544 ATTEMPT TO ENTRAP UVTNGSTONE. 



to return with ease, and without meeting sour, suspicious 

 looks. 



The soil, glancing everywhere with mica, is very fertile, 

 and all the valleys are cultivated, the maize being now 

 in ear and eatable. Ranges of hills, which line both banks 

 of the river above this, now come close up to each bank, 

 and form a narrow gorge, which, like all others of the same 

 nature, is called Mpata. There is a narrow pathway by 

 the side of the river, but we preferred a more open one 

 in a pass among the hills to the east, which is called 

 Mohango. The hills rise to a height of 800 or 1000 feet, 

 and are all covered with trees. The rocks were of various 

 coloured mica schist ; and parallel with the Zambesi 

 lay a broad band of gneiss with garnets in it. It stood 

 on edge, and several dykes of basalt, with dolerite, had 

 cut through it. 



Mburuma sent two men as guides to the Loangwa. 

 These men tried to bring us to a stand, at a distance of 

 about six miles from the village, by the notice, " Mburuma 

 says you are to sleep under that tree." On declining 

 to do this, we were told that we must wait at a certain 

 village for a supply of corn. As none appeared in an hour, 

 I proceeded on the march. It is not quite certain that 

 their intentions were hostile, but this seemed to disarrange 

 their plans, and one of them was soon observed running 

 back to Mburuma. They had first of all tried to separate 

 our party, by volunteering the loan of a canoe to convey 

 Sekwebu and me, together with our luggage, by way of 

 the river, and, as it was pressed upon us, I thought that 

 this was their design. The next attempt was to detain 

 us in the pass, but, betraying no suspicion, we civilly 

 declined to place ourselves in their power in an unfavour- 

 able position. We afterwards heard that a party of 

 Babisa traders, who came from the north-east, bringing 

 English goods from Mozambique, had been plundered 

 by this same people. 



Elephants were still abundant, but more wild, as they 

 fled with great speed as soon as we made our appearance. 

 The country between Mburuma' s and his mother's village 

 was all hilly and very difficult, and prevented us from 

 travelling more than ten miles a day. At the village of 

 Ma Mburuma (mother of Mburuma), the guides, who had 

 again joined us, gave a favourable report, and the women 

 and children did not flee. Here we found that traders, 



