11th March, 1873.—­Matipa says “Wait; Kabinga is coming, and he has canoes.”  Time is of no value to him.  His wife is making him pombe, and will drown all his cares, but mine increase and plague me.  Matipa and his wife each sent me a huge calabash of pombe; I wanted only a little to make bread with.

By putting leaven in a bottle and keeping it from one baking to another (or three days) good bread is made, and the dough being surrounded by banana leaves or maize leaves (or even forest leaves of hard texture and no taste, or simply by broad leafy grass), is preserved from burning in an iron pot.  The inside of the pot is greased, then the leaves put in all round, and the dough poured in to stand and rise in the sun.

Better news comes:  the son of Kabinga is to be here to-night, and we shall concoct plans together.

12th March, 1873.—­The news was false, no one came from Kabinga.  The men strung beads to-day, and I wrote part of my despatch for Earl Granville.

13th March, 1873.—–­ I went to Matipa, and proposed to begin the embarkation of my men at once, as they are many, and the canoes are only sufficient to take a few at a time.  He has sent off a big canoe to reap his millet, when it returns he will send us over to see for ourselves where we can go.  I explained the danger of setting my men astray.

14th March, 1873.—­Rains have ceased for a few days.  Went down to Matipa and tried to take his likeness for the sake of the curious hat he wears.

15th March, 1873.—­Finish my despatch so far.

16th March, 1873, Sunday.—­Service.  I spoke sharply to Matipa for his duplicity.  He promises everything and does nothing:  he has in fact no power over his people.  Matipa says that a large canoe will come to-morrow, and next day men will go to Kabinga to reconnoitre.  There may be a hitch there which we did not take into account; Kabinga’s son, killed by an elephant, may have raised complications:  blame may be attached to Matipa, and in their dark minds it may appear all important to settle the affair before having communication with him.  Ill all day with my old complaint.

[Illustration:  Matipa and his Wife.]

17th March, 1873.—­The delay is most trying.  So many detentions have occurred they ought to have made me of a patient spirit.

As I thought, Matipa told us to-day that it is reported he has some Arabs with him who will attack all the Lake people forthwith, and he is anxious that we shall go over to show them that we are peaceful.

18th March, 1873.—­Sent off men to reconnoitre at Kabinga’s and to make a camp there.  Rain began again after nine days’ dry weather, N.W. wind, but in the morning fleecy clouds came from S.E. in patches.  Matipa is acting the villain, and my men are afraid of him:  they are all cowards, and say that they are afraid of me, but this is only an excuse for their cowardice.