Where did they get them from, I wonder, and what was
the origin of their race? I cannot answer the question, for I never
found out with any certainty. Nor do I think they knew themselves.
The /indaba/ was resumed. Bausi announced that we three white men with
a servant apiece (I stipulated for this) would visit Pongo-land as his
envoys, taking no firearms with us, there to discuss terms of peace
between the two peoples, and especially the questions of trade and
intermarriage. Komba was very insistent that this should be included;
at the time I wondered why. He, Komba, on behalf of the Motombo and
the Kalubi, the spiritual and temporal rulers of his land, guaranteed
us safe conduct on the understanding that we attempted no insult or
violence to the gods, a stipulation from which there was no escape,
though I liked it little. He swore also that we should be delivered
safe and sound in the Mazitu country within six days of our having
left its shores.
Bausi said that it was good, adding that he would send five hundred
armed men to escort us to the place where we were to embark, and to
receive us on our return; also that if any hurt came to us he would
wage war upon the Pongo people for ever until he found means to
destroy them.
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