16G6.] KIMSUSA'S HOSPITABLE WELCOME. 117 



nobodies. I propose to go west of this among the Maravi 

 until quite away beyond the disturbances, whether of Mazitu 

 or Manganja. 



30th September. — We enjoy our Sunday here. We have 

 .abundance of food from Kimsusa's wife. The chief wished me 

 to go alone and enjoy his drinking bout, and then we could 

 return to this place together ; but this was not to my taste. 



1st October, 18G6. — Kimsusa, or Mchusa, came this morn- 

 ing, and seemed very glad again to see his old friend. 

 He sent off at once to bring an enormous ram, which had 

 either killed or seriously injured a man. The animal came 

 tied to a pole to keep him off the man who held it, while 

 a lot more carried him. He was prodigiously fat ;* this is a 

 true African way of showing love — plenty of fat and beer. 

 Accordingly the chief brought a huge basket of " pombe," 

 the native beer, and another of " nsima," or porridge, and a 

 pot of cooked meat ; to these were added a large basket of 

 maize. So much food had been brought to us, that we had 

 .at last to explain that we could not carry it. 



[The Doctor states a fact in the next few lines which 

 shows that the Africans readily profit by advice which 

 appeals to their common sense, and we make this observa- 

 tion in full knowledge of similar instances.] 



Kimsusa says that they felt earthquakes at the place 

 Mponda now occupies, but none where he is now. He con- 

 firms the tradition that the Manganja came from the west 

 or W.N.W. He speaks more rationally about the Deity than 

 some have done, and adds, that it was by following the 



* The sheep are of the black-haired variety : their tails grow to an 

 enormous size. A ram which came from Nunkajowa, a Waiyau chief, on 

 a former occasion, was found to have a tail weighing 11 lbs.; but for the 

 journey, and two or three days short commons, an extra 2 or 3 lbs. of fat 

 would have been on it. — Ed. 



