hat they clave to the domestic ties. By a law of Portugal
the baptized children of slave women are all free; by the custom of the
Zambesi that law is void. When it is referred to, the officers laugh and
say, "These Lisbon-born laws are very stringent, but somehow, possibly
from the heat of the climate, here they lose all their force." Only one
woman joined our party--the wife of a Batoka man: she had been given to
him, in consideration of his skilful dancing, by the chief, Chisaka. A
merchant sent three of his men along with us, with a present for
Sekeletu, and Major Sicard also lent us three more to assist us on our
return, and two Portuguese gentleman kindly gave us the loan of a couple
of donkeys. We slept four miles above Tette, and hearing that the
Banyai, who levy heavy fines on the Portuguese traders, lived chiefly on
the right bank, we crossed over to the left, as we could not fully trust
our men. If the Banyai had come in a threatening manner, our followers
might, perhaps, from having homes behind them, have even put down their
bundles and run. Indeed, two of them at this point made up their minds
to go no further, and turned back to Tette. Another, Monga, a Batoka,
was much perplexed, and could not make out what course to pursue, as he
had, three years previously, wounded Kanyata, the headman, with a spear.
This is a capital offence among the Makololo, and he was afraid of being
put to death for it on his return. He tried, in vain, to console himself
with the facts that he had neither father, mother, sisters, nor brothers
to mourn for him, and that he could die but once. He was good, and would
go up to the stars to Yesu, and therefore did not care for death. In
spite, however, of these reflections, he was much cast down, until
Kanyata assured him that he would never mention his misdeed to the chief;
indeed, he had never even mentioned it to the Doctor, which he would
assuredly have done had it lain heavy on his heart. We were right glad
of Monga's company, for he was a merry good-tempered fellow, and his
lithe manly figure had always been in the front in danger; and, from
being left-handed, had been easily recognized in the fight with
elephants.

We commenced, for a certain number of days, with short marches, walking
gently until broken in to travel. This is of so much importance, that it
occurs to us that more might be made out of soldiers if the first few
days' marches were easy, and gradually in