lesson is learned, is among the
future developments of Providence. When He, who is higher than the
highest, accomplishes His purposes, this will be a wonderful country,
and again something like what it was of old, when Zerah and Tirhaka
flourished, and were great.

The soil of Manyuema is clayey and remarkably fertile, the maize sown in
it rushes up to seed, and everything is in rank profusion if only it be
kept clear of weeds, but the Bambarre people are indifferent
cultivators, planting maize, bananas and plantains, and ground-nuts
only--no dura, a little cassava, no pennisetum, meleza, pumpkins,
melons, or nyumbo, though they all flourish in other districts: a few
sweet potatoes appear, but elsewhere all these native grains and roots
are abundant and cheap. No one would choose this as a residence, except
for the sake of Moenekuss. Oil is very dear, while at Lualaba a gallon
may be got for a single string of beads, and beans, ground-nuts,
cassava, maize, plantains in rank profusion. The Balegga, like the
Bambarre people, trust chiefly to plantains and ground-nuts; to play
with parrots is their great amusement.

_13th November, 1870._--The men sent over to Lohombo, about thirty miles
off, got two and a half loads of dura for a small goat, but the people
were unwilling to trade. "If we encourage Arabs to trade, they will come
and kill us with their guns," so they said, and it is true: the slaves
are overbearing, and when this is resented, then slaughter ensues. I got
some sweet plantains and a little oil, which is useful in cooking, and
with salt, passes for butter on bread, but all were unwilling to trade.
Monangoi was over near Lohombo, and heard of a large trading party
coming, and not far off; this may be Syde and Dugumbe, but reports are
often false. When Katomba's men were on the late foray, they were
completely overpowered, and compelled by the Manyuema to lay down their
guns and powder-horns, on pain of being instantly despatched by bow-shot:
they were mostly slaves, who could only draw the trigger and make a
noise. Katomba had to rouse out all the Arabs who could shoot, and when
they came they killed many, and gained the lost day; the Manyuema did
not kill anyone who laid down his gun and powder-horn. This is the
beginning of an end which was easily perceived when it became not a
trading, but a foray of a murdering horde of savages.

The foray above mentioned was undertaken by Katomba for twenty goats
from K