486 THE LEEBA. Chap. XXIV. 



Limboa, but, as he had advised them both to wait till I came, I 

 now urged him to let the quarrel alone, and he took my advice. 



We parted on the best possible terms with our friend Shinte, 

 and proceeded by our former path to the village of his sister 

 Nyamoana, who is now a widow. She received us with much 

 ajjparent feeling, and said, " We had removed from our former 

 abode to the place where you found us, and had no idea then that 

 it was the spot where my husband was to die." She had come 

 to the river Lofuje, as they never remain in a place where death 

 has once visited them. We received the loan of five small canoes 

 from her, and also one of those we had left here before, to proceed 

 down the Leeba. After viewing the Coanza at Massangano, I 

 thought the Leeba at least a third larger, and upwards of two 

 hundred yards wide. We saw evidence of its rise during its last 

 flood having been upwards of forty feet in perpendicular height ; 

 but tliis is probably more than usual, as the amount of rain was 

 above the average. My companions purchased also a number of 

 canoes from the Balonda. These are very small, and can carry 

 only two persons. They are made quite thin and light, and as 

 sharp as racing-skiffs, because they are used in hunting animals 

 in the water. The price paid, was a string of beads equal to the 

 length of the canoe. We advised them to brmg canoes for 

 sale to the Makololo, as they would gladly give them cows in 

 exchange. 



In descending the Leeba we saw many herds of wild animals, 

 especially the tahetsi (Aigoceros equina), one magnificent ante- 

 lope, the putokuane (Antilope niger), and two fine lions. The 

 Balobale, however, are getting well sujyplied with guns, and will 

 soon thin out the large game. At one of the villages we were 

 entreated to attack some buffaloes, which grazed in the gardens 

 every night, and destroyed the manioc. As we had had no 

 success in shooting at the game we had seen, and we all longed 

 to have a meal of meat, we followed the footprints of a number 

 of old bulls. They showed a great amomit of cunning, by selecting 

 the densest parts of very closely -planted forests, to stand or recline 

 in during the day. We came within six yards of them several 

 times before we knew that they were so near. We only heard 

 them rush away among the crashing branches, catching only a 

 glimpse of them. It was somewhat exciting to feel, as we trod 



