XXV.] 



MY CAMP BUENED. 



335 



detaining us ; and this time our messages were attended to, and 

 on the 26th of May the first party made its appearance. 



Coimbra, who had been backward and forward with Kasongo, 

 now left the caravan, to phmder and obtain a batch of slaves to 

 take to Bihe. I protested against this ; but Alvez declared that 

 if he had not returned in time, we should start without him, 

 and with this reply I had to be content. 



May, 



1875. 





Before we started, however, a terrible misfortune occurred, 

 owing to one of my men having lighted a fire inside his hut, 

 and smoked himself stupid with bhang. It was in the evening 

 of the 28th of May that I heard an alarm of fire, and found this 

 man's hut in a blaze, and, being right to windward of our camp, 

 the wave of fire seemed to roll along like lightning. 



All the huts had been heavily thatched during the rains, and, 

 as usual when remaining any time in camp, the men had built 

 cooking and smoking places, which were all as dry as tinder, 

 now the rains had ceased, and added intensity to the fiames. 



Jumah, my servant, who was standing by me when the cry 

 was raised, ran to his own hut, which was already burning, be- 



