The Mamohela horde is becoming terrified, for every party going to trade has lost three or four men, and in the last foray they saw that the Manyuema can fight, for they killed ten men:  they will soon refuse to go among those whom they have forced to become enemies.

One of the Bazula invited a man to go with him to buy ivory; he went with him, and on getting into the Zulas country the stranger was asked by the guide if his gun killed men, and how it did it:  whilst he was explaining the matter he was stabbed to death.  No one knows the reason of this, but the man probably lost some of his relations elsewhere:  this is called murder without cause.  When Syde and Dugumbe come, I hope to get men and a canoe to finish my work among those who have not been abused by Ujijians, and still retain their natural kindness of disposition; none of the people are ferocious without cause; and the sore experience which they gain from slaves with guns in their hands usually ends in sullen hatred of all strangers.

The education of the world is a terrible one, and it has come down with relentless rigour on Africa from the most remote times!  What the African will become after this awfully hard lesson is learned, is among the future developments of Providence.  When He, who is higher than the highest, accomplishes His purposes, this will be a wonderful country, and again something like what it was of old, when Zerah and Tirhaka flourished, and were great.

The soil of Manyuema is clayey and remarkably fertile, the maize sown in it rushes up to seed, and everything is in rank profusion if only it be kept clear of weeds, but the Bambarre people are indifferent cultivators, planting maize, bananas and plantains, and ground-nuts only—­no dura, a little cassava, no pennisetum, meleza, pumpkins, melons, or nyumbo, though they all flourish in other districts:  a few sweet potatoes appear, but elsewhere all these native grains and roots are abundant and cheap.  No one would choose this as a residence, except for the sake of Moenekuss.  Oil is very dear, while at Lualaba a gallon may be got for a single string of beads, and beans, ground-nuts, cassava, maize, plantains in rank profusion.  The Balegga, like the Bambarre people, trust chiefly to plantains and ground-nuts; to play with parrots is their great amusement.

13th November, 1870.—­The men sent over to Lohombo, about thirty miles off, got two and a half loads of dura for a small goat, but the people were unwilling to trade.  “If we encourage Arabs to trade, they will come and kill us with their guns,” so they said, and it is true:  the slaves are overbearing, and when this is resented, then slaughter ensues.  I got some sweet plantains and a little oil, which is useful in cooking, and with salt, passes for butter on bread, but all were unwilling to trade.  Monangoi was over near Lohombo, and heard of a large trading party coming, and not far off; this may be Syde and Dugumbe, but reports