We could scarcely obtain food for the men.
The headman of this village of Chinanga was off in a foray against some people further north to supply slaves to the traders expected along the slave route we had just left; and was said, after having expelled the inhabitants, to be living in their stockade, and devouring their corn.
The conquered tribe had purchased what was called a peace by presenting the conqueror with three women.
This state of matters afforded us but a poor prospect of finding more provisions in that direction than we could with great difficulty and at enormous prices obtain here.

But neither want of food, dysentery, nor slave wars would have prevented our working our way round the Lake in some other direction, had we had time; but we had received orders from the Foreign Office to take the "Pioneer" down to the sea in the previous April.

The salaries of all the men in her were positively "in any case to cease by the 31st of December." We were said to be only ten days' distant from Lake Bemba.

We might speculate on a late rise of the river.

A month or six weeks would secure a geographical feat, but the rains were near.