Zachariah, and others
who had too often to be reproved for lagging behind, now took their
places in the front rank; and we had no difficulty in making very
long marches for several days, for all believed that the Mazitu would
follow our footsteps, and attack us while we slept.
A party of Babisa tobacco-traders came from the N.W. to Molamba,
while we were there; and one of them asserted several times that the
Loapula, after emerging from Moelo, received the Lulua, and then
flowed into Lake Mofu, and thence into Tanganyika; and from the last-
named Lake into the sea. This is the native idea of the geography of
the interior; and, to test the general knowledge of our informant, we
asked him about our acquaintances in Londa; as Moene, Katema, Shinde
or Shinte, who live south-west of the rivers mentioned, and found
that our friends there were perfectly well-known to him and to others
of these travelled natives. In the evening two of the Babisa came
in, and reported that the Mazitu had followed us to the village
called Chigaragara, at which we slept at the bottom of the descent.
The whole party of traders set off at once, though the sun had set.
We ourselves had given rise to the report, for the women of
Chigaragara, supposing us in the distance to be Mazitu, fled, with
all their household utensils on their heads, and had no opportunity
afterwards of finding out their mistake.
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