s
drooping from drought, the cattle lean, the people dispirited, and our
own hearts sick from hope deferred. There we often heard in the dead of
the night the shrill whistle of the rain-doctor calling for rain that
would not come, while here we listened to the rolling thunder by night,
and beheld the swelling valleys adorned with plenty by day. We have rain
almost daily, and every thing is beautifully fresh and green. I felt
somewhat as people do on coming ashore after a long voyage--inclined
to look upon the landscape in the most favorable light. The hills are
covered with forests, and there is often a long line of fleecy cloud
lying on them about midway up; they are very beautiful. Finding no one
willing to aid us in crossing the river, we proceeded to the village of
the chief Mpende. A fine large conical hill now appeared to the N.N.E.;
it is the highest I have seen in these parts, and at some points it
appears to be two cones joined together, the northern one being a little
lower than the southern. Another high hill stands on the same side to
the N.E., and, from its similarity in shape to an axe at the top, is
called Motemwa. Beyond it, eastward, lies the country of Kaimbwa, a
chief who has been engaged in actual conflict with the Bazunga, and
beat them too, according to the version of things here. The hills on
the north bank are named Kamoenja. When we came to Mpende's village, he
immediately sent to inquire who we were, and then ordered the guides
who had come with us from the last village to go back and call their
masters. He sent no message to us whatever. We had traveled very slowly
up to this point, the tsetse-stricken oxen being now unable to go two
miles an hour. We were also delayed by being obliged to stop at every
village, and send notice of our approach to the head man, who came and
received a little information, and gave some food. If we had passed
on without taking any notice of them, they would have considered it
impolite, and we should have appeared more as enemies than friends.
I consoled myself for the loss of time by the thought that these
conversations tended to the opening of our future path.

23D. This morning, at sunrise, a party of Mpende's people came close
to our encampment, uttering strange cries and waving some bright red
substance toward us. They then lighted a fire with charms in it, and
departed, uttering the same hideous screams as before. This was intended
to render us powerless, and