plunder. They reported a path behind the hills, and, the crew being
reassured, the boat sailed on. A few miles further, another and still
larger band of pirates were fallen in with, and hundreds of crows and
kites hovered over and round the rocks on which they lived. Dr. Kirk and
Charles Livingstone, though ordered in a voice of authority to come
ashore, kept on their course. A number of canoes then shot out from the
rocks and chased them. One with nine strong paddlers persevered for some
time after all the others gave up the chase. A good breeze, however,
enabled the gig to get away from them with ease. After sailing twelve or
fifteen miles, north of the point where Dr. Livingstone had left them, it
was decided that he must be behind; but no sooner had the boat's head
been turned south, than another gale compelled her to seek shelter in a
bay. Here a number of wretched fugitives from the slave-trade on the
opposite shore of the lake were found; the original inhabitants of the
place had all been swept off the year before by the Mazitu. In the
deserted gardens beautiful cotton was seen growing, much of it had the
staple an inch and a half long, and of very fine quality. Some of the
plants were uncommonly large, deserving to be ranked with trees.

On their trying to purchase food, the natives had nothing to sell except
a little dried cassava-root, and a few fish: and they demanded two yards
of calico for the head only of a large fish. When the gale admitted of
their return, their former pursuers tried to draw them ashore by
asserting that they had quantities of ivory for sale. Owing to a
succession of gales, it was the fourth day from parting that the boat was
found by Dr. Livingstone, who was coming on in search of it with only two
of his companions.

After proceeding a short distance up the path in which they had been lost
sight of, they learned that it would take several days to go round the
mountains, and rejoin the lake; and they therefore turned down to the
bay, expecting to find the boat, but only saw it disappearing away to the
north. They pushed on as briskly as possible after it, but the mountain
flank which forms the coast proved excessively tedious and fatiguing;
travelling all day, the distance made, in a straight line, was under five
miles. As soon as day dawned, the march was resumed; and, after hearing
at the first inhabited rock that their companions had passed it the day
before, a goat was