THE BLACK LEEBA. 135 



hand of Lcriuio ; this only manifests the kindness of his heart 

 and his wisdom, and does not depreciate the real courage of 

 stepping on a strange territory and boldly denouncing a custom 

 which brought its revenue to a savage chief. There is some- 

 thing singularly Christlike in the progress of this great man, 

 as we have followed him, and shall follow him, along the rivers 

 and through the wildernesses of benighted Africa. His counsel 

 is always peace, his example always kindness, his conduct 

 always calm and his spirit bold. 



This Masiko, to whom he sent his messengers from the con- 

 fluence of the Leeba and Leeambye, was not really a Balonda 

 man, though reckoned now with the Balonda chiefs. He was 

 the son of Santuru, the former chief of the Barotse. He had 

 established himself beyond the Makololo authority, and gathered 

 about him such of the Barotse as would share his fortunes. He 

 was included now in the number of tribes which recognize the 

 paramount authority of Matiamoo. This explanation is due to 

 the people generally who bear the name of Balonda ; because, 

 while they are more or less cursed by the visits of the Mambari, 

 the popular sentiment denounces the slave trade, and the 

 people were often expressing their envy of the Makololo, their 

 exemption from its sorrows and degradation. 



From the confluence the route toward Loanda led away from 

 the main branch along the Black Leeba, which is described as 

 flowing through a region where nature has turned artist and 

 disposed of trees and shrubs and rivulets and vines and flowers 

 in true garden beauty ; where even the lowly banks are terraced 

 as regularly as if to please a fastidious human taste. The whole 

 scene is gentler than along the Leeambye. The Balonda arrows 

 have taught their forest subjects caution, their traps and snares 

 have intimidated the birds, and even the fish are fewer, and the 

 crocodile has learned the fear of man. The banks of the Leeba 

 are Waiting for the botanist, and offer a rich harvest. Among 

 the trees rejoicing the traveller's eye with their wealth of blos- 

 soms was one so like the hawthorn in flowers, fruit and fra- 

 grance that the sweetest memories of other times and dearer 

 scenes swept over the heart of the M r anderer. Food was not so 

 easily provided now as along tke Leeambye. The young men 

 were doubly interested in a buffalo hunt. Dr. Livingstone held 



