196 LIVINGSTONE'S LAST JOUENALS. [Chap. VIII. 



kind as on the ridge further south, between the Loangwa 

 and Charnbeze, covered, like them, with lichens, orchids, 

 euphorbias, and upland vegetation, hard-leaved acacias, 

 rhododendrons, masukos. The gum-copal tree, when per- 

 forated by a grub, exudes from branches no thicker than 

 one's arm, masses of soft, gluey-looking gum, brownish 

 yellow, and light grey, as much as would fill a soup-plate. 

 It seems to yield this gum only in the rainy season, and 

 now all the trees are full of sap and gum. 



21st February. — A night with loud and near thunder, 

 and much heavy rain, which came through the boys' sheds. 

 Roads all plashy or running with water, oozes full, and 

 rivulets overflowing ; rocks of dolomite jutting out here and 

 there. I noticed growing here a spikenard-looking shrub, 

 six feet high, and a foot in diameter. The path led us west 

 against my will. I found one going north ; but the boys 

 pretended that they did not see my mark, and went west, 

 evidently afraid of incurring Moamba's displeasure by 

 passing him. I found them in an old hut, and made the 

 best of it by saying nothing. They said that they had 

 wandered; that was, they had never left the west-going 

 path. 



22nd February. — We came to a perennial rivulet run- 

 ning north, the Merungu. Here we met Moamba's people, 

 but declined going to his village, as huts are disagree- 

 able ; they often have vermin, and one is exposed to the 

 gaze of a crowd through a very small doorway. The people 

 in their curiosity often make the place dark, and the 

 impudent ones offer characteristic remarks, then raise a 

 laugh, and run away. 



We encamped on the Merungu's right bank in forest, 

 sending word to Moamba that we meant to do so. He sent 

 a deputation, first of all his young men, to bring us ; then 

 old men, and lastly he came himself with about sixty 

 followers. I explained that I had become sick by living 



