a large and well-manned canoe put off, and the rest of the
population walked down shore. I made signs for the stranger not
to approach, when the head man, Angilah, asked me in English what
he had done to offend me, and peremptorily insisted upon my
sleeping at his village. All these places are looking forward to
the blessed day when a trader, especially a white trader, shall
come to dwell amongst the "sons of the soil," and shall fill
their pockets with "trust" money. On every baylet and roadstead
stands the Casa Grande, a large empty bungalow, a factory in
embryo awaiting the Avatar; but, instead of attracting their
"merchant" by collecting wax and honey, rubber and ivory, the
people will not work till he appears. Consequently, here, as in
Angola and in the lowlands of the Brazil, it is a slight to pass
by without a visit; and jealousy, a ruling passion amongst
Africans, suggests that the stranger is bound for another and
rival village. They wish, at any rate, to hear the news, to
gossip half the night, to drink the Utangani's rum, and to claim
a cloth for escorting him, will he, nill he, to the next
settlement. But what could I do? To indulge native prejudice
would have stretched my cruize to a fortnight; and I had neither
time, supplies, nor stomach for the task. So Langobumo was
directed to declare that they had a "wicked white man" on board
who e'en would gang his ane gait, who had no goods but weapons,
and who wanted only to shoot a njina, and to visit Sanga-Tanga,
where his brother "Mpolo" had been. All this was said in a
sneaking, deprecating tone, and the crew, though compelled to ply
their oars, looked their regrets at the exceedingly rude and
unseemly conduct of their Utangani. Angilah followed chattering
till he had learned all the novelties; at last he dropped aft,
growling much, and promising to receive me at Sanga-Tanga next