486 
THE LEEBA. 
Chap. XXIV. 
Limboa, bub be bad advised tbem both to wait till I came, I 
now urged bim to let tbe quarrel alone, and be took my advice. 
We parted on tbe best possible terms with our friend Sbinte, 
and proceeded by our former path to tbe village of bis sister 
Nyamoana, wbo is now a widow. Sbe received us with mucb 
apparent feebng, and said, “We bad removed from our former 
abode to tbe place where you found us, and bad no idea then tliat 
it was tbe spot where my husband was to die.” She had come 
to tbe river Lofuje, as they never remain in a place where death 
has once visited tbem. We received the loan of five smaU canoes 
from her, and also one of those we had left here before, to proceed 
down tbe Leeba. After viewing tbe Coanza at Massangano, I 
thought the Leeba at least a third larger, and upwards of two 
hundred yards wide. We saw evidence of its rise during its last 
flood having been upwards of forty feet in perpendicular height; 
but tliis is probably more than usual, as the amount of rain was 
above the average. My companions purchased also a number of 
canoes from the Balonda. These are very small, and can carry 
only two persons. They are made quite thin and light, and as 
sharp as racing-skiffs, because they are used in hunting animals 
in the water. The price paid, was a string of beads equal to the 
length of the canoe. We advised them to brmg canoes for 
sale to the Makololo, as they would gladly give them cows in 
exchange. 
In descending the Leeba we saw many herds of wild animals, 
especially the tahetsi {Aigoceros equina\ one magnificent ante¬ 
lope, the putokuane {Antilope niger), and two fine Hons. The 
Balobale, however, are getting weU suppHed with guns, and wHl 
soon thin out the large game. At one of the villages we were 
entreated to attack some buffaloes, which grazed in the gardens 
every night, and destroyed the manioc. As we had had no 
success ui shooting at the game we had seen, and we aU longed 
to have a meal of meat, we followed the footprints of a number 
of old buUs. They showed a great amount of cunning, by selecting 
the densest parts of very closely-planted forests, to stand or recline 
in during the day. We came within six yards of them several 
times before we knew that they were so near. We only heard 
them rush away among the crashing branches, catching only a 
glimpse of them. It was somewhat exciting to feel, as we trod 
