ItoldthecaptiveyoungmantoinformMasikothathewasveryunlikehisfatherSanturu，whohadrefusedtosellhispeopletoMambari。
　　Hewillprobablybeafraidtodeliversuchamessagehimself，butitismeantforhispeople，andtheywillcirculateitprettywidely，andMasikomayyetfeelalittlepressurefromwithoutWesentMosantu，aBatokaman，andhiscompanions，withthecaptivesTheBarotsewhomwehadwereunwillingtogotoMasiko，sincetheyowehimallegianceasthesonofSanturu，andwhiletheycontinuewiththeMakololoareconsideredrebelsThemessagebyMosantuwas，that“IwassorrytofindthatSanturuhadnotborneawisersonSanturulovedtogovernmen，butMasikowantedtogovernwildbeastsonly，ashesoldhispeopletotheMambari；“addinganexplanationofthereturnofthecaptives，andaninjunctiontohimtoliveinpeace，andpreventhispeoplekidnappingthechildrenandcanoesoftheMakololo，asacontinuanceinthesedeedswouldleadtowar，whichIwishedtopreventHewasalsoinstructedtosay，ifMasikowantedfullerexplanationofmyviews，hemustsendasensiblemantotalkwithmeatthefirsttownoftheBalonda，towhichIwasabouttoproceed。
　　WeferriedMosantuovertotheleftbankoftheLeeba。
　　Thejourneyrequiredfivedays，butitcouldnothavebeenataquickerratethantenortwelvemilesperday；thechildrenwerebetweensevenandeightyearsofage，andunabletowalkfastinahotsun。
　　LeavingMosantutopursuehiscourse，weshalltakebutoneglancedowntheriver，whichwearenowabouttoleave，foritcomesatthispointfromtheeastward，andourcourseistobedirectedtothenorthwest，aswemeantogotoLoandainAngolaFromtheconfluence，wherewenoware，downtoMosioatunya，therearemanylongreaches，whereavesselequaltotheThamessteamersplyingbetweenthebridgescouldrunasfreelyastheydoontheThamesItisoften，evenhere，asbroadasthatriveratLondonBridge，but，withoutaccuratemeasurementofthedepth，onecouldnotsaywhichcontainedmostwater。
　　Thereare，however，manyandseriousobstaclestoacontinuednavigationforhundredsofmilesatastretchAbouttenmilesbelowtheconfluenceoftheLoeti，forinstance，therearemanylargesand-banksinthestream；thenyouhaveahundredmilestotheRiverSimah，whereaThamessteamercouldplyatalltimesoftheyear；
　　but，again，thespacebetweenSimahandKatima-molelohasfiveorsixrapidswithcataracts，oneofwhich，Gonye，couldnotbepassedatanytimewithoutportageBetweentheserapidstherearereachesofstill，deepwater，ofseveralmilesinlength。
　　BeyondKatima-molelototheconfluenceoftheChobeyouhavenearlyahundredmilesagain，ofarivercapableofbeingnavigatedinthesamewayasintheBarotsevalley。
　　NowIdonotsaythatthispartoftheriverpresentsaveryinvitingprospectforextemporaneousEuropeanenterprise；butwhenwehaveapathwaywhichrequiresonlytheformationofportagestomakeitequaltoourcanalsforhundredsofmiles，wherethephilosopherssupposedtherewasnaughtbutanextensivesandydesert，wemustconfessthatthefuturepartakesatleastoftheelementsofhopeMydeliberateconvictionwasandisthatthepartofthecountryindicatedisascapableofsupportingmillionsofinhabitantsasitisofitsthousandsThegrassoftheBarotsevalley，forinstance，issuchadensely-mattedmassthat，when“laid“，thestalksbeareachotherup，sothatonefeelsasifwalkingonthesheavesofahay-stack，andthelechesnestleunderittobringforththeiryoungThesoilwhichproducesthis，ifplacedundertheplow，insteadofbeingmerepasturage，wouldyieldgrainsufficienttofeedvastmultitudes。
　　WenowbegantoascendtheLeebaThewaterisblackincolorascomparedwiththemainstream，whichhereassumesthenameofKabompo。
　　TheLeebaflowsplacidly，and，unliketheparentriver，receivesnumbersoflittlerivuletsfrombothsidesItwindsslowlythroughthemostcharmingmeadows，eachofwhichhaseitherasoft，sedgycentre，largepond，ortricklingrilldownthemiddle。
