ving once
passed up over a few shallow banks, it was impossible to take her down
again until the river rose in December. She could go up over a bank, but
not come down over it, as a heap of sand always formed instantly astern,
while the current washed it away from under her bows.

On at last reaching Chibisa's, we heard that there was war in the
Manganja country, and the slave-trade was going on briskly. A deputation
from a chief near Mount Zomba had just passed on its way to Chibisa, who
was in a distant village, to implore him to come himself, or send
medicine, to drive off the Waiao, Waiau, or Ajawa, whose marauding
parties were desolating the land. A large gang of recently enslaved
Manganja crossed the river, on their way to Tette, a few days before we
got the ship up. Chibisa's deputy was civil, and readily gave us
permission to hire as many men to carry the Bishop's goods up to the
hills as were willing to go. With a sufficient number, therefore, we
started for the highlands on the 15th of July, to show the Bishop the
country, which, from its altitude and coolness, was most suitable for a
station. Our first day's march was a long and fatiguing one. The few
hamlets we passed were poor, and had no food for our men, and we were
obliged to go on till 4 p.m., when we entered the small village of
Chipindu. The inhabitants complained of hunger, and said they had no
food to sell, and no hut for us to sleep in; but, if we would only go on
a little further, we should come to a village where they had plenty to
eat; but we had travelled far enough, and determined to remain where we
were. Before sunset as much food was brought as we cared to purchase,
and, as it threatened to rain, huts were provided for the whole party.

Next forenoon we halted at the village of our old friend Mbame, to obtain
new carriers, because Chibisa's men, never before having been hired, and
not having yet learned to trust us, did not choose to go further. After
resting a little, Mbame told us that a slave party on its way to Tette
would presently pass through his village. "Shall we interfere?" we
inquired of each other. We remembered that all our valuable private
baggage was in Tette, which, if we freed the slaves, might, together with
some Government property, be destroyed in retaliation; but this system of
slave-hunters dogging us where previously they durst not venture, and, on
pretence of being "our children," setting one tribe against