Chinde to Blantyre 



that it was decided upon, even though the informa- 

 tion we had received at Chinde had been rather 

 contradictory. On the one hand we had been told 

 by a good authority that crossing the Luangwa 

 Valley would be a very disagreeable experience; 

 that we should have transport difficulties, and the 

 regulations with regard to sleeping sickness might 

 also inconvenience us. On the other hand, a North- 

 East Rhodesian official, who had just arrived with his 

 sister from the Serenje district, assured us that 

 there was nothing in these objections, that the 

 Luangwa Valley was a veritable sportsman's para- 

 dise, that we could take a look at Lake Bangwelo, 

 and that as the early rains in North- East Rhodesia 

 would not be excessive, we need not reach Broken 

 Hill before the middle of December. 



The first question we had to discuss with Mr. 

 Kidney was that of ways and means, and on this 

 point he soon set our minds at rest ; he told us the 

 official rates of porters' wages, explained the pay- 

 ments we should have to make on account of 

 **posho," as the ration money is called, and fixed 

 the amounts we were to pay in wages monthly. 

 Everything was perfectly satisfactory. As regards 

 difficulties, he was equally reassuring, and promised 

 us every assistance from the Company's branches at 

 Fort Jameson and Broken Hill. 



We proposed, therefore, to travel through 

 Nyasaland to Fort Jameson, shooting as we 

 went; to reach Fort Jameson early in October, 

 and occupy the remainder of our time in. North- East 

 Rhodesia. 



15 



