BANYAI IMPOSITIONS. 343 



late in the afternoon of November 24th. They were indepen- 

 dent of the surly tribes who, at even so short a distance, lived 

 along the banks and manifested an impudent contempt for the 

 Portuguese authority. Canoe men never sleep in their canoes 

 at night, but build their fires on the shore, and the suspicions 

 of these dwellers were excited by the uncommon action of the 

 newcomers, and they hailed them with, " Why don't you come 

 on shore like other people?" The Makololo, who felt as 

 independent as their interrogators, replied, "We are held 

 to the bottom with iron ; you may see we are not like your 

 Bozunga." 



It was no misfortune to be denied the company of these 

 Bauyai. On their account as much as anything else Dr. Liv- 

 ingstone had felt it important to avoid the river, as he was 

 approaching Tete, in his former expedition. Their impositions 

 on travellers are frequently rather severe tests of even Christian 

 patience, and our travellers were glad to avoid them. It is 

 pleasant to give a present, but that pleasure the Banyai usually 

 deny to strangers by making it a fine, and demanding it in 

 such a supercilious way that only a sorely-cowed trader could 

 bear it. They often refuse to touch what is offered — throw 

 it down and leave it — sneer at the trader's slaves, and refuse 

 a passage until the tribute is raised to the utmost extent of his 

 means. 



The morning came, clear and pleasant, and the party enjoyed 

 for a time quite a delightful shade from the hills on their 

 right ; " but before long the path grew frightfully rough, and 

 the hills no longer shielded them from the blazing sun." The 

 assurances of the guide that they were in " the way " seemed 

 like mockery; the thought of a path in connection with the 

 patches of yielding sand and the huge rocks over which they 

 were clambering so painfully was ridiculous ; the rocks are dis- 

 located and twisted in every direction ; it was " confusion worse 

 confounded ; " it may have seemed to them confounded confusion. 

 The first day's march did not exceed four miles ! and all hands 

 were thoroughly satisfied with themselves, and willing to stop 

 when the hour to halt arrived. 



A few inhabitants, belonging to a small tribe called Badema, 

 had found homes in this singularly inhospitable region, and 



