100 CURIOUS STORY. 



astonished natives might be seen standing just as we 

 had left them, still " rooted to the spot." Maramia, as 

 well as many of his tribe, informed me that they had 

 been driven from the hills to their present abode by 

 the Mavite. 



We passed several hippopotami, who were astonish- 

 ed at our craft, but knowing we could not wait to 

 recover any we might kill, we did not fire at them. 

 About twelve o'clock, seeing several natives at w^ork 

 some little distance in from the west bank, I asked 

 Mr. Young to put me ashore that I might talk to them, 

 and he did so. The moment I landed (unarmed), ac- 

 companied by a couple of Makololos, the natives ran 

 away in all directions. However, seeing^ they were 

 not pursued, they soon pulled up and stood some way 

 off looking at us. Holding up my arms to show them 

 I was unarmed^ I made Moloka tell them what our 

 business was, and that there was no occasion for alarm . 

 One or two now came to see us, and were soon joined 

 by the remainder. These were Manganjas. They 

 corroborated old Gegara's story about the white man 

 at Mapoonda, and said he had been there "last 

 month," a rather vague period, which might mean any 

 time, but had now gone inland. However, he had left 

 his boys behind, and they were now at Mapoonda. 

 This was certainly curious. I scarcely doubted now 

 that a white man had been down here, but I could 

 not rest any hope at present on this being Livingstone. 



A capital breeze having sprung up, we were an- 

 xious to take advantage of it, and proceeded on our 

 voyage ; but not before I had informed Mr. Young 

 of the tidings collected from these men. 



