1866.] THE SLAVERS FEAR DR. LIVINGSTONE. 87 



and gneiss, with hornblende. A good deal of ferruginous 

 conglomerate, with holes in it, covers many spots; when 

 broken, it looks like yellow haematite, with black linings to 

 the holes: this is probably the ore used in former times 

 by the smiths, of whose existence we now find still more 

 evidence than further east. 



Slst July. — I had presentedJPezimba with a cloth, so he 

 cooked for us handsomely last night, and this morning 

 desired us to wait a little as he had not yet sufficient meal 

 made to present : we waited and got a generous present. 



It was decidedly milder here than at Mataka's, and we 

 had a clear sky. In our morning's march we passed the 

 last of the population, and w.ent on through a fine well- 

 watered fruitful country, to sleep near a mountain called 

 Mtewire, by a stream called Msapo. A very large Arab 

 slave-party was close by our encampment, and I wished to 

 speak to them ; but as soon as they knew of our being near 

 they set off in a pathless course across country, and were six 

 days in the wilderness.* 



1st August, 1866. — We saw the encampment of another 

 Arab party. It consisted of ten pens, each of which, from 

 the number of fires it contained, may have held from eighty 

 to a hundred slaves. The people of the country magnified 

 the numbers, saying that they would reach from this to 

 Mataka's ; but from all I can learn, I think that from 300 

 to 800 slaves is the commoner gang. This second party 

 went across country very early this morning. We saw the 

 fire-sticks which the slaves had borne with them. The 

 fear they feel is altogether the effect of the English name, 

 for we have done nothing to cause their alarm. 



2nd August. — There was something very cheering to me 

 in the sight at our encampment of yellow grass and trees 

 dotted over it, as in the Bechuana country. The birds were 



Dr. Livingstone licard this subsequently when at Casembe's. 



