INDUSTRIOUS TRIBE. 253 



but the water was not more than two and a half feet 

 deep where we crossed. The opposite side proved 

 better walking, as we soon hit on a jDath evidently 

 known to the men, and rattled along at a good pace, 

 first through forest, then through a tract of long grass. 

 After that a beautiful park was traversed, groups of 

 trees and underwood studding the meadows here and 

 there, until finally entering large cotton gardens, and 

 having crossed them, we found ourselves again on the 

 bank of the river, with only its water between us and 

 our now over-cooked dinner ! We were soon on the 

 opposite bank, and arrived in camp, wet and tired, at 

 12.30. After a hard day's work, having left Patanda 

 at dawn of day that morning, bed and dinner were 

 found ready, with a large fire for my private use close 

 by, the remainder of the party having lighted fires for 

 themselves a little distance off. 



Marimba, Moloka, and Chinsoro sat by my fire, 

 wondering what had become of me. Marimba is a 

 tall, handsome man, with a very kind and civilized 

 cast of countenance, but rather old. He was ex- 

 tremely civil, and delighted in sitting and talking with 

 me. He said his people knew nothing of fighting ; 

 that living as they did in the depths of these forests, 

 no marauders knew of their whereabouts, and conse- 

 quently they were never molested. They manu- 

 factured a great quantity of cotton, which they sent a 

 long way to sell once a year either to the Portuguese 

 or Arabs. Indeed, almost every soul I saw during 

 my stay here was perpetually spinning. Every man, 

 woman, and most of the children had their spinning- 

 stick and a quantity of cotton always at work as they 



