1 888.] 
Return Journey. 
249 
river, on the borders of Kangombe's country, I gathered the 
following particulars : The man in charge of this caravan, in 
his haste to get on, ventured to pass one of the regular camping- 
places, where a small chief was in the habit of receiving some 
trifling present by way of tribute. He tried to stop the caravan, 
but it went on ; so the Lovale people gathered in larger numbers 
and opened fire upon the company, which was not a large one. 
Finally, they were all surrounded and driven into the river 
Chongo. Sixteen of their number perished in the water ; others 
were badly wounded, and plundered of all they carried. The 
box which contained our letters was carried down the stream, 
picked up some miles off, and taken to the village of another 
small chief. I went there and asked for my letters. The chief 
replied, "Oh, yes, I have them all right!" But he wanted a 
little present for the good care he had taken of them. I was 
overjoyed to hear that they were all safe, and gladly gave the 
man a few rings of copper wire from the Garenganze country. 
In a short time he appeared with my letters, but what a sight 
they presented ! All had been opened and spread out to be 
examined time after time, by way of entertaining the chief's 
visitors. I suppose, not knowing how to fold them, they crushed 
them together, with the result that nothing was left but a 
handful of shreds, like shavings from a carpenter's workshop. 
I was too disgusted to think of preserving them as a curiosity, 
so threw them into the fire. 
HOW THE CARRIERS DO BUSINESS. 
The natives along the road do not expect to get beads or 
cloth from outgoing caravans in exchange for the food which 
they bring to camp for sale, but look for the produce of the 
interior. Consequently I provided my men with large quantities 
of salt at the Garenganze, also with copper anklets and finely- 
drawn wire, which are to be had there, and are much valued 
by the Lovale and Chibokwe races. In the upper Lovale country 
my men exchanged the larger part of the salt they carried for 
dried fish, which is in great demand amongst the Chibokwe. As 
the Chibokwe cultivate and prepare large quantities of castor-oil, 
my men exchanged the fish for castor-oil, which is a commodity 
greatly valued by the Valoimbe along the eastern bank of the 
