,
then on in flat forest to a stockaded village; the whole march about
east for six hours.

_16th January, 1873._--Away north-east and north to get out of the many
rivulets near the Lake back to the River Lopopussi, which now looms
large, and must be crossed in canoes. We have to wait in a village till
these are brought, and have only got 1-3/4 hour nearly north.

We were treated scurvily by Chungu. He knew that we were near the
Chambeze, but hid the knowledge and himself too. It is terror of guns.

_17th January, 1873._--We are troubled for want of canoes, but have to
treat gently with the owners, otherwise they would all run away, as
they have around Chungu's, in the belief that we should return to punish
their silly headman. By waiting patiently yesterday, we drew about
twenty canoes towards us this morning, but all too small for the donkey,
so we had to turn away back north-west to the bridge above Chungu's. If
we had tried to swim the donkey across alongside a canoe it would have
been terribly strained, as the Lopopussi is here quite two miles wide
and full of rushes, except in the main stream. It is all deep, and the
country being very level as the rivulets come near to the Lake, they
become very broad. Crossed two sponges with rivulets in their centre.

Much cultivation in the forest. In the second year the mileza and maize
are sickly and yellow white; in the first year, with fresh wood ashes,
they are dark green and strong. Very much of the forest falls for
manure. The people seem very eager cultivators. Possibly mounds have the
potash brought up in forming.

_18th January, 1873._--We lost a week by going to Chungu (a worthless
terrified headman), and came back to the ford of Lopopussi, which we
crossed, only from believing him to be an influential man who would
explain the country to us. We came up the Lopopussi three hours
yesterday, after spending two hours in going down to examine the canoes.
We hear that Sayde bin Ali is returning from Katanga with much ivory.

_19th January, 1873._--After prayers we went on to a fine village, and
on from it to the Mononse, which, though only ten feet of deep stream
flowing S., had some 400 yards of most fatiguing, plunging, deep sponge,
which lay in a mass of dark-coloured rushes, that looked as if burnt
off: many leeches plagued us. We were now two hours out. We went on two
miles to another sponge and village, but went round its head dryshod,
then two hours more to