　　Thetreesarenowcoveredwithaprofusionofthefreshestfoliage，andseemplantedingroupsofsuchpleasant，gracefuloutlinethatartcouldgivenoadditionalcharmThegrass，whichhadbeenburnedoffandwasgrowingagainaftertherains，wasshortandgreen，andallthescenerysolikethatofacarefully-tendedgentleman’spark，thatoneisscarcelyremindedthatthesurroundingregionisinthehandsofsimplenaturealoneIsuspectthatthelevelmeadowsareinundatedannually，forthespotsonwhichthetreesstandareelevatedthreeorfourfeetabovethem，andtheseelevations，beingofdifferentshapes，givethestrangevarietyofoutlineofthepark-likewoodsNumbersofafresh-watershellarescatteredalloverthesevalleysTheelevations，asIhaveobservedelsewhere，areofasoft，sandysoil，andthemeadowsofblack，richalluvialloam。
　　Therearemanybeautifulflowers，andmanybeestosiptheirnectar。
　　Wefoundplentyofhoneyinthewoods，andsawthestagesonwhichtheBalondadrytheirmeat，whentheycomedowntohuntandgathertheproduceofthewildhivesInonepartwecameupongroupsofloftytreesasstraightasmasts，withfestoonsoforchilla-weedhangingfromthebranchesThis，whichisusedasadye-stuff，isfoundnowhereinthedrycountrytothesouthItprefersthehumidclimatenearthewestcoast。
　　Alargebuffalowaswounded，andranintothethickestpartoftheforest，bleedingprofuselyTheyoungmenwentonhistrail；
　　and，thoughthevegetationwassodensethatnoonecouldhaverunmorethanafewyards，mostofthemwentalongquitecarelessly，pickingandeatingafruitofthemelonfamilycalledMponko。
　　Whentheanimalheardthemapproachhealwaysfled，shiftinghisstandanddoublingonhiscourseinthemostcunningmanner。
　　InothercasesIhaveknownthemtoturnbacktoapointafewyardsfromtheirowntrail，andthenliedowninahollowwaitingforthehuntertocomeupThoughaheavy，lumbering-lookinganimal，hischargeisthenrapidandterrificMoreaccidentshappenbythebuffaloandtheblackrhinocerosthanbythelion。
　　Thoughallareawareofthemischievousnatureofthebuffalowhenwounded，ouryoungmenwentafterhimquitecarelesslyTheyneverlosetheirpresenceofmind，but，asabuffalochargesbackinaforest，dartdexterouslyoutofhiswaybehindatree，and，wheelinground，stabhimashepasses。
　　Atreeinflowerbroughtthepleasantfragranceofhawthornhedgesbacktomemory；itsleaves，flowers，perfumes，andfruitresembledthoseofthehawthorn，onlytheflowerswereaslargeasdog-roses，andthe“haws“likeboys’marblesHeretheflowerssmellsweetly，whilefewinthesouthemitanyscentatall，oronlyanauseousodor。
　　AbotanistwouldfindarichharvestonthebanksoftheLeeba。
　　Thiswouldbehisbestseason，fortheflowersallrunrapidlytoseed，andtheninsectsofeveryshapespringintoexistencetodevourthem。
　　Theclimbingplantsdisplaygreatvigorofgrowth，beingnotonlythickinthetrunk，butalsoattheverypoint，inthemannerofquickly-growingasparagusThemaroroormalolonowappears，andisabundantinmanypartsbetweenthisandAngolaItisasmallbushwithayellowfruit，andinitsappearanceadwarf“anona“。
　　Thetasteissweet，andthefruitiswholesome：itisfullofseeds，likethecustard-apple。
　　Onthe28thwesleptataspotontherightbankfromwhichhadjustemergedtwobroodsofalligatorsWehadseenmanyyoungonesaswecameup，sothisseemstobetheirtimeofcomingforthfromthenests，forwesawthemsunningthemselvesonsand-banksincompanywiththeoldones。
　　Wemadeourfireinoneofthedesertednests，whichwerestrewedalloverwiththebrokenshellsAttheZougawesawsixtyeggstakenoutofonesuchnestaloneTheyareaboutthesizeofthoseofagoose，onlytheeggsofthealligatorareofthesamediameteratbothends，andthewhiteshellispartiallyelastic，fromhavingastronginternalmembraneandbutlittlelimeinitscompositionThedistancefromthewaterwasabouttenfeet，andtherewereevidencesofthesameplacehavingbeenusedforasimilarpurposeinformeryearsAbroadpathledupfromthewatertothenest，andthedam，itwassaidbymycompanions，afterdepositingtheeggs，coversthemup，andreturnsafterwardtoassisttheyoungoutoftheplaceofconfinementandoutoftheegg。
