PREFATORY LETTER. lxv 



Livingstone was dealing falsely with them. However this 

 might be, in the evening they got up a war-dance near the 

 encampment; and the younger men came armed with guns, 

 bows and arrows and spears. No attack was however made : 

 the war-dance ceased an hour or two after dark, and the 

 armed Natives went away. Our travellers then went to 

 rest with their arms by their side — ready to fight in case of 

 a night-attack. In the course of the night Monahin, one of 

 the head-men, walked out, as if to look towards the village — 

 saying to one of the men who was half asleep, " Don't you 

 hear what these people are saying? Go and listen !" The 

 poor fellow never came back. To his great sorrow Living- 

 stone found, in the morning, that Monahin was missing. 

 He does not accuse any of the Natives of treachery; but 

 rather believes that Monahin had walked off in a state 

 of stupor or insanity; and been perhaps, caught and car- 

 ried off by a prowling lion. Monima, with apparent 

 honesty, joined in their sorrow, and sent his men to search 

 in all the neighbouring gardens for the poor fellow who had 

 strayed away. All search was, however, vain; and the 

 Chief then dismissed the party in peace, and gave them 

 guides to the next Chief, Nyakdba. 



In a few hours, the guides led them to the Chief's vil- 

 lage. He suspected them of falsehood; but they escaped 

 from him, more easily than they expected, by giving him 

 "some beads taken from Sekwebu's girdle, and by pro- 

 mising to send him four yards of calico from Tete." While 

 on their way they had met a witch-doctor, who had been 

 sent for by Momma; whose many wives had that day, under 

 the prescription of this grave doctor, to swallow a poisonous 

 infusion used by him as an ordeal. The poor women, in 

 full faith, and knowing that they are innocent, swallow it 

 readily ; and will even express a strong desire to try the 

 test. If it make them sick, all is well: they are innocent 

 and have only to kill a cock as a thank-offering : but if not 



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