ntioned, the chief and
people had fled, and no persuasion could prevail on them to come and
sell us food. We showed a few who ventured to come among us what we
were willing to give for flour, but they said, "Yes, we will call the
women and they will sell." None came.

Rested all day on the banks of the Choma, which is a muddy stream
coming from the north and going to the south-west to join the Chisera.
It has worn itself a deep bed in the mud of its banks, and is twenty
yards wide and in some spots waist deep, at other parts it is
unfordable, it contains plenty of fish, and hippopotami and crocodiles
abound. I bought a few ground-nuts at an exorbitant price, the men
evidently not seeing that it would have been better to part with more
at a lower price than run off and leave all to be eaten by the slaves.

_30th October, 1867._--Two ugly images were found in huts built for
them: they represent in a poor way the people of the country, and are
used in rain-making and curing the sick ceremonies; this is the
nearest approach to idol worship I have seen in the country.[58]

_31st October, 1867._--We marched over a long line of hills on our
west, and in five and a half hours came to some villages where the
people sold us food willingly, and behaved altogether in a friendly
way. We were met by a herd of buffaloes, but Syde seized my gun from
the boy who carried it, and when the animals came close past me I was
powerless, and not at all pleased with the want of good sense shown by
my usually polite Arab friend.

_Note_.--The Choma is said by Mohamad bin Saleh to go into Tanganyika
(??). It goes to Kalongosi.

_1st November, 1867._--We came along between ranges of hills
considerably higher than those we have passed in Itawa or Nsama's
country, and thickly covered with trees, some in full foliage, and
some putting forth fresh red leaves; the hills are about 700 or 800
feet above the valleys. This is not a district of running rills: we
crossed three sluggish streamlets knee deep. Buffaloes are very
numerous.

The Ratel covers the buffalo droppings with earth in order to secure
the scavenger beetles which bury themselves therein, thus he prevents
them from rolling a portion away as usual.

We built our sheds on a hillside. Our course was west and 6-1/4 hours.

_2nd November, 1867._--Still in the same direction, and in an open
valley remarkable for the numbers of a small euphorbia, which we
smashed at every step. Crossed a