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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/2519-h.zip b/2519-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..08f62d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/2519-h.zip diff --git a/2519-h/2519-h.htm b/2519-h/2519-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..35b9dca --- /dev/null +++ b/2519-h/2519-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,11959 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" /> +<title>A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + H1, H2 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + } + H3, H4 { + text-align: left; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h2> +<a href="#startoftext">A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries, by David Livingstone</a> +</h2> +<pre> +The Project Gutenberg eBook, A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's +Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries, by David Livingstone + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries + And of the Discovery of the Lakes Shirwa and Nyassa (1858-1864) + + +Author: David Livingstone + +Release Date: May 13, 2005 [eBook #2519] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A POPULAR ACCOUNT OF DR. +LIVINGSTONE'S EXPEDITION TO THE ZAMBESI AND ITS TRIBUTARIES*** +</pre> +<p><a name="startoftext"></a></p> +<p>Transcribed from the 1894 John Murray edition by David Price, email +ccx074@coventry.ac.uk</p> +<h1>A POPULAR ACCOUNT OF<br /> +DR. LIVINGSTONE’S EXPEDITION TO THE ZAMBESI AND ITS TRIBUTARIES:<br /> +AND THE DISCOVERY OF LAKES SHIRWA AND NYASSA<br /> +1858-1864</h1> +<p>TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD PALMERSTON,<br /> +K.G., G.C.B.</p> +<p>My Lord,</p> +<p>I beg leave to dedicate this Volume to your Lordship, as a tribute +justly due to the great Statesman who has ever had at heart the amelioration +of the African race; and as a token of admiration of the beneficial +effects of that policy which he has so long laboured to establish on +the West Coast of Africa; and which, in improving that region, has most +forcibly shown the need of some similar system on the opposite side +of the Continent.</p> +<p>DAVID LIVINGSTONE.</p> +<h2>NOTICE TO THIS WORK.</h2> +<p>The name of the late Mr. Charles Livingstone takes a prominent place +amongst those who acted under the leadership of Dr. Livingstone during +the adventurous sojourn of the “Zambesi Expedition” in East +Africa. In laying the result of their discoveries before the public, +it was arranged that Mr. Charles Livingstone should place his voluminous +notes at the disposal of his brother: they are incorporated in the present +work, but in a necessarily abridged form.</p> +<h2>PREFACE.</h2> +<p>It has been my object in this work to give as clear an account as +I was able of tracts of country previously unexplored, with their river +systems, natural productions, and capabilities; and to bring before +my countrymen, and all others interested in the cause of humanity, the +misery entailed by the slave-trade in its inland phases; a subject on +which I and my companions are the first who have had any opportunities +of forming a judgment. The eight years spent in Africa, since +my last work was published, have not, I fear, improved my power of writing +English; but I hope that, whatever my descriptions want in clearness, +or literary skill, may in a measure be compensated by the novelty of +the scenes described, and the additional information afforded on that +curse of Africa, and that shame, even now, in the 19th century, of an +European nation,—the slave-trade.</p> +<p>I took the “Lady Nyassa” to Bombay for the express purpose +of selling her, and might without any difficulty have done so; but with +the thought of parting with her arose, more strongly than ever, the +feeling of disinclination to abandon the East Coast of Africa to the +Portuguese and slave-trading, and I determined to run home and consult +my friends before I allowed the little vessel to pass from my hands. +After, therefore, having put two Ajawa lads, Chuma and Wakatani, to +school under the eminent missionary the Rev. Dr. Wilson, and having +provided satisfactorily for the native crew, I started homewards with +the three white sailors, and reached London July 20th, 1864. Mr. +and Mrs. Webb, my much-loved friends, wrote to Bombay inviting me, in +the event of my coming to England, to make Newstead Abbey my headquarters, +and on my arrival renewed their invitation: and though, when I accepted +it, I had no intention of remaining so long with my kind-hearted generous +friends, I stayed with them until April, 1865, and under their roof +transcribed from my own and my brother’s journal the whole of +this present book. It is with heartfelt gratitude I would record +their unwearied kindness. My acquaintance with Mr. Webb began +in Africa, where he was a daring and successful hunter, and his continued +friendship is most valuable because he has seen missionary work, and +he would not accord his respect and esteem to me had he not believed +that I, and my brethren also, were to be looked on as honest men earnestly +trying to do our duty.</p> +<p>The Government have supported the proposal of the Royal Geographical +Society made by my friend Sir Roderick Murchison, and have united with +that body to aid me in another attempt to open Africa to civilizing +influences, and a valued private friend has given a thousand pounds +for the same object. I propose to go inland, north of the territory +which the Portuguese in Europe claim, and endeavour to commence that +system on the East which has been so eminently successful on the West +Coast; a system combining the repressive efforts of H.M. cruisers with +lawful trade and Christian Missions—the moral and material results +of which have been so gratifying. I hope to ascend the Rovuma, +or some other river North of Cape Delgado, and, in addition to my other +work, shall strive, by passing along the Northern end of Lake Nyassa +and round the Southern end of Lake Tanganyika, to ascertain the watershed +of that part of Africa. In so doing, I have no wish to unsettle +what with so much toil and danger was accomplished by Speke and Grant, +but rather to confirm their illustrious discoveries.</p> +<p>I have to acknowledge the obliging readiness of Lord Russell in lending +me the drawings taken by the artist who was in the first instance attached +to the Expedition. These sketches, with photographs by Charles +Livingstone and Dr. Kirk, have materially assisted in the illustrations. +I would also very sincerely thank my friends Professor Owen and Mr. +Oswell for many valuable hints and other aid in the preparation of this +volume.</p> +<p>Newstead Abbey,</p> +<p>April 16, 1865.</p> +<h2>THE ZAMBESI AND ITS TRIBUTARIES.</h2> +<h3>INTRODUCTION.</h3> +<p>Objects of the Expedition—Personal Interest shown by Naval +Authorities—Members of the Zambesi Expedition.</p> +<p>When first I determined on publishing the narrative of my “Missionary +Travels,” I had a great misgiving as to whether the criticism +my endeavours might provoke would be friendly or the reverse, more particularly +as I felt that I had then been so long a sojourner in the wilderness, +as to be quite a stranger to the British public. But I am now +in this, my second essay at authorship, cheered by the conviction that +very many readers, who are personally unknown to me, will receive this +narrative with the kindly consideration and allowances of friends; and +that many more, under the genial influences of an innate love of liberty, +and of a desire to see the same social and religious blessings they +themselves enjoy, disseminated throughout the world, will sympathize +with me in the efforts by which I have striven, however imperfectly, +to elevate the position and character of our fellow-men in Africa. +This knowledge makes me doubly anxious to render my narrative acceptable +to all my readers; but, in the absence of any excellence in literary +composition, the natural consequence of my pursuits, I have to offer +only a simple account of a mission which, with respect to the objects +proposed to be thereby accomplished, formed a noble contrast to some +of the earlier expeditions to Eastern Africa. I believe that the +information it will give, respecting the people visited and the countries +traversed, will not be materially gainsaid by any future commonplace +traveller like myself, who may be blest with fair health and a gleam +of sunshine in his breast. This account is written in the earnest +hope that it may contribute to that information which will yet cause +the great and fertile continent of Africa to be no longer kept wantonly +sealed, but made available as the scene of European enterprise, and +will enable its people to take a place among the nations of the earth, +thus securing the happiness and prosperity of tribes now sunk in barbarism +or debased by slavery; and, above all, I cherish the hope that it may +lead to the introduction of the blessings of the Gospel.</p> +<p>In order that the following narrative may be clearly understood, +it is necessary to call to mind some things which took place previous +to the Zambesi Expedition being sent out. Most geographers are +aware that, before the discovery of Lake Ngami and the well-watered +country in which the Makololo dwell, the idea prevailed that a large +part of the interior of Africa consisted of sandy deserts, into which +rivers ran and were lost. During my journey in 1852-6, from sea +to sea, across the south intertropical part of the continent, it was +found to be a well-watered country, with large tracts of fine fertile +soil covered with forest, and beautiful grassy valleys, occupied by +a considerable population; and one of the most wonderful waterfalls +in the world was brought to light. The peculiar form of the continent +was then ascertained to be an elevated plateau, somewhat depressed in +the centre, and with fissures in the sides by which the rivers escaped +to the sea; and this great fact in physical geography can never be referred +to without calling to mind the remarkable hypothesis by which the distinguished +President of the Royal Geographical Society (Sir Roderick I. Murchison) +clearly indicated this peculiarity, before it was verified by actual +observation of the altitudes of the country and by the courses of the +rivers. New light was thrown on other portions of the continent +by the famous travels of Dr. Barth, by the researches of the Church +of England missionaries Krapf, Erkhardt, and Rebman, by the persevering +efforts of Dr. Baikie, the last martyr to the climate and English enterprise, +by the journey of Francis Galton, and by the most interesting discoveries +of Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria Nyanza by Captain Burton, and by Captain +Speke, whose untimely end we all so deeply deplore. Then followed +the researches of Van der Decken, Thornton, and others; and last of +all the grand discovery of the main source of the Nile, which every +Englishman must feel an honest pride in knowing was accomplished by +our gallant countrymen, Speke and Grant. The fabulous torrid zone, +of parched and burning sand, was now proved to be a well-watered region +resembling North America in its fresh-water lakes, and India in its +hot humid lowlands, jungles, ghauts, and cool highland plains.