202 LIVINGSTONE'S LAST JOURNALS. [Chap. VIII. 



15th March. — We now are making for Kasonso, the 

 chief of the Lake, and a very large country all around 

 it, passing the Lochenje, five yards wide, and knee deep, 

 then to the Chanumba. All flow very rapidly just now and 

 are flooded with clean water. Everyone carries an axe, as 

 if constantly Marring with the forest. My long-continued 

 fever ill disposes me to enjoy the beautiful landscape. We 

 are evidently on the ridge, but people have not a clear 

 conception of where the rivers run. 



19th March. — A party of young men came out of the 

 village near which we had encamped to force us to pay 

 something for not going into their village. " The son of a 

 great chief ought to be acknowledged," &c. They had their 

 bows and arrows with them, and all ready for action. I 

 told them Ave had remained near them because they said 

 we could not reach Kasonso that day. Their headman had 

 given us nothing. After talking a while, and threatening 

 to do a deal to-morrow, they left, and through an Almighty 

 Providence nothing was attempted. We moved on N.W. in 

 forest, with long green tree-covered slopes on our right; and 

 came to a village of Kasonso in a very lovely valley. Great 

 green valleys were now scooped out, and many, as the 

 Kakanza, run into the Lovu. 



20th March.— The same features of country prevailed, 

 indeed it was impossible to count the streams flowing 

 N.W. We found Kasonso situated at the confluence of two 

 streams ; he shook hands a long while, and seems a frank 

 sort of man. A shower of rain set the driver ants on the 

 move, and about two hours after we had turned in we 

 were overwhelmed by them. They are called Kalandu or 

 Nkalanda. 



To describe this attack is utterly impossible. I wakened 

 covered with them : my hair was full of them. One by 

 one they cut into the flesh, and the more they are disturbed, 

 the more vicious are their bites ; they become quite insolent. 



