2nd October, 1866.—­Kimsusa made his appearance early with a huge basket of beer, 18 inches high and 15 inches in diameter.  He served it out for a time, taking deep draughts himself, becoming extremely loquacious in consequence.  He took us to a dense thicket behind his town, among numbers of lofty trees, many of which I have seen nowhere else; that under which we sat bears a fruit in clusters, which is eatable, and called “Mbedwa.”  A space had been cleared, and we were taken to this shady spot as the one in which business of importance and secrecy is transacted.  Another enormous basket of beer was brought here by his wives, but there was little need for it, for Kimsusa talked incessantly, and no business was done.

3rd October, 1866.—­The chief came early, and sober.  I rallied him on his previous loquacity, and said one ought to find time in the morning if business was to be done:  he took it in good part, and one of his wives joined in bantering him.  She is the wife and the mother of the sons in whom he delights, and who will succeed him.  I proposed to him to send men with me to the Babisa country, and I would pay them there, where they could buy ivory for him with the pay, and, bringing it back, he would be able to purchase clothing without selling his people.  He says that his people would not bring the pay or anything else back.  When he sends to purchase ivory he gives the price to Arabs or Babisa, and they buy for him and conduct his business honestly; but his people, the Manganja, cannot be trusted:  this shows a remarkable state of distrust, and, from previous information, it is probably true.

A party of the Arab Khambuiri’s people went up lately to the Maravi country above this, and immediately west of Kirk’s range, to purchase slaves:  but they were attacked by the Maravi, and dispersed with slaughter:  this makes Kimsusa’s people afraid to venture there.  They had some quarrel with the Maravi also of their own, and no intercourse now took place.  A path further south was followed by Mponda lately, and great damage done, so it would not be wise to go on his footsteps.  Kimsusa said he would give me carriers to go up to the Maravi, but he wished to be prepaid:  to this I agreed, but even then he could not prevail on anyone to go.  He then sent for an old Mobisa man, who has a village under him, and acknowledges Kimsusa’s power.  He says that he fears that, should he force his Manganja to go, they would leave us on the road, or run away on the first appearance of danger; but this Mobisa man would be going to his own country, and would stick by us.  Meanwhile the chief overstocks us with beer and other food.

4th October, 1866.—­The Mobisa man sent for came, but was so ignorant of his own country, not knowing the names of the chief Babisa town or any of the rivers, that I declined his guidance.  He would only have been a clog on us; and anything about the places in front of us we could ascertain at the villages where we touch by inquiry as well as he could.