I t was fortunate that Nature had thus stocked La-
tooka with game. It was impossible to procure any
other meat; and not only were the ducks and geese
to us what the quails were to the Israelites in the
desert, but they enabled me to make presents to the
natives that assured them of our good will.
. Although the Latookas were far better than other
tribes that I had met, they were sufficiently annoying -
CBIMSON-BEADED SPUR-WINGED GOOSE.
they gave me.no credit for real good will, but they
attributed my forbearance to weakness. On one occasion
Adda, one of the chiefs, came to ask me to join
him in attacking a village to procure molotes (iron
hoes); he said, “ Come along with me, bring your men
and guns, and we will attack a village near here, and
•take their molotes and cattle; you keep the cattle, and
I will have the molotes.” I asked him whether the
village was in an enemy’s country? . “ Oh.no!” he
replied, “ it is close here; but the people are. rather
rebellious, and it will do them good to kill a few, and
to take their molotes. If you are afraid, never mind,
1 will ask the Turks to do it.” Thus forbearance on
my part was supposed to be caused from weakness,
and it was difficult to persuade them that it originated
in a feeling of justice. This Adda most coolly proposed
that we should plunder one of his own villages
that was rather too “ liberal” in its views. Nothing
is more heartbreaking than to be so thoroughly misunderstood,
and the obtuseness of the savages was such,
that I never could make them understand the existence
of good principle;—their one idea was “ power,”—force
that could obtain all—the strong hand that could
wrest from the weak. In disgust I frequently noted
the feelings of the moment in my journal—a memorandum
from which I copy as illustrative of the
time. “ 1863, 10th April, Latooka: I wish the black
sympathisers in England could see Africa’s inmost
heart as I do, much of their sympathy would subside.
Human nature viewed in its crude state as pictured
amongst African savages is quite on a level with that
of the brute, and not to be compared with the noble
VOL. I. R