with their burdens.
About twenty-five returned in all to live at Tette. Some were
drawn away by promises made to them as elephant-hunters. I
had no objection to their trying to better their condition,
but was annoyed at finding that they would not tell their
intentions, but ran away as if I were using compulsion. I
have learned more of the degrading nature of slavery of late
than I ever conceived before. Our 20 millions were well spent
in ridding ourselves of the incubus, and I think we ought to
assist our countrymen in the West Indies to import free labor
from India.... I cannot tell you how glad I am at a prospect
of a better system being introduced into Eastern Africa than
that which has prevailed for ages, the evils of which have
only been intensified by Portuguese colonization, as it is
called. Here we are passing through a well-peopled, fruitful
region--a prolonged valley, for we have the highlands far on
our right. I did not observe before that all the banks of the
Zambesi are cotton-fields. I never intended to write a book
and take no note of cotton, which I now see everywhere. On
the Chongwe we found a species which is cultivated south of
the Zambesi, which resembles some kinds from South America.

"All that is needed is religious and mercantile
establishments to begin a better system and promote peaceful
intercourse. Here we are among a people who go stark naked
with no more sense of shame than we have with our clothes on.
The women have more sense and go decently. You see great
he-animals all about your camp carrying their indispensable
tobacco-pipes and iron tongs to lift fire with, but the idea
of a fig-leaf has never entered the mind. They cultivate
largely have had enormous crops of grain, work well in iron,
and show taste in their dwellings, stools, baskets, and
musical instruments. They are very hospitable, too, and
appreciate our motives; but shame has been unaccountably left
out of the question. They can give no reason for it except
that all their ancestors went exactly as they do. Can you
explain why Adam's first feeling has no trace of existence in
his offspring?"

When the party reached the outskirts of Sekeletu's territory the news
they heard was not encouraging. Some of the men heard that in their
absence some of th