10th February, 1873.—­Back again to our old camp on the Lovu or Lofu by the bridge.  We left in a drizzle, which continued from 4 A.M. to 1 P.M.  We were three hours in it, and all wetted, just on reaching camp by 200 yards, of flood mid-deep; but we have food.

11th February, 1873.—­Our guides took us across country, where we saw tracks of buffaloes, and in a meadow, the head of a sponge, we saw a herd of Hartebeests.  A drizzly night was followed by a morning of cold wet fog, but in three hours we reached our old camp:  it took us six hours to do this distance before, and five on our return.  We camped on a deep bridged stream, called the Kiachibwe.

12th February, 1873.—­We crossed the Kasoso, which joins the Mokisya, a river we afterwards crossed:  it flows N.W., then over the Mofungwe.  The same sponges everywhere.

13th February, 1873.—­In four hours we came within sight of the Luena and Lake, and saw plenty of elephants and other game, but very shy.  The forest trees are larger.  The guides are more at a loss than we are, as they always go in canoes in the flat rivers and rivulets.  Went E., then S.E. round to S.

14th February, 1873.—­Public punishment to Chirango for stealing beads, fifteen cuts; diminished his load to 40 lbs., giving him blue and white beads to be strung.  The water stands so high in the paths that I cannot walk dryshod, and I found in the large bougas or prairies in front, that it lay knee deep, so I sent on two men to go to the first villages of Matipa for large canoes to navigate the Lake, or give us a guide to go east to the Chambeze, to go round on foot.  It was Halima who informed on Chirango, as he offered her beads for a cloth of a kind which she knew had not hitherto been taken out of the baggage.  This was so far faithful in her, but she has an outrageous tongue.  I remain because of an excessive haemorrhagic discharge.

[We cannot but believe Livingstone saw great danger in these constant recurrences of his old disorder:  we find a trace of it in the solemn reflections which he wrote in his pocket-book, immediately under the above words:—­]

If the good Lord gives me favour, and permits me to finish my work, I shall thank and bless Him, though it has cost me untold toil, pain, and travel; this trip has made my hair all grey.

15th February, 1873, Sunday.—­Service.  Killed our last goat while waiting for messengers to return from Matipa’s.  Evening:  the messenger came back, having been foiled by deep tinga-tinga and bouga.  He fired his gun three times, but no answer came, so as he had slept one night away he turned, but found some men hunting, whom he brought with him.  They say that Matipa is on Chirube islet, a good man too, but far off from this.

16th February, 1873.—­Sent men by the hunter’s canoe to Chirube, with a request to Matipa to convey us west if he has canoes, but, if not, to tell us truly, and we will go east and cross the Chambeze where it is small.  Chitunkubwe’s men ran away, refusing to wait till we had communicated with Matipa.  Here the water stands underground about eighteen inches from the surface.  The guides played us false, and this is why they escaped.