their capabilities for easy irrigation. On
reaching the River Chikapa (lat. 10d 10' S., long. 19d 42' E.), the 25th
of March, we found it fifty or sixty yards wide, and flowing E.N.E. into
the Kasai. The adjacent country is of the same level nature as that part
of Londa formerly described; but, having come farther to the eastward
than our previous course, we found that all the rivers had worn for
themselves much deeper valleys than at the points we had formerly
crossed them.

Surrounded on all sides by large gloomy forests, the people of these
parts have a much more indistinct idea of the geography of their country
than those who live in hilly regions. It was only after long and patient
inquiry that I became fully persuaded that the Quilo runs into the
Chikapa. As we now crossed them both considerably farther down, and were
greatly to the eastward of our first route, there can be no doubt that
these rivers take the same course as the others, into the Kasai, and
that I had been led into a mistake in saying that any of them flowed to
the westward. Indeed, it was only at this time that I began to perceive
that all the western feeders of the Kasai, except the Quango, flow first
from the western side toward the centre of the country, then gradually
turn, with the Kasai itself, to the north; and, after the confluence of
the Kasai with the Quango, an immense body of water, collected from all
these branches, finds its way out of the country by means of the River
Congo or Zaire on the west coast.

The people living along the path we are now following were quite
accustomed to the visits of native traders, and did not feel in any way
bound to make presents of food except for the purpose of cheating: thus,
a man gave me a fowl and some meal, and, after a short time, returned.
I offered him a handsome present of beads; but these he declined, and
demanded a cloth instead, which was far more than the value of his
gift. They did the same with my men, until we had to refuse presents
altogether. Others made high demands because I slept in a "house of
cloth", and must be rich. They seemed to think that they had a perfect
right to payment for simply passing through the country.

Beyond the Chikapa we crossed the Kamaue, a small deep stream proceeding
from the S.S.W., and flowing into the Chikapa.

On the 30th of April we reached the Loajima, where we had to form a
bridge to effect our passage. This was not so difficult an operation
as