( 3L ) 



CHAPTER II. 



Effect of Pioneer's former visit. The poodle Chitane. Eesult of tsetse 

 bites. Death of camels and buffaloes. Disaffection of followers. Dis- 

 puted right of ferry. Mazitu raids. An old friend. Severe privations. 

 The Kiver Loendi. Sepoys mutiny. Dr. Roscher. Desolation. Tat- 

 tooing. Ornamental teeth. Singular custom. Death of the Nassick 

 boy, Richard. A sad reminiscence. 



1st May, 1866. — We now came along through a country 

 comparatively free of wood, and we could move on without 

 perpetual cutting and clearing. It is beautiful to get a 

 good glimpse out on the surrounding scenery, though it 

 still seems nearly all covered with great masses of umbra- 

 geous foliage, mostly of a dark green colour, for nearly all 

 of the individual trees possess dark glossy leaves like laurel. 

 We passed a gigantic specimen of the Kumbe, or gum-copal 

 tree. Kmnba means to dig. Changkumbe, or things dug, 

 is the name of the gum; the Arabs call it "sandaruse." Did 

 the people give the name Kumbe to the tree after the value 

 of the gum became known to them ? The Malole, from the 

 fine grained wood of which all the bows are made, had 

 shed its fruit on the ground ; it looks inviting to the 

 eye — an oblong peach-looking thing, with a number of seeds 

 inside, but it is eaten by maggots only. 



When we came to Ntande's village, we foimd it enclosed 

 in a strong stockade, from a fear of attack by Mabika, who 

 come across the river and steal their women when going to 



