Chap. XIV. NEWS OF THE LOAPULA. 391 



The above very small adventure was all the danger we 

 were aware of in this journey ; but a report was sjDread 

 from the Portuguese villages on the Zambesi, similar to 

 several rumours that had been raised before, that Dr. 

 Livingstone had been murdered by the Makololo ; and 

 very unfortunately the report reached England before it 

 could be contradicted. 



One benefit arose from the Mazitu adventure. Zacha- 

 riah, and others who had too often to be reproved for 

 lagging behind, now took their places in the front rank ; 

 and we had no difficulty in making very long marches for 

 several days, for all believed that the Mazitu would follow 

 our footsteps, and attack us while we slept. 



A party of Babisa tobacco-traders came from the N.W. 

 to Molamba, while we were there; and one of them 

 asserted several times that the Loapula, after emerging 

 from Moelo, received the Lulua, and then flowed into Lake 

 Mofu, and thence into Tanganyika; and from the last- 

 named Lake into the sea. This is the native idea of the 

 geography of the interior ; and, to test the general know- 

 ledge of our informant, we asked him about our acquaint- 

 ances in Londa ; as Moene, Katema, Shinde or Shinte, 

 who live south-west of the rivers mentioned, and found 

 that our friends there were perfectly well-known to him 

 and to others of these travelled natives. In the evening 

 two of the Babisa came in, and reported that the Mazitu 

 had followed us to the village called Chigaragara, at 

 which we slept at the bottom of the descent. The whole 

 party of traders set off at once, though the sun had set. 

 We ourselves had given rise to the report, for the women 

 of Chigaragara, supposing us in the distance to be Mazitu, 

 fled, with all their household utensils on their heads, 

 and had no opportunity afterwards of finding out their 

 mistake. We spent the night where we were, and next 

 morning, declining Nkomo's entreaty to go and kill ele- 



