as could reasonably be expected. He did not wish us
to go to the N.N.W., because he carries on a considerable trade in ivory
there. We were anxious to get off the slave route, to people not visited
before by traders; but Muazi naturally feared, that if we went to what is
said to be a well-watered country, abounding in elephants, we might
relieve him of the ivory which he now obtains at a cheap rate, and sells
to the slave-traders as they pass Kasungu to the east; but at last he
consented, warning us that "great difficulty would be experienced in
obtaining food--a district had been depopulated by slave wars--and a
night or two must be spent in it; but he would give us good guides, who
would go three days with us, before turning, and then further progress
must depend on ourselves." Some of our men having been ill ever since we
mounted this highland plain, we remained two days with Muazi.

A herd of fine cattle showed that no tsetse existed in the district. They
had the Indian hump, and were very fat, and very tame. The boys rode on
both cows and bulls without fear, and the animals were so fat and lazy,
that the old ones only made a feeble attempt to kick their young
tormentors. Muazi never milks the cows; he complained that, but for the
Mazitu having formerly captured some, he should now have had very many.
They wander over the country at large, and certainly thrive.

After leaving Muazi's, we passed over a flat country sparsely covered
with the scraggy upland trees, but brightened with many fine flowers. The
grass was short, reaching no higher than the knee, and growing in tufts
with bare spaces between, though the trees were draped with many various
lichens, and showed a moist climate. A high and very sharp wind blew
over the flats; its piercing keenness was not caused by low temperature,
for the thermometer stood at 80 degrees.

We were now on the sources of the Loangwa of the Maravi, which enters the
Zambesi at Zumbo, and were struck by the great resemblance which the
boggy and sedgy streams here presented to the sources of the Leeba, an
affluent of the Zambesi formerly observed in Londa, and of the Kasai,
which some believe to be the principal branch of the Congo or Zaire.

We had taken pains to ascertain from the travelled Babisa and Arabs as
much as possible about the country in front, which, from the lessening
time we had at our disposal, we feared we could scarcely reach, and had
heard a good deal of a