Thanks to the kindness of Messrs. Levin & Co., the bead merchants, of Bevis Marks, E.C., we have been able to get some idea of the more valuable beads, through a selection made by Susi and Chuma in their warehouse.  The Waiyou prefer exceedingly small beads, the size of mustard-seed, and of various colours, but they must be opaque:  amongst them dull white chalk varieties, called “Catchokolo,” are valuable, besides black and pink, named, respectively, “Bububu” and “Sekundereche” = the “dregs of pombe.”  One red bead, of various sizes, which has a white centre, is always valuable in every part of Africa.  It is called “Sami-sami” by the Suahele, “Chitakaraka” by the Waiyou, “Mangazi,” = “blood,” by the Nyassa, and was found popular even amongst the Manyuema, under the name of “Maso-kantussi”, “bird’s eyes.”  Whilst speaking of this distant tribe, it is interesting to observe that one peculiar long bead, recognised as common in the Manyuema land, is only sent to the West Coast of Africa, and never to the East.  On Chuma pointing to it as a sort found at the extreme limit explored by Livingstone, it was at once seen that he must have touched that part of Africa which begins to be within the reach of the traders in the Portuguese settlements.  “Machua Kanga” = “guinea fowl’s eyes,” is another popular variety; and the “Moiompio” = “new heart,” a large pale blue bead, is a favourite amongst the Wabisa; but by far the most valuable of all is a small white oblong bead, which, when strung, looks like the joints of the cane root, from which it takes its name, “Salani” = cane.  Susi says that 1 lb. weight of these beads would buy a tusk of ivory, at the south end of Tanganyika, so big that a strong man could not carry it more than two hours.]

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25th January, 1867.—­Remain and get our maere ground into flour.  Moaba has cattle, sheep, and goats.  The other side of the Chambeze has everything in still greater abundance; so we may recover our lost flesh.  There are buffaloes in this quarter, but we have not got a glimpse of any.  If game was to be had, I should have hunted; but the hopo way of hunting prevails, and we pass miles of hedges by which many animals must have perished.  In passing-through the forests it is surprising to see none but old footsteps of the game; but the hopo destruction accounts for its absence.  When the hedges are burned, then the manured space is planted with pumpkins and calabashes.

I observed at Chibanda’s a few green mushrooms, which, on being peeled, showed a pink, fleshy inside; they are called “chisimba;” and only one or two are put into the mortar, in which the women pound the other kinds, to give relish, it was said, to the mass:  I could not ascertain what properties chisimba had when taken alone; but mushroom diet, in our experience, is good only for producing dreams of the roast beef of bygone days.  The saliva runs from the mouth in these dreams, and the pillow is wet with it in the mornings.