maltreated by him on the way. We have felt heartily
ashamed sometimes on discovering how causelessly we have
been angry. No doubt the natives are at times as perversely
stupid as servants at home can be when they like; but our
eondUet must often appear to the native mind as a mixture
of silliness and insanity.
On the 16th September, we arrived at the inhabited island
of Kichokomane. The usual way of approaching an unknown
people is to call out in a cheerful tone “Malonda!” Things for
sale, or do you want to sell anything ? If we can obtain a man
from the last village, he is employed, though only useful in
explaining to the next that we come in a friendly way. The
people here were shy of us at first, and could not be indueed
to sell any food; until a woman, more adventurous than the
rest, sold us a fowl. This opened the market, and crowds
came with fowls and meal, far beyond our wants. The
women are as ugly as those on Lake Nyassa, for who can
be handsome wearing the pelele or upper-lip ring of large
dimensions? We were once surprised to see young men
wearing the pelele, and were told that in the tribe of the
Mabiha, on the south bank, men as well as women wore
them.
Along the left bank, above Kichokomane, is an exceedingly
fertile plain, nearly two miles broad, and studded
with a number of deserted villages. The inhabitants were
living in temporary huts on low naked sandbanks; and we
found this to be the case as far as we went. They leave
most of their property. and food behind, because they are
not afraid of these being stolen, but only fear being stolen
themselves. The great slave-route from Nyassa to Kilwa
passes to N.B. from S.W., just beyond them; and it is
dangerous to remain in their villages at this time of year,
when the kidnappers are abroad. In one of the temporary
villages, we saw, in passing, two human heads lying
on the ground. We slept a couple of miles above this
village.
Before sunrise next morning, a large party armed with
bows and arrows and muskets came to the camp, two or
three of them having a fowl each, which we refused to purchase,
having bought enough the day before. They followed
us all the morning, and after breakfast those on the left
bank swam across and joined the main party on the other
side. I t was evidently their intention to attack us at a
■chosen spot, where we had to pass close to a high bank,
■but their plan was frustrated by a stiff breeze sweeping
the boats past, before the majority could get to the place.
• They disappeared then, but came out again ahead of us, on a
high wooded bank, walking rapidly to the bend, near which
we were obliged to sail. An arrow was shot at the foremost
boat; and seeing the force at the bend, we pushed out from
the side, as far as the shoal water would permit, and tried
to bring them to a parley, by declaring, that we had not come
to fight, but to see the river. « Why did you fire a gun, a
little while ago ?” they asked. “ We shot a large puff-adder,
to prevent it from killing men; you may see it lying dead on
the beach.” ' With great courage, our Mokadamo waded to
within thirty yards of the bank, and spoke with much
■ earnestness, assuring them that we were a peaceable party,
and had not come for war, but to see the river. We were
friends, and our countrymen bought cotton and ivory, and
wished to come and trade with them. All we wanted was to
go up quietly to look at the river, and then return to the sea
again. While he was talking with those on the shore, the
old rogue, who appeared to be the ringleader, stole up the
bank, and with a dozen others, waded across to the island, near
which the boats lay, and came down behind us. Wild with
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