CHAP. XIV. DESPATCH FROM GOVERNMENT. 383 



supply slaves to the traders expected along the slave 

 route we had just left ; and was said, after having ex- 

 pelled the inhabitants, to be living in their stockade, and 

 devouring their corn. The conquered tribe had purchased 

 what was called a peace by presenting the conqueror with 

 three women. 



This state of matters afforded us but a poor prospect of 

 finding more provisions in that direction than we could 

 with great difficulty and at enormous prices obtain here. 

 But neither want of food, dysentery, nor slave wars would 

 have prevented our working our way round the Lake in 

 some other direction, had we had time; but we had 

 received orders from the Foreign Office to take the 

 " Pioneer " down to the sea in the previous April. The 

 salaries of all the men in her were positively " in any case 

 to cease by the 31st of December." 



We were said to be only ten days' distant from Lake 

 Bemba. We might speculate on a late rise of the river. 

 A month or six weeks would secure a geographical feat, 

 but the rains were near. We had been warned by 

 different people that the rains were close at hand, and 

 that we should then be bogged and unable to travel. 

 The flood in the river might be an early one, or so small 

 in volume as to give but one chance of the " Pioneer " 

 descending to the ocean. The Makololo too were be- 

 coming dispirited by sickness and want of food, and were 

 naturally anxious to be back to their fields in time for 

 sowing. But in addition to all this and more, it was felt 

 that it would not be dealing honestly with the Govern- 

 ment, were we, for the sake of a little eclat, to risk the 

 detention of the " Pioneer " up the river during another 

 year ; so we decided to return ; and though we had after- 

 wards the mortification to find that we were detained two 

 full months at the ship waiting for the flood which we 

 expected immediately after our arrival there, the chagrin 



