A TEDIOUS CEREMONY. 37 



When within about five miles of this place, we ob- 

 served in the midst of a few Ajawahs assembled on 

 the bank, a fine, well-built man, about six feet two 

 inches high. He was covered with beads — one half 

 of his head having them thickly mterwoven with the 

 hair — and carried a gun. I was ahead at the time, 

 and was much surprised when he sung out as I sailed 

 by ^' Good morning," in good English. I at once 

 took the sail off and landed. The tall man said he 

 was a Makololo, and his name Masiko. I never saw 

 anything like his delight to see us. Mr. Young soon 

 came up, and took him up to Chibisa in the iron boat. 

 As we neared Chibisa, Makololos and Ajawahs 

 crowded along the banks, beating their breasts with 

 joy, and repeating what little English they could 

 remember. To judge by the animation of their ges- 

 tures, their joy at seeing us was sincere. Directly 

 we landed we were surrounded by over five hundred 

 natives, and not one was satisfied till he had shaken 

 hands with us. As soon as I thought it was all over, 

 for I was getting tired of the tedious ceremony, I 

 went up to see the graves of Dr. Dickinson and Mr. 

 Scudamore, who had died here. Everything was 

 untouched. The timber which had once formed the 

 enclosure was much decayed, and in some places com- 

 pletely rotted; but what time had spared remained 

 uninjured by human hand. The poles of two crosses 

 still stood erect, though almost rotted through ; but 

 the cross-bars lay on the ground in pieces, having 

 yielded to the influence of time and weather. 



While thus engaged, the news of our arrival had 

 reached the village, and all the women and children 



