( 56 ) 



CHAPTEE III. 



Horrors of the slave-trader's track. System of cultivation. Pottery. 

 Special exorcising. Death of the last mule. .Rescue of Chirikaloma's 

 wife. Brutalities of the slave-drivers. Mtarika's. Desperate march 

 to Mtaka's. Meets Arab caravans. Dismay of slavers. Dismissal of 

 sepoys. Mataka. The Waiyau metropolis. Great hospitality and 

 good feeling. Mataka restores stolen cattle. Life with the chief. 

 Beauty of country and healthiness of climate. The Waiyau people 

 and their peculiarities. Regrets at the abandonment of Bishop Mac- 

 kenzie's plans. 



19^ June, 1866. — We passed a woman tied by the neck 

 to a tree and dead, the people of the country explained 

 that she had been unable to keep up with the other slaves 

 in a gang, and her master had determined that she should 

 not become the property of anyone else if she recovered 

 after resting for a time. I may mention here that we saw 

 others tied up in a similar manner, and one lying in the 

 path shot or stabbed,* for she was in a pool of blood. The 

 explanation we got invariably was that the Arab who owned 

 these victims was enraged at losing his money by the slaves 

 becoming unable to march, and vented his spleen by murder- 

 ing them ; but I have nothing more than common report in 

 support of attributing this enormity to the Arabs. 



20th June. — Having returned to Metaba, we were told 

 by Kinazombe, the chief, that no one had grain to sell but 



* There is a double purpose in these murders; the terror inspired in 

 the minds of the survivors spurs them on to endure the hardships of the 

 march : the Portuguese drovers are quite alive to the merits of this 

 stimulus. — Ed. 



