THE BAEOTSE COUNTRY. 
565 
Half an hour afterwards, Verissimo appeared with a 
large force, commanded by Machauana, wdio had come 
to my rescue by order of the King. Lobossi sent me 
word that he was a stranger to the whole affair, and he 
could only suppose that his people, imagining that it 
was my intention to attack them, in conjunction with 
the Muzungos of the East, who were collected under 
Manuanino, had taken the initiative, and fallen upon 
me of their own accord; but that he would take the 
MY CAMP IN SIOMA. 
most vigorous measures to prevent my suffering 
further aggression. I explained the matter to myself 
in another way, feeling convinced that, if the assault 
had not been ordered by him, it was the work of 
Gambella. Verissimo, seeing the disasters occasioned 
by the conflict, asked me wdiat was now to be done ; a 
question I answered in the words of one of the greatest 
Portuguese of ancient times, “ Bury the dead, and look 
after the living.” 
The conflagration had caused us serious losses of 
property, but infinitely more serious were the valuable 
