This state of matters afforded us but a poor prospect of finding more provisions in that direction than we could with great difficulty and at enormous prices obtain here.  But neither want of food, dysentery, nor slave wars would have prevented our working our way round the Lake in some other direction, had we had time; but we had received orders from the Foreign Office to take the “Pioneer” down to the sea in the previous April.  The salaries of all the men in her were positively “in any case to cease by the 31st of December.”

We were said to be only ten days’ distant from Lake Bemba.  We might speculate on a late rise of the river.  A month or six weeks would secure a geographical feat, but the rains were near.  We had been warned by different people that the rains were close at hand, and that we should then be bogged and unable to travel.  The flood in the river might be an early one, or so small in volume as to give but one chance of the “Pioneer” descending to the ocean.  The Makololo too were becoming dispirited by sickness and want of food, and were naturally anxious to be back to their fields in time for sowing.  But in addition to all this and more, it was felt that it would not be dealing honestly with the Government, were we, for the sake of a little eclat, to risk the detention of the “Pioneer” up the river during another year; so we decided to return; and though we had afterwards the mortification to find that we were detained two full months at the ship waiting for the flood which we expected immediately after our arrival there, the chagrin was lessened by a consciousness of having acted in a fair, honest, above-board manner throughout.

On the night of the 29th of September a thief came to the sleeping-place of our men and stole a leg of a goat.  On complaining to the deputy headman, he said that the thief had fled, but would be caught.  He suggested a fine, and offered a fowl and her eggs; but wishing that the thief alone should be punished, it was advised that he should be found and fined.  The Makololo thought it best to take the fowl as a means of making the punishment certain.  After settling this matter on the last day of September, we commenced our return journey.  We had just the same time to go back to the ship, that we had spent in coming to this point, and there is not much to interest one in marching over the same ground a second time.

While on our journey north-west, a cheery old woman, who had once been beautiful, but whose white hair now contrasted strongly with her dark complexion, was working briskly in her garden as we passed.  She seemed to enjoy a hale, hearty old age.  She saluted us with what elsewhere would be called a good address; and, evidently conscious that she deserved the epithet, “dark but comely,” answered each of us with a frank “Yes, my child.”  Another motherly-looking woman, sitting by a well, began the conversation by “You are going to visit