Arrival of My Men 19 



district, and two of them accomplished with me the 

 crossing of the African continent. All of them would 

 have accompanied me to the end of the journey had 

 not the considerable expense of repatriating them 

 forced me to keep only two, and to separate myself 

 from the others when they were still able, without 

 excessive danger, to return home. 



At the time of my return, the date of which they 

 were ignorant, my former assistants were somewhat 

 scattered. One had gone to Blantyre, in Nyassa- 

 land, in search of work ; another lived at Tete, 

 on the Zambesi ; a third was acting as a cook on 

 board one of the gun-boats on the low part of the 

 river. 



The first who reached Chiromo was Tchigallo, with 

 a deputation of his countrymen, who brought me 

 presents ; another day, upon awakening, it was Tam- 

 barika ; finally came Msiambiri and Rodzani. I can- 

 not express the pleasure which I felt at again seeing 

 these fine fellows. On the other hand, they also 

 had a very satisfied expression, and confessed that 

 since my departure they had "wept for the woods," 

 as they say in their language. Powder being for- 

 bidden, they had been unable to shoot, and, in order 

 to obtain a little calico, wherewith to clothe them- 

 selves, they had had to take to various occupations 

 pending my return, because every one in the country 

 had always counted, according to them, on the return 

 of Tchandiu. Tchandiu was the name, it appears, 

 which had been given to me in their country after 

 my departure. It means "the purveyor of food." 



