When they insisted, they were asked how many of the party they had killed, that they thus began to divide the spoil; this evidently made them ashamed.
The elders were more reasonable; they dreaded treachery, and were as much afraid of Dr.Livingstone and his party as his men were of them; for on leaving they sped away up the hills like frightened deer.

One of them, and probably the leader, was married, as seen by portions of his hair sewn into a ring; all were observed by their teeth to be people of the country, who had been incorporated into the Zulu tribe.
The way still led over a succession of steep ridges with ravines of from 500 to 1000 feet in depth; some of the sides had to be scaled on hands and knees, and no sooner was the top reached than the descent began again.

Each ravine had a running stream; and the whole country, though so very rugged, had all been cultivated, and densely peopled.

Many banana-trees, uncared for patches of corn, and Congo-bean bushes attested former cultivation.

The population had all been swept away; ruined villages, broken utensils, and human skeletons, met with at every turn, told a sad tale.