

318 LIVINGSTONE'S LAST JOURNALS. [Chap. XII. 



quickly as their glib tongues can ; these certainly do not 

 belong to the tribes who are supposed to eke out their 

 language by signs ! A few indulge their curiosity in sight- 

 seeing, but go on steadily weaving nets, or by beating bark- 

 cloth, or in spinning cotton, others smoke their big tobacco 

 pipes, or nurse a baby, or enjoy the heat of the bright 

 morning sun. I walked across the north end of the island, 

 and found it to be about one mile broad, I also took bearings 

 of Chirubi Island from the eastern point of Mpabala, and 

 found from the south-east point of Chirubi that there are 

 183° of sea horizon from it to the point of departure of the 

 Luapula, Chirubi is the largest of the islands, and contains 

 a large population, possessing many sheep and goats. At 

 the highest part of Mpabala we could see the tops of the 

 trees on Kasango, a small uninhabited islet, about thirty 

 miles distant : the tops of the trees were evidently lifted 

 up by the mirage, for near the shore and at other parts they 

 were invisible, even with a good glass. This uninhabited 

 islet would have been our second stage had we been allowed 

 to cross the Lake, as it is of the people themselves; it is 

 as far beyond it to the mainland, called Manda, as from 

 Masantu's to Mpabala. 



27th July. — Took lunars and stars for latitude. 



The canoe-men now got into a flurry, because they were 

 told here that the Kisi men had got an inkling that their 

 canoe was here, and were coming to take it ; they said to 

 me that they would come back for me, but I could not trust 

 thieves to be so honest. I thought of seizing their paddles, 

 and appealing to the headmen of the island; but aware 

 from past experience how easy it is for acknowledged thieves 

 like them to get up a tale to secure the cheap sympa- 

 thy of the soft-headed, or tender-hearted, I resolved to bear 

 with meekness, though groaning inwardly, the loss of two 

 of the four days for which I had paid them. I had only 

 my coverlet to hire another canoe, and it was now very cold ; 



