ulness, as he alleged. The sight of a lady in the chain-gang
shocked the ladies of Lunda, who ran to her, and having ascertained
from her own mouth what was sufficiently apparent, that she was a
slave now, clapped their hands on their mouths in the way that they
express wonder, surprise, and horror: the hand is placed so that the
fingers are on one cheek and the thumb on the other.

The case of the chieftainess excited great sympathy among the people;
some brought her food, Kapika's daughters brought her pombe and
bananas; one man offered to redeem her with two, another with three
slaves, but Casembe, who is very strict in punishing infidelity, said,
"No, though ten slaves be offered she must go." He is probably afraid
of his own beautiful queen should the law be relaxed. Old Kapika came
and said to her, "You refused me, and I now refuse you." A young wife
of old Perembe was also sold as a punishment, but redeemed.

There is a very large proportion of very old and very tall men in this
district. The slave-trader is a means of punishing the wives which
these old fogies ought never to have had.

Casembe sent me about a hundredweight of the small fish Nsipo, which
seems to be the whitebait of our country; it is a little bitter when
cooked alone, but with ground-nuts is a tolerable relish: we can buy
flour with these at Chikumbi's.

FOOTNOTES:

[60] Chikichi nuts have been an article of trade and export for some
time from Zanzibar. The oil-palm grows wild in Pemba.

[61] A chief named Moene Ungu, who admires the Arabs, sent his
children to Zanzibar to be instructed to read and write.

[62] This bird is often brought to Zanzibar by the Ivory Caravans.

[63] The Doctor's birthday.

CHAPTER XII.

Prepares to examine Lake Bemba. Starts from Casembe's 11th June,
1868. Dead leopard. Moenampanda's reception. The River Luongo.
Weird death-song of slaves. The forest grave. Lake Bembo changed
to Lake Bangweolo. Chikumbi's. The Imbozhwa people. Kombokombo's
stockade. Mazitu difficulties. Discovers Lake Bangweolo on 18th
July, 1868. The Lake Chief Mapuni. Description of the Lake.
Prepares to navigate it. Embarks for Lifunge Island. Immense
size of Lake. Reaches Mpabala Island. Strange dream. Fears of
canoe men. Return to shore. March back. Sends letters. Meets
Banyamweze. Reviews recent explorations at length. Disturbed
state of country.

_1st June, 1868._--Mohamad propo