When a slave wishes to change his master he goes to one whom he likes better and breaks a spear or a bow in his presence—­the transference is irrevocable.  This curious custom prevails on the Zambesi, and also among the Wanyamwesi; if the old master wishes to recover his slave the new one may refuse to part with him except when he gets his full price:  a case of this kind happened here yesterday.

25th October, 1867.—­Authority was found in the Koran for staying one day more here.  This was very trying; but the fact was our guide from Hara hither had enticed a young slave girl to run away, and he had given her in charge to one of his countrymen, who turned round and tried to secure her for himself, and gave information about the other enticing her away.  Nothing can be more tedious than the Arab way of travelling.

26th October, 1867.—­We went S.W. for five hours through an undulating, well-wooded, well-peopled country, and quantities of large game.  Several trees give out when burned very fine scents; others do it when cut.  Euphorbia is abundant.  We slept by a torrent which had been filled with muddy water by late rains.  It thunders every afternoon, and rains somewhere as regularly as it thunders, but these are but partial rains; they do not cool the earth; nor fill the cracks made in the dry season.

27th October, 1867.—­Off early in a fine drizzling rain, which continued for two hours, and came on to a plain about three miles broad, full of large game.  These plains are swamps at times, and they are flanked by ridges of denudation some 200 or 300 feet above them, and covered with trees.

The ridges are generally hardened sandstone, marked with madrepores, and masses of brown haematite.  It is very hot, and we become very tired.  There is no system in the Arab marches.  The first day was five hours, this 3-1/2 hours; had it been reversed—­short marches during the first days and longer afterwards—­the muscles would have become inured to the exertion.  A long line of heights on our south points to the valley of Nsama.

28th October, 1867.—­Five hours brought us to the Choma River and the villages of Chifupa, but, as already mentioned, 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.