</p> +<p>The main object of this Zambesi Expedition, as our instructions from +Her Majesty’s Government explicitly stated, was to extend the +knowledge already attained of the geography and mineral and agricultural +resources of Eastern and Central Africa—to improve our acquaintance +with the inhabitants, and to endeavour to engage them to apply themselves +to industrial pursuits and to the cultivation of their lands, with a +view to the production of raw material to be exported to England in +return for British manufactures; and it was hoped that, by encouraging +the natives to occupy themselves in the development of the resources +of the country, a considerable advance might be made towards the extinction +of the slave-trade, as they would not be long in discovering that the +former would eventually be a more certain source of profit than the +latter. The Expedition was sent in accordance with the settled +policy of the English Government; and the Earl of Clarendon, being then +at the head of the Foreign Office, the Mission was organized under his +immediate care. When a change of Government ensued, we experienced +the same generous countenance and sympathy from the Earl of Malmesbury, +as we had previously received from Lord Clarendon; and, on the accession +of Earl Russell to the high office he has so long filled, we were always +favoured with equally ready attention and the same prompt assistance. +Thus the conviction was produced that our work embodied the principles, +not of any one party, but of the hearts of the statesmen and of the +people of England generally. The Expedition owes great obligations +to the Lords of the Admiralty for their unvarying readiness to render +us every assistance in their power; and to the warm-hearted and ever-obliging +hydrographer to the Admiralty, the late Admiral Washington, as a subordinate, +but most effective agent, our heartfelt gratitude is also due; and we +must ever thankfully acknowledge that our efficiency was mainly due +to the kind services of Admirals Sir Frederick Grey, Sir Baldwin Walker, +and all the naval officers serving under them on the East Coast. +Nor must I omit to record our obligations to Mr. Skead, R.N. The +Luawé was carefully sounded and surveyed by this officer, whose +skilful and zealous labours, both on that river, and afterwards on the +Lower Zambesi, were deserving of all praise.</p> +<p>In speaking of what has been done by the Expedition, it should always +be understood that Dr. Kirk, Mr. Charles Livingstone, Mr. R. Thornton, +and others composed it. In using the plural number they are meant, +and I wish to bear testimony to the untiring zeal, energy, courage, +and perseverance with which my companions laboured; undaunted by difficulties, +dangers, or hard fare. It is my firm belief that, were their services +required in any other capacity, they might be implicitly relied on to +perform their duty like men. The reason why Dr. Kirk’s name +does not appear on the title-page of this narrative is, because it is +hoped that he may give an account of the botany and natural history +of the Expedition in a separate work from his own pen. He collected +above four thousand species of plants, specimens of most of the valuable +woods, of the different native manufactures, of the articles of food, +and of the different kinds of cotton from every spot we visited, and +a great variety of birds and insects; besides making meteorological +observations, and affording, as our instructions required, medical assistance +to the natives in every case where he could be of any use.</p> +<p>Charles Livingstone was also fully occupied in his duties in following +out the general objects of our mission, in encouraging the culture of +cotton, in making many magnetic and meteorological observations, in +photographing so long as the materials would serve, and in collecting +a large number of birds, insects, and other objects of interest. +The collections, being Government property, have been forwarded to the +British Museum, and to the Royal Botanic, Gardens at Kew; and should +Dr. Kirk undertake their description, three or four years will be required +for the purpose.</p> +<p>Though collections were made, it was always distinctly understood +that, however desirable these and our explorations might be, “Her +Majesty’s Government attached more importance to the moral influence +that might be exerted on the minds of the natives by a well-regulated +and orderly household of Europeans setting an example of consistent +moral conduct to all who might witness it; treating the people with +kindness, and relieving their wants, teaching them to make experiments +in agriculture, explaining to them the more simple arts, imparting to +them religious instruction as far as they are capable of receiving it, +and inculcating peace and good will to each other.”</p> +<p>It would be tiresome to enumerate in detail all the little acts which +were performed by us while following out our instructions. As +a rule, whenever the steamer stopped to take in wood, or for any other +purpose, Dr. Kirk and Charles Livingstone went ashore to their duties: +one of our party, who it was intended should navigate the vessel and +lay down the geographical positions, having failed to answer the expectations +formed of him, these duties fell chiefly to my share. They involved +a considerable amount of night work, in which I was always cheerfully +aided by my companions, and the results were regularly communicated +to our warm and ever-ready friend, Sir Thomas Maclear of the Royal Observatory, +Cape of Good Hope. While this work was going through the press, +we were favoured with the longitudes of several stations determined +from observed occultations of stars by the moon, and from eclipses and +reappearances of Jupiter’s satellites, by Mr. Mann, the able Assistant +to the Cape Astronomer Royal; the lunars are still in the hands of Mr. +G. W. H. Maclear of the same Observatory. In addition to these, +the altitudes, variations of the compass, latitudes and longitudes, +as calculated on the spot, appear in the map by Mr. Arrowsmith, and +it is hoped may not differ much from the results of the same data in +abler bands. The office of “skipper,” which, rather +than let the Expedition come to a stand, I undertook, required no great +ability in one “not too old to learn:” it saved a salary, +and, what was much more valuable than gold, saved the Expedition from +the drawback of any one thinking that he was indispensable to its further +progress. The office required attention to the vessel both at +rest and in motion. It also involved considerable exposure to +the sun; and to my regret kept me from much anticipated intercourse +with the natives, and the formation of full vocabularies of their dialects.</p> +<p>I may add that all wearisome repetitions are as much as possible +avoided in the narrative; and, our movements and operations having previously +been given in a series of despatches, the attempt is now made to give +as fairly as possible just what would most strike any person of ordinary +intelligence in passing through the country. For the sake of the +freshness which usually attaches to first impressions, the Journal of +Charles Livingstone has been incorporated in the narrative; and many +remarks made by the natives, which ho put down at the moment of translation, +will convey to others the same ideas as they did to ourselves. +Some are no doubt trivial; but it is by the little acts and words of +every-day life that character is truly and best known. And doubtless +many will prefer to draw their own conclusions from them rather than +to be schooled by us.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER I.</h3> +<p>Arrival at the Zambesi—Rebel Warfare—Wild Animals—Shupanga—Hippopotamus +Hunters—The Makololo—Crocodiles.</p> +<p>The Expedition left England on the 10th of March, 1858, in Her Majesty’s +Colonial Steamer “Pearl,” commanded by Captain Duncan; and, +after enjoying the generous hospitality of our friends at Cape Town, +with the obliging attentions of Sir George Grey, and receiving on board +Mr. Francis Skead, R.N., as surveyor, we reached the East Coast in the +following May.</p> +<p>Our first object was to explore the Zambesi, its mouths and tributaries, +with a view to their being used as highways for commerce and Christianity +to pass into the vast interior of Africa. When we came within +five or six miles of the land, the yellowish-green tinge of the sea +in soundings was suddenly succeeded by muddy water with wrack, as of +a river in flood. The two colours did not intermingle, but the +line of contact was as sharply defined as when the ocean meets the land. +It was observed that under the wrack—consisting of reeds, sticks, +and leaves,—and even under floating cuttlefish bones and Portuguese +“men-of-war” (Physalia), numbers of small fish screen themselves +from the eyes of birds of prey, and from the rays of the torrid sun.</p> +<p>We entered the river Luawé first, because its entrance is +so smooth and deep, that the “Pearl,” drawing 9 feet 7 inches, +went in without a boat sounding ahead. A small steam launch having +been brought out from England in three sections on the deck of the “Pearl” +was hoisted out and screwed together at the anchorage, and with her +aid the exploration was commenced. She was called the “Ma +Robert,” after Mrs. Livingstone, to whom the natives, according +to their custom, gave the name Ma (mother) of her eldest son. +The harbour is deep, but shut in by mangrove swamps; and though the +water a few miles up is fresh, it is only a tidal river; for, after +ascending some seventy miles, it was found to end in marshes blocked +up with reeds and succulent aquatic plants. As the Luawé +had been called “West Luabo,” it was supposed to be a branch +of the Zambesi, the main stream of which is called “Luabo,” +or “East Luabo.” The “Ma Robert” and “Pearl” +then went to what proved to be a real mouth of the river we sought.</p> +<p>The Zambesi pours its waters into the ocean by four mouths, namely, +the Milambé, which is the most westerly, the Kongoné, +the Luabo, and the Timbwé (or Muselo). When the river is +in flood, a natural canal running parallel with the coast, and winding +very much among the swamps, forms a secret way for conveying slaves +from Quillimane to the bays Massangano and Nameara, or to the Zambesi +itself. The Kwakwa, or river of Quillimane, some sixty miles distant +from the mouth of the Zambesi, has long been represented as the principal +entrance to the Zambesi, in order, as the Portuguese now maintain, that +the English cruisers might be induced to watch the false mouth, while +slaves were quietly shipped from the true one; and, strange to say, +this error has lately been propagated by a map issued by the colonial +minister of Portugal.</p> +<p>After the examination of three branches by the able and energetic +surveyor, Francis Skead, R.N., the Kongoné was found to be the +best entrance. The immense amount of sand brought down by the +Zambesi has in the course of ages formed a sort of promontory, against +which the long swell of the Indian Ocean, beating during the prevailing +winds, has formed bars, which, acting against the waters of the delta, +may have led to their exit sideways. The Kongoné is one +of those lateral branches, and the safest; inasmuch as the bar has nearly +two fathoms on it at low water, and the rise at spring tides is from +twelve to fourteen feet. The bar is narrow, the passage nearly +straight, and, were it buoyed and a beacon placed on Pearl Island, would +always be safe to a steamer. When the wind is from the east or +north, the bar is smooth; if from the south and south-east, it has a +heavy break on it, and is not to be attempted in boats. A strong +current setting to the east when the tide is flowing, and to the west +when ebbing, may drag a boat or ship into the breakers. If one +is doubtful of his longitude and runs east, he will soon see the land +at Timbwé disappear away to the north; and coming west again, +he can easily make out East Luabo from its great size; and Kongoné +follows several miles west. East Luabo has a good but long bar, +and not to be attempted unless the wind be north-east or east. +It has sometimes been called “Barra Catrina,” and was used +in the embarkations of slaves. This may have been the “River +of Good Signs,” of Vasco da Gama, as the mouth is more easily +seen from the seaward than any other; but the absence of the pillar +dedicated by that navigator to “St. Raphael,” leaves the +matter in doubt. No Portuguese live within eighty miles of any +mouth of the Zambesi.</p> +<p>The Kongoné is five miles east of the Milambé, or western +branch, and seven miles west from East Luabo, which again is five miles +from the Timbwé. We saw but few natives, and these, by +escaping from their canoes into the mangrove thickets the moment they +caught sight of us, gave unmistakeable indications that they had no +very favourable opinion of white men. They were probably fugitives +from Portuguese slavery. In the grassy glades buffaloes, wart-hogs, +and three kinds of antelope were abundant, and the latter easily obtained. +A few hours’ hunting usually provided venison enough for a score +of men for several days.