Chap. XXIX. DISLIKE TO SLAVE-BUYERS. 597 



" only things." Several spoke in the same manner, and I found 

 that from Mpende's downwards I rose higher every day in the 

 estimation of my own people. Even the slaves gave a very high 

 character to the English, and I found out afterwards that, when 

 I was first reported at Tete, the servants of my friend the Com- 

 mandant said to him in joke, " Ah ! this is our brother who is 

 coming ; we shall all leave you and go with him." We had still, 

 however, some difficulties hi store for us before reaching that 

 point. 



The man who wished to accompany us came and told us before 

 our departure that his wife would not allow hiin to go, and she 

 herself came to confirm the decision. Here the women have only 

 a small puncture in the upper lip, in which they insert a little 

 button of tin. The perforation is made by degrees, a ring with 

 an opening in it being attached to the lip, and the ends squeezed 

 gradually together. The pressure on the flesh between the ends 

 of the ring causes its absorption, and a hole is the result. Children 

 may be seen with the ring on the lip, but not yet punctured. 

 The tin they purchase from the Portuguese, and, although silver 

 is reported to have been found in former times in this district, no 

 one could distinguish it from tin. But they had a knowledge of 

 gold, and for the first time I heard the word "dalama" (gold) in 

 the native language. The word is quite unknown in the interior, 

 and so is the metal itself. In conversing with the different people, 

 we found the idea prevalent that those who had purchased slaves 

 from them had done them an injury. " All the slaves of Nyungwe," 

 said one, " are our children ; the Bazunga have made a town at 

 our expense." When I asked if they had not taken the prices 

 offered them, they at once admitted it, but still thought that they 

 had been injured by being so far tempted. From the way in 

 which the lands of Zumbo were spoken of as still belonging to the 

 Portuguese (and they are said to have been obtained by purchase), 

 I was inclined to conclude that the purchase of land is not looked 

 upon by the inhabitants in the same light as the purchase of 

 slaves. 



February 1st. — We met some native traders, and, as many of 

 my men were now in a state of nudity, I bought some American 

 calico marked " Lawrence Mills, Lowell," with two small tusks, 

 and distributed it amongst the most needy. After leaving Mo- 