　　Sheleadsthemtotheedgeofthewater，andthenleavesthemtocatchsmallfishforthemselvesAssistancetocomeforthseemsnecessary，forhere，besidesthetoughmembraneoftheshell，theyhadfourinchesofearthuponthem；buttheydonotrequireimmediateaidforfood，becausetheyallretainaportionofyolk，equaltothatofahen’segg，inamembraneintheabdomen，asastockofnutriment，whileonlybeginningindependentexistencebycatchingfishFishistheprincipalfoodofbothsmallandlarge，andtheyaremuchassistedincatchingthembytheirbroad，scalytails。
　　Sometimesanalligator，viewingamaninthewaterfromtheoppositebank，rushesacrossthestreamwithwonderfulagility，asisseenbythehighripplehemakesonthesurfacecausedbyhisrapidmotionatthebottom；butingeneraltheyactbystealth，sinkingunderneathassoonastheyseemanTheyseldomleavethewatertocatchprey，butoftencomeoutbydaytoenjoythepleasureofbaskinginthesun。
　　InwalkingalongthebankoftheZougaonce，asmallone，aboutthreefeetlong，madeadashatmyfeet，andcausedmetorushquicklyinanotherdirection；butthisisunusual，forIneverheardofasimilarcaseAwoundedleche，chasedintoanyofthelagoonsintheBarotsevalley，oramanordoggoinginforthepurposeofbringingoutadeadone，isalmostsuretobeseized，thoughthealligatorsmaynotappearonthesurfaceWhenemployedinlookingforfoodtheykeepoutofsight；
　　theyfishchieflybynightWheneating，theymakealoud，champingnoise，whichwhenonceheardisneverforgotten。
　　Theyoung，whichhadcomeoutofthenestswherewespentthenight，didnotappearwary；theywereabouttenincheslong，withyelloweyes，andpupilmerelyaperpendicularslitTheywereallmarkedwithtransverseslipsofpalegreenandbrown，halfaninchbroad。
　　Whenspeared，theybittheweaponsavagely，thoughtheirteethwerebutpartiallydeveloped，utteringatthesametimeasharpbarklikethatofawhelpwhenitfirstbeginstouseitsvoice。
　　Icouldnotascertainwhetherthedamdevoursthem，asreported，orwhethertheichneumonhasthesamereputationhereasinEgypt。
　　ProbablytheBarotseandBayeiyewouldnotlookuponitasabenefactor；
　　theyprefertoeattheeggsthemselves，andbetheirownichneumons。
　　Thewhiteoftheeggdoesnotcoagulate，buttheyolkdoes，andthisistheonlyparteaten。
　　Asthepopulationincreases，thealligatorswilldecrease，fortheirnestswillbeoftenerfound；theprincipalcheckontheirinordinatemultiplicationseemstobemanTheyaremoresavageandcommitmoremischiefintheLeeambyethaninanyotherriverAfterdancinglonginthemoonlightnights，youngmenrundowntothewatertowashoffthedustandcoolthemselvesbeforegoingtobed，andarethusoftencarriedaway。
　　Onewonderstheyarenotafraid；butthefactis，theyhaveaslittlesenseofdangerimpendingoverthemastheharehaswhennotactuallypursuedbythehound，andinmanyrencounters，inwhichtheyescape，theyhadnottimetobeafraid，andonlylaughatthecircumstanceafterward：
　　thereisawantofcalmreflectionInmanycases，notreferredtointhisbook，IfeelmorehorrornowinthinkingondangersIhaverunthanIdidatthetimeoftheiroccurrence。
　　WhenwereachedthepartoftheriveroppositetothevillageofManenko，thefirstfemalechiefwhomweencountered，twoofthepeoplecalledBalunda，orBalonda，cametousintheirlittlecanoeFromthemwelearnedthatKolimbota，oneofourparty，whohadbeeninthehabitofvisitingtheseparts，wasbelievedbytheBalondatohaveactedasaguidetothemaraudersunderLerimo，whosecaptiveswewerenowreturning。
　　Theyverynaturallysuspectedthis，fromthefacilitywithwhichtheirvillageshadbeenfound，and，astheyhadsinceremovedthemtosomedistancefromtheriver，theywereunwillingtoleadustotheirplacesofconcealmentWewereinbadrepute，but，havingacaptiveboyandgirltoshowinevidenceofSekeletuandourselvesnotbeingpartakersintheguiltofinferiormen，IcouldfreelyexpressmydesirethatallshouldliveinpeaceTheyevidentlyfeltthatIoughttohavetaughttheMakololofirst，beforecomingtothem，fortheyremarkedthatwhatIadvancedwasverygood，butguiltlayatthedooroftheMakololofordisturbingthepreviouslyexistingpeace。
　　TheythenwentawaytoreportustoManenko。
　　Whenthestrangersvisitedusagainintheevening，theywereaccompaniedbyanumberofthepeopleofanAmbondachiefnamedSekelenke。