1882.] 
On the Way to the Zambesi, 
35 
waggon, so I gladly sat down with him, and it came along during 
the day. These nine long, long days I shall not soon forget. 
Sunday, July 2T,rd, 1882. — All the talk among the people was 
of the wonderful escape they had made. Exaggerating step 
by step, they made out that a perfect miracle had been wrought. 
In the evening Tinka talked to the rest very earnestly, and read 
in Psalm cxv. i : " Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto 
Thy name give glory." 
THE BASUBIA. 
July 2\th. — A lot of Basubia men from the towns near us 
came around the waggon, and I bought maize-corn, beans, etc., 
from them in exchange for beads. There is a glorious field 
for the gospel here. Besides several towns of Makalaka, and 
several troops of wandering Masaroa, I am sure there are 
several thousand Basubia. Along the Mababi they have never 
been visited by any messenger of the gospel. The nearest 
mission station is Shoshong. Some of these Basubia men said to 
me how glad they would be to have a teacher among them. The 
district is, however, undoubtedly unhealthy, the river bed being 
an immense stretch of marshes and reeds. 
I bought from the Basubia to-day an extra supply of maize, 
and was quite busy arranging my bundles for the carriers — a 
very difficult thing to do, as the men continually question the 
fairness of their loads as compared with those of others. 
July 26th. — The chief man of the Basubia was not at home, 
so the headmen, who came to the waggon to-day to consult 
about matters, said that before they could decide to give me men 
they would have to refer to the chief's wife. She said that if it 
was the word of Kama that the Basubia men should go with me 
it was all right. But even without Kama's word I should have 
had no difficulty in getting carriers, for the people would go 
any distance for a little powder.'^'' I agreed to give each man 
five bullets, five charges of powder, and five caps, to carry 
40 lbs. from here to Panda-ma-tenka (a distance of 250 miles), 
and, of course, they will have to walk back again. Powder, lead. 
Being refugees from the Zambesi, and longing to return to their homes in 
peace, they thought that I might perhaps be able to intercede for them with 
the chief. I did so, and many did return. 