</p> +<p>On proceeding up the Kongoné branch it was found that, by +keeping well in the bends, which the current had worn deep, shoals were +easily avoided. The first twenty miles are straight and deep; +then a small and rather tortuous natural canal leads off to the right, +and, after about five miles, during which the paddles almost touch the +floating grass of the sides, ends in the broad Zambesi. The rest +of the Kongoné branch comes out of the main stream considerably +higher up as the outgoing branch called Doto.</p> +<p>The first twenty miles of the Kongoné are enclosed in mangrove +jungle; some of the trees are ornamented with orchilla weed, which appears +never to have been gathered. Huge ferns, palm bushes, and occasionally +wild date-palms peer out in the forest, which consists of different +species of mangroves; the bunches of bright yellow, though scarcely +edible fruit, contrasting prettily with the graceful green leaves. +In some spots the Milola, an umbrageous hibiscus, with large yellowish +flowers, grows in masses along the bank. Its bark is made into +cordage, and is especially valuable for the manufacture of ropes attached +to harpoons for killing the hippopotamus. The Pandanus or screw-palm, +from which sugar bags are made in the Mauritius, also appears, and on +coming out of the canal into the Zambesi many are so tall as in the +distance to remind us of the steeples of our native land, and make us +relish the remark of an old sailor, “that but one thing was wanting +to complete the picture, and that was a ‘grog-shop near the church.’” +We find also a few guava and lime-trees growing wild, but the natives +claim the crops. The dark woods resound with the lively and exultant +song of the kinghunter (<i>Halcyon striolata</i>), as he sits perched +on high among the trees. As the steamer moves on through the winding +channel, a pretty little heron or bright kingfisher darts out in alarm +from the edge of the bank, flies on ahead a short distance, and settles +quietly down to be again frightened off in a few seconds as we approach. +The magnificent fishhawk (<i>Halietus vocifer</i>) sits on the top of +a mangrove-tree, digesting his morning meal of fresh fish, and is clearly +unwilling to stir until the imminence of the danger compels him at last +to spread his great wings for flight. The glossy ibis, acute of +ear to a remarkable degree, hears from afar the unwonted sound of the +paddles, and, springing from the mud where his family has been quietly +feasting, is off, screaming out his loud, harsh, and defiant Ha! ha! +ha! long before the danger is near.</p> +<p>Several native huts now peep out from the bananas and cocoa-palms +on the right bank; they stand on piles a few feet above the low damp +ground, and their owners enter them by means of ladders. The soil +is wonderfully rich, and the gardens are really excellent. Rice +is cultivated largely; sweet potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, cabbages, +onions (shalots), peas, a little cotton, and sugar-cane are also raised. +It is said that English potatoes, when planted at Quillimane on soil +resembling this, in the course of two years become in taste like sweet +potatoes (<i>Convolvulus batatas</i>), and are like our potato frosted. +The whole of the fertile region extending from the Kongoné canal +to beyond Mazaro, some eighty miles in length, and fifty in breadth, +is admirably adapted for the growth of sugar-cane; and were it in the +hands of our friends at the Cape, would supply all Europe with sugar. +The remarkably few people seen appear to be tolerably well fed, but +there was a dearth of clothing among them; all were blacks, and nearly +all Portuguese “colonos” or serfs. They manifested +no fear of white men, and stood in groups on the bank gazing in astonishment +at the steamers, especially at the “Pearl,” which accompanied +us thus far up the river. One old man who came on board remarked +that never before had he seen any vessel so large as the “Pearl,” +it was like a village, “Was it made out of one tree?” +All were eager traders, and soon came off to the ship in light swift +canoes with every kind of fruit and food they possessed; a few brought +honey and beeswax, which are found in quantities in the mangrove forests. +As the ships steamed off, many anxious sellers ran along the bank, holding +up fowls, baskets of rice and meal, and shouting “Malonda, Malonda,” +“things for sale,” while others followed in canoes, which +they sent through the water with great velocity by means of short broad-bladed +paddles.</p> +<p>Finding the “Pearl’s” draught too great for that +part of the river near the island of Simbo, where the branch called +the Doto is given off to the Kongoné on the right bank, and another +named Chindé departs to the secret canal already mentioned on +the left, the goods belonging to the expedition were taken out of her, +and placed on one of the grassy islands about forty miles from the bar. +The “Pearl” then left us, and we had to part with our good +friends Duncan and Skead; the former for Ceylon, the latter to return +to his duties as Government Surveyor at the Cape.</p> +<p>Of those who eventually did the work of the expedition the majority +took a sober common-sense view of the enterprise in which we were engaged. +Some remained on Expedition Island from the 18th June until the 13th +August, while the launch and pinnace were carrying the goods up to Shupanga +and Senna. The country was in a state of war, our luggage was +in danger, and several of our party were exposed to disease from inactivity +in the malaria of the delta. Here some had their first introduction +to African life, and African fever. Those alone were safe who +were actively employed with the vessels, and of course, remembering +the perilous position of their fellows, they strained every nerve to +finish the work and take them away.</p> +<p>Large columns of smoke rose daily from different points of the horizon, +showing that the natives were burning off the immense crops of tall +grass, here a nuisance, however valuable elsewhere. A white cloud +was often observed to rest on the head of the column, as if a current +of hot damp air was sent up by the heat of the flames and its moisture +was condensed at the top. Rain did not follow, though theorists +have imagined that in such cases it ought.</p> +<p>Large game, buffaloes, and zebras, were abundant abreast the island, +but no men could be seen. On the mainland, over on the right bank +of the river, we were amused by the eccentric gyrations and evolutions +of flocks of small seed-eating birds, who in their flight wheeled into +compact columns with such military precision as to give us the impression +that they must be guided by a leader, and all directed by the same signal. +Several other kinds of small birds now go in flocks, and among others +the large Senegal swallow. The presence of this bird, being clearly +in a state of migration from the north, while the common swallow of +the country, and the brown kite are away beyond the equator, leads to +the conjecture that there may be a double migration, namely, of birds +from torrid climates to the more temperate, as this now is, as well +as from severe winters to sunny regions; but this could not be verified +by such birds of passage as ourselves.</p> +<p>On reaching Mazaro, the mouth of a narrow creek which in floods communicates +with the Quillimane river, we found that the Portuguese were at war +with a half-caste named Mariano <i>alias</i> Matakenya, from whom they +had generally fled, and who, having built a stockade near the mouth +of the Shiré, owned all the country between that river and Mazaro. +Mariano was best known by his native name Matakenya, which in their +tongue means “trembling,” or quivering as trees do in a +storm. He was a keen slave-hunter, and kept a large number of +men, well armed with muskets. It is an entire mistake to suppose +that the slave trade is one of buying and selling alone; or that engagements +can be made with labourers in Africa as they are in India; Mariano, +like other Portuguese, had no labour to spare. He had been in +the habit of sending out armed parties on slave-hunting forays among +the helpless tribes to the north-east, and carrying down the kidnapped +victims in chains to Quillimane, where they were sold by his brother-in-law +Cruz Coimbra, and shipped as “Free emigrants” to the French +island of Bourbon. So long as his robberies and murders were restricted +to the natives at a distance, the authorities did not interfere; but +his men, trained to deeds of violence and bloodshed in their slave forays, +naturally began to practise on the people nearer at hand, though belonging +to the Portuguese, and even in the village of Senna, under the guns +of the fort. A gentleman of the highest standing told us that, +while at dinner with his family, it was no uncommon event for a slave +to rush into the room pursued by one of Mariano’s men with spear +in hand to murder him.</p> +<p>The atrocities of this villain, aptly termed by the late governor +of Quillimane a “notorious robber and murderer,” became +at length intolerable. All the Portuguese spoke of him as a rare +monster of inhumanity. It is unaccountable why half-castes, such +as he, are so much more cruel than the Portuguese, but such is undoubtedly +the case.</p> +<p>It was asserted that one of his favourite modes of creating an impression +in the country, and making his name dreaded, was to spear his captives +with his own hands. On one occasion he is reported to have thus +killed forty poor wretches placed in a row before him. We did +not at first credit these statements, and thought that they were merely +exaggerations of the incensed Portuguese, who naturally enough were +exasperated with him for stopping their trade, and harbouring their +runaway slaves; but we learned afterwards from the natives, that the +accounts given us by the Portuguese had not exceeded the truth; and +that Mariano was quite as great a ruffian as they had described him. +One expects slave-owners to treat their human chattels as well as men +do other animals of value, but the slave-trade seems always to engender +an unreasoning ferocity, if not blood-thirstiness.</p> +<p>War was declared against Mariano, and a force sent to take him; he +resisted for a time; but seeing that he was likely to get the worst +of it, and knowing that the Portuguese governors have small salaries, +and are therefore “disposed to be reasonable,” he went down +to Quillimane to “arrange” with the Governor, as it is termed +here; but Colonel da Silva put him in prison, and then sent him for +trial to Mozambique. When we came into the country, his people +were fighting under his brother Bonga. The war had lasted six +months and stopped all trade on the river during that period. +On the 15th June we first came into contact with the “rebels.” +They appeared as a crowd of well-armed and fantastically-dressed people +under the trees at Mazaro. On explaining that we were English, +some at once came on board and called to those on shore to lay aside +their arms. On landing among them we saw that many had the branded +marks of slaves on their chests, but they warmly approved our objects, +and knew well the distinctive character of our nation on the slave question. +The shout at our departure contrasted strongly with the suspicious questioning +on our approach. Hence-forward we were recognized as friends by +both parties.</p> +<p>At a later period we were taking in wood within a mile of the scene +of action, but a dense fog prevented our hearing the noise of a battle +at Mazaro; and on arriving there, immediately after, many natives and +Portuguese appeared on the bank.