Chap. X. TRY TO PURCHASE FOOD. 209 



In a short time a small island or mass of rocks was 

 passed, on which were a number of armed Mazitu with 

 some young women, apparently their wives. The head- 

 man said that he had been wounded in the foot by Man- 

 kambira, and that they were staying there till he could 

 walk to his chief, who lived over the hills. They had 

 several large canoes, and it was evident that this was 

 a nest of lake pirates, who sallied out by night to kill 

 and plunder. They reported a path behind the hills, and, 

 the crew being reassured, the boat sailed on. A few miles 

 further, another and still larger band of pirates were 

 fallen in with, and hundreds of crows and kites hovered 

 over and round the rocks on which they lived. Dr. Kirk 

 and Charles Livingstone, though ordered in a voice of 

 authority to come ashore, kept on their course. A number 

 of canoes then shot out from the rocks and chased them. 

 One with nine strong paddlers persevered for some time 

 after all the others gave up the chase. A good breeze, 

 however, enabled the gig to get away from them with 

 ease. After sailing twelve or fifteen miles, north of the 

 point where Dr. Livingstone had left them, it was decided 

 that he must be behind ; but no sooner had the boat's 

 head been turned south, than another gale compelled her 

 to seek shelter in a bay. Here a number of wretched 

 fugitives from the slave-trade on the opposite shore of 

 the lake were found ; the original inhabitants of the 

 place had all been swept off the year before by the Mazitu. 

 In the deserted gardens beautiful cotton was seen grow- 

 ing, much of it had the staple an inch and a half long, 

 and of very fine quality. Some of the plants were un- 

 commonly large, deserving to be ranked with trees. 



On their trying to purchase food, the natives had 

 nothing to sell except a little dried cassava-root, and a 

 few fish : and they demanded two yards of calico for the 

 head only of a large fish. When the gale admitted of their 



