THE PARTY SUSPECTED. 545 



called Bazunga, have been in the habit of coming in 

 canoes, and that I was named as one of them. These 

 I supposed to be half-caste Portuguese, for they_ said that 

 the hair of their heads and the skin beneath their clothing 

 ■were different from mine. Ma Mburuma promised us 

 canoes to cross the Loangwa in our front. It was pleasant 

 to see great numbers of men, women, and boys come, 

 without suspicion, to look at the books, watch, looking- 

 glass, revolver, &c. They are a strong, muscular race, 

 and both men and women are seen cultivating the ground. 

 The soil contains so much comminuted talc and mica 

 from the adjacent hills, that it seems as if mixed with 

 spermaceti. They generally eat their corn only after 

 it has begun to sprout from steeping it in water. The 

 deformed lips of the women make them look very ugly ; 

 I never saw one smile. The people in this part seem 

 to understand readily what is spoken about God, for they 

 listen with great attention, and tell in return their own 

 ideas of departed spirits. The position of the village 

 of Mburuma's mother was one of great beauty, quite 

 enclosed by high, steep hills ; and the valleys are all 

 occupied by gardens of native corn and maize, which 

 grow luxuriantly. We were obliged to hurry along, for 

 the oxen were bitten daily by the tsetse, which, as I have 

 before remarked, now inhabits extensive tracts which once 

 supported herds of cattle that were swept off by Mpakane 

 and other marauders, whose devastations were well 

 known to Sekwebu, for he himself had been an actor 

 in the scenes. When he told me of them he always 

 lowered his voice, in order that the guides might not hear 

 that he had been one of their enemies. But that we were 

 looked upon with suspicion, on account of having come 

 in the footsteps of invaders, was evident from our guides 

 remarking to men in the gardens through which we passed, 

 " They have words of peace — all very fine ; but lies only, 

 as the Bazunga are great liars." They thought we did 

 not understand them, but Sekwebu knew every word 

 perfectly, and, without paying any ostensible attention 

 to these complimentary remarks, we always took care 

 to explain ever afterwards that we were not Bazunga, 

 but Makoa (English). 



2 N 