</p> +<p>Dr. Livingstone, landing to salute some of his old friends among +the latter, found himself in the sickening smell, and among the mutilated +bodies of the slain; he was requested to take the Governor, who was +very ill of fever, across to Shupanga, and just as he gave his assent, +the rebels renewed the fight, and the balls began to whistle about in +all directions. After trying in vain to get some one to assist +the Governor down to the steamer, and unwilling to leave him in such +danger, as the officer sent to bring our Kroomen did not appear, he +went into the hut, and dragged along his Excellency to the ship. +He was a very tall man, and as he swayed hither and thither from weakness, +weighing down Dr. Livingstone, it must have appeared like one drunken +man helping another. Some of the Portuguese white soldiers stood +fighting with great bravery against the enemy in front, while a few +were coolly shooting at their own slaves for fleeing into the river +behind. The rebels soon retired, and the Portuguese escaped to +a sandbank in the Zambesi, and thence to an island opposite Shupanga, +where they lay for some weeks, looking at the rebels on the mainland +opposite. This state of inactivity on the part of the Portuguese +could not well be helped, as they had expended all their ammunition +and were waiting anxiously for supplies; hoping, no doubt sincerely, +that the enemy might not hear that their powder had failed. Luckily +their hopes were not disappointed; the rebels waited until a supply +came, and were then repulsed after three-and-a-half hours’ hard +fighting. Two months afterwards Mariano’s stockade was burned, +the garrison having fled in a panic; and as Bonga declared that he did +not wish to fight with this Governor, with whom he had no quarrel, the +war soon came to an end. His Excellency meanwhile, being a disciple +of Raspail, had taken nothing for the fever but a little camphor, and +after he was taken to Shupanga became comatose. More potent remedies +were administered to him, to his intense disgust, and he soon recovered. +The Colonel in attendance, whom he never afterwards forgave, encouraged +the treatment. “Give what is right; never mind him; he is +very (<i>muito</i>) impertinent:” and all night long, with every +draught of water the Colonel gave a quantity of quinine: the consequence +was, next morning the patient was cinchonized and better.</p> +<p>For sixty or seventy miles before reaching Mazaro, the scenery is +tame and uninteresting. On either hand is a dreary uninhabited +expanse, of the same level grassy plains, with merely a few trees to +relieve the painful monotony. The round green top of the stately +palm-tree looks at a distance, when its grey trunk cannot be seen, as +though hung in mid-air. Many flocks of busy sand-martins, which +here, and as far south as the Orange River, do not migrate, have perforated +the banks two or three feet horizontally, in order to place their nests +at the ends, and are now chasing on restless wing the myriads of tropical +insects. The broad river has many low islands, on which are seen +various kinds of waterfowl, such as geese, spoonbills, herons, and flamingoes. +Repulsive crocodiles, as with open jaws they sleep and bask in the sun +on the low banks, soon catch the sound of the revolving paddles and +glide quietly into the stream. The hippopotamus, having selected +some still reach of the river to spend the day, rises out of the bottom, +where he has been enjoying his morning bath after the labours of the +night on shore, blows a puff of spray from his nostrils, shakes the +water out of his ears, puts his enormous snout up straight and yawns, +sounding a loud alarm to the rest of the herd, with notes as of a monster +bassoon.</p> +<p>As we approach Mazaro the scenery improves. We see the well-wooded +Shupanga ridge stretching to the left, and in front blue hills rise +dimly far in the distance. There is no trade whatever on the Zambesi +below Mazaro. All the merchandise of Senna and Tette is brought +to that point in large canoes, and thence carried six miles across the +country on men’s heads to be reshipped on a small stream that +flows into the Kwakwa, or Quillimane river, which is entirely distinct +from the Zambesi. Only on rare occasions and during the highest +floods can canoes pass from the Zambesi to the Quillimane river through +the narrow natural canal <i>Mutu</i>. The natives of Maruru, or +the country around Mazaro, the word Mazaro meaning the “mouth +of the creek” Mutu, have a bad name among the Portuguese; they +are said to be expert thieves, and the merchants sometimes suffer from +their adroitness while the goods are in transit from one river to the +other. In general they are trained canoe-men, and man many of +the canoes that ply thence to Senna and Tette; their pay is small, and, +not trusting the traders, they must always have it before they start. +Africans being prone to assign plausible reasons for their conduct, +like white men in more enlightened lands, it is possible they may be +good-humouredly giving their reason for insisting on being invariably +paid in advance in the words of their favourite canoe-song, “Uachingeré, +Uachingeré Kalé,” “You cheated me of old;” +or, “Thou art slippery slippery truly.”</p> +<p>The Landeens or Zulus are lords of the right bank of the Zambesi; +and the Portuguese, by paying this fighting tribe a pretty heavy annual +tribute, practically admit this. Regularly every year come the +Zulus in force to Senna and Shupanga for the accustomed tribute. +The few wealthy merchants of Senna groan under the burden, for it falls +chiefly on them. They submit to pay annually 200 pieces of cloth, +of sixteen yards each, besides beads and brass wire, knowing that refusal +involves war, which might end in the loss of all they possess. +The Zulus appear to keep as sharp a look out on the Senna and Shupanga +people as ever landlord did on tenant; the more they cultivate, the +more tribute they have to pay. On asking some of them why they +did not endeavour to raise certain highly profitable products, we were +answered, “What’s the use of our cultivating any more than +we do? the Landeens would only come down on us for more tribute.”</p> +<p>In the forests of Shupanga the Mokundu-kundu tree abounds; its bright +yellow wood makes good boat-masts, and yields a strong bitter medicine +for fever; the Gunda-tree attains to an immense size; its timber is +hard, rather cross-grained, with masses of silica deposited in its substance; +the large canoes, capable of carrying three or four tons, are made of +its wood. For permission to cut these trees, a Portuguese gentleman +of Quillimane was paying the Zulus, in 1858, two hundred dollars a year, +and his successor now pays three hundred.</p> +<p>At Shupanga, a one-storied stone house stands on the prettiest site +on the river. In front a sloping lawn, with a fine mango orchard +at its southern end, leads down to the broad Zambesi, whose green islands +repose on the sunny bosom of the tranquil waters. Beyond, northwards, +lie vast fields and forests of palm and tropical trees, with the massive +mountain of Morambala towering amidst the white clouds; and further +away more distant hills appear in the blue horizon. This beautifully +situated house possesses a melancholy interest from having been associated +in a most mournful manner with the history of two English expeditions. +Here, in 1826, poor Kirkpatrick, of Captain Owen’s Surveying Expedition, +died of fever; and here, in 1862, died, of the same fatal disease, the +beloved wife of Dr. Livingstone. A hundred yards east of the house, +under a large Baobab-tree, far from their native land, both are buried.</p> +<p>The Shupanga-house was the head-quarters of the Governor during the +Mariano war. He told us that the province of Mosambique costs +the Home Government between 5000<i>l</i>. and 6000<i>l</i>. annually, +and East Africa yields no reward in return to the mother country. +We met there several other influential Portuguese. All seemed +friendly, and expressed their willingness to assist the expedition in +every way in their power; and better still, Colonel Nunes and Major +Sicard put their good-will into action, by cutting wood for the steamer +and sending men to help in unloading. It was observable that not +one of them knew anything about the Kongoné Mouth; all thought +that we had come in by the “Barra Catrina,” or East Luabo. +Dr. Kirk remained here a few weeks; and, besides exploring a small lake +twenty miles to the south-west, had the sole medical care of the sick +and wounded soldiers, for which valuable services he received the thanks +of the Portuguese Government. We wooded up at this place with +African ebony or black wood, and lignum vitæ; the latter tree +attains an immense size, sometimes as much as four feet in diameter; +our engineer, knowing what ebony and lignum vitæ cost at home, +said it made his heart sore to burn wood so valuable. Though botanically +different, they are extremely alike; the black wood as grown in some +districts is superior, and the lignum vitæ inferior in quality, +to these timbers brought from other countries. Caoutchouc, or +India-rubber, is found in abundance inland from Shupanga-house, and +calumba-root is plentiful in the district; indigo, in quantities, propagates +itself close to the banks of the Aver, and was probably at some time +cultivated, for manufactured indigo was once exported. The India-rubber +is made into balls for a game resembling “fives,” and calumba-root +is said to be used as a mordant for certain colours, but not as a dye +itself.</p> +<p>We started for Tette on the 17th August, 1858; the navigation was +rather difficult, the Zambesi from Shupanga to Senna being wide and +full of islands; our black pilot, John Scisssors, a serf, sometimes +took the wrong channel and ran us aground. Nothing abashed, he +would exclaim in an aggrieved tone, “This is not the path, it +is back yonder.” “Then why didn’t you go yonder +at first?” growled out our Kroomen, who had the work of getting +the vessel off. When they spoke roughly to poor Scissors, the +weak cringing slave-spirit came forth in, “Those men scold me +so, I am ready to run away.” This mode of finishing up an +engagement is not at all uncommon on the Zambesi; several cases occurred, +when we were on the river, of hired crews decamping with most of the +goods in their charge. If the trader cannot redress his own wrongs, +he has to endure them. The Landeens will not surrender a fugitive +slave, even to his master. One belonging to Mr. Azevedo fled, +and was, as a great favour only, returned after a present of much more +than his value.</p> +<p>We landed to wood at Shamoara, just below the confluence of the Shiré. +Its quartz hills are covered with trees and gigantic grasses; the buazé, +a small forest-tree, grows abundantly; it is a species of polygala; +its beautiful clusters of sweet-scented pinkish flowers perfume the +air with a rich fragrance; its seeds produce a fine drying oil, and +the bark of the smaller branches yields a fibre finer and stronger than +flax; with which the natives make their nets for fishing. Bonga, +the brother of the rebel Mariano, and now at the head of the revolted +natives, with some of his principal men came to see us, and were perfectly +friendly, though told of our having carried the sick Governor across +to Shupanga, and of our having cured him of fever. On our acquainting +Bonga with the object of the expedition, he remarked that we should +suffer no hindrance from his people in our good work. He sent +us a present of rice, two sheep, and a quantity of firewood. He +never tried to make any use of us in the strife; the other side showed +less confidence, by carefully cross-questioning our pilot whether we +had sold any powder to the enemy. We managed, however, to keep +on good terms with both rebels and Portuguese.</p> +<p>Senna is built on a low plain, on the right bank of the Zambesi, +with some pretty detached hills in the background; it is surrounded +by a stockade of living trees to protect its inhabitants from their +troublesome and rebellious neighbours. It contains a few large +houses, some ruins of others, and a weather-beaten cross, where once +stood a church; a mound shows the site of an ancient monastery, and +a mud fort by the river is so dilapidated, that cows were grazing peacefully +over its prostrate walls.