sserts, appear much
like paintings of ancient Egyptians, and could easily be
European except for the shading and the slanted eyes. They are
all handsome.--A. L., 1997.

Chapter 23.

Make a Detour southward--Peculiarities of the Inhabitants--Scarcity of
Animals--Forests--Geological Structure of the Country--Abundance and
Cheapness of Food near the Chihombo--A Slave lost--The Makololo Opinion
of Slaveholders--Funeral Obsequies in Cabango--Send a Sketch of the
Country to Mr. Gabriel--Native Information respecting the Kasai and
Quango--The Trade with Luba--Drainage of Londa--Report of Matiamvo's
Country and Government--Senhor Faria's Present to a Chief--The Balonda
Mode of spending Time--Faithless Guide--Makololo lament the Ignorance
of the Balonda--Eagerness of the Villagers for Trade--Civility of
a Female Chief--The Chief Bango and his People--Refuse to eat
Beef--Ambition of Africans to have a Village--Winters in the
Interior--Spring at Kolobeng--White Ants: "Never could desire to eat
any thing better"--Young Herbage and Animals--Valley of the Loembwe--
The white Man a Hobgoblin--Specimen of Quarreling--Eager Desire for
Calico--Want of Clothing at Kawawa's--Funeral Observances--Agreeable
Intercourse with Kawawa--His impudent Demand--Unpleasant
Parting--Kawawa tries to prevent our crossing the River
Kasai--Stratagem.

We made a little detour to the southward in order to get provisions in
a cheaper market. This led us along the rivulet called Tamba, where
we found the people, who had not been visited so frequently by the
slave-traders as the rest, rather timid and very civil. It was agreeable
to get again among the uncontaminated, and to see the natives look at us
without that air of superciliousness which is so unpleasant and common
in the beaten track. The same olive color prevailed. They file their
teeth to a point, which makes the smile of the women frightful, as it
reminds one of the grin of an alligator. The inhabitants throughout this
country exhibit as great a variety of taste as appears on the surface
of society among ourselves. Many of the men are dandies; their shoulders
are always wet with the oil dropping from their lubricated hair, and
every thing about them is ornamented in one way or another. Some thrum
a musical instrument the livelong day, and, when they wake at night,
proceed at once to their musical performance. Many of these musicians
are too poor to have iron keys to their instru