We heard some of the Chiboque remark, “They have only five guns;” and about midday, Njambi collected all his people, and surrounded our encampment.  Their object was evidently to plunder us of every thing.  My men seized their javelins, and stood on the defensive, while the young Chiboque had drawn their swords and brandished them with great fury.  Some even pointed their guns at me, and nodded to each other, as much as to say, “This is the way we shall do with him.”  I sat on my camp-stool, with my double-barreled gun across my knees, and invited the chief to be seated also.  When he and his counselors had sat down on the ground in front of me, I asked what crime we had committed that he had come armed in that way.  He replied that one of my men, Pitsane, while sitting at the fire that morning, had, in spitting, allowed a small quantity of the saliva to fall on the leg of one of his men, and this “guilt” he wanted to be settled by the fine of a man, ox, or gun.  Pitsane admitted the fact of a little saliva having fallen on the Chiboque, and in proof of its being a pure accident, mentioned that he had given the man a piece of meat, by way of making friends, just before it happened, and wiped it off with his hand as soon as it fell.  In reference to a man being given, I declared that we were all ready to die rather than give up one of our number to be a slave; that my men might as well give me as I give one of them, for we were all free men.  “Then you can give the gun with which the ox was shot.”  As we heard some of his people remarking even now that we had only “five guns”, we declined, on the ground that, as they were intent on plundering us, giving a gun would be helping them to do so.

This they denied, saying they wanted the customary tribute only.  I asked what right they had to demand payment for leave to tread on the ground of God, our common Father.  If we trod on their gardens, we would pay, but not for marching on land which was still God’s, and not theirs.  They did not attempt to controvert this, because it is in accordance with their own ideas, but reverted again to the pretended crime of the saliva.

My men now entreated me to give something; and after asking the chief if he really thought the affair of the spitting a matter of guilt, and receiving an answer in the affirmative, I gave him one of my shirts.  The young Chiboque were dissatisfied, and began shouting and brandishing their swords for a greater fine.

As Pitsane felt that he had been the cause of this disagreeable affair, he asked me to add something else.  I gave a bunch of beads, but the counselors objected this time, so I added a large handkerchief.  The more I yielded, the more unreasonable their demands became, and at every fresh demand a shout was raised by the armed party, and a rush made around us with brandishing of arms.  One young man made a charge at my head from behind, but I quickly brought round the muzzle of my gun to his mouth, and he retreated.