322 LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



and children fled; but calling to a man not to be afraid, he asked if I had any 

 objection to ' liquor with him,' and brought a cup of native beer. There are 

 many new trees on the slopes, plenty of ebony in some places, and thickets of 

 brushwood. The whole scenery had a light-gray appearance, dotted over 

 with masses of green trees, which precede the others in putting on new foliage, 

 for this may be called our winter. Other trees showed their young leaves 

 brownish-red, but soon all will be gloriously green. Further up we came to 

 numerous villages, perched on sandbanks in the river. They had villages on 

 shore, too, and plenty of grain stowed away in the woods. They did not fear 

 for their victuals, but were afraid of being stolen themselves. We passed 

 through them all right, civilly declining an invitation to land at a village 

 where two human heads had been cut off. A lot of these river-pilots then 

 followed us till there was only a narrow passage under a high bank, and there 

 let drive their arrows at us. We stopped and expostulated with them for a 

 long time ; then got them to one of the boats, and explained to them how 

 easily we could drive them off with our rifles and revolvers, but we wished to 

 be friends, and gave about 30 yards of calico in presents, in proof of friendship. 

 All this time we were within 40 yards of a lot of them, armed with muskets 

 and bows, on the high bank. On parting, as we thought, on friendly terms, 

 and moving on, we received a volley of musket-balls and arrows, four bullet- 

 holes being made in my sail ; but finding that we, instead of running away, 

 returned the fire, they took to their heels, and left the conviction that these 

 are the Border ruffians who at various points present obstacles to African 

 exploration — men-stealers in fact, who care no more for human life than that 

 respectable party in London who stuffed the ' Pioneer's ' life-buoys with old 

 straw instead of cork. It was sore against the grain to pay away that calico ; 

 it was submitting to be robbed for the sake of peace. It cannot be called 

 ' black mail,' for that implies the rendering of important services by Arabs • 

 nor is it ' custom dues.' It is robbery perpetrated by any one who has a 

 traveller or trader in his power, and, when tamely submitted to, increases in 

 amount till wood, water, grass, and every conceivable subject of offence is 

 made occasion for a fine. On our return we passed quietly through them all, 

 and probably the next English boat will be respected. Beyond these Makonde 

 all were friendly and civil, laying down their arms before they came near us. 

 Much trade is carried on by means of canoes, and we had the company of 

 seven of these small craft for three days. They bring rice and grain down 

 to purchase salt. When about 60 miles up, the table-land mentioned above 

 retires, and we have an immense plain, with detached granite rocks and hills 

 dotted over. Some rocks then appear in the river, and at last, at our turning 

 point, the bed is all rocky masses, four or five feet high, with the water rush- 

 ing through by numerous channels. The canoes go through with ease, and 

 we might have taken the boats up also, but we were told that further up the 



