114 
THE NEW AFRICA 
At last, on the 25th of July, we made a start about midday, 
accompanied by Moheni’s son, who was to return in charge of the 
new hearers. Affairs looked very promising as we saw the new 
burly bearers seize the packages and toss them lightly on to 
their shoulders. But alas ! we were doomed to severe disap¬ 
pointment in our hopes of making a rapid journey, for these 
new boys, spite of their grand physique, were, owing to their 
mode 
of living- 
paddling constantly in canoes—weak in the 
legs, and they uttered 
many complaints, and 
caused us a good deal 
of annoyance. 
Our boys and our¬ 
selves were overjoyed at 
once more having corn 
to eat, which the natives 
now brought us freely 
from the islands in ex¬ 
change for opaque red 
or white oval beads and 
thin brass wire, about a 
penny’s worth of which 
obtained us nearly fifteen 
pounds of corn. The 
continued pure meat 
diet we had been obliged 
to consume for many 
days past made this corn 
quite a luxury, although 
we found it somewhat 
difficult to digest at first, 
as our stomachs were 
out of practice through 
long abstinence. 
We camped on a knoll in a flat from which the water had 
receded, and from this fact we gathered, much to our satis- 
NATIVE KNIVES IN SHEATH OF WOOD, CHOBE 
