A VOLUNTARY SLAVE. 277 



exclusive people, and never intermarry with other tribes. These hunters 

 frequently go on long expeditions, taking their wives and children with them, 

 erecting temporary huts on the banks of the rivers, where they dry the meat 

 they have killed. They are a comely race, and do not disfigure themselves 

 with lip-ornaments, as many of the neighbouring tribes do. Livingstone 

 gives the following description of the weapon with which they kill the hipopo- 

 tamus : — " It is a short iron harpoon inserted in the end of a long pole ; but 

 being intended to unship, it is made fast to a strong cord of milola or hibiscus 

 bark, which is wound closely round the entire length of the shaft and secured 

 at its opposite end. Two men in a swift canoe steal quietly down on the 

 sleeping animal ; the bowman dashes the harpoon into the unconscious victim, 

 while the quick steersman sweeps the light craft back with his broad paddle. 

 The force of the blow separates the harpoon from its corded handle ; which, 

 appearing on the surface, sometimes with an inflated bladder attached, guides 

 the hunters to where the wounded beast hides below until they despatch it." 



Near Tete, a seam of excellent coal, of twenty-five feet in thickness, was 

 visited and examined. : Coal and iron are common in the lower Zambesi, the 

 latter being of excellent quality, and quite equal to the best Swedish. The 

 existence of these minerals must play an important part in the regeneration 

 of the people and the civilization of this vast and important district. 



The Ma-Robert anchored in the stream off Tete on the 8th of September, 

 and great was the joy of the Makololo men when they recognised Dr. Living- 

 stone. Some were about to embrace him; but others cried out, "Don't 

 touch him ; you will spoil his new clothes." They listened sadly to the 

 account of the end of Sekwebu, remarking, " Men die in any country." 

 They had much to tell of their own doings and trials. Thirty of their num- 

 ber had died of small-pox; and other six, becoming tired of wood-cutting, 

 went away to dance before the neighbouring chiefs. They visited Bonga, 

 the son of Nyaude (not the brother of Mariano), who cruelly put them to 

 death. " We do not grieve," they said, " for the thirty victims of small-pox, 

 who were taken away by Morimo (Grod) ; but our hearts are sore for the six 

 youths who were murdered by Bonga." If any order had been given by Don 

 Pedro for the maintenance of the Makololo men during Livingstone's absence, 

 it never reached Tete ; and they were dependent on their own exertions and 

 the kindness of Major Sicard, who treated them most generously, and gave 

 them land and tools to raise some food for themselves. 



At Tete, the party took up their abode in the Residency House, and re- 

 ceived the most generous hospitality from Major Sicard and all the Portuguese 

 residents. A singular case of voluntary slavery came under Livingstone's 

 notice here. Chibanti, an active young fellow, who had acted as pilot to the 

 expedition, sold himself to Major Sicard, assigning as a reason that he had 

 neither father nor mother, and that Major Sicard was a kind master. He sold 



