314 REAVE CARRIERS. 



the ox seemed as if he would come backwards upon me, 

 so I struck out for the opposite bank alone. My poor 

 fellows were dreadfully alarmed when they saw me parted 

 from the cattle, and about twenty of them made a simul- 

 taneous rush into the water for my rescue, and just as I 

 reached the opposite bank one seized my arm, and another 

 threw his around my body. When I stood up, it was 

 most gratifying to see them all struggling towards me. 

 Some had leaped off the bridge, and allowed their cloaks 

 to float down the stream. Part of my goods, abandoned 

 in the hurry, were brought up from the bottom after I 

 was safe. Great was the pleasure expressed when they 

 found that I could swim like themselves, without the aid 

 of a tail, and I did, and do feel grateful to these poor 

 heathens for the promptitude with which they dashed in 

 to save, as they thought, my life. I found my clothes 

 cumbersome in the water ; they could swim quicker from 

 being naked. They swim like dogs, not frog-fashion, as 

 we do. 



In the evening we crossed the small rivulet Lozeze, and 

 came to some villages of the KasaVbi, from whom we got 

 .some manioc in exchange for beads. They tried to 

 frighten us by telling of the deep rivers we should have to 

 cross in our way. I was drying my clothes by turning 

 myself round and round before the fire. My men laughed 

 at the idea of being frightened by rivers. " We can all 

 swim : who carried the white man across the river but 

 liimself ? " I felt proud of their praise. 



Saturday, 4th March. — Came to the outskirts of the 

 territory of the Chiboque. We crossed the Konde and 

 Kaltize rivulets. The former is a deep small stream with 

 a bridge, the latter insignificant ; the valleys in which 

 these rivulets run are beautifully fertile. My companions 

 are continually lamenting over the uncultivated vales, in 

 such words as these, — " What a fine country for cattle ! 

 My heart is sore to see such fruitful valleys for corn lying 

 waste ! " At the time these words were put down, I 

 liad come to the belief that the reason why the inhabitants 

 of this fine country possess no herds of cattle, was owing 

 to the despotic sway of their chiefs, and that the common 

 people would not be allowed to keep any domestic animals, 

 even supposing they could acquire them ; but on musing 

 on the subject since, I have been led to the conjecture 

 that the rich fertile country of L,oanda must formerly have 



