74 SET OUT FOR NYASSA. CHA.P. III. 



restored her gratuitously, but she had been sold, it might 

 be to the distant tribe Bazizulu, or he could not tell 

 where. Custom had rendered his feelings callous, and 

 Chibisa had to be told that his child would never return. 

 It is this callous state of mind which leads some of our 

 own blood to quote Scripture in support of slavery. If 

 we could afford to take a backward step in civilization, 

 we might find men among ourselves who would in like 

 manner prove Mormonism or any other enormity to be 

 divine. 



We left the ship on the 28th of August, 1859, for the 

 discovery of Lake Nyassa. Our party numbered forty-two 

 in all — four whites, thirty-six Makololo, and two guides. 

 We did not actually need so many, either for carriage or 

 defence ; but took them because we believed that, human 

 nature being everywhere the same, blacks are as ready as 

 whites to take advantage of the weak, and are as civil and 

 respectful to the powerful. We armed our men with 

 muskets, which gave us influence, although it did not add 

 much to our strength, as most of the men had never drawn 

 a trigger, and in any conflict would in all probability have 

 been more dangerous to us than the enemy. 



Our path crossed the valley, in a north-easterly direc- 

 tion, up the course of a beautiful flowing stream. Many 

 of the gardens had excellent cotton growing in them. An 

 hour's inarch brought us to the foot of the Manganja hills, 

 up which lay the toilsome road. The vegetation soon 

 changed ; as we rose bamboos appeared, and new trees and 

 plants were met with, which gave such incessant employ- 

 ment to Dr. Kirk, that he travelled the distance three 

 times over. Eemarkably fine trees, one of which has oil- 

 yielding seeds, and belongs to the mahogany family, grow 

 well in the hollows along the rivulet courses. The ascent 

 became very fatiguing, and we were glad of a rest. Look- 

 ing back from an elevation of a thousand feet, we beheld 



