RETURN ROUTE. 759 



they think will remain for a long time from the solidity of the 

 timber. Before parting with Chitambo, they gave him a large 

 tin biscuit-box and some newspapers, which would serve as 

 evidence to all future travellers that a white man had been at 

 his village. 



The chief promised to do all he could to keep both the tree 

 and the timber sign-posts from being touched, but added, that 

 he hoped the English would not be long in coming to see him, 

 because there was always the risk of an invasion of Mazitu, 

 when he would have to fly, and the tree might be cut down for 

 a canoe by some one, and then all trace would be lost. All was 

 now ready for starting, and the homeward inarch was begun. 

 But the first day's journey show r ed them that some additional 

 precautions were necessary to enable the bearers of the mournful 

 burden to keep to their task, and they sent back to Chitambo's 

 for the cask of tar they had deposited with him, and gave a 

 thick coating to the canvas outside. This answered all pur- 

 poses; they left the remainder at the next village, with orders 

 to send it back to head-quarters, and then continued their 

 course through Uala, led by their guides in the direction of the 

 Luapula. 



A moment's inspection of the map will explain the line of 

 country to be traversed. Susi and Chuma had travelled with 

 Dr. Livingstone in the neighborhood of the northwest shores of 

 Bangweolo in previous years. The last fatal road from the 

 north might be struck by a march in a due northeast direction, 

 if they could but hold out so far without any serious misfortune ; 

 but in order to do this they must first strike northwards so as to 

 reach the Luapula, and then crossing it at some part not neces- 

 sarily far from its exit from the lake, they could at once lay 

 their course for the south end of Tanganyika. 



There were, however, serious indications amongst them. 

 First one and then the other dropped out of the file, and by the 

 time they reached a town belonging to Chitambo's brother — and 

 on the third day only since they set out — half their number 

 were hors de combat. It was impossible to go on. A few hours 

 more and all seemed affected. The symptoms 'were intense pain 

 in the limbs and face, great prostration, and, in the bad cases, 

 inability to move. The men attributed it to the continual 



