1867.] DREAMING HUNGRY HOURS AWAY. 109 



show favour ; truth — truthfulness, sincerity, honour — for His 

 mercy's sake. 



We remain to-day at Mbulukuta-Ckitembo's district, by 

 the boys' desire, because it is New Year's day, and also 

 because we can get some food. 



2nd and 3rd January. — Remain on account of a 

 threatened set-in rain. Bought a senze (Aulocaudatus 

 Swindemianus), a rat-looking animal ; but I was glad to 

 get anything in the shape of meat. 



4th January. — It is a set-in rain. The boiling-point 

 thermometer shows an altitude of 3565 feet above the sea. 

 Barometer, 3983 feet ditto. We get a little maere here, and 

 prefer it to being drenched and our goods spoiled. We 

 have neither sugar nor salt, so there are no soluble goods ; 

 but cloth and gunpowder get damaged easily. It is hard 

 fare and scanty ; I feel always hungry, and am constantly 

 dreaming of better food when I should be sleeping. Savoury 

 viands of former times come vividly up before the imagina- 

 tion, even in my waking hours ; this is rather odd as I am 

 not a dreamer ; indeed I scarcely ever dream but when I 

 am going to be ill or actually so.* 



We are on the northern brim (or north-western rather) 

 of the great Loangwa Valley we lately crossed : the rain 

 coming from the east strikes it, and is deposited both above 

 and below, while much of the valley itself is not yet well 

 wetted. Here all the grasses have run up to seed, and yet 

 they are not more than two feet or so in the seed-stalk s. 

 The pasturage is very fine. The people employ these con- 

 tinuous or set-in rains for limiting the elephant, which gets 

 bogged, and sinks in from fifteen to eighteen inches in soft 



* It may not be altogether without interest to state that Livingstone 

 could fall asleep when he wished at the very shortest notice. A mat, 

 and a shady tree under which to spread it, would at any time afford him 

 a refreshing sleep, and this faculty no doubt contributed much to his great 

 powers of endurance. — Ed. 



