THE ZAMBESI BEG ION. 
319 
below a Mabuncla village called Sioma. My servants, 
who had continued following on foot, were ferried 
across, and we made our encampment before it grew 
dark. We were rather surprised to be told by the 
residents that the neighbourhood was infested with 
lions, and that the village was night after night ravaged 
by their attacks ; and, for my own part, I was inclined 
to believe that the stories were made up as a pretext to 
induce us to move on. In exchange for some beads. I 
obtained a quantity of kaffir-corn beer, which I dis- 
ment of the exertions they had made in my service. 
Finding that I was not intimidated by the representa¬ 
tions they made, and pleased moreover with the beads 
I had spent among them, the natives became more 
hospitable, and gave us their advice and assistance in 
collecting the roofs of seven deserted huts, which we 
placed closely side by side in a semicircle, resting one 
edge on the ground, and propping up the other on 
poles, so that from the wood the encampment looked 
merely like a lot of grasspiles. I had several large fires 
lighted in front. 
