lviii PREFATORY LETTER. 



— a man of the Batoka tribe. His complaint was mysterious 

 and beyond the Doctor's skill. Is it not possible that the bite 

 of the tsetse, which killed the cattle, may have also killed the 

 poor African ? While moving eastward through the bush, a 

 herd of buffaloes came driving through their ranks and tossed 

 one of the men ; but by careful treatment he was not long 

 in recovering. They then journeyed on through holmes 

 and river-terraces — often gazing on the herds of buffaloes 

 and antelopes which were quietly grazing in the meadows 

 below them. They met with maize as fine as any that is 

 grown in America, and all of them were amply supplied 

 with what they stood in need of. " In few other countries 

 (says the Author), would 114 sturdy vagabonds be supplied 

 as we were by the generosity of the head-men and the 

 villagers." Though far away from home they were (one 

 excepted) strong and in brave spirits: and the jolly crew 

 joined in dance with the villagers. The young women 

 were delighted, " Dance for me (they said), and I will grind 

 corn for you." Sekwebu (who had lived on the lower Zam- 

 besi while a boy) cried out with joy, "Did I not tell you 

 (before we left Linyanti) that these people had hearts?" 



Still they were in great difficulties. The fly-stricken 

 oxen which remained could not move two miles an hour. Tete 

 had been wrongly placed on their maps; for they found 

 that it was on the south bank of the Zambesi. All the great 

 Chiefs farther down on the north bank were in hostility 

 with the Portuguese, and certainly would not allow a 

 white man to pass down toward Tete on that side; and the 

 friendly head-men of the villages, through which they 

 passed, did not dare to ferry them across the Zambesi 

 in disobedience to the commands of the Chief, Mpende. 

 Through downright necessity they were, therefore, forced 

 to bend their way to his head-quarters in the hope of ob- 

 taining his leave to cross the river. 



On the 23rd of January they encamped close to Mpende's 



