dwellings of the people who formerly came to us; and were
very much struck by the extent of land under cultivation, though that,
compared with the whole country, is very small. Large patches of mapira
continued to grow,--as it is said it does from the roots for three years.
The mapira was mixed with tall bushes of the Congo-bean, castor-oil
plants, and cotton. The largest patch of this kind we paced, and found
it to be six hundred and thirty paces on one side--the rest were from one
acre to three, and many not more than one-third of an acre. The
cotton--of very superior quality--was now dropping off the bushes, to be
left to rot--there was no one to gather what would have been of so much
value in Lancashire. The huts, in the different villages we entered,
were standing quite perfect. The mortars for pounding corn--the stones
for grinding it--the water and beer pots--the empty corn-safes and
kitchen utensils, were all untouched; and most of the doors were shut, as
if the starving owners had gone out to wander in search of roots or
fruits in the forest, and had never returned. When opened, several huts
revealed a ghastly sight of human skeletons. Some were seen in such
unnatural positions, as to give the idea that they had expired in a
faint, when trying to reach something to allay the gnawings of hunger.

We took several of the men as far as the Mukuru-Madse for the sake of the
change of air and for occupation, and also to secure for the ships a
supply of buffalo meat--as those animals were reported to be in abundance
on that stream. But though it was evident from the tracks that the
report was true, it was impossible to get a glimpse of them. The grass
being taller than we were, and pretty thickly planted, they always knew
of our approach before we saw them. And the first intimation we had of
their being near was the sound they made in rushing over the stones,
breaking the branches, and knocking their horns against each other. Once,
when seeking a ford for the cart, at sunrise, we saw a herd slowly
wending up the hill-side from the water. Sending for a rifle, and
stalking with intense eagerness for a fat beefsteak, instead of our usual
fare of salted provisions, we got so near that we could hear the bulls
uttering their hoarse deep low, but could see nothing except the mass of
yellow grass in front; suddenly the buffalo-birds sounded their alarm-
whistle, and away dashed the troop, and we got sight of neither