236 LIVINGSTONE'S LAST JOURNALS. [Chap. IX. 



by fear. " If Nsania could not stand before the Malongwana 

 or traders, how can we face thern ? " I wished to go on to 

 Moero, but all declare that our ten guns would put all the 

 villages to flight: they are terror-struck. First rains of 

 this season on the 5th. 



10^ October. — I had a long conversation with Syde, 

 who thinks that the sun rises and sets because the Koran 

 says so, and he sees it. He asserts that Jesus foretold the 

 coming of Mohamad ; and that it was not Jesus who suffered 

 on the cross but a substitute, it being unlikely that a true 

 prophet would be put to death so ignominiously. He does 

 not understand how we can be glad that our Saviour died 

 for our sins. 



12th October. — An elephant killed by Tipo Tipo's men. 

 It is always clouded over, and often not a breath of air 

 stirring. 



16th October. — A great many of the women of this district 

 and of Lopere have the swelled thyroid gland called goitre 

 or Derbyshire neck ; men, too, appeared with it, and they 

 in addition have hydrocele of large size. 



An Arab who had been long ill at Chitimba's died yester- 

 day, and was buried in the evening. No women were allowed 

 to come near. A long silent prayer was uttered over the 

 corpse when it was laid beside the grave, and then a cloth 

 was held over as men in it deposited the remains beneath 

 sticks placed slanting on the side of the bottom of the 

 grave ; this keeps the earth from coming directly into 

 contact with the body. 



A feast was made by the friends of the departed, and 

 portions sent to all who had attended the funeral : I got a 

 good share. 



ISth October. — The last we hear of Nsama is that he 

 will not interfere with Chikongo. Two wives beat drums 

 and he dances to them; he is evidently in his dotage. 

 We hear of many Arabs to the west of us. 



