364 ACROSS AFRICA. [Chap. 



July, caravans, for not one person possessed a bead or piece of cloth. 

 1875. I gave a few beads to a man from whom I tried, unsuccessfully, 

 to extract a little information, and he was greatly delighted 

 with the present. 



Our next march was most tiresome and troublesome, for the 

 paths being all " gone dead," as the people said, and the only 

 huts we saw being deserted, we frequently missed our way. 

 But late in the afternoon we reached the place we were mak- 

 ing for, when I had the doubtful satisfaction of learning that 

 the road I wished to follow the day before would have brought 

 us here direct. 



"We were now close to the village of Moene Kula, a sub-chief 

 of Ulunda, and on the main road between Mata Yafa's capital 

 and the copper-mines and salt-pans near Kwijila. 



These were passed by the Pombieros, Pedro Joao Baptista 

 and Anastacio Jose, when they journeyed from Mata Yafa's 

 capital to Ma Kazembe ; the forty days' desert which they were 

 informed lay between the two places evidently being the coun- 

 try of the predecessor of Kasongo. No doubt, Mata Yafa was 

 jealous of him, and consequently sent the travelers round, in- 

 stead of through, his dominions. No parties had, however, been 

 past for some time, on account of the disturbed state of affairs 

 at head-quarters. 



From the people here I heard that a former Mata Yafa died 

 about a year previously, and he of whom we heard in Ussambi 

 had succeeded him ; but, being even more cruel than the gener- 

 ality, he had been supplanted by one of his brothers, aided by 

 the sister of whom we had been told. 



Some people from Moene Kula brought Alvez and myself a 

 small pot of pombe, some cliarred buffalo's flesh, and a hind leg 

 of a buffalo approaching a state of putrefaction ; and although 

 it was impossible to eat this meat, we found it useful to ex- 

 change for corn. 



On giving them beads in return, the head-man rubbed earth 

 on his chest and arms, and then the entire party knelt down 

 and clapped their hands together three times, commencing very 

 loudly and then growing fainter. This was repeated three 

 times. 



Early the next morning we passed near Moene Kula's vil- 



