16th April, 1872.—­Went over to visit Sultan bin Ali near Tabora—­country open, plains sloping very gently down from low rounded granite hills covered with trees.  Rounded masses of the light grey granite crop out all over them, but many are hidden by the trees:  Tabora slopes down from some of the same hills that overlook Kwihara, where I live.  At the bottom of the slope swampy land lies, and during the Masika it is flooded and runs westwards.  The sloping plain on the North of the central drain is called Kaze—­that on the South is Tabora, and this is often applied to the whole space between the hills north and south.  Sultan bin Ali is very hospitable.  He is of the Bedawee Arabs, and a famous marksman with his long Arab gun or matchlock.  He often killed hares with it, always hitting them in the head.  He is about sixty-five years of age, black eyed, six feet high and inclined to stoutness, and his long beard is nearly all grey.  He provided two bountiful meals for self and attendants.

Called on Mohamad bin Nassur—­recovering from sickness.  He presented a goat and a large quantity of guavas.  He gave the news that came from Dugumbe’s underling Nserere, and men now at Ujiji; they went S.W. to country called Nombe, it is near Rua, and where copper is smelted.  After I left them on account of the massacre at Nyangwe, they bought much ivory, but acting in the usual Arab way, plundering and killing, they aroused the Bakuss’ ire, and as they are very numerous, about 200 were killed, and none of Dugumbe’s party.  They brought fifty tusks to Ujiji.  We dare not pronounce positively on any event in life, but this looks like prompt retribution on the perpetrators of the horrible and senseless massacre of Nyangwe.  It was not vengeance by the relations of the murdered ones we saw shot and sunk in the Lualaba, for there is no communication between the people of Nyangwe and the Bakuss or people of Nombe of Lomame—­that massacre turned my heart completely against Dugumbe’s people.  To go with them to Lomame as my slaves were willing to do, was so repugnant I preferred to return that weary 400 or 600 miles to Ujiji.  I mourned over my being baffled and thwarted all the way, but tried to believe that it was all for the best—­this news shows that had I gone with these people to Lomame, I could not have escaped the Bakuss spears, for I could not have run like the routed fugitives.  I was prevented from going in order to save me from death.  Many escapes from danger I am aware of:  some make me shudder, as I think how near to death’s door I came.  But how many more instances of Providential protecting there may be of which I know nothing!  But I thank most sincerely the good Lord of all for His goodness to me.

18th April, 1872.—­I pray the good Lord of all to favour me so as to allow me to discover the ancient fountains of Herodotus, and if there is anything in the underground excavations to confirm the precious old documents ({~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA WITH DASIA~} {~GREEK SMALL LETTER BETA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER BETA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER LAMDA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH DASIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}), the Scriptures of truth, may He permit me to bring it to light, and give me wisdom to make a proper use of it.