72 TRAVELS IN AFRICA.

which he, naturally enough, supposed would entitle him to, or at least, induce us to give him, an adequate reward.

The chief of Wallia (a province of Katoba, but over which the king has little control) lives about five miles south of this place. As he was a person of some consequence in the country, and might be of use, we sent him our compliments, with a present of eight bars in tobacco, amber, and beads, and, having made the chief of Jindey another, we moved towards the Creek at six o'clock on the morning of the 30th, but had not proceeded one hundred yards, when the horses in front were stopped by some people, stating that they were sent by the Wallia chief, to say, that unless we would pay him his regular customs, in the same way as the vessels which ascend the river on trading voyages, we should not be allowed to proceed. We laughed at the idea of three or four men saying they would not allow us to pass, and told them we had already despatched a messenger to their master, with a present, and to which we would make an addition of four bars for themselves. This was not satisfactory enough, and they again insinuated that we should not move until the chief himself should arrive. We ordered the whole to halt, and the men to load their muskets ; we asked where were those people who wished to dispute our pas-