to the north, was more anxious to be near the Lake and the
Rovuma, than the Shire. When he decided to settle at Magomero, it was
thought desirable, to prevent the country from being depopulated, to
visit the Ajawa chief, and to try and persuade him to give up his slaving
and kidnapping courses, and turn the energies of his people to peaceful
pursuits.

On the morning of the 22nd we were informed that the Ajawa were near, and
were burning a village a few miles off. Leaving the rescued slaves, we
moved off to seek an interview with these scourges of the country. On
our way we met crowds of Manganja fleeing from the war in front. These
poor fugitives from the slave hunt had, as usual, to leave all the food
they possessed, except the little they could carry on their heads. We
passed field after field of Indian corn or beans, standing ripe for
harvesting, but the owners were away. The villages were all deserted:
one where we breakfasted two years before, and saw a number of men
peacefully weaving cloth, and, among ourselves, called it the "Paisley of
the hills," was burnt; the stores of corn were poured out in cartloads,
and scattered all over the plain, and all along the paths, neither
conquerors nor conquered having been able to convey it away. About two
o'clock we saw the smoke of burning villages, and heard triumphant
shouts, mingled with the wail of the Manganja women, lamenting over their
slain. The Bishop then engaged us in fervent prayer; and, on rising from
our knees, we saw a long line of Ajawa warriors, with their captives,
coming round the hill-side. The first of the returning conquerors were
entering their own village below, and we heard women welcoming them back
with "lillilooings." The Ajawa headman left the path on seeing us, and
stood on an anthill to obtain a complete view of our party. We called
out that we had come to have an interview with them, but some of the
Manganja who followed us shouted "Our Chibisa is come:" Chibisa being
well known as a great conjurer and general. The Ajawa ran off yelling
and screaming, "Nkondo! Nkondo!" (War! War!) We heard the words of the
Manganja, but they did not strike us at the moment as neutralizing all
our assertions of peace. The captives threw down their loads on the
path, and fled to the hills: and a large body of armed men came running
up from the village, and in a few seconds they were all around us, though
mostly concealed by the projecting rocks an