I objected when I saw their direction, but they said, "The path turns round in front." After going a mile along the bank of the Menomba, which has much water, Susi broke through and ran south, till he got a S.by W.path, which we followed, and came to a village having plenty of food.

As we have now camped in village, we sent the men off to recall the fugitive women, who took us for Komba-Komba's men.

Crossed the Lupere, which runs into the Makobwe.
A leech crawling towards me in the village this morning elicited the Bemba idea that they fall from the clouds or sky--"mulu." It is called here "Mosunda a maluze," or leech of the rivers; "Luba" is the Zanzibar name.

In one place I counted nineteen leeches in our path, in about a mile; rain had fallen, and their appearance out of their hiding-places suddenly after heavy rain may have given rise to the idea of their fall with it as fishes do, and the thunder frog is supposed to do.

Always too cloudy and rainy for observations of stars.
_15th December, 1872._--The country is now level, covered with trees pollarded for clothing, and to make ashes of for manure.