</p> +<p>The few Senna merchants, having little or no trade in the village, +send parties of trusted slaves into the interior to hunt for and purchase +ivory. It is a dull place, and very conducive to sleep. +One is sure to take fever in Senna on the second day, if by chance one +escapes it on the first day of a sojourn there; but no place is entirely +bad. Senna has one redeeming feature: it is the native village +of the large-hearted and hospitable Senhor H. A. Ferrão. +The benevolence of this gentleman is unbounded. The poor black +stranger passing through the town goes to him almost as a matter of +course for food, and is never sent away hungry. In times of famine +the starving natives are fed by his generosity; hundreds of his own +people he never sees except on these occasions; and the only benefit +derived from being their master is, that they lean on him as a patriarchal +chief, and he has the satisfaction of settling their differences, and +of saving their lives in seasons of drought and scarcity.</p> +<p>Senhor Ferrão received us with his usual kindness, and gave +us a bountiful breakfast. During the day the principal men of +the place called, and were unanimously of opinion that the free natives +would willingly cultivate large quantities of cotton, could they find +purchasers. They had in former times exported largely both cotton +and cloth to Manica and even to Brazil. “On their own soil,” +they declared, “the natives are willing to labour and trade, provided +only they can do so to advantage: when it is for their interest, blacks +work very hard.” We often remarked subsequently that this +was the opinion of men of energy; and that all settlers of activity, +enterprise, and sober habits had become rich, while those who were much +addicted to lying on their backs smoking, invariably complained of the +laziness of the negroes, and were poor, proud, and despicable.</p> +<p>Beyond Pita lies the little island Nyamotobsi, where we met a small +fugitive tribe of hippopotamus hunters, who had been driven by war from +their own island in front. All were busy at work; some were making +gigantic baskets for grain, the men plaiting from the inside. +With the civility so common among them the chief ordered a mat to be +spread for us under a shed, and then showed us the weapon with which +they kill the hippopotamus; it is a short iron harpoon inserted in the +end of a long pole, but being intended to unship, it is made fast to +a strong cord of milola, or hibiscus, bark, which is wound closely round +the entire length of the shaft, and secured at its opposite end. +Two men in a swift canoe steal quietly down on the sleeping animal. +The bowman dashes the harpoon into the unconscious victim, while the +quick steersman sweeps the light craft back with his broad paddle; the +force of the blow separates the harpoon from its corded handle, which, +appearing on the surface, sometimes with an inflated bladder attached, +guides the hunters to where the wounded beast hides below until they +despatch it.</p> +<p>These hippopotamus hunters form a separate people, called Akombwi, +or Mapodzo, and rarely—the women it is said never—intermarry +with any other tribe. The reason for their keeping aloof from +certain of the natives on the Zambesi is obvious enough, some having +as great an abhorrence of hippopotamus meat as Mahomedans have of swine’s +flesh. Our pilot, Scissors, was one of this class; he would not +even cook his food in a pot which had contained hippopotamus meat, preferring +to go hungry till he could find another; and yet he traded eagerly in +the animal’s tusks, and ate with great relish the flesh of the +foul-feeding marabout. These hunters go out frequently on long +expeditions, taking in their canoes their wives and children, cooking-pots, +and sleeping-mats. When they reach a good game district, they +erect temporary huts on the bank, and there dry the meat they have killed. +They are rather a comely-looking race, with very black smooth skins, +and never disfigure themselves with the frightful ornaments of some +of the other tribes. The chief declined to sell a harpoon, because +they could not now get the milola bark from the coast on account of +Mariano’s war. He expressed some doubts about our being +children of the same Almighty Father, remarking that “they could +not become white, let them wash ever so much.” We made him +a present of a bit of cloth, and he very generously gave us in return +some fine fresh fish and Indian corn.</p> +<p>The heat of the weather steadily increases during this month (August), +and foggy mornings are now rare. A strong breeze ending in a gale +blows up stream every night. It came in the afternoon a few weeks +ago, then later, and at present its arrival is near midnight; it makes +our frail cabin-doors fly open before it, but continues only for a short +time, and is succeeded by a dead calm. Game becomes more abundant; +near our wooding-places we see herds of zebras, both Burchell’s +and the mountain variety, pallahs (<i>Antelope melampus</i>), waterbuck, +and wild hogs, with the spoor of buffaloes and elephants.</p> +<p>Shiramba Dembé, on the right bank, is deserted; a few old +iron guns show where a rebel stockade once stood; near the river above +this, stands a magnificent Baobab hollowed out into a good-sized hut, +with bark inside as well as without. The old oaks in Sherwood +Forest, when hollow, have the inside dead or rotten; but the Baobab, +though stripped of its bark outside, and hollowed to a cavity inside, +has the power of exuding new bark from its substance to both the outer +and inner surfaces; so, a hut made like that in the oak called the “Forest +Queen,” in Sherwood, would soon all be lined with bark.</p> +<p>The portions of the river called Shigogo and Shipanga are bordered +by a low level expanse of marshy country, with occasional clumps of +palm-trees and a few thorny acacias. The river itself spreads +out to a width of from three to four miles, with many islands, among +which it is difficult to navigate, except when the river is in flood. +In front, a range of high hills from the north-east crosses and compresses +it into a deep narrow channel, called the Lupata Gorge. The Portuguese +thought the steamer would not stem the current here; but as it was not +more than about three knots, and as there was a strong breeze in our +favour, steam and sails got her through with ease. Heavy-laden +canoes take two days to go up this pass. A current sweeps round +the little rocky promontories Chifura and Kangomba, forming whirlpools +and eddies dangerous for the clumsy craft, which are dragged past with +long ropes.</p> +<p>The paddlers place meal on these rocks as an offering to the turbulent +deities, which they believe preside over spots fatal to many a large +canoe. We were slily told that native Portuguese take off their +hats to these river gods, and pass in solemn silence; when safely beyond +the promontories, they fire muskets, and, as we ought to do, give the +canoe-men grog. From the spoor of buffaloes and elephants it appears +that these animals frequent Lupata in considerable numbers, and—we +have often observed the association—the tsetse fly is common. +A horse for the Governor of Tette was sent in a canoe from Quillimane; +and, lest it should be wrecked on the Chifura and Kangomba rocks, it +was put on shore and sent in the daytime through the pass. It +was of course bitten by the tsetse, and died soon after; it was thought +that the <i>air</i> of Tette had not agreed with it. The currents +above Lupata are stronger than those below; the country becomes more +picturesque and hilly, and there is a larger population.</p> +<p>The ship anchored in the stream, off Tette, on the 8th September, +1858, and Dr. Livingstone went ashore in the boat. No sooner did +the Makololo recognize him, than they rushed to the water’s edge, +and manifested great joy at seeing him again. Some were hastening +to embrace him, but others cried out, “Don’t touch him, +you will spoil his new clothes.” The five headmen came on +board and listened in quiet sadness to the story of poor Sekwebu, who +died at the Mauritius on his way to England. “Men die in +any country,” they observed, and then told us that thirty of their +own number had died of smallpox, having been bewitched by the people +of Tette, who envied them because, during the first year, none of their +party had died. Six of their young men, becoming tired of cutting +firewood for a meagre pittance, proposed to go and dance for gain before +some of the neighbouring chiefs. “Don’t go,” +said the others, “we don’t know the people of this country;” +but the young men set out and visited an independent half-caste chief, +a few miles to the north, named Chisaka, who some years ago burned all +the Portuguese villas on the north bank of the river; afterwards the +young men went to Bonga, son of another half-caste chief, who bade defiance +to the Tette authorities, and had a stockade at the confluence of the +Zambesi and Luenya, a few miles below that village. Asking the +Makololo whence they came, Bonga rejoined, “Why do you come from +my enemy to me? You have brought witchcraft medicine to kill me.” +In vain they protested that they did not belong to the country; they +were strangers, and had come from afar with an Englishman. The +superstitious savage put them all to death. “We do not grieve,” +said their companions, “for the thirty victims of the smallpox, +who were taken away by Morimo (God); but our hearts are sore for the +six youths who were murdered by Bonga.” Any hope of obtaining +justice on the murderer was out of the question. Bonga once caught +a captain of the Portuguese army, and forced him to perform the menial +labour of pounding maize in a wooden mortar. No punishment followed +on this outrage. The Government of Lisbon has since given Bonga +the honorary title of Captain, by way of coaxing him to own their authority; +but he still holds his stockade.</p> +<p>Tette stands on a succession of low sandstone ridges on the right +bank of the Zambesi, which is here nearly a thousand yards wide (960 +yards). Shallow ravines, running parallel with the river, form +the streets, the houses being built on the ridges. The whole surface +of the streets, except narrow footpaths, were overrun with self-sown +indigo, and tons of it might have been collected. In fact indigo, +senna, and stramonium, with a species of cassia, form the weeds of the +place, which are annually hoed off and burned. A wall of stone +and mud surrounds the village, and the native population live in huts +outside. The fort and the church, near the river, are the strongholds; +the natives having a salutary dread of the guns of the one, and a superstitious +fear of the unknown power of the other. The number of white inhabitants +is small, and rather select, many of them having been considerately +sent out of Portugal “for their country’s good.” +The military element preponderates in society; the convict and “incorrigible” +class of soldiers, receiving very little pay, depend in great measure +on the produce of the gardens of their black wives; the moral condition +of the resulting population may be imagined.