grain was
standing in the corn-safes untouched. The tobacco, though ripe, remained
uncut in the gardens, and the whole country was painfully quiet: the
oppressive stillness quite unbroken by the singing of birds, or the
shrill calls of women watching their corn.

On passing a beautiful village, called Bangwe, surrounded by shady trees,
and placed in a valley among mountains, we were admiring the beauty of
the situation, when some of the much dreaded Mazitu, with their shields,
ran out of the hamlet, from which we were a mile distant. They began to
scream to their companions to give us chase. Without quickening our pace
we walked on, and soon were in a wood, through which the footpath we were
following led. The first intimation we had of the approaching Mazitu was
given by the Johanna man, Zachariah, who always lagged behind, running
up, screaming as if for his life. The bundles were all put in one place
to be defended; and Masiko and Dr. Livingstone walked a few paces back to
meet the coming foe. Masiko knelt down anxious to fire, but was ordered
not to do so. For a second or two dusky forms appeared among the trees,
and the Mazitu were asked, in their own tongue, "What do you want?"
Masiko adding, "What do you say?" No answer was given, but the dark
shade in the forest vanished. They had evidently taken us for natives,
and the sight of a white man was sufficient to put them to flight. Had
we been nearer the Coast, where the people are accustomed to the slave-
trade, we should have found this affair a more difficult one to deal
with; but, as a rule, the people of the interior are much more mild in
character than those on the confines of civilization.

The above very small adventure was all the danger we were aware of in
this journey; but a report was spread from the Portuguese villages on the
Zambesi, similar to several rumours that had been raised before, that Dr.
Livingstone had been murdered by the Makololo; and very unfortunately the
report reached England before it could be contradicted.

One benefit arose from the Mazitu adventure. Zachariah, and others who
had too often to be reproved for lagging behind, now took their places in
the front rank; and we had no difficulty in making very long marches for
several days, for all believed that the Mazitu would follow our
footsteps, and attack us while we slept.

A party of Babisa tobacco-traders came from the N.W. to Molamba, while we
were there; and one of