BUCKLEY SENT BACK TO CHIBISA. 55 



They always fight by daylight, their usual time for 

 attacking a village being about three o'clock in the 

 afternoon ; and they are good hunters, using their 

 rifles or bows and arrows with dexterity. 



If these Mavite should make much wav to' the 

 southward before we return, we may yet have work 

 cut out for us with them, as all the people say that if 

 they once caught sight of the boat they would never 

 be satisfied till they had appropriated all our belong- 

 ings to their own use, plunder being in every instance 

 their primary object. However, if it does come to 

 tliat, we must either run the gauntlet and try what 

 effect our Snider and Rigby rifles will have on them ; 

 or else, should the risk appear too great, return to 

 Nyassa, and make our way from thence to the coast. 

 I now wished more than ever that the supplies and 

 ammunition which had been left behind at Chibisa 

 had been brought with us. 



From hence Mr. Young sent Buckley back to Chi- 

 bisa to take charge of the boats and goods left there 

 to await our return. He was furnished with most 

 distinct orders, which were written out for him by me 

 and signed by Mr. Young — his principal directions 

 being to see that neither of the boats was to be ever 

 without one of the Krumen in charge ; that both were 

 to be moored in tlie centre of the stream, and never 

 brought alongside the bank ; that he himself was to 

 visit them once a day ; that he was to wait for us till 

 the 28th November, and in the event of our not turn- 

 ing up by that time, to take the boats down to the 

 Kongoni mouth, and there await the arrival of a man- 

 of-war. Should such a vessel heave in sight, he was 



