killed, and brought the tusks rotted and eaten or gnawed by "Déré" (?)--a
Rodent, probably the _Aulocaudatus Swindermanus_. Three large rivers
were crossed, breast and chin deep; in one they were five hours, and a
man in a small canoe went ahead sounding for water capable of being
waded. Much water and mud in the forest. This report makes me thankful I
did not go, for I should have seen nothing, and been worn out by fatigue
and mud. They tell me that the River Metunda had black water, and took
two hours to cross it, breast deep. They crossed about forty smaller
rivers over the River Mohunga, breast deep. The River of Mbité also is
large. All along Lualaba and Metumbé the sheep have hairy dew-laps, no
wool, Tartar breed (?), small thin tails.

A broad belt of meadow-land, with no trees, lies along Lualaba, beyond
that it is all dense forest, and trees so large, that one lying across
the path is breast high: clearances exist only around the villages. The
people are very expert smiths and weavers of the "Lamba," and make fine
large spears, knives, and needles. Market-places, called "Tokos," are
numerous all along Lualaba; to these the Barua of the other bank come
daily in large canoes, bringing grass-cloth, salt, flour, cassava,
fowls, goats, pigs, and slaves. The women are beautiful, with straight
noses, and well-clothed; when the men of the districts are at war, the
women take their goods to market as if at peace and are never molested:
all are very keen traders, buying one thing with another, and changing
back again, and any profit made is one of the enjoyments of life.

I knew that my deserters hoped to be fed by Mohamad Bogharib when we
left the camp at Mamohela, but he told them that he would not have them;
this took them aback, but they went and lifted his ivory for him, and
when a parley was thus brought about, talked him over, saying that they
would go to me, and do all I desired: they never came, but, as no one