</p> +<p>Droughts are of frequent occurrence at Tette, and the crops suffer +severely. This may arise partly from the position of the town +between the ranges of hills north and south, which appear to have a +strong attraction for the rain-clouds. It is often seen to rain +on these hills when not a drop falls at Tette. Our first season +was one of drought. Thrice had the women planted their gardens +in vain, the seed, after just vegetating, was killed by the intense +dry heat. A fourth planting shared the same hard fate, and then +some of the knowing ones discovered the cause of the clouds being frightened +away: our unlucky rain-gauge in the garden. We got a bad name +through that same rain-gauge, and were regarded by many as a species +of evil omen. The Makololo in turn blamed the people of Tette +for drought: “A number of witches live here, who won’t let +it rain.” Africans in general are sufficiently superstitious, +but those of Tette are in this particular pre-eminent above their fellows. +Coming from many different tribes, all the rays of the separate superstitions +converge into a focus at Tette, and burn out common sense from the minds +of the mixed breed. They believe that many evil spirits live in +the air, the earth, and the water. These invisible malicious beings +are thought to inflict much suffering on the human race; but, as they +have a weakness for beer and a craving for food, they may be propitiated +from time to time by offerings of meat and drink. The serpent +is an object of worship, and hideous little images are hung in the huts +of the sick and dying. The uncontaminated Africans believe that +Morungo, the Great Spirit who formed all things, lives above the stars; +but they never pray to him, and know nothing of their relation to him, +or of his interest in them. The spirits of their departed ancestors +are all good, according to their ideas, and on special occasions aid +them in their enterprises. When a man has his hair cut, he is +careful to burn it, or bury it secretly, lest, falling into the hands +of one who has an evil eye, or is a witch, it should be used as a charm +to afflict him with headache. They believe, too, that they will +live after the death of the body, but do not know anything of the state +of the Barimo (gods, or departed spirits).</p> +<p>The mango-tree grows luxuriantly above Lupata, and furnishes a grateful +shade. Its delicious fruit is superior to that on the coast. +For weeks the natives who have charge of the mangoes live entirely on +the fruit, and, as some trees bear in November and some in March, while +the main crop comes between, fruit in abundance may easily be obtained +during four months of the year; but no native can be induced to plant +a mango. A wide-spread superstition has become riveted in the +native mind, that if any one plants this tree he will soon die. +The Makololo, like other natives, were very fond of the fruit; but when +told to take up some mango-stones, on their return, and plant them in +their own country—they too having become deeply imbued with the +belief that it was a suicidal act to do so—replied “they +did not wish to die too soon.” There is also a superstition +even among the native Portuguese of Tette, that if a man plants coffee +he will never afterwards be happy: they drink it, however, and seem +the happier for it.</p> +<p>The Portuguese of Tette have many slaves, with all the usual vices +of their class, as theft, lying, and impurity. As a general rule +the real Portuguese are tolerably humane masters and rarely treat a +slave cruelly; this may be due as much to natural kindness of heart +as to a fear of losing the slaves by their running away. When +they purchase an adult slave they buy at the same time, if possible, +all his relations along with him. They thus contrive to secure +him to his new home by domestic ties. Running away then would +be to forsake all who hold a place in his heart, for the mere chance +of acquiring a freedom, which would probably be forfeited on his entrance +into the first native village, for the chief might, without compunction, +again sell him into slavery.</p> +<p>A rather singular case of voluntary slavery came to our knowledge: +a free black, an intelligent active young fellow, called Chibanti, who +had been our pilot on the river, told us that he had sold himself into +slavery. On asking why he had done this, he replied that he was +all alone in the world, had neither father nor mother, nor any one else +to give him water when sick, or food when hungry; so he sold himself +to Major Sicard, a notoriously kind master, whose slaves had little +to do, and plenty to eat. “And how much did you get for +yourself?” we asked. “Three thirty-yard pieces of +cotton cloth,” he replied; “and I forthwith bought a man, +a woman, and child, who cost me two of the pieces, and I had one piece +left.” This, at all events, showed a cool and calculating +spirit; he afterwards bought more slaves, and in two years owned a sufficient +number to man one of the large canoes. His master subsequently +employed him in carrying ivory to Quillimane, and gave him cloth to +hire mariners for the voyage; he took his own slaves, of course, and +thus drove a thriving business; and was fully convinced that he had +made a good speculation by the sale of himself, for had he been sick +his master must have supported him. Occasionally some of the free +blacks become slaves voluntarily by going through the simple but significant +ceremony of breaking a spear in the presence of their future master. +A Portuguese officer, since dead, persuaded one of the Makololo to remain +in Tette, instead of returning to his own country, and tried also to +induce him to break a spear before him, and thus acknowledge himself +his slave, but the man was too shrewd for this; he was a great elephant +doctor, who accompanied the hunters, told them when to attack the huge +beast, and gave them medicine to ensure success. Unlike the real +Portuguese, many of the half-castes are merciless slave-holders; their +brutal treatment of the wretched slaves is notorious. What a humane +native of Portugal once said of them is appropriate if not true: “God +made white men, and God made black men, but the devil made half-castes.”</p> +<p>The officers and merchants send parties of slaves under faithful +headmen to hunt elephants and to trade in ivory, providing them with +a certain quantity of cloth, beads, etc., and requiring so much ivory +in return. These slaves think that they have made a good thing +of it, when they kill an elephant near a village, as the natives give +them beer and meal in exchange for some of the elephant’s meat, +and over every tusk that is brought there is expended a vast amount +of time, talk, and beer. Most of the Africans are natural-born +traders, they love trade more for the sake of trading than for what +they make by it. An intelligent gentleman of Tette told us that +native traders often come to him with a tusk for sale, consider the +price he offers, demand more, talk over it, retire to consult about +it, and at length go away without selling it; next day they try another +merchant, talk, consider, get puzzled and go off as on the previous +day, and continue this course daily until they have perhaps seen every +merchant in the village, and then at last end by selling the precious +tusk to some one for even less than the first merchant had offered. +Their love of dawdling in the transaction arises from the self-importance +conferred on them by their being the object of the wheedling and coaxing +of eager merchants, a feeling to which even the love of gain is subordinate.</p> +<p>The native medical profession is reasonably well represented. +In addition to the regular practitioners, who are a really useful class, +and know something of their profession, and the nature and power of +certain medicines, there are others who devote their talents to some +speciality. The elephant doctor prepares a medicine which is considered +indispensable to the hunters when attacking that noble and sagacious +beast; no hunter is willing to venture out before investing in this +precious nostrum. The crocodile doctor sells a charm which is +believed to possess the singular virtue of protecting its owner from +crocodiles. Unwittingly we offended the crocodile school of medicine +while at Tette, by shooting one of these huge reptiles as it lay basking +in the sun on a sandbank; the doctors came to the Makololo in wrath, +clamouring to know why the white man had shot their crocodile.</p> +<p>A shark’s hook was baited one evening with a dog, of which +the crocodile is said to be particularly fond; but the doctors removed +the bait, on the principle that the more crocodiles the more demand +for medicine, or perhaps because they preferred to eat the dog themselves. +Many of the natives of this quarter are known, as in the South Seas, +to eat the dog without paying any attention to its feeding. The +dice doctor or diviner is an important member of the community, being +consulted by Portuguese and natives alike. Part of his business +is that of a detective, it being his duty to discover thieves. +When goods are stolen, he goes and looks at the place, casts his dice, +and waits a few days, and then, for a consideration, tells who is the +thief: he is generally correct, for he trusts not to his dice alone; +he has confidential agents all over the village, by whose inquiries +and information he is enabled to detect the culprit. Since the +introduction of muskets, gun doctors have sprung up, and they sell the +medicine which professes to make good marksmen; others are rain doctors, +etc., etc. The various schools deal in little charms, which are +hung round the purchaser’s neck to avert evil: some of them contain +the medicine, others increase its power.</p> +<p>Indigo, about three or four feet high, grows in great luxuriance +in the streets of Tette, and so does the senna plant. The leaves +are undistinguishable from those imported in England. A small +amount of first-rate cotton is cultivated by the native population for +the manufacture of a coarse cloth. A neighbouring tribe raises +the sugar-cane, and makes a little sugar; but they use most primitive +wooden rollers, and having no skill in mixing lime with the extracted +juice, the product is of course of very inferior quality. Plenty +of magnetic iron ore is found near Tette, and coal also to any amount; +a single cliff-seam measuring twenty-five feet in thickness. It +was found to burn well in the steamer on the first trial. Gold +is washed for in the beds of rivers, within a couple of days of Tette. +The natives are fully aware of its value, but seldom search for it, +and never dig deeper than four or five feet. They dread lest the +falling in of the sand of the river’s bed should bury them. +In former times, when traders went with hundreds of slaves to the washings, +the produce was considerable. It is now insignificant. The +gold-producing lands have always been in the hands of independent tribes. +Deep cuttings near the sources of the gold-yielding streams seem never +to have been tried here, as in California and Australia, nor has any +machinery been used save common wooden basins for washing.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER II.</h3> +<p>Kebrabasa Rapids—Tette—African fever—Exploration +of the Shiré—Discovery of Lake Shirwa.</p> +<p>Our curiosity had been so much excited by the reports we had heard +of the Kebrabasa rapids, that we resolved to make a short examination +of them, and seized the opportunity of the Zambesi being unusually low, +to endeavour to ascertain their character while uncovered by the water. +We reached them on the 9th of November. The country between Tette +and Panda Mokua, where navigation ends, is well wooded and hilly on +both banks. Panda Mokua is a hill two miles below the rapids, +capped with dolomite containing copper ore.