I was grievously disappointed after the stores had been examined; everything proved to be deceptions in my jaundiced eyes.  Out of the tins of biscuits when opened, there was only one sound box; the whole of which would not make one full meal.  The soups—­who cared for meat soups in Africa?  Are there no bullocks, and sheep, and goats in the land, from which far better soup can be made than any that was ever potted?  Peas, or any other kind of vegetable soup, would have been a luxury; but chicken and game soups!—­what nonsense!

I then overhauled my own stores.  I found some fine old brandy and one bottle of champagne still left; though it was evident, in looking at the cloth bales, that dishonesty had been at work; and some person happened to suggest Asmani—­the head man sent by Dr. Kirk in charge of Livingstone’s goods—­as the guilty party.  Upon his treasures being examined, I found eight or ten coloured cloths, with the mark of my own agent at Zanzibar on them.  As he was unable to give a clear account of how they came in his box, they were at once confiscated, and distributed among the most deserving of the Doctor’s people.  Some of the watchmen also accused him of having entered into my store-room, and of having abstracted two or three gorah of domestics from my bales, and of having, some days afterwards, snatched the keys from the hands of one of my men, and broken them, lest other people might enter, and find evidences of his guilt.  As Asmani was proved to be another of the “moral idiots,” Livingstone discharged him on the spot.  Had we not arrived so soon at Unyanyembe, it is probable that the entire stock sent from Zanzibar had in time disappeared.

Unyanyembe being rich in fruits, grain, and cattle, we determined to have our Christmas dinner over again in style, and, being fortunately in pretty good health, I was enabled to superintend its preparation.  Never was such prodigality seen in a tembe of Unyamwezi as was seen in ours, nor were ever such delicacies provided.

There were but few Arabs in Unyanyembe when we arrived, as they were investing the stronghold of Mirambo.  About a week after our return, “the little mannikin,” Sheikh Sayd bin Salim—­El Wali—­who was the commander-in-chief of their forces, came to Kwihara from the front.  But the little Sheikh was in no great hurry to greet the man he had wronged so much.  As soon as we heard of his arrival we took the opportunity to send men immediately after the goods which were forwarded to the Wali’s care soon after Livingstone’s departure for Mikindany Bay.  The first time we sent men for them the governor declared himself too sick to attend to such matters, but the second day they were surrendered, with a request that the Doctor would not be very angry at their condition, as the white ants had destroyed everything.