214 LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



commerce, fostered by a race holding themselves so much superior to the 

 savage tribes of the interior through which they had passed, who held it in 

 abhorrence. 



Previous to Livingstone's arrival in this part of the country, Sinatomba, 

 an Italian slave-dealer, who had married the daughter of a neighbouring 

 chief, had ascended the river in canoes with fifty armed slaves, and carried off 

 a large number of people and a quantity of ivory from several inhabited 

 islands. At the instigation of his father-in-law, several chiefs assembled their 

 followers and attacked him as he descended the river, defeating and slaying 

 him and liberating his prisoners. Selole, a great chief, hearing of the 

 approach of a white man with a large following, imagining that this was 

 another Italian slave-trader, or Sinatomba himself risen from the dead, made 

 great preparations for attacking the party. A timely explanation of the 

 object of their journey put matters to rights at once. At Mburumba's village 

 his brother came to meet them, and in explanation of the delay caused by the 

 threatened attack, told them that the Italian had come among them, talking 

 of peace as they did, and had kidnapped slaves and bought ivory with them, 

 and that they were supposed to be of the same calling. As they had been 

 unsuccessful in hunting the day before, an elephant having got clear off with 

 from seventy to eighty spears fixed in his flesh in addition to the last dozen 

 of Livingstone's bullets, he said, " The man at whose village you remained 

 was in fault in allowing you to want meat ; for had he only run across to 

 Mburumba, he would have given him a little meal, and, having sprinkled 

 that on the ground as an offering to the gods, you would have found your 

 elephant." Among these tribes, the chiefs are all supposed to possess 

 supernatural power. 



Mburumba did not visit the party himself, and, although he sent presents 

 of meal, maize, and native corn, the conduct of his people was very suspicious, 

 as they never came near them unless in large numbers, and fully armed with 

 bows and spears. The party were suspicious of the intentions of the guides 

 sent by Mburumba to take them to his mother's village ; but they reached 

 their destination in safety, and were hospitably treated by Ma-Mburumba, 

 who furnished them with guides, who conveyed them to the junction of the 

 Loangwa and the Zambesi. As the natives assembled in great force at the 

 place where they were to cross the Loangwa, they were still in dread of being 

 attacked ; but whatever were their reasons for this formidable demonstration, 

 they allowed the party to pass safely to the other side. 



Beyond the river they came upon the ruins of stone houses, which were 

 simply constructed, but beautifully situated on the hill-sides commanding a 

 view of the river. These had been the residences of Portuguese traders in 

 ivory and slaves when Zumbo, which they were now approaching, had been 

 a place of considerable importance as a Portuguese trade settlement. Passing 



