258 LIVINGSTONE'S LAST JOURNALS. [Chap. X. 



sent two men with, elephants' tusks to begin a negotiation ; 

 but treachery was suspected, and they were shot down. 

 Another effort was made with ten goats, and repulsed. 

 This was much to the regret of the head Arabs. It was- 

 fortunate for me that the Arab goods were not all sold, for 

 Lake Moero lay in Nsama's country, and without peace no- 

 ivory could be bought, nor could I reach the Lake. The 

 peace-making between the people and Arabs was, however,, 

 a tedious process, occupying three and a half months — 

 drinking each other's blood. This, as I saw it west of thi& 

 in 1854, is not more horrible than the thirtieth dilution 

 of deadly night-shade or strychnine is in homceopathy. I 

 thought that had I been an Arab I could easily swallow 

 that, but not the next means of cementing the peace — 

 marrying a black wife. jSTsama's daughter was the bride, 

 and she turned out very pretty. She came riding picka- 

 back on a man's shoulders : this is the most dignified con- 

 veyance that chiefs and their families can command. She 

 had ten maids with her, each carrying a basket of pro- 

 visions, and all having the same beautiful features as herself. 

 She was taken by the principal Arab, but soon showed that 

 she preferred her father to her husband, for seeing prepara- 

 tions made to send off to purchase ivory, she suspected that 

 her father was to be attacked, and made her escape. I then 

 visited Nsania, and, as he objected to many people coming 

 near him, took only three of my eight attendants. His 

 people were very much afraid of fire-arms, and felt all my 

 clothing to see if I had any concealed on my person. 

 Nsama is an old man, with head and face like those 

 sculptured on the Assyrian monuments. He has been a 

 great conqueror in his time, and with bows and arrows was 

 invincible. He is said to have destroyed many native 

 traders from Tanganyika, but twenty Arab guns made him 

 flee from his own stockade, and caused a great sensation in 

 the country. He was much taken with my hair and woollen 



