72 LIVINGSTONE'S LAST JOURNALS. [Chap. IIL 



themselves ! I sent men of Mataka back with food to the 

 stragglers behind and came on to his town. 



An Arab, Sef Rupia or Rubea, head of a large body of 

 slaves, on his way to the coast, most kindly came forward 

 and presented an ox, bag of flour, and some cooked meat, 

 all of which were extremely welcome to half-famished men, 

 or indeed under any circumstances. He had heard of our 

 want of food and of a band of sepoys, and what could the 

 English think of doing but putting an end to the slave- 

 trade ? Had he seen our wretched escort, all fear of them 

 would have vanished ! He had a large safari or caravan 

 under him. This body is usually divided into ten or twelve 

 portions, and all are bound to obey the leader to a certain 

 extent : in this case there were eleven parties, and the 

 traders numbered about sixty or seventy, who were dark 

 coast Arabs. Each underling had his men under him, 

 and when I saw them they were busy making the pens of 

 branches in which their slaves and they sleep. Sef came 

 on with me to Mataka's, and introduced me in due form 

 with discharges of gunpowder. I asked him to come back 

 next morning, and presented three cloths with a request 

 that he would assist the havildar and sepoys, if he met 

 them, with food : this he generously did. 



We found Mataka's town situated in an elevated valley 

 surrounded by mountains ; the houses numbered at least 

 1000, and there were many villages around. The mountains 

 were pleasantly green, and had many trees which the people 

 were incessantly cutting down. They had but recently 

 come here : they were besieged by Mazitu at their former 

 location west of this ; after fighting four days they left 

 unconquered, having beaten the enemy off. 



Mataka kept us waiting some time in the verandah 

 of his large square house, and then made his appearance, 

 smiling with his good-natured face. He is about sixty 

 years . of age, dressed as an Arab, and if we may judge 



