LOW HILLS. ' 3C9 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



THE BATOKA COUNTRY — DR. LIVINGSTONE VISITS THE CHIEF 



MONZE. 



November 27. — Still at Marimba's. In the adjacent 

 country palms abound, but none of that species which 

 yields the oil: indeed, that is met with only near the 

 coast. There are numbers of flowers and bulbs just shoot- 

 ing up from the soil. The surface is rough and broken 

 into gullies; and, though the country is parched, it has 

 not that appearance, so many trees having put forth their 

 fresh green leaves at the time the rains ought to have 

 come. Among the rest stands the mola, with its dark 

 brownish-green color and spreading oak-like form. In the 

 distance there are ranges of low hills. On the north we 

 have one called Kanjele, and to the east that of Kaonka, to 

 which we proceed to-morrow. We have made a consider- 

 able detour to the north, both on account of our wish to 

 avoid the tsetse and to visit the people. Those of Kaonka 

 are the last Batoka we shall meet in friendship with the 

 Makololo. 



November 28. — The inhabitants of the last of Kaonka's 

 villages complained of being plundered by the independent 

 Batoka. The tribes in front of this are regarded by the 

 Makololo as in a state of rebellion. I promised to speak to 

 the rebels on the subject, and enjoined on Kaonka the duty 

 of giving them no offence. According to Sekeletu's order, 

 Kaonka gave us the tribute of maize-corn and groundnuts 

 which would otherwise have gone to Linyanti. This had 

 been done at every village, and we thereby saved the 

 people the trouble of a journey to the capital. My own 

 Batoka had brought away such loads of provisions from 

 their homes that we were in no want of food. 



