the valley we came to a village named Kanyenjere
Mponda, at the fountain-eye of the Bua, and thence sent men back for
the loads, while we had the shelter of good huts during a heavy
thunder-shower, and made us willing to remain all night. The valley is
lovely in the extreme. The mountains on each side are gently rounded,
and, as usual, covered over with tree foliage, except where the red
soil is exposed by recent grass-burnings. Quartz rocks jut out, and
much drift of that material has been carried down by the gullies into
the bottom. These gullies being in compact clay, the water has but
little power of erosion, so they are worn deep but narrow. Some
fragments of titaniferous iron ore, with haematite changed by heat,
and magnetic, lay in the gully, which had worn itself a channel on
the north side of the village. The Bua, like most African streams
whose sources I have seen, rises in an oozing boggy spot. Another
stream, the Tembwe, rises near the same spot, and flows N.W. into, the
Loangwa. We saw Shuare palms in its bed.

_21st November, 1866._--We left Bua fountain, lat. 13 deg. 40' south, and
made a short march to Mokatoba, a stockaded village, where the people
refused to admit us till the headman, came. They have a little food
here, and sold us some. We have been on rather short commons for some
time, and this made our detention agreeable. We rose a little in
altitude after leaving this morning, then, though in the same valley,
made a little descent towards the N.N.W. High winds came driving over
the eastern range, which is called Mchinje, and bring large masses of
clouds, which are the rain-givers. They seem to come from the
south-east. The scenery of the valley is lovely and rich in the
extreme. All the foliage is fresh washed and clean; young herbage is
bursting through the ground; the air is deliciously cool, and the
birds are singing joyfully: one, called Mzie, is a good songster, with
a loud melodious voice. Large game abounds, but we do not meet with
it.

We are making our way slowly to the north, where food is said to be
abundant. I divided about 50 lbs. of powder among the people of my
following to shoot with, and buy goats or other food as we could. This
reduces our extra loads to three--four just now, Simon being sick
again. He rubbed goat's-fat on a blistered surface, and caused an
eruption of pimples.

_Mem._--The people assent by lifting up the head instead of nodding it
down as we do; deaf mutes