PREFATORY LETTER. lxvii 



their journey through the uplands, when the temperature 

 was much higher than it was now. The Natives were men 

 of fine stature; wore their hair in a fashion like that of the 

 old Egyptians; were of cleanly habits; and were of a 

 light coffee and milk colour, which is considered a test of 

 beauty through all the country. 



The party were compelled to make short stages; for 

 they were all becoming emaciated from fatigue, and one of 

 them was ill: and for a few days, while they avoided all 

 human habitations, they lived on mushrooms they picked off 

 the ant-hills; on bulbs and tubers the Makololo knew how 

 to gather ; on honey ; or on such fruits as the forests gave 

 them. They had to march over rough gravel, like the shingle 

 of an old sea-beach; and on the first of March they slept on 

 the flank of the hill Zimika, and were then, for the first time, 

 in sight of hills with bare rocky summits. On the previous 

 day they had crossed over broad dykes of syenitic porphyry 

 — ranging north and south. 



Next day they started in good hope of reaching Tete 

 without further interruption ; but some villagers under the 

 authority of Katolosa pursued and came up with them. By 

 a bribe of two small tusks they were allowed to pass on — 

 a cheap purchase of neutrality. Had they fallen into the 

 hands of the great Chief (even though the Makololo had 

 escaped with personal freedom and Livingstone with life) 

 they would almost certainly have been plundered of Seke- 

 letu's store of tusks, which they had with such enormous 

 labour brought so far across the Continent. 



Only eight miles from Tete, and too much tired to sleep, 

 he lay down in the evening on the rough ground, and sent 

 some of his men, who were less fatigued, to carry his 

 letters from the Bishop and his other friends at Loanda to 

 the Commandant at Tete. About two o'clock in the morn- 

 ing (March 3rd) the Makololo gave the alarm of an ap- 

 proaching enemy. The nocturnal visitors turned out to be 



7—2 



