134 THE MAVITE STORY LAUGHED AT. 



north. He gave the common account of Livmg- 

 stone, describing his guns, dress, &c., just as the 

 other natives had. They had since heard that he was 

 at Babisa, which they said was three moons' (or 

 months) march from here. We told them that we 

 had heard in England that he had been killed by the 

 Mavite near a place called Maksura, and we had 

 come to find out if the report was true or false. They 

 all burst out laughing, and said, '^ No, no, he did not 

 go near the Mavite ; he is gone to Babisa. He came 

 from Karrymaksura, which is away there (pointing 

 to the south-south-west), and we carried his boxes to 

 Maleeway (here the speaker pointed out two other 

 men and himself), and he gave us plenty of cloth 

 and a spoon." We asked for the latter article, but it 

 had been left behind, lest it should be lost. 



We now had no doubts that Livingstone had passed 

 through this country in safety, and we knew that the 

 Johanna men must have left him before he reached 

 these men's village, as he had only, according to their 

 account, seven men and a boy left of the original 

 party of twenty-three with which he left Mataka. 

 (See Dr. Kark's letter). These people positively stated 

 that the chief Karrymaksura had been driven away 

 and compelled to seek shelter in the hills, since the 

 white man had been there. 



When Livingstone was formerly on the west shore 

 of this lake, the southern and south-western borders 

 of it were held by Manganja tribes, and he always 

 found a welcome among them. Now all this coun- 

 try is ruled by the Ajawahs, who have driven the 

 Manganjas away from their homes. It is a sad 



