reat thirst oppressed him; he asked
them if they had any water, but, unfortunately for once, not a drop was
to be procured. Hastening on for fear of getting too far separated from
the party in advance, to their great comfort they now saw Farijala
approaching with some which Susi had thoughtfully sent off from
Chitambo's village.

Still wending their way on, it seemed as if they would not complete
their task, for again at a clearing the sick man entreated them to place
him on the ground, and to let him stay where he was. Fortunately at this
moment some of the outlying huts of the village came in sight, and they
tried to rally him by telling him that he would quickly be in the house
that the others had gone on to build, but they were obliged as it was to
allow him to remain for an hour in the native gardens outside the town.

On reaching their companions it was found that the work was not quite
finished, and it became necessary therefore to lay him under the broad
eaves of a native hut till things were ready.

Chitambo's village at this time was almost empty. When the crops are
growing it is the custom to erect little temporary houses in the fields,
and the inhabitants, leaving their more substantial huts, pass the time
in watching their crops, which are scarcely more safe by day than by
night; thus it was that the men found plenty of room and shelter ready
to their hand. Many of the people approached the spot where he lay whose
praises had reached them in previous years, and in silent wonder they
stood round him resting on their bows. Slight drizzling showers were
falling, and as soon as possible his house was made ready and banked
round with earth.

Inside it, the bed was raised from the floor by sticks and grass,
occuping a position across and near to the bay-shaped end of the hut: in
the bay itself bales and boxes were deposited, one of the latter doing
duty for a table, on which the medicine chest and sundry other things
were placed. A fire was lighted outside, nearly opposite the door,
whilst the boy Majwara slept just within to attend to his master's wants
in the night.

On the _30th April, 1873,_ Chitambo came early to pay a visit of
courtesy, and was shown into the Doctor's presence, but he was obliged
to send him away, telling him to come again on the morrow, when he hoped
to have more strength to talk to him, and he was not again disturbed. In
the afternoon he asked Susi to bring his watch to the bedside,