</p> +<p>Conspicuous among the trees, for its gigantic size, and bark coloured +exactly like Egyptian syenite, is the burly Baobab. It often makes +the other trees of the forest look like mere bushes in comparison. +A hollow one, already mentioned, is 74 feet in circumference, another +was 84, and some have been found on the West Coast which measure 100 +feet. The lofty range of Kebrabasa, consisting chiefly of conical +hills, covered with scraggy trees, crosses the Zambesi, and confines +it within a narrow, rough, and rocky dell of about a quarter of a mile +in breadth; over this, which may be called the flood-bed of the river, +large masses of rock are huddled in indescribable confusion. The +drawing, for the use of which, and of others, our thanks are due to +Lord Russell, conveys but a faint idea of the scene, inasmuch as the +hills which confine the river do not appear in the sketch. The +chief rock is syenite, some portions of which have a beautiful blue +tinge like <i>lapis lazuli</i> diffused through them; others are grey. +Blocks of granite also abound, of a pinkish tinge; and these with metamorphic +rocks, contorted, twisted, and thrown into every conceivable position, +afford a picture of dislocation or unconformability which would gladden +a geological lecturer’s heart; but at high flood this rough channel +is all smoothed over, and it then conforms well with the river below +it, which is half a mile wide. In the dry season the stream runs +at the bottom of a narrow and deep groove, whose sides are polished +and fluted by the boiling action of the water in flood, like the rims +of ancient Eastern wells by the draw-ropes. The breadth of the +groove is often not more than from forty to sixty yards, and it has +some sharp turnings, double channels, and little cataracts in it. +As we steamed up, the masts of the “Ma Robert,” though some +thirty feet high, did not reach the level of the flood-channel above, +and the man in the chains sung out, “No bottom at ten fathoms.” +Huge pot-holes, as large as draw-wells, had been worn in the sides, +and were so deep that in some instances, when protected from the sun +by overhanging boulders, the water in them was quite cool. Some +of these holes had been worn right through, and only the side next the +rock remained; while the sides of the groove of the flood-channel were +polished as smooth as if they had gone through the granite-mills of +Aberdeen. The pressure of the water must be enormous to produce +this polish. It had wedged round pebbles into chinks and crannies +of the rocks so firmly that, though they looked quite loose, they could +not be moved except with a hammer. The mighty power of the water +here seen gave us an idea of what is going on in thousands of cataracts +in the world. All the information we had been able to obtain from +our Portuguese friends amounted to this, that some three or four detached +rocks jutted out of the river in Kebrabasa, which, though dangerous +to the cumbersome native canoes, could be easily passed by a steamer, +and that if one or two of these obstructions were blasted away with +gunpowder, no difficulty would hereafter be experienced. After +we had painfully explored seven or eight miles of the rapid, we returned +to the vessel satisfied that much greater labour was requisite for the +mere examination of the cataracts than our friends supposed necessary +to remove them; we therefore went down the river for fresh supplies, +and made preparation for a more serious survey of this region.</p> +<p>The steamer having returned from the bar, we set out on the 22nd +of November to examine the rapids of Kebrabasa. We reached the +foot of the hills again, late in the afternoon of the 24th, and anchored +in the stream. Canoe-men never sleep on the river, but always +spend the night on shore. The natives on the right bank, in the +country called Shidima, who are Banyai, and even at this short distance +from Tette, independent, and accustomed to lord it over Portuguese traders, +wondered what could be our object in remaining afloat, and were naturally +suspicious at our departing from the universal custom.</p> +<p>They hailed us from the bank in the evening with “Why don’t +you come and sleep onshore like other people?”</p> +<p>The answer they received from our Makololo, who now felt as independent +as the Banyai, was, “We are held to the bottom with iron; you +may see we are not like your Bazungu.”</p> +<p>This hint, a little amplified, saved us from the usual exactions. +It is pleasant to give a present, but that pleasure the Banyai usually +deny to strangers by making it a fine, and demanding it in such a supercilious +way, that only a sorely cowed trader could bear it. They often +refuse to touch what is offered—throw it down and leave it—sneer +at the trader’s slaves, and refuse a passage until the tribute +is raised to the utmost extent of his means.</p> +<p>Leaving the steamer next morning, we proceeded on foot, accompanied +by a native Portuguese and his men and a dozen Makololo, who carried +our baggage. The morning was pleasant, the hills on our right +furnished for a time a delightful shade; but before long the path grew +frightfully rough, and the hills no longer shielded us from the blazing +sun. Scarcely a vestige of a track was now visible; and, indeed, +had not our guide assured us to the contrary, we should have been innocent +of even the suspicion of a way along the patches of soft yielding sand, +and on the great rocks over which we so painfully clambered. These +rocks have a singular appearance, from being dislocated and twisted +in every direction, and covered with a thin black glaze, as if highly +polished and coated with lamp-black varnish. This seems to have +been deposited while the river was in flood, for it covers only those +rocks which lie between the highest water-mark and a line about four +feet above the lowest. Travellers who have visited the rapids +of the Orinoco and the Congo say that the rocks there have a similar +appearance, and it is attributed to some deposit from the water, formed +only when the current is strong. This may account for it in part +here, as it prevails only where the narrow river is confined between +masses of rock, backed by high hills, and where the current in floods +is known to be the strongest; and it does not exist where the rocks +are only on one side, with a sandy beach opposite, and a broad expanse +of river between. The hot rocks burnt the thick soles of our men’s +feet, and sorely fatigued ourselves. Our first day’s march +did not exceed four miles in a straight line, and that we found more +than enough to be pleasant.</p> +<p>The state of insecurity in which the Badèma tribe live is +indicated by the habit of hiding their provisions in the hills, and +keeping only a small quantity in their huts; they strip a particular +species of tree of its bitter bark, to which both mice and monkeys are +known to have an antipathy, and, turning the bark inside out, sew it +into cylindrical vessels for their grain, and bury them in holes and +in crags on the wooded hill-sides. By this means, should a marauding +party plunder their huts, they save a supply of corn. They “could +give us no information, and they had no food; Chisaka’s men had +robbed them a few weeks before.”</p> +<p>“Never mind,” said our native Portuguese, “they +will sell you plenty when you return, they are afraid of you now, as +yet they do not know who you are.” We slept under trees +in the open air, and suffered no inconvenience from either mosquitoes +or dew: and no prowling wild beast troubled us; though one evening, +while we were here, a native sitting with some others on the opposite +bank was killed by a leopard.</p> +<p>One of the Tette slaves, who wished to be considered a great traveller, +gave us, as we sat by our evening fire, an interesting account of a +strange race of men whom he had seen in the interior; they were only +three feet high, and had horns growing out of their heads; they lived +in a large town and had plenty of food. The Makololo pooh-poohed +this story, and roundly told the narrator that he was telling a downright +lie. “<i>We</i> come from the interior,” cried out +a tall fellow, measuring some six feet four, “are <i>we</i> dwarfs? +have <i>we</i> horns on our heads?” and thus they laughed the +fellow to scorn. But he still stoutly maintained that he had seen +these little people, and had actually been in their town; thus making +himself the hero of the traditional story, which before and since the +time of Herodotus has, with curious persistency, clung to the native +mind. The mere fact that such absurd notions are permanent, even +in the entire absence of literature, invests the religious ideas of +these people also with importance, as fragments of the wreck of the +primitive faith floating down the stream of time.</p> +<p>We waded across the rapid Luia, which took us up to the waist, and +was about forty yards wide. The water was discoloured at the time, +and we were not without apprehension that a crocodile might chance to +fancy a white man for dinner. Next day one of the men crawled +over the black rocks to within ten yards of a sleeping hippopotamus, +and shot him through the brain. The weather being warm, the body +floated in a few hours, and some of us had our first trial of hippopotamus +flesh. It is a cross-grained meat, something between pork and +beef,—pretty good food when one is hungry and can get nothing +better. When we reached the foot of the mountain named Chipereziwa, +whose perpendicular rocky sides are clothed with many-coloured lichens, +our Portuguese companion informed us there were no more obstructions +to navigation, the river being all smooth above; he had hunted there +and knew it well. Supposing that the object of our trip was accomplished +we turned back; but two natives, who came to our camp at night, assured +us that a cataract, called Morumbwa, did still exist in front. +Drs. Livingstone and Kirk then decided to go forward with three +Makololo and settle the question for themselves. It was as tough +a bit of travel as they ever had in Africa, and after some painful marching +the Badèma guides refused to go further; “the Banyai,” +they said, “would be angry if they showed white men the country; +and there was besides no practicable approach to the spot, neither elephant, +nor hippopotamus, nor even a crocodile could reach the cataract.” +The slopes of the mountains on each side of the river, now not 300 yards +wide, and without the flattish flood-channel and groove, were more than +3000 feet from the sky-line down, and were covered either with dense +thornbush or huge black boulders; this deep trough-like shape caused +the sun’s rays to converge as into a focus, making the surface +so hot that the soles of the feet of the Makololo became blistered. +Around, and up and down, the party clambered among these heated blocks, +at a pace not exceeding a mile an hour; the strain upon the muscles +in jumping from crag to boulder, and wriggling round projections, took +an enormous deal out of them, and they were often glad to cower in the +shadow formed by one rock overhanging and resting on another; the shelter +induced the peculiarly strong and overpowering inclination to sleep, +which too much sun sometimes causes. This sleep is curative of +what may be incipient sunstroke: in its first gentle touches, it caused +the dream to flit over the boiling brain, that they had become lunatics +and had been sworn in as members of the Alpine club; and then it became +so heavy that it made them feel as if a portion of existence had been +cut out from their lives. The sun is excessively hot, and feels +sharp in Africa; but, probably from the greater dryness of the atmosphere, +we never heard of a single case of sunstroke, so common in India. +The Makololo told Dr. Livingstone they “always thought he had +a heart, but now they believed he had none,” and tried to persuade +Dr. Kirk to return, on the ground that it must be evident that, in attempting +to go where no living foot could tread, his leader had given unmistakeable +signs of having gone mad. All their efforts of persuasion, however, +were lost upon Dr. Kirk, as he had not yet learned their language, and +his leader, knowing his companion to be equally anxious with himself +to solve the problem of the navigableness of Kebrabasa, was not at pains +to enlighten him. At one part a bare mountain spur barred the +way, and had to be surmounted by a perilous and circuitous route, along +which the crags were so hot that it was scarcely possible for the hand +to hold on long enough to ensure safety in the passage; and had the +foremost of the party lost his hold, he would have hurled all behind +him into the river at the foot of the promontory; yet in this wild hot +region, as they descended again to the river, they met a fisherman casting +his hand-net into the boiling eddies, and he pointed out the cataract +of Morumbwa; within an hour they were trying to measure it from an overhanging +rock, at a height of about one hundred feet. When you stand facing +the cataract, on the north bank, you see that it is situated in a sudden +bend of the river, which is flowing in a short curve; the river above +it is jammed between two mountains in a channel with perpendicular sides, +and less than fifty yards wide; one or two masses of rock jut out, and +then there is a sloping fall of perhaps twenty feet in a distance of +thirty yards. It would stop all navigation, except during the +highest floods; the rocks showed that the water then rises upwards of +eighty feet perpendicularly.