1884.] 
From the Zambesi to Benguella. 
103 
STRAGGLERS STOLEN — RESCUED WITH DIFFICULTY. 
The regular camping places are generally on the border of 
some forest, where the porters can get sufficient poles to erect 
rude frameworks, the spaces of which are filled . with leafy 
branches, and in the rainy season a rough thatch covering is 
added. We were busy getting our camp into order when some 
Balojashe men came, evidently bent upon mischief. Getting 
nothing for their impudence, they left us. In a short time, how- 
ever, we saw the long grass on all sides of us on fire. All 
our men turned out, and beating down the flames as they 
approached our camp, they succeeded in stamping out the fire. 
We then called the men together and discovered that eight of our 
number were missing, so that our worst suspicions concerning 
these Balojashe were confirmed. They had set fire to the grass 
around our camp to distract our attention while they carried 
off all the stragglers they could catch. We found that two of our 
men had been taken some distance, but the other six were still 
in the neighbourhood. I started off with some thirty men, and 
after a weary ten miles' journey over the hills we came upon the 
Balojashe robbers, and found they were ready to fight with us, as 
they only thought we had come to recover by force the stolen 
men. I made every effort to get between my own men and 
the Balojashe, and, as a sign of my peaceful intentions, I held up 
one of their native stools in front of the threatening crowd and 
then sat down upon it, urging them to sit down and talk with me. 
The old chief, seeing the younger men fall back, began to chide 
them for being afraid, and rushing forward he levelled his 
gun at me, ready to fire. By this time our Bihe men had their 
guns to their shoulders, but I called upon them not to fire. The 
young men, fearing that their old chief would bring mischief 
upon them if he shot me, themselves laid hold of him, took 
his gun from him, and marched him off to a hut close by, in the 
most ignominious manner, with his hands behind his back. At 
last one by one they came near and sat down, and we talked the 
matter over. They said they were not embittered against us, but 
against others, who were their enemies, and they promised to 
bring down the two captives next day to camp. They kept their 
word, and the stolen men were brought back next day ; presents 
