1872.] LEECHES. 255 



14:th December. — Guides turned N.W. to take us to a son 

 of Nsania, and so play the usual present into his hands. I 

 objected when I saw their direction, but they said, " The 

 path turns round in front." After going a mile along the 

 bank of the Mefioniba, which has much water, Susi broke 

 through and ran south, till he got a S. by W. path, which 

 we followed, and came to a village having plenty of food. 

 As we have now camped in village, we sent the men off to 

 recall the fugitive women, who took us for Komba-Komba's 

 men. Crossed the Lupere, which runs into the Makobwe. 



A leech crawling towards me in the village this morning- 

 elicited the Bemba idea that they fall from the clouds or 

 sky — " mulu." It is called here " Mosunda a maluze," or 

 leech of the rivers ; " Luba " is the Zanzibar name. In one 

 place I counted nineteen leeches in our path, in about a 

 mile; rain had fallen, and their appearance out of their 

 hiding-places suddenly after heavy rain may have given 

 rise to the idea of their fall with it as fishes do, and the 

 thunder frog is supposed to do. Always too cloudy and 

 rainy for observations of stars. 



15t7i December. — The country is now level, covered with 

 trees pollarded for clothing, and to make ashes of for manure. 

 There are many deserted villages, few birds. Cross the 

 River Lithabo, thirty yards wide and thigh deep, running 

 fast to the S.W., joined by a small one near. Eeached 

 village of Chipala, on the Rivulet Chikatula, which goes to 

 Moipanza. The Lithabo goes to Kalongwesi by a S.W. 

 course. 



16th December. — Off at 6 a.m. across the Chikatula, and 

 in three-quarters of an hour crossed the Lopanza, twelve 

 yards wide and waist deep, being now in flood. The Lolela 

 was before us in half-an-hour, eight yards wide and thigh 

 deep, both streams perennial and embowered in tall umbra- 

 geous trees that love wet ; both flow to the Kalongwesi. 



We came to quite a group of villages having food, and 



