Chap. XIX. TEY TO PURCHASE FOOD. 383 



A few miles further, another and still larger band of pirates 

 were fallen in with, and hundreds of crows and kites hovered 

 oyer and round the rocks on which they lived. Dr. Kirk and 

 Charles Livingstone, though ordered in a voice of authority 

 to come ashore, kept on their course. A number of canoes 

 then shot out from the rocks and chased them. One with 

 nine strong paddlers persevered for some time after all the 

 others gave up the chase. A good breeze, however, enabled 

 the gig to get away from them with ease. After sailing 

 twelve or fifteen miles, north of the point where Dr. Living- 

 stone had left them, it was decided that he must be behind; 

 but no sooner had the boat's head been turned south, than 

 another gale compelled her to seek shelter in a bay. Here 

 a number of wretched fugitives from the slave-trade on the 

 opposite shore of the lake were found; the original inhabi- 

 tants of the place had all been swept off the year before 

 by the Mazitu. In the deserted gardens beautiful cotton 

 was seen growing, much of it had the staple an inch and a 

 half long, and of very fine quality. Some of the plants 

 were uncommonly large, deserving to be ranked with trees. 



On their trying to purchase food, the natives had nothing to 

 sell except a little dried cassava-root, and a few fish : and they 

 demanded two yards of calico for the head only of a large 

 fish. When the gale admitted of their return, their former 

 pursuers tried to draw them ashore by asserting that they 

 had quantities of ivory for sale. Owing to a succession of 

 gales, it was the fourth day from parting that the boat was 

 found by Dr. Livingstone, who was coining on in search of 

 it with only two of his companions. 



After proceeding a short distance up the path in which 

 they had been lost sight of, they learned that it would take 

 several days to go round the mountains, and rejoin the lake ; 

 and they therefore turned down to the bay, expecting to find 



