stems, and the people make strong striped black and white shawls
of the cotton.

It was pleasant to meet the palm-oil palm (_Elais Guineaensis_)
at Casembe's, which is over 3000 feet above the level of the
sea. The oil is sold cheap, but no tradition exists of its
introduction into the country.

I send no sketch of the country, because I have not yet passed
over a sufficient surface to give a connected view of the whole
watershed of this region, and I regret that I cannot recommend
any of the published maps I have seen as giving even a tolerable
idea of the country. One bold constructor of maps has tacked on
200 miles to the north-west end of Lake Nyassa, a feat which no
traveller has ever ventured to imitate. Another has placed a
river in the same quarter running 3000 or 4000 feet up hill,
and named it the "NEW ZAMBESI," because I suppose the old
Zambesi runs down hill. I have walked over both these mental
abortions, and did not know that I was walking on water till I
saw them in the maps.

[The despatch breaks off at this point. The year concludes with health
impaired. As time goes on we shall see how ominous the conviction was
which made him dread the swamps of Bangweolo.]

_28-31st December, 1867._--We came on to the rivulet Chirongo, and
then to the Kabukwa, where I was taken ill. Heavy rains kept the
convoy back. I have had nothing but coarsely-ground sorghum meal for
some time back, and am weak; I used to be the first in the line of
march, and am now the last; Mohamad presented a meal of finely-ground