When the gale admitted of their return, their former pursuers tried to draw them ashore by asserting that they had quantities of ivory for sale.

Owing to a succession of gales, it was the fourth day from parting that the boat was found by Dr.Livingstone, who was coming on in search of it with only two of his companions.
After proceeding a short distance up the path in which they had been lost sight of, they learned that it would take several days to go round the mountains, and rejoin the lake; and they therefore turned down to the bay, expecting to find the boat, but only saw it disappearing away to the north.

They pushed on as briskly as possible after it, but the mountain flank which forms the coast proved excessively tedious and fatiguing; travelling all day, the distance made, in a straight line, was under five miles.

As soon as day dawned, the march was resumed; and, after hearing at the first inhabited rock that their companions had passed it the day before, a goat was slaughtered out of the four which they had with them, when suddenly, to the evident consternation of the men, seven Mazitu appeared armed with spears and shields, with their heads dressed fantastically with feathers.

To hold a parley, Dr.Livingstone and Moloka, a Makololo man who spoke Zulu, went unarmed to meet them.