CROSSING THE LOANGWA. 493 



only the desolate, neglected appearance of the fields, and stories 

 of the ravages of the national banditti who were the terror of 

 all the region through which he had passed. And being un- 

 able to obtain food of any sort for any consideration, the party 

 decided on crossing the river immediately. They were now 

 in 12° 45' S. — about three hundred miles above the confluence 

 of the Loangwa with the Zambesi, with which we became 

 familiar in earlier portions of this work. Though so far away 

 from its mouth, the river was from seventy to a hundred yards 

 wide and quite deep. It flows down from the mountains on 

 the north out of the Chitale country. The sandy bottom which 

 distinguishes so many African rivers and the great sand-banks 

 were features to be expected, ,and the alluvial banks with great 

 forest trees along them were familiar scenes. There, too, were 

 the various animals whose presence intensify the wildness of 

 the land. 



The experiences had been trying enough in Manganja country, 

 but a more painful pilgrimage was before him. 



The party, which had been reduced, first by the return of the 

 worthless Sepoys and afterwards by the desertion of Musa and 

 his Johanna men, had recently been reinforced by two Waiyau 

 and another man who had been employed as keeper of four goats, 

 which Mere very highly valued by Dr. Livingstone for their 

 milk. After crossing the Loangwa the doctor headed his party 

 more directly north toward the foot of Lake Tanganyika. The 

 route lay first across a vast extent of low flat country — a coun- 

 try where nature had been very lavish of her wealth, but sadly 

 cursed by human degradation. The Babisa who occupied the 

 land under various local names, while dependents of the great 

 paramount chieftain on the north, as is generally the case in the 

 remote dependencies of African chieftains, gave little thought 

 to his authority, and imitated the Mazitu in all the idle plun- 

 dering habits which distinguish those tribes who make trading 

 their principal business. It required only a few days in their 

 midst to show Dr. Livingstone that he could expect very little 

 civility at their hands. Their business was in slaves and ivory, 

 and there was a poor welcome for the traveller who wanted 

 neither. It was almost impossible to purchase food of any sort, 

 and frequently even a hut was refused. The hardships must 



