One Of The Guards, Perceiving The Loss,
Rushed Out Of The Hut, Shouting, "They Are Gone, The Prisoners Are
Off, And They Have Taken My Rifle With Them, And The Women Too!
Fire!
Everybody fire!" The rifle and the women, however, were all
safe enough, the slave-traders being only too glad
To escape alone.
Fifty more slaves were freed next day in another village; and, the
whole party being stark-naked, cloth enough was left to clothe them,
better probably than they had ever been clothed before. The head of
this gang, whom we knew as the agent of one of the principal
merchants of Tette, said that they had the license of the Governor
for all they did. This we were fully aware of without his stating
it. It is quite impossible for any enterprise to be undertaken there
without the Governor's knowledge and connivance.
The portion of the highlands which the Bishop wished to look at
before deciding on a settlement belonged to Chiwawa, or Chibaba, the
most manly and generous Manganja chief we had met with on our
previous journey. On reaching Nsambo's, near Mount Chiradzuru, we
heard that Chibaba was dead, and that Chigunda was chief instead.
Chigunda, apparently of his own accord, though possibly he may have
learnt that the Bishop intended to settle somewhere in the country,
asked him to come and live with him at Magomero, adding that there
was room enough for both. This hearty and spontaneous invitation had
considerable influence on the Bishop's mind, and seemed to decide the
question.
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