The headman of this village of Chinanga was off in
a foray against some people further north to supply slaves to the
traders expected along the slave route we had just left; and was
said, after having expelled the inhabitants, to be living in their
stockade, and devouring their corn.
The conquered tribe had
purchased what was called a peace by presenting the conqueror with
three women.
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.
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