1S69.] FUTURE PLANS. 15 



as in Speke's case : I am to give largely, though I am not 

 thereby assured of getting down the river. They say, " You 

 must give much, because you are a great man : Mokamba 

 will say so " — though Mokamba knows nothing about me ! 

 It is uncertain whether I can get down through by 

 Loanda, and great risk would be run in going to those 

 who cut off the party of Moenegkere, so I have come to the 

 conclusion that it will be better for me to go to Manyuema 

 about a fortnight hence, and, if possible, trace down the 

 western arm of the Nile to the north — if this arm is indeed 

 that of the Nile, and not of the Congo. Nobody here 

 knows anything about it, or, indeed, about the eastern or 

 Tanganyika line either; they all confess that they have 

 but one question in their minds in going anywhere, they 

 ask for ivory and for nothing else, and each trip ends as a 

 foray. Moeneghere's last trip ended disastrously, twenty-six 

 of his men being cut off; in extenuation he says that it 

 was not his war but Mokamba's : he wished to be allowed 

 to go down through Loanda, and as the people in front of 

 Mokamba and Usige own his supremacy, he said, "Send 

 your force with mine and let us open the way," so they went 

 on land and were killed. An attempt was made to induce 

 Syde bin Habib to clear the way, and be paid in ivory, but 

 Syde likes to battle with those who will soon run away and 

 leave the spoil to him. 



The Manyuema are said to be friendly where they have 

 not been attacked by Arabs : a great chief is reported as 

 living on a large river flowing northwards, I hope to make 

 my way to him, and I feel exhilarated at the thought of 

 getting among people not spoiled by contact with Arab 

 traders. I would not hesitate to run the risk of getting 

 through Loanda, the continuation of Usige beyond Mo- 

 kamba's, had blood not been shed so very recently there ; 

 but it would at present be a great danger, and to explore 

 some sixty miles of the Tanganyika line only. If I return 



