846 LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.R 



slaves. They told us that they were five days from Mataka's, and that the 

 road was clear, but we should .meet with no more houses. 



"This was bad news for us who had nearly eaten all our stock. About 

 nine the next morning, word was passed to stop, as a gun had been heard 

 behind, and soon our three men rejoined us; they had misread the marks near 

 the cashew nut tree, and thought we had gone back; they did not meet the 

 first caravan, but slept the night before with the second, who had given them 

 some food, all they had. We cooked for them at once, and immediately after 

 sent on two men with cloth to get to Mataka's as quickly as possible, and 

 bring back food. 



" The ground was now losing something of its level character, and ris- 

 ing first into long swells, as at Kangninda's, and afterwards into sharper 

 ridges. The trees, too, were very unlike those in the Mwera forests. There 

 the average diameter may be taken as from one foot to two, with a tall trunk 

 before branching. Here the average diameter would run between six and 

 twelve inches, with far less height of trunk and spread of branches. African 

 trees are, as a rule, disappointing ; there are some really fine ones near the 

 rivers and in hollows, but generally they are ill grown, and their foliage 

 scanty, besides being out of leaf for a great part of the year. The baobab ;, 

 which have enormous trunks, only grow tall when surrounded by other large 

 trees, and are bare for nearly nine months of the year. The Yao forests 

 have, however, one tree which we found very useful. It bears a round fruit, 

 with russet rind, and three large grooved stones, surrounded by a small 

 quantity of very sweet pulp, with something of a pear-like flavour. They 

 were just coming ripe, and we ate them by hundreds. The Yaos call them 

 Masuku. 



"As we went on that day, I saw a woman coming towards us ; our lead- 

 ing guide spoke to her, and made her turn to follow him. I went up, and 

 he told me she had run away from yesterday's caravan, and he purposed to 

 take her to Mataka's. I made him leave her alone, and she went on in the 

 other direction. 



" November had now run out, and the rain had begun to trouble us. 

 We found a ford in front impassable, and had to fell some trees to make a 

 temporary bridge for the purpose of crossing over. We thought this river 

 was the Luatize, which Chuma remembered crossing with Dr. Livingstone ; 

 but the next day we came to a still larger river, which turned out to be the 

 true Luatize. 



" We passed this morning several cairns, on which it was customary for 

 passers-by to throw each his stone. A little further on, we passed a newly- 

 made Arab grave, and all along were remains of old encampments, ominous 

 signs of having had to wait there till the river fell sufficiently to be fordable. 

 Soon after mid-day, however, we met a caravan, the foremost men carrying 



