886.] 
Stay in Garenganze. 
183 
the best of health, and that is considered the most unhealthy 
period for Europeans, but my constitution, already impaired from 
my stay in the Barotse, seemingly cannot stand the dry and, at 
times, cold winds of this season. I do not think that a new- 
comer with healthy blood in his veins would be at all affected by 
these winds ; neither do I think that I shall suffer so much when 
my house is finished and plastered. In the meantime I am 
living in a grass hut. 
My journal up to this point will at least serve to show that the 
country is open and the people accessible. My progress in the 
languages has been, contrary to my expectations, slow and diffi- 
cult. The people are shy, and do not come readily to me, but I 
am ever welcome among them ; in the meantime, however, poor 
health prevents me from visiting them as often as I would wish. 
I much more enjoy visiting among the villages than in the capital, 
which is almost wholly under the sway of the king's wives, who 
are given to vicious and dissolute habits. Indeed, I am com- 
pelled, from reasons of propriety, to abstain from visiting their 
compounds, even when invited, unless accompanied by a messen- 
ger from Msidi. 
MY HOUSEHOLD. 
Shortly after my recovery, Dick was taken seriously ill. I was 
not able to attend to him as I would have wished, but the other 
children did all they could for him. His illness was, however, 
the death-blow to my stock of fowls. These are very plentiful in 
Garenganze, and I bought a large number of them on my arrival, 
hoping by careful breeding to raise a good stock. During my 
illness quite a number had been cooked, and now when Dick 
was laid down, all that remained were used in preparing chicken 
soup for him. 
My other little boy, Johnny, was bought by Kasoma in the 
Lunda country without my knowledge; I saw he was a bright 
little fellow, and took him from Kasoma. Though young, he 
does a wonderful amount of work, and is very intelligent ; says 
he is going to learn to write. Besides being very active, he is 
about the prettiest black boy I have seen. 
The third, Segunda, is a mere infant. When brought to my 
camp here for sale, no one would have him, so at last they brought 
him on to my hut which was outside the rest. I turned the man 
