A woman turned up here, and persuaded Chuma that she was his aunt.  He wanted to give her at once a fathom of calico and beads, and wished me to cut his pay down for the purpose.  I persuaded him to be content with a few beads for her.  He gave her his spoon and some other valuables, fully persuaded that she was a relative, though he was interrogated first as to his father’s name, and tribe, &c., before she declared herself.

It shows a most forgiving disposition on the part of these boys to make presents to those who, if genuine relations, actually sold them.  But those who have been caught young, know nothing of the evils of slavery, and do not believe in its ills.  Chuma, for instance, believes now that he was caught and sold by the Manganja, and not by his own Waiyau, though it was just in the opposite way that he became a slave, and he asserted and believes that no Waiyau ever sold his own child.  When reminded that Wikatani was sold by his own father, he denied it; then that the father of Chimwala, another boy, sold him, his mother, and sister, he replied, “These are Machinga.”  This is another tribe of Waiyau; but this showed that he was determined to justify his countrymen at any rate.  I mention this matter, because though the Oxford and Cambridge Mission have an advantage in the instruction of boys taken quite young from slavers, yet these same boys forget the evils to which they were exposed and from which they were rescued, and it is even likely that they will, like Chuma, deny that any benefit was conferred upon them by their deliverance.  This was not stated broadly by Chuma, but his tone led one to believe that he was quite ready to return to the former state.

5th October, 1866.—­The chief came early with an immense basket of beer, as usual.  We were ready to start:  he did not relish this; but I told him it was clear that his people set very light by his authority.  He declared that he would force them or go himself, with his wives as carriers.  This dawdling and guzzling had a bad effect on my remaining people.  Simon, a Nassick lad, for instance, overheard two words which he understood; these were “Mazitu” and “lipululu,” or desert; and from these he conjured up a picture of Mazitu rushing out upon us from the jungle, and killing all without giving us time to say a word!  To this he added scraps of distorted information:  Khambuiri was a very bad chief in front, &c., all showing egregious cowardice; yet he came to give me advice.  On asking what he knew (as he could not speak the language), he replied that he heard the above two words, and that Chuma could not translate them, but he had caught them, and came to warn me.

The chief asked me to stay over to-day, and he would go with his wives to-morrow; I was his friend, and he would not see me in difficulties without doing his utmost.  He says that there is no danger of our not finding people for carrying loads.  It is probable that Khambuiri’s people went as marauders, and were beaten off in consequence.