428 ALONG THE EOVUMA. 



glee with which they marched against the most cruel jungles of 

 thorns and briers. The higher up the river they went the more 

 extravagantly barbarous were the specimens of tattooing and 

 lip-rings which presented themselves. There were very few 

 animals seen, hardly any indeed ; none exist scarcely in the 

 country through which they passed except elephants, hippopotami 

 and pigs. 



Ascending the Rovuma, they were still in the territory of the 

 Makonde, and retracing in large measure the former route, ex- 

 cept that instead of sailing along the river they were walking 

 along the highlands and valleys. Now and then a familiar face 

 was presented to the doctor, and some faces associated rather un- 

 pleasantly Avith the events of his former expedition. The camels 

 and buffaloes were frequently bitten by the tsetse without ex- 

 hibiting special inconvenience. 



At the Nan gad i river, a broad stream which rises in a lakelet 

 some eight or ten miles from the Rovuma, begins the territory 

 of the Mabiha. A few miles above this gap the southern high- 

 lands fall away, and there are broad marshes known as the Ma- 

 tembwe flats ; numerous lakelets are seen glistening in the sun- 

 shine here and there ; and away from these flats extends the 

 Matembwe country, famous for its beautiful women, and boasting 

 an astonishing supply of elephants and gum-copal. Such a 

 country could hardly fail to attract the Arab traders. 



On the 25th of April Dr. Livingstone was at a village called 

 Nachuchu, enjoying the day of rest so welcome to the man who 

 has fulfilled the conditions of life on which the great Judge pre- 

 dicated the consecration of the seventh day. Men only find 

 occasion to complain of one of God's requirements when they 

 isolate it. No one command of God is hard when the others 

 are kept. Nobody will think the Sabbath dull who approaches 

 it prepared for its rest to body and spirit by a faithful employ- 

 ment of the six days, and by a proper appreciation of the rela- 

 tions so clearly set forth in the Bible. Livingstone was greatly 

 disappointed in not being able to communicate with the natives. 

 The Nassick boys, on whom he had depended as understanding 

 their language, failed him utterly, and he could only take such 

 representations of them as Ali gave ; he had only the opinions 

 of his class, and men are easily convinced of the impracticability 



