466 A ROYAL ESCORT. 



drank beer incessantly, in consequence of which he became ex- 

 tremely loquacious. Livingstone reproved him for his loquacity, 

 and said that morning was the time if business was to be done, 

 proposing to send some of his men to the Babisa country and 

 he would pay them there where they could purchase ivory, and 

 when they brought it back he could buy clothing without selling 

 his people. The chief refused, saying that his people could not 

 be trusted, and that he would buy ivory from the Arabs or 

 Babisa, who would conduct his business honestly. Finally the 

 chief consented to give the doctor carriers to go to the Marabi, 

 but wished to be paid first. Livingstone consented to this, but 

 he (the chief) could not prevail on any one to go. There was 

 a Mobisa man in an adjoining village who was going to his own 

 country, and as the chief thought his men would run at the 

 first appearance of danger it was decided to go with the Mobisa. 

 Dr. Livingstone found him so very ignorant, not knowing even 

 the chief town of his country or any of the rivers, that he would 

 not have him as a guide. 



Kimsusa came the next day early with a large basket of beer 

 and found our friends ready to start, but not relishing this much, 

 he declared he would force his men to go or he and his wives 

 would go as carriers — begged them to remain. October 6th 

 finds our friends about seven miles north, at a village opposite 

 the Pass Tapiri, and on a rivulet, Godedza. Kimsusa behaved 

 like a king, and his wives carried the loads strapped ; one carried 

 beer, another meal. As soon as they got there, cooking com r 

 menced. They make a preparation of meal called " toku," which 

 the doctor liked very much, and they seeing he liked it made a 

 calabashful in the evening ; he thinks he would have gotten 

 fat if he could have taken the beer, but it required a strong 

 digestion ; a little flesh is necessary to relieve the acidity it caused, 

 but this is kept very carefully and dried on a stage before a 

 fire to prevent putridity. 



Livingstone spoke of having heard whooping-cough in this 

 village; as this disease has not before been reported an African 

 one, it is worth notice. He found the Waiyau visitors quite im- 

 pudent, forcing themselves into his hut uninvited, demanded 

 gun or game medicine, according to a practice the Arabs had 

 instituted to drive a trade. As Livingstone neared the Pass 

 Tapiri, Kimsusa and his men determined to go. 



