138 
THE NEW AFRICA 
ruled this proposal, with a good deal of reason, saying that we 
ought to stick together in case of disturbances, and that we 
would be much safer in each other’s company than if the 
expedition were split up. 
We began to feel that we had brought too much stuff for 
comfortable transportation, and discussed the advisability of 
discarding several loads to facilitate the journey onward. To 
this I was adverse, until we had reached Matambanja’s. hoping 
that by presenting him with many goods, we would gain his 
goodwill, and be allowed to proceed unmolested on our journey, 
lightened of all superfluous stuff. Besides, in case of disaster 
beyond, the goodwill of Matambanja would cover our retreat, and, 
in the worst event, should procure us canoes and men to see us 
as far back as to the Zambesi junction, where we could pay for 
this assistance with goods easily obtained from Westbeech. 
Next morning the boys came up with the goats, and we 
gathered, from some mysterious hints they dropped, that there was 
some reason for the loss, implying suspicion of theft or robbery 
by the chief we had just left. On examining the loads in the 
canoe, we also found the cargo broached and several things 
missing. Altogether, we decided to be more careful on the 
march, and put one of our own boys into the canoe to see to the 
safety of the goods, and then proceeded on our journey, keeping 
a sharp eye on the new bearers, who displayed great unwilling¬ 
ness to go on. Three miles ahead, the river took a bend west¬ 
ward, and continued in this course for seven miles, and then 
turned north-west by west. From the elevated banks on our side, 
we often saw hippopotami sporting in the river, and could also 
clearly distinguish the opposite shore, hardly a mile away, across 
the mass of reeds still clothing the Chobe. The islands in the 
river, now no longer graced by Kolahni palms, were clad with 
wild-looking large trees, probably of the fig kind, with many 
liana creepers descending in snake-like curves from their 
rugged, irregular branches to the ground. While poking about 
ahead of the column to find a path over a protruding creek, I 
came upon a large koodoo ram, standing with his magnificent 
