beads. Plantains, cassava,
and maize, are the chief food. The first rains had now begun, and the
white ants took the hint to swarm and colonize.

_6th, 7th, and 8th November, 1869._--We came to many large villages, and
were variously treated; one headman presented me with a parrot, and on
my declining it, gave it to one of my people; some ordered us off, but
were coaxed to allow us to remain over night. They have no restraint;
some came and pushed off the door of my hut with a stick while I was
resting, as we should do with a wild-beast cage.

Though reasonably willing to gratify curiosity, it becomes tiresome to
be the victim of unlimited staring by the ugly, as well as by the
good-looking. I can bear the women, but ugly males are uninteresting,
and it is as much as I can stand when a crowd will follow me wherever I
move. They have heard of Dugumbe Hassani's deeds, and are evidently
suspicious of our intentions: they say, "If you have food at home, why
come so far and spend your beads to buy it here?" If it is replied, on
the strength of some of Mohamad's people being present, "We want to buy
ivory too;" not knowing its value they think that this is a mere
subterfuge to plunder them. Much palm-wine to-day at different parts
made them incapable of reasoning further; they seemed inclined to fight,
but after a great deal of talk we departed without collision.

_9th November, 1869._--We came to villages where all were civil, but
afterwards arrived where there were other palm-trees and palm-toddy, and
people low and disagreeable in consequence. The mountains all around are
grand, and tree-covered. I saw a man with two great great toes: the
double toe is usually a little one.

_11th November, 1869._--We had heard that the Manyuema were eager to buy
slaves, but that meant females only to make wives of them: they prefer
goats to men. Mohamad had bought slaves in Lunda in order to get ivory
from these Manyuema, but inquiry here and elsewhere brought it out
plainly that they would rather let the ivory lie unused or rot than
invest in male slaves, who are generally criminals--at least in Lunda. I
advised my friend to desist from buying slaves who would all "eat off
their own heads," but he knew better than to buy copper, and on our
return he acknowledged that I was right.

_15th November, 1869._--We came into a country where Dugumbe's slaves
had maltreated the people greatly, and they looked on us as of the same
tribe, and w