RUNAWAY WIFE. 225 



munition, &c., which he informed me Mr. Young had 

 given him for some ivory, and he was evidently in 

 great dehght with his bargain. He left camp shortly 

 after my arrival. Mr. Young told me an amusing 

 story of Gegara and one of the Makololos. It ap- 

 pears that as the boat passed Gegara's village on the 

 way to Pamafunda, one of the crew" recognised among 

 the crowd on the bank the face of a runaway wife. 

 This lady, a good-looking young girl, not being 

 particularly attached to the Makololo who had mar- 

 ried her, left him one fine morning, and until now 

 he had not seen or heard anything of her. However, 

 it seems that she had not succeeded in finding a hap- 

 pier home among Gegara's tribe, for directly she was 

 recognised by her husband she expressed her desire 

 and anxiety to return with him and the English to 

 Chibisa, promising to be a good wife for the future, 

 Mr. Young agreed to let her return with his 

 party, under charge of her husband ; but Gegara, 

 hearing this, came down, and said the woman should 

 not go. She had attached herself to his tribe, mar- 

 rying one of his men, and if Mr. Young wanted her 

 for any of his followers, he should buy her with cloth 

 and beads. Gegara was informed that Englishmen 

 did not buy human beings ; and the boat moved 

 off. When about half way between Gegara's and 

 Pamafunda, two Manganja women were seen near the 

 river. The injured Makololo went ashore and spoke 

 to them. Little did he know when leaving the boat 

 the prize that was so near his hands. They were both 

 wives of Gegara ! Another Makololo, on hearing this, 

 also went ashore, and these women were made pri- 



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