am ones before, preferring the plain blue stuff of
which they had experience.

Another old chief, on seeing them go by, laid down his gun, and when
they landed approached them.

They proceeded up to the cataracts of the Rovuma, but finding that the
distance overland was far greater to Lake Nyassa than that by
Murchison's Cataracts on the Shire, they considered it best to take
their steamer up by that route.

After having been away a month, they reached the "Pioneer" on the 9th of
October. The ship's company had used distilled water, and not a single
case of sickness had occurred on board, while those who had been in the
boats had some slight attacks.

After this they put to sea and visited Johanna, returning to the
fever-haunted village of Quillimane. Here they were kindly entertained
by one of the few honourable Portuguese officials they met with in that
region, Colonel Nunes. He came out as a cabin-boy, and, by persevering
energy, has become the richest man on the East Coast.

On the 10th of January, 1863, the "Pioneer," with the "Lady Nyassa" in
tow, steamed up the Shire.

They soon met signs of the bandit slave-hunter Mariano's expedition.
Dead bodies floated by them in great numbers, and for scores of miles
the entire population had been swept away. The river banks, once so
populous, were all now silent. The remains of burnt villages were
everywhere seen, and oppressive silence reigned where once crowds of
eager sellers had before come off with the produce of their industry.
Their friend Tingane had been defeated, and his people killed,
kidnapped, or forced to fly. In every direction they encountered the
sight and smell of dead bodies. The skeletons of those who had fallen
in their flight lay everywhere on the roads, while the ghastly forms of
boys and girls in the last stage of starvation were seen crouching
beside the huts.

The grave of the good bishop was visited. How would his heart have bled
had he lived to witness the scenes they did!

A hippopotamus was shot, and, at the end of three days after, it
floated. As the boat was towing it, immense numbers of crocodiles
followed, and it was necessary to fire at them to keep them off. It is
said that the crocodile never eats fresh meat; indeed, the more putrid
it becomes, the better he enjoys his repast, as he can thus tear the
carcass more easily. The corpse of a boy was seen floating by. Several
crocodiles dashed at it, fighting for their pr