EXTRACT FROM LAST JOURNAL. , 443 



pants of the land. It was therefore determined to turn south- 

 ward and push on a good eight days march across a desolate 

 region to the town of Mataka. Accordingly on the morning 

 of the 5th the party passed on to Mtendi, the last chief, until 

 they should reach Mataka. It was a serious undertaking — eight 

 days journey through a wilderness desolated by famine, where 

 no human habitation could be expected to appear, but Living- 

 stone was accustomed to serious undertakings. A page or two 

 from Livingstone's journal, just as the experiences were put down 

 on the evening of each day, cannot fail to interest the reader, 

 and we are glad to have it at hand. 



"July 7. — "We got men from Mtendi to carry loads and show 

 the way. He asked a cloth to ensure his people going to the 

 journey's end and behaving properly ; this is the only case of 

 anything like tribute being demanded in this journey. I gave 

 him a cloth worth 5s. Qd. Upland vegetation prevails ; trees 

 are dotted here and there among bushes five feet high, and fine 

 blue and yellow flowers are common. We pass over a succession 

 of ridges and valleys as in Londa ; each valley has a running 

 stream or trickling rill ; garden willows are in full bloom, and 

 also a species of sage with variegated leaves beneath the flowers. 



"July 8. — Hard travelling through a depopulated country. 

 The trees are about the size of hop-poles, with abundance of tall 

 grass ; the soil is sometimes a little sandy, at other times that 

 reddish, clayey sort which yields native grain so well. The 

 rock seen uppermost is often a ferruginous conglomerate, lying 

 on granite rocks. The gum-copal tree is here a mere bush, and 

 no digging takes place for the gum : it is called mchenga, and 

 yields gum when wounded, as also bark, cloth, aud cordage 

 when stripped. Mountain masses are all around us ; we sleep 

 at Linata mountain. 



"July 9. — The Masuko fruit abounds : the name is the same 

 here as in the Batoka country ; there are also rhododendrons of 

 two species, but the flowers white. We slept in a wild spot, 

 near Mount Leziro, with many lions roaring about us ; one 

 hoarse fellow serenaded us a long time, but did nothing more. 

 Game is said to be abundant, but we saw none, save an occa- 

 sional diver springing away from the path. Some streams ran 

 to the northwest to the Lismyando, which flows north for the 

 Rovuma ; others to the southeast for the Loeudi. 



