An Arab slave-party, hearing of us, decamped.
_19th September, 1866._--When we had proceeded a mile this morning we came to 300 or 400 people making salt on a plain impregnated with it.
They lixiviate the soil and boil the water, which has filtered through a bunch of grass in a hole in the bottom of a pot, till all is evaporated and a mass of salt left.

We held along the plain till we came to Mponda's, a large village, with a stream running past.

The plain at the village is very fertile, and has many large trees on it.
The cattle of Mponda are like fatted Madagascar beasts, and the hump seems as if it would weigh 100 lbs.[22] The size of body is so enormous that their legs, as remarked by our men, seemed very small.
Mponda is a blustering sort of person, but immensely interested in everything European.

He says that he would like to go with me.

"Would not care though he were away ten years." I say that he may die in the journey.--"He will die here as well as there, but he will see all the wonderful doings of our country." He knew me, having come to the boat, to take a look _incognito_ when we were here formerly.
We found an Arab slave-party here, and went to look at the slaves; seeing this; Mponda was alarmed lest we should proceed to violence in his town, but I said to him that we went to look only.