1866;] WIKATANI LEAVES THE DOCTOR. 109 



it was necessary for us to leave Mponda's on the Rivulet 

 Nternangokwe. I therefore gave Wikatani some cloth, a 

 flint gun instead of the percussion one he carried, some flints, 

 paper to write upon, and commended him to Mponda's care 

 till his relatives arrived. He has lately shown a good deal 

 of levity, and perhaps it is best that he should have a 

 touch of what the world is in reality. 



[In a letter written about this time Dr. Livingstone, in 

 speaking of Wikatani, says, " He met with a brother, and 

 found that he had two brothers and one or two sisters 

 living down at the western shore of Lake Pamelombe 

 under Kabinga. He thought that his relatives would not 

 again sell him. I had asked him if he wished to remain, 

 and he at once said yes, so I did not attempt to dissuade 

 him : his excessive levity will perhaps be cooled by mar- 

 riage. I think he may do good by telling some of what he 

 has seen and heard. I asked him if he would obey an order 

 from his chief to hunt the Manganja, and he said, ' No.' I 

 hope he won't. In the event of any mission coming into 

 the country of Mataka, he will go there. I gave him paper 

 to write to you,* and, commending him to the chiefs, bade 

 the poor boy farewell. I was sorry to part with him, but 

 the Arabs tell the Waiyau chiefs that our object in liberating 

 slaves is to make them our own and turn them to our 

 religion. I liad declared to them, through Wikatani as 

 interpreter, that they never became our slaves, and were at 

 liberty to go back to their relatives if they liked ; and now 

 it was impossible to object to Wikatani going without 

 stultifying my own statements." It is only necessary to 

 repeat that Wikatani and Chuma had been liberated from 

 the slavers by Dr. Livingstone and Bishop Mackenzie in 

 1861 ; they were mere children when set free. 



* To myself. — Ed. 



