that people usually moaned when insensible, but he
had kept quiet till he awaked; he sulked at this, and remained all
day, though I sent a man to carry his kit for him, and when he came
up he had changed the seat of his complaint from his feet to any part
of his abdomen. He gave off his gun-belt and pouch to the carrier.
This was a blind to me, for I examined and found that he had already
been stealing and selling his ammunition: this is all preparatory to
returning to the coast with some slave-trader. Nothing can exceed the
ease and grace with which sepoys can glide from a swagger into the
most abject begging of food from the villagers. He has remained
behind.

_22nd September, 1866._--The hills we crossed were about 700 feet above
Nyassa, generally covered with trees; no people were seen. We slept by
the brook Sikoche. Rocks of hardened sandstone rested on mica schist,
which had an efflorescence of alum on it, above this was dolomite; the
hills often capped with it and oak-spar, giving a snowy appearance. We
had a Waiyau party with us--six handsomely-attired women carried huge
pots of beer for their husbands, who very liberally invited us to
partake. After seven hours' hard travelling we came to the village,
where we spend Sunday by the torrent Usangazi, and near a remarkable
mountain, Namasi. The chief, a one-eyed man, was rather coy--coming
_incognito_ to visit us; and, as I suspected that he was present, I
asked if the chief were an old woman, afraid to look at and welcome a
stranger? All burst into a laugh, and looked at him, when he felt
forced to join in it, and asked what sort of food we liked best. Chuma
put this clear enough by saying, "He eats everything eaten by the
Waiyau." This tribe, or rather the Machinga, now supersede the
Manganja. We passed one village of the latter near this, a sad,
tumble-down affair, while the Waiyau villages are very neat, with
handsome straw or reed fences all around their huts.

_24th September, 1866._--We went only 2-1/2 miles to the village of
Marenga, a very large one, situated at the eastern edge of the bottom
of the heel of the Lake. The chief is ill of a loathsome disease
derived direct from the Arabs. Raised patches of scab of circular form
disfigure the face and neck as well as other parts. His brother begged
me to see him and administer some remedy for the same complaint. He is
at a village a little way off, and though sent for, was too ill to
come or to be carried.