7th April, 1871.—­Made this ink with the seeds of a plant, called by the Arabs Zugifare; it is known in India, and is used here by the Manyuema to dye virambos and ornament faces and heads.[14] I sent my people over to the other side to cut wood to build a house for me; the borrowed one has mud walls and floors, which are damp, foul, smelling, and unwholesome.  I shall have grass walls, and grass and reeds on the floor of my own house; the free ventilation will keep it sweet.  This is the season called Masika, the finishing rains, which we have in large quantities almost every night, and I could scarcely travel even if I had a canoe; still it is trying to be kept back by suspicion, and by the wickedness of the wicked.

Some of the Arabs try to be kind, and send cooked food every day:  Abed is the chief donor.  I taught him to make a mosquito-curtain of thin printed calico, for he had endured the persecution of these insects helplessly, except by sleeping on a high stage, when they were unusually bad.  The Manyuema often bring evil on themselves by being untrustworthy.  For instance, I paid one to bring a large canoe to cross the Lualaba, he brought a small one, capable of carrying three only, and after wasting some hours we had to put off crossing till next day.

8th April, 1871.—­Every headman of four or five huts is a mologhwe, or chief, and glories in being called so.  There is no political cohesion.  The Ujijian slavery is an accursed system; but it must be admitted that the Manyuema, too, have faults, the result of ignorance of other people:  their isolation has made them as unconscious of danger in dealing with the cruel stranger, as little dogs in the presence of lions.  Their refusal to sell or lend canoes for fear of blame by each other will be ended by the party of Dugumbe, which has ten headmen, taking them by force; they are unreasonable and bloody-minded towards each other:  every Manyuema would like every other headman slain; they are subjected to bitter lessons and sore experience.  Abed went over to Mologhwe Kahembe and mixed blood with him; he was told that two large canoes were hollowed out, and nearly ready to be brought for sale; if this can be managed peaceably it is a great point gained, and I may get one at our Arabs’ price, which may be three or four times the native price.  There is no love lost among the three Arabs here.

9th April, 1871.—­Cut wood for my house.  The Loeki is said by slaves who have come thence to be much larger than the Lualaba, but on the return of Abed’s people from the west we shall obtain better information.

10th April, 1871.—­Chitoka, or market, to-day.  I counted upwards of 700 passing my door.  With market women it seems to be a pleasure of life to haggle and joke, and laugh and cheat:  many come eagerly, and retire with careworn faces; many are beautiful, and many old; all carry very heavy loads of dried cassava and earthen pots, which they dispose of very cheaply for palm-oil, fish, salt, pepper, and relishes for their food.  The men appear in gaudy lambas, and carry little save their iron wares, fowls, grass cloth, and pigs.