He thought that his relatives would not
again sell him. I had asked him if he wished to remain, and he at once
said yes, so I did not attempt to dissuade him: his excessive levity
will perhaps be cooled by marriage. I think he may do good by telling
some of what he has seen and heard. I asked him if he would obey an
order from his chief to hunt the Manganja, and he said, 'No.' I hope
he won't. In the event of any mission coming into the country of
Mataka, he will go there. I gave him paper to write to you,[24] and,
commending him to the chiefs, bade the poor boy farewell. I was sorry
to part with him, but the Arabs tell the Waiyau chiefs that our object
in liberating slaves is to make them our own and turn them to our
religion. I had declared to them, through Wikatani as interpreter,
that they never became our slaves, and were at liberty to go back to
their relatives if they liked; and now it was impossible to object to
Wikatani going without stultifying my own statements." It is only
necessary to repeat that Wikatani and Chuma had been liberated from
the slavers by Dr. Livingstone and Bishop Mackenzie in 1861; they were
mere children when set free.

We must not forget to record the fact that when Mr. Young reached
Maponda, two years afterwards, to ascertain whether the Doctor really
had been murdered, as Musa declared, he was most hospitably received
by the chief, who had by this time a great appreciation of everything
English.]

The lines of tattoo of the different tribes serve for ornaments, and
are resorted to most by the women; it is a sort of heraldry closely
resembling the Highland tartans.

[Illustration: Manganja and Machinga women (from a Drawing by the late
Dr. Meller).]

FOOTNOTES:

[16] Coal was shown to a group of natives when first the _Pioneer_
ascended the river Shire. Members of numerous tribes were present, and
all recognised it at once as Makala or coal.--ED.

[17] Dr. Livingstone heard this subsequently when at Casembe's.

[18] The greater part were driven down into the Manganja country by
war and famine combined, and eventually filled the slave gangs of the
Portuguese, whose agents went from Tette and Senna to procure
them.--ED.

[19] Pronounced Mkata by the Waiyau.--ED.

[20] Earthquakes are by no means uncommon. A slight shock was felt in
1861 at Magomero; on asking the natives if they knew the cause of it,
they replied that on one occasion, after a very severe earthquake
which shoo