1871.] THE CHITOKA. 115 



presence of lions. Their refusal to sell or lend canoes 

 for fear of blame by each other will be ended by the 

 party of Dugumbe, which has ten headmen, taking them 

 by force ; they are unreasonable and bloody-minded towards 

 each other : every Manyuema would like every other head- 

 man slain; they are subjected to bitter lessons and sore 

 experience. Abed went over to Mologhwe Kahembe and 

 mixed blood with him ; he was told that two large canoes 

 were hollowed out, and nearly ready to be brought for 

 sale; if this can be managed peaceably it is a great point 

 gained, and I may get one at our Arabs' price, which may 

 be three or four times the native price. There is no love 

 lost among the three Arabs here. 



9th April. — Cut wood for my house. The Loeki is said by 

 slaves who have come thence to be much larger than the 

 Lualaba, but on the return of Abed's people from the west 

 we shall obtain better information. 



10th April. — Chitoka, or market, to-day. I counted up- 

 wards of 700 passing my door. With market women it 

 seems to be a pleasure of life to haggle and joke, and laugh 

 and cheat : many came eagerly, and retire with careworn 

 faces ; many are beautiful, and many old ; all carry very 

 heavy loads of dried cassava and earthen pots, which they 

 dispose of very cheaply for palm-oil, fish, salt, pepper, and 

 relishes for their food. The men appear in gaudy lambas, 

 and carry little save their iron wares, fowls, grass cloth, 

 and pigs. 



Bought the fish with the long snouts : very good eating. 



12th April. — New moon last night ; fourth Arab month : 

 I am at a loss for the day of the month. My new house 

 is finished ; a great comfort, for the other was foul and full 

 of vermin: bugs (Tapazi, or ticks), that follow wherever 

 Arabs go, made me miserable, but the Arabs are insensible 

 to them ; Abed alone had a mosquito-curtain, and he never 

 could praise it enough. One of his remarks is, "If slaves 



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