l r >2 alligators' eggs. 



strong internal membrane and but little lime in its compo 

 eition. The distance from the water was about ten feet 

 and there were evidences of the same place having beei 

 uaed for a similar purpose in former years. A broad path 

 led up from the water to the nest, and the dam, it was said 

 by my companions, after depositing the eggs, covers them 

 up, and returns afterward to assist the young out of the 

 place of confinement and out of the egg. She leads them 

 to the edge of the water, and then leaves them to catch 

 small fish for themselves. 



When we reached the part of the river opposite to the 

 village of Manenko, the first female chief whom we encoun- 

 tered, two of the people called Balunda, or Balonda, came 

 to us in their little canoe. From them we learned that 

 Kolimbota, one of our party, who had been in the habit of 

 visiting these parts, was believed by the Balonda to have 

 acted as a guide to the marauders under Lerimo, whose 

 captives we were now returning. They very naturally 

 suspected this, from the facility with which their villages 

 had been found; and, as they had since removed them to 

 some distance from the river, they were unwilling to lead 

 us to their places of concealment. We were in bad repute; 

 but, having a captive boy and girl to show in evidence of 

 Sekeletu and ourselves not being partakers in the guilt of 

 inferior men, I could fully express my desire that all should 

 live in peace. They evidently felt that I ought to have 

 taught the Makololo first, before coming to them; for they 

 remarked that what I advanced was very good, but guilt 

 lay at the door of the Makololo for disturbing the pre- 

 viously-existing peace. They then went away to report 

 us to Manenko. 



When the strangers visited us again in the evening, they 

 were accompanied by a number of the people of an Am- 

 bonda chief named Sekelenke. The Ambonda live far to 

 the N.W. ; their language (the Bonda) is the common dia- 

 lect in Angola. Sekelenke had fled, and was now living 

 with his village as a vassal of Masiko. Sekelenke had 



