e, about 2' north of our
encampment. The village of Moaba is on the east side of the marshy
valley of the Movuhi, and very difficult to be approached, as the
water is chin-deep in several spots. I decided to make sheds on the
west side, and send over for food, which, thanks to the Providence
which watches over us, we found at last in a good supply of maere and
some ground-nuts; but through, all this upland region the trees
yielding bark-cloth, or _nyanda_, are so abundant, that the people
are all well-clothed with it, and care but little for our cloth. Red
and pink beads are in fashion, and fortunately we have red.

* * * * *

[We may here add a few particulars concerning beads, which form such
an important item of currency all through Africa. With a few
exceptions they are all manufactured in Venice. The greatest care must
be exercised, or the traveller--ignorant of the prevailing fashion in
the country he is about to explore--finds himself with an accumulation
of beads of no more value than tokens would be if tendered in this
country for coin of the realm.

Thanks to the kindness of Messrs. Levin & Co., the bead merchants, of
Bevis Marks, E.C., we have been able to get some idea of the more
valuable beads, through a selection made by Susi and Chuma in their
warehouse. The Waiyou prefer exceedingly small beads, the size of
mustard-seed, and of various colours, but they must be opaque: amongst
them dull white chalk varieties, called "Catchokolo," are valuable,
besides black and pink, named, respectively, "Bububu" and
"Sekundereche" = the "dregs of pombe." One red bead, of various sizes,
which has a white centre, is always valuable in every part of Africa.
It is called "Sami-sami" by the Suahele, "Chitakaraka" by the Waiyou,
"Mangazi," = "blood," by the Nyassa, and was found popular even
amongst the Manyuema, under the name of "Maso-kantussi", "bird's
eyes." Whilst speaking of this distant tribe, it is interesting to
observe that one peculiar long bead, recognised as common in the
Manyuema land, is only sent to the West Coast of Africa, and _never_
to the East. On Chuma pointing to it as a sort found at the extreme
limit explored by Livingstone, it was at once seen that he must have
touched that part of Africa which begins to be within the reach of the
traders in the Portuguese settlements. "Machua Kanga" = "guinea fowl's
eyes," is another popular variety; and the "Moiompio" = "new heart