On the 26th June we breakfasted at Zumbo, on the left bank of the
Loangwa, near the ruins of some ancient Portuguese houses. The Loangwa
was too deep to be forded, and there were no canoes on our side. Seeing
two small ones on the opposite shore, near a few recently erected huts of
two half-castes from Tette, we halted for the ferry-men to come over.
From their movements it was evident that they were in a state of
rollicking drunkenness. Having a waterproof cloak, which could be
inflated into a tiny boat, we sent Mantlanyane across in it. Three half-
intoxicated slaves then brought us the shaky canoes, which we lashed
together and manned with our own canoe-men. Five men were all that we
could carry over at a time; and after four trips had been made the slaves
began to clamour for drink; not receiving any, as we had none to give,
they grew more insolent, and declared that not another man should cross
that day. Sininyane was remonstrating with them, when a loaded musket
was presented at him by one of the trio. In an instant the gun was out
of the rascal's hands, a rattling shower of blows fell on his back, and
he took an involuntary header into the river. He crawled up the bank a
sad and sober man, and all three at once tumbled from the height of saucy
swagger to a low depth of slavish abjectness. The musket was found to
have an enormous charge, and might have blown our man to pieces, but for
the promptitude with which his companions administered justice in a
lawless land. We were all ferried safely across by 8 o'clock in the
evening.

In illustration of what takes place where no government, or law exists,
the two half-castes, to whom these men belonged, left Tette, with four
hundred slaves, armed with the old Sepoy Brown Bess, to hunt elephants
and trade in ivory. On our way up, we heard from natives of their
lawless deeds, and again, on our way down, from several, who had been
eyewitnesses of the principal crime, and all reports substantially
agreed. The story is a sad one. After the traders reached Zumbo, one of
them, called by the natives Sequasha, entered into a plot with the
disaffected headman, Namakusuru, to kill his chief, Mpangwe, in order
that Namakusuru might seize upon the chieftainship; and for the murder of
Mpangwe the trader agreed to receive ten large tusks of ivory. Sequasha,
with a picked party of armed slaves, went to visit Mpangwe who received
him kindly, and treated him with all the