Have been heading north to meet with Lukinda and Rodrigo Lopes as agreed.

It’s bloody hot on the open grassland. More like summer in Australia out here. Tambwe keeps thinking the new freckles on my arms are a sure sign I’m ill. Told him the sickness is called being Irish, but he won’t hear it. Thinks I’m going to drop dead any minute.

His outlook on the Tebo migration isn’t too cheerful, either. Whether it’s wild land disappearing or an excess of hunting in these parts, we’ve not seen the numbers we ought to by now. Hopeful that their path north has just altered from previous seasons & that we’ll see more of them soon.

But the creature situation isn’t the only depressing thing here. Could do with a lot fewer of the people here. Not that I make a habit of agreeing with Christian missionaries, but their outrage in this case is not misplaced. Exploitation – forced labour – whole massacred villages – cutting off hands – it’s a fucking abomination. The savagery in this place has nothing to do with the natives.

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