DANCING FOR CORN. 633 



with villages and gardens. The holms are but partially culti- 

 vated, and on the other parts grows rank and weedy grass. There 

 is then a second terrace, on which trees and bushes abound ; and 

 I thought I could detect a third and higher steppe. But I never 

 could discover terraces on the adjacent country, such as in other 

 countries show ancient sea-beaches. The path runs sometimes on 

 the one and sometimes on the other of these river terraces. Ca- 

 noes are essentially necessary ; but I find that they here cost too 

 much for my means, and higher up, where my hoes might have 

 secured one, I was unwilling to enter into a canoe and part with 

 my men while there was danger of their being attacked. 



18th. Yesterday we rested under a broad-spreading fig-tree. 

 Large numbers of buffaloes and water-antelopes were feeding qui- 

 etly in the meadows ; the people have either no guns or no am- 

 munition, or they would not be so tame. Pangola visited us, and 

 presented us with food. In few other countries would one hund- 

 red and fourteen sturdy vagabonds be supported by the generosity 

 of the head men and villagers, and whatever they gave be pre- 

 sented with politeness. My men got pretty well supplied indi- 

 vidually, for they went into the villages and commenced dancing. 

 The young women were especially pleased with the new steps they 

 had to show, though I suspect many of them were invented for 

 the occasion, and would say, "Dance for me, and I will grind corn 

 for you." At every fresh instance of liberality, Sekwebu said, 

 " Did not I tell you that these people had hearts, while we were 

 still at Linyanti?" All agreed that the character he had given 

 was true, and some remarked, " Look ! although we have been so 

 long away from home, not one of us has become lean." It was a 

 fact that we had been all well supplied either with meat by my 

 gun or their own spears, or food from the great generosity of the 

 inhabitants. Pangola promised to ferry us across the Zambesi, 

 but failed to fulfill his promise. He seemed to wish to avoid 

 offending his neighbor Mpende by aiding us to escape from his 

 hands, so we proceeded along the bank. Although we were in 

 doubt as to our reception by Mpende, I could not help admiring 

 the beautiful country as we passed along. There is, indeed, only 

 a small part under cultivation in this fertile valley, but my mind 

 naturally turned to the comparison of it with Kolobeng, where 

 we waited anxiously during months for rain, and only a mere 



