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Describes arrival in the country of Sebituane [Sebetwane], the southern capital of the Makololo; all of his people had fever; received welcome from Makololo with great expectations of what the missionary would bring, including medicine; describes their chief, Sekeletu [d.1863, son of Sebetwane, who became chief of the MaKololo on the abdication of his sister Mma-Motsisane]; spent some months there on Sekeletu's request with some delay to his journey to find a suitable site for a mission; offer to teach the people to read and the deliberations and objections raised; Livingstone's thoughts regarding the voluntary nature of conversion and the difficulty in persuading the people of this; subject to repeated attacks of fever; Sekeletu's father-in-law and step-father appointed to learn to read - they master the alphabet in one day; relates visit to the Borotse country and refers to two sketches; embarked on river called Leeambye at the village of Sekhosi in 33 canoes and with 160 men; describes the river geography and people found along its banks, i.e. the Banyeti and Barotse; describes the "exhalations which arise from the valley", which "produce fever"; visit to a Portuguese merchant's [Antonio da Silva Porto, 1817-1890] establishment opposite Benguela, where he sees slaves; has not discovered a "healthy locality" for a mission station as the fever is widespread; met with slave traders who he describes as "Arabs from Zanguebar, the subjects of the Imaum of Muscat"; strengthens his resolve to open up a way to the coast and gives the West coast a preference; discusses his calculations and is critical of the Longitudes of his map of the previous year - has sent his observations to the Astronomer at the Cape [Sir Thomas Maclear]; bemoans the "destruction of my celestial map" by the Boers [in the Sack of Kolobeng]; believes they are nearer the West than the East coast; intends to try for Loanda [capital of Angloa] as many English live there; travels on horseback - refuses to travel as Portuguese do "in hammocks slung on poles", which are carried by slaves; has had 8 attacks of fever and is very thin, with blood loss and vertigo; better that Mrs Livingstone does not come to meet him at the Cape at the time appointed as he expects to be delayed much longer - advises that she stay in Scotland; has attempted to use "native remedies" for the fever to see how effective they are; refers to the American missionaries at the "Gaboon station" [Gabon, West Africa]; discusses Makololo contact with slavers, including Mambari and Portuguese merchants; refers to the country in the direction of Mosiotunya and the Bakota country as having high mountains and high table-land, in which "healthy spots" might be found, but travel prevented by the proximity of the land to Mosilikatse [Mzilikazi] - holds out hope of a change among the Matibele [Matabele people, Ndebele or amaNdebele] which would alter this situation.
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