1st September, 1868.—­Two men come from Casembe—­I am reported killed.  The miningo-tree distils water, which falls in large drops.  The Luapula seen when the smoke clears off.  Fifty of Syde bin Omar’s people died of small-pox in Usafa. Mem. Vaccine virus.  We leave on the 25th, east bank of Moisi River, and cross the Luongo on the 28th, the Lofubu on the 1st October, and the Kalongosi on the 7th.

[Dr. Livingstone seems to have been unable to find opportunity to make daily entries at this period.  All was turmoil and panic, and his life appears to have been in imminent danger.  Briefly we see that on his way back from the Lake he found that his Arab associates of the last few months had taken up Casembe’s cause against the devastating hordes of Mazitu, who had swept down on these parts, and had repulsed them.  But now a fresh complication arose!  Casembe and Chikumbi became alarmed lest the Arabs, feeling their own power, should turn upon them and possess the whole country, so they joined forces and stormed Kombokombo, one of the leading Arabs, and with what success we shall see.  It is a fair specimen of the unaccountable complications which dog the steps of the traveller, where war is afoot, and render life a misery.  He writes as follows on the 5th October:—­]

I was detained in the Imbozhwa country much longer than I relished.  The inroad of the Mazitu, of which Casembe had just heard when we reached the Mofwe, was the first cause of delay:  he had at once sent off men to verify the report, and requested me to remain till his messengers should return.  This foray produced a state of lawlessness in the country, which was the main reason of our further detention.

The Imbozhwa fled before the marauders, and the Banyamwezi or Garaganza, who had come in numbers to trade in copper, took on themselves the duty of expelling the invaders, and this, by means of their muskets, they did effectually, then, building stockades they excited the jealousy of the Imbozhwa lords of the soil who, instead of feeling grateful, hated the new power thus sprung up among them!  They had suffered severely from the sharp dealing of the strangers already, and Chikumbi made a determined assault on the stockade of Kombokombo in vain.

Confusion prevailed all over the country.  Some Banyamwezi assumed the offensive against the Bauesi, who resemble the Imbozhwa, but are further south, and captured and sold some prisoners:  it was in this state of things that, as already mentioned, I was surrounded by a party of furious Imbozhwa.  A crowd stood within fifteen or twenty yards with spears poised and arrows set in the bowstrings, and some took aim at me:  they took us for plunderers, and some plants of ground-nuts thrown about gave colour to their idea.  One good soul helped us away—­a blessing be on him and his.  Another chief man took us for Mazitu!  In this state of confusion Cazembe heard that my party had been cut off:  he called in Moenempanda and took the field in person, in order to punish the Banyamwezi, against whom he has an old grudge for killing a near relative of his family, selling Bauesi, and setting themselves up as a power in his country.