His whole tribe was assembled at about the distance of half a mile.  As the country is covered with trees, we did not see them; but every now and then a few came about us as spies, and would answer no questions.  I handed a leg of the ox to two of these, and desired them to take it to Mpende.  After waiting a considerable time in suspense, two old men made their appearance, and said they had come to inquire who I was.  I replied, “I am a Lekoa” (an Englishman).  They said, “We don’t know that tribe.  We suppose you are a Mozunga, the tribe with which we have been fighting.”  As I was not yet aware that the term Mozunga was applied to a Portuguese, and thought they meant half-castes, I showed them my hair and the skin of my bosom, and asked if the Bazunga had hair and skin like mine.  As the Portuguese have the custom of cutting the hair close, and are also somewhat darker than we are, they answered, “No; we never saw skin so white as that;” and added, “Ah! you must be one of that tribe that loves (literally, ‘has heart to’) the black men.”  I, of course, gladly responded in the affirmative.  They returned to the village, and we afterward heard that there had been a long discussion between Mpende and his councilors, and that one of the men with whom we had remained to talk the day before had been our advocate.  He was named Sindese Oalea.  When we were passing his village, after some conversation, he said to his people, “Is that the man whom they wish to stop after he has passed so many tribes?  What can Mpende say to refusing him a passage?” It was owing to this man, and the fact that I belonged to the “friendly white tribe”, that Mpende was persuaded to allow us to pass.  When we knew the favorable decision of the council, I sent Sekwebu to speak about the purchase of a canoe, as one of my men had become very ill, and I wished to relieve his companions by taking him in a canoe.  Before Sekwebu could finish his story, Mpende remarked, “That white man is truly one of our friends.  See how he lets me know his afflictions!” Sekwebu adroitly took advantage of this turn in the conversation, and said, “Ah! if you only knew him as well as we do who have lived with him, you would understand that he highly values your friendship and that of Mburuma, and, as he is a stranger, he trusts in you to direct him.”  He replied, “Well, he ought to cross to the other side of the river, for this bank is hilly and rough, and the way to Tete is longer on this than on the opposite bank.”  “But who will take us across, if you do not?” “Truly!” replied Mpende; “I only wish you had come sooner to tell me about him; but you shall cross.”  Mpende said frequently he was sorry he had not known me sooner, but that he had been prevented by his enchanter from coming near me; and he lamented that the same person had kept him from eating the meat which I had presented.  He did every thing he could afterward to aid us on our course, and our departure was as different as possible from our approach to his village.  I was very much pleased to find the English name spoken of with such great respect so far from the coast, and most thankful that no collision occurred to damage its influence.