e had much trouble in consequence. The country is swarming
with villages. Hassani of Dugumbe got the chief into debt, and then
robbed him of ten men and ten goats to clear off the debt: The Dutch did
the same in the south of Africa.

_17th November, 1869._--Copious rains brought us to a halt at Muana
Balange's, on the banks of the Luamo River. Moerekurambo had died
lately, and his substitute took seven goats to the chiefs on the other
side in order to induce them to come in a strong party and attack us for
Hassani's affair.

_20th to 25th November, 1869._--We were now only about ten miles from
the confluence of the Luamo and Lualaba, but all the people had been
plundered, and some killed by the slaves of Dugumbe. The Luamo is here
some 200 yards broad and deep; the chiefs everywhere were begged to
refuse us a passage. The women were particularly outspoken in asserting
our identity with the cruel strangers, and when one lady was asked in
the midst of her vociferation just to look if I were of the same colour
with Dugumbe, she replied with a bitter little laugh, "Then you must be
his father!"

It was of no use to try to buy a canoe, for all were our enemies. It was
now the rainy season, and I had to move with great caution. The worst
our enemies did, after trying to get up a war in vain, was to collect as
we went by in force fully armed with their large spears and huge wooden
shields, and show us out of their districts. All are kind except those
who have been abused by the Arab slaves. While waiting at Luamo a man,
whom we sent over to buy food, got into a panic and fled he knew not
whither; all concluded that he had been murdered, but some Manyuema whom
we had never seen found him, fed him, and brought him home unscathed: I
was very glad that no collision had taken place. We returned to Bambarre
19th December, 1869.

_20th December, 1869._--While we were away a large horde of Ujijians
came to Bambarre, all eager to reach the cheap ivory, of which a rumour
had spread far and wide; they numbered 500 guns, and invited Mohamad to
go with them, but he preferred waiting for my return from the west. We
now resolved to go due north; he to buy ivory, and I to reach another
part of the Lualaba and buy a canoe.

Wherever the dense primeval forest has been cleared off by man, gigantic
grasses usurp the clearances. None of the sylvan vegetation can stand
the annual grass-burnings except a species of Bauhinia, and occasionally
a