From Kapesha’s to Lake Bangweolo is a three days’ march as the crow flies, for a man carrying a burden.  They saw a large quantity of iron and copper wire being made here by a party of Wanyamwesi.  The process is as follows:—­A heavy piece of iron, with a funnel-shaped hole in it, is firmly fixed in the fork of a tree.  A fine rod is then thrust into it, and a line attached to the first few inches which can be coaxed through.  A number of men haul on this line, singing and dancing in tune, and thus it is drawn through the first drill; it is subsequently passed through others to render it still finer, and excellent wire is the result.  Leaving Kapesha they went through many of the villages already enumerated in Dr. Livingstone’s Diary.  Chama’s people came to see them as they passed by him, and after some mutterings and growlings Casongo gave them leave to buy food at his town.  Reaching Chama’s head-quarters they camped outside, and received a civil message, telling them to convey his orders to the people on the banks of the Kalongwesi that the travellers must be ferried safely across.  They found great fear and misery prevailing in the neighbourhood from the constant raids made by Kumbakumba’s men.

Leaving the Kalangwese behind them they made for M’sama’s son’s town, meeting four men on the way who were going from Kumbakumba to Chama to beat up recruits for an attack on the Katanga people.  The request was sure to be met with alarm and refusal, but it served very well to act the part taken by the wolf in the fable.  A grievance would immediately be made of it, and Chama “eaten up” in due course for daring to gainsay the stronger man.  Such is too frequently the course of native oppression.  At last Kumbakumba’s town came in sight.  Already the large district of Itawa has tacitly allowed itself to be put under the harrow by this ruffianly Zanzibar Arab.  Black-mail is levied in all directions, and the petty chiefs, although really under tribute to Nsama, are sagacious enough to keep in with the powers that be.  Kumbakumba showed the men a storehouse full of elephants’ tusks.  A small detachment was sent off to try and gain tidings of one of the Nassick boys, John, who had mysteriously disappeared a day or two previously on the march.  At the time no great apprehensions were felt, but as he did not turn up the grass was set on fire in order that he might see the smoke if he had wandered, and guns were fired.  Some think he purposely went off rather than carry a load any further; whilst others fear he may have been killed.  Certain it is that after a five days’ search in all directions no tidings could be gained either here or at Chama’s, and nothing more was heard of the poor fellow.

Numbers of slaves were collected here.  On one occasion they saw five gangs bound neck to neck by chains, and working in the gardens outside the towns.

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The talk was still about the break up of Casembe’s power, for it will be recollected that Kumbakumba and Pemba Motu had killed him a short time before; but by far the most interesting news that reached them was that a party of Englishmen, headed by Dr. Livingstone’s son, on their way to relieve his father, had been seen at Bagamoio some months previously.