772 IN THE OLD PATH. 



amongst the Mwambi. As yet no invasion had taken place. 

 A young chief, Chungu, did all he could for them ; for, when 

 the doctor explored these regions before, Chungu had been much 

 impressed with him, and now, throwing off all the native super- 

 stition, he looked on the arrival of the dead body as a cause of 

 real sorrow. 



Asoumani had some luck in hunting, and a fine buffalo was 

 killed near the town. According to native game-laws (which 

 in some respects are exceedingly strict in Africa), Ghungu had 

 a right to a fore-leg — had it been an elephant the tusk next the 

 ground would have been his, past all doubt — in this instance, 

 however, the men sent in a plea that theirs was no ordinary 

 case, and that hunger had laws of its own ; they begged to be 

 allowed to keep the whole carcass, and Chungu not only listened 

 to their story, but willingly waived his claim to the chiefs 

 share. 



It is to be hoped that these sons of Tafuna, the head and 

 father of the Amambwi a lungu, may hold their own. They 

 seem a superior race, and this man is described as a worthy 

 leader. His brothers, Kasonso, Chitimbwa, Sombe, and their 

 sister, Mombo, are all notorious for their reverence for Tafuna. 

 In their villages an abundance of colored home-spun cloth 

 speaks for their industry ; whilst from the number of dogs and 

 elephant-spears no further testimony is needed to show that the 

 character they bear as great hunters is well deserved. 



The steep descent to the lake now lay before them, and they 

 came to Kasakalawe's. Here it wa#that the doctor had passed 

 weary months of illness on his first approach to Tanganyika in 

 previous years. The village contained but few of its old in- 

 habitants, but those few received them hospitably enough and 

 mourned the loss of him who had been so well appreciated when 

 alive. So they journeyed on day by day till the southern end 

 of the lake was rounded. 



The previous experience of the difficult route along the heights 

 bordering on Tanganyika made them determine to give the lake 

 a wide berth this time, and for this purpose they held well to the 

 eastward, passing a number of small deserted villages, in one of 

 wliich they camped nearly every night. It was necessary to go 

 through the Fipa country, but they learned from one man and 



