,which,thoughgenerallynobetterthanasheep-walk,ismucheasierthangoingstraightinonedirection,throughtangledforestsandtropicalvegetationWeknewthegeneraldirectionweoughttofollow,andalsoifanydeviationoccurredfromourproperroute;

  but,toavoidimpassableforestsanduntreadablebogs,andtogettotheproperfordsoftherivers,wealwaystriedtoprocureaguide,andhealwaysfollowedthecommonpathfromonevillagetoanotherwhenthatlayinthedirectionweweregoing。

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