The People Were Having A Merry Time -
Drumming, Dancing, And Drinking Beer - While A Powerful Enemy Was
Close At Hand,
Bringing death or slavery to every one in the village.
One of our men called out to several who came
To the bank to look at
us, that the Ajawa were coming and were even now at Mikena's village;
but they were dazed with drinking, and took no notice of the warning.
Crowds of carriers offered their services after we left the river.
Several sets of them placed so much confidence in us, as to decline
receiving payment at the end of the first day; they wished to work
another day, and so receive both days' wages in one piece. The young
headman of a new village himself came on with his men. The march was
a pretty long one, and one of the men proposed to lay the burdens
down beside a hut a mile or more from the next village. The headman
scolded the fellow for his meanness in wishing to get rid of our
goods where we could not procure carriers, and made him carry them
on. The village, at the foot of the cataracts, had increased very
much in size and wealth since we passed it on our way up. A number
of large new huts had been built; and the people had a good stock of
cloth and beads. We could not account for this sudden prosperity,
until we saw some fine large canoes, instead of the two old, leaky
things which lay there before. This had become a crossing-place for
the slaves that the Portuguese agents were carrying to Tette, because
they were afraid to take them across nearer to where the ship lay,
about seven miles off. Nothing was more disheartening than this
conduct of the Manganja, in profiting by the entire breaking up of
their nation.
We reached the ship on the 8th of November, 1861, in a very weak
condition, having suffered more from hunger than on any previous
trip. Heavy rains commenced on the 9th, and continued several days;
the river rose rapidly, and became highly discoloured. Bishop
Mackenzie came down to the ship on the 14th, with some of the
"Pioneer's" men, who had been at Magomero for the benefit of their
health, and also for the purpose of assisting the Mission. The
Bishop appeared to be in excellent spirits, and thought that the
future promised fair for peace and usefulness. The Ajawa having been
defeated and driven off while we were on the Lake, had sent word that
they desired to live at peace with the English. Many of the Manganja
had settled round Magomero, in order to be under the protection of
the Bishop; and it was hoped that the slave-trade would soon cease in
the highlands, and the people be left in the secure enjoyment of
their industry. The Mission, it was also anticipated, might soon
become, to a considerable degree, self-supporting, and raise certain
kinds of food, like the Portuguese of Senna and Quillimane.
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