</p> +<p>Still keeping the position facing the cataract, on its right side +rises Mount Morumbwa from 2000 to 3000 feet high, which gives the name +to the spot. On the left of the cataract stands a noticeable mountain +which may be called onion-shaped, for it is partly conical and a large +concave flake has peeled off, as granite often does, and left a broad, +smooth convex face as if it were an enormous bulb. These two mountains +extend their bases northwards about half a mile, and the river in that +distance, still very narrow, is smooth, with a few detached rocks standing +out from its bed. They climbed as high up the base of Mount Morumbwa, +which touches the cataract, as they required. The rocks were all +water-worn and smooth, with huge potholes, even at 100 feet above low +water. When at a later period they climbed up the north-western +base of this same mountain, the familiar face of the onion-shaped one +opposite was at once recognised; one point of view on the talus of Mount +Morumbwa was not more than 700 or 800 yards distant from the other, +and they then completed the survey of Kebrabasa from end to end.</p> +<p>They did not attempt to return by the way they came, but scaled the +slope of the mountain on the north. It took them three hours’ +hard labour in cutting their way up through the dense thornbush which +covered the ascent. The face of the slope was often about an angle +of 70 degrees, yet their guide Shokumbenla, whose hard, horny soles, +resembling those of elephants, showed that he was accustomed to this +rough and hot work, carried a pot of water for them nearly all the way +up. They slept that night at a well in a tufaceous rock on the +N.W. of Chipereziwa, and never was sleep more sweet.</p> +<p>A band of native musicians came to our camp one evening, on our own +way down, and treated us with their wild and not unpleasant music on +the Marimba, an instrument formed of bars of hard wood of varying breadth +and thickness, laid on different-sized hollow calabashes, and tuned +to give the notes; a few pieces of cloth pleased them, and they passed +on.</p> +<p>The rainy season of Tette differs a little from that of some of the +other intertropical regions; the quantity of rain-fall being considerably +less. It begins in November and ends in April. During our +first season in that place, only a little over nineteen inches of rain +fell. In an average year, and when the crops are good, the fall +amounts to about thirty-five inches. On many days it does not +rain at all, and rarely is it wet all day; some days have merely a passing +shower, preceded and followed by hot sunshine; occasionally an interval +of a week, or even a fortnight, passes without a drop of rain, and then +the crops suffer from the sun. These partial droughts happen in +December and January. The heat appears to increase to a certain +point in the different latitudes so as to necessitate a change, by some +law similar to that which regulates the intense cold in other countries. +After several days of progressive heat here, on the hottest of which +the thermometer probably reaches 103 degrees in the shade, a break occurs +in the weather, and a thunderstorm cools the air for a time. At +Kuruman, when the thermometer stood above 84 degrees, rain might be +expected; at Kolobeng, the point at which we looked for a storm was +96 degrees. The Zambesi is in flood twice in the course of the +year; the first flood, a partial one, attains its greatest height about +the end of December or beginning of January; the second, and greatest, +occurs after the river inundates the interior, in a manner similar to +the overflow of the Nile, this rise not taking place at Tette until +March. The Portuguese say that the greatest height which the March +floods attain is thirty feet at Tette, and this happens only about every +fourth year; their observations, however, have never been very accurate +on anything but ivory, and they have in this case trusted to memory +alone. The only fluviometer at Tette, or anywhere else on the +river, was set up at our suggestion; and the first flood was at its +greatest height of thirteen feet six inches on the 17th January, 1859, +and then gradually fell a few feet, until succeeded by the greater flood +of March. The river rises suddenly, the water is highly discoloured +and impure, and there is a four-knot current in many places; but in +a day or two after the first rush of waters is passed, the current becomes +more equally spread over the whole bed of the river, and resumes its +usual rate in the channel, although continuing in flood. The Zambesi +water at other times is almost chemically pure, and the photographer +would find that it is nearly as good as distilled water for the nitrate +of silver bath.</p> +<p>A third visit to Kebrabasa was made for the purpose of ascertaining +whether it might be navigable when the Zambesi was in flood, the chief +point of interest being of course Morumbwa; it was found that the rapids +observed in our first trip had disappeared, and that while they were +smoothed over, in a few places the current had increased in strength. +As the river fell rapidly while we were on the journey, the cataract +of Morumbwa did not differ materially from what it was when discovered. +Some fishermen assured us that it was not visible when the river was +at its fullest, and that the current was then not very strong. +On this occasion we travelled on the right bank, and found it, with +the additional inconvenience of rain, as rough and fatiguing as the +left had been. Our progress was impeded by the tall wet grass +and dripping boughs, and consequent fever. During the earlier +part of the journey we came upon a few deserted hamlets only; but at +last in a pleasant valley we met some of the people of the country, +who were miserably poor and hungry. The women were gathering wild +fruits in the woods. A young man having consented for two yards +of cotton cloth to show us a short path to the cataract led us up a +steep hill to a village perched on the edge of one of its precipices; +a thunderstorm coming on at the time, the headman invited us to take +shelter in a hut until it had passed. Our guide having informed +him of what he knew and conceived to be our object, was favoured in +return with a long reply in well-sounding blank verse; at the end of +every line the guide, who listened with deep attention, responded with +a grunt, which soon became so ludicrous that our men burst into a loud +laugh. Neither the poet nor the responsive guide took the slightest +notice of their rudeness, but kept on as energetically as ever to the +end. The speech, or more probably our bad manners, made some impression +on our guide, for he declined, although offered double pay, to go any +further.</p> +<p>A great deal of fever comes in with March and April; in March, if +considerable intervals take place between the rainy days, and in April +always, for then large surfaces of mud and decaying vegetation are exposed +to the hot sun. In general an attack does not continue long, but +it pulls one down quickly; though when the fever is checked the strength +is as quickly restored. It had long been observed that those who +were stationed for any length of time in one spot, and lived sedentary +lives, suffered more from fever than others who moved about and had +both mind and body occupied; but we could not all go in the small vessel +when she made her trips, during which the change of place and scenery +proved so conducive to health; and some of us were obliged to remain +in charge of the expedition’s property, making occasional branch +trips to examine objects of interest in the vicinity. Whatever +may be the cause of the fever, we observed that all were often affected +at the same time, as if from malaria. This was particularly the +case during a north wind: it was at first commonly believed that a daily +dose of quinine would prevent the attack. For a number of months +all our men, except two, took quinine regularly every morning. +The fever some times attacked the believers in quinine, while the unbelievers +in its prophylactic powers escaped. Whether we took it daily, +or omitted it altogether for months, made no difference; the fever was +impartial, and seized us on the days of quinine as regularly and as +severely as when it remained undisturbed in the medicine chest, and +we finally abandoned the use of it as a prophylactic altogether. +The best preventive against fever is plenty of interesting work to do, +and abundance of wholesome food to eat. To a man well housed and +clothed, who enjoys these advantages, the fever at Tette will not prove +a more formidable enemy than a common cold; but let one of these be +wanting—let him be indolent, or guilty of excesses in eating or +drinking, or have poor, scanty fare,—and the fever will probably +become a more serious matter. It is of a milder type at Tette +than at Quillimane or on the low sea-coast; and, as in this part of +Africa one is as liable to fever as to colds in England, it would be +advisable for strangers always to hasten from the coast to the high +lands, in order that when the seizure does take place, it may be of +the mildest type. Although quinine was not found to be a preventive, +except possibly in the way of acting as a tonic, and rendering the system +more able to resist the influence of malaria, it was found invaluable +in the cure of the complaint, as soon as pains in the back, sore bones, +headache, yawning, quick and sometimes intermittent pulse, noticeable +pulsations of the jugulars, with suffused eyes, hot skin, and foul tongue, +began. <a name="citation1"></a><a href="#footnote1">{1}</a></p> +<p>Very curious are the effects of African fever on certain minds. +Cheerfulness vanishes, and the whole mental horizon is overcast with +black clouds of gloom and sadness. The liveliest joke cannot provoke +even the semblance of a smile. The countenance is grave, the eyes +suffused, and the few utterances are made in the piping voice of a wailing +infant. An irritable temper is often the first symptom of approaching +fever. At such times a man feels very much like a fool, if he +does not act like one. Nothing is right, nothing pleases the fever-stricken +victim. He is peevish, prone to find fault and to contradict, +and think himself insulted, and is exactly what an Irish naval surgeon +before a court-martial defined a drunken man to be: “a man unfit +for society.”</p> +<p>Finding that it was impossible to take our steamer of only ten-horse +power through Kebrabasa, and convinced that, in order to force a passage +when the river was in flood, much greater power was required, due information +was forwarded to Her Majesty’s Government, and application made +for a more suitable vessel. Our attention was in the mean time +turned to the exploration of the river Shiré, a northern tributary +of the Zambesi, which joins it about a hundred miles from the sea. +We could learn nothing satisfactory from the Portuguese regarding this +affluent; no one, they said, had ever been up it, nor could they tell +whence it came. Years ago a Portuguese expedition is said, however, +to have attempted the ascent, but to have abandoned it on account of +the impenetrable duckweed (<i>Pistia stratiotes</i>.) We could +not learn from any record that the Shiré had ever been ascended +by Europeans. As far, therefore, as we were concerned, the exploration +was absolutely new. All the Portuguese believed the Manganja to +be brave but bloodthirsty savages; and on our return we found that soon +after our departure a report was widely spread that our temerity had +been followed by fatal results, Dr. Livingstone having been shot, and +Dr. Kirk mortally wounded by poisoned arrows.</p> +<p>Our first trip to the Shiré was in January, 1859. A +considerable quantity of weed floated down the river for the first twenty-five +miles, but not sufficient to interrupt navigation with canoes or with +any other craft. Nearly the whole of this aquatic plant proceeds +from a marsh on the west, and comes into the river a little beyond a +lofty hill called Mount Morambala. Above that there is hardly +any. As we approached the villages, the natives collected in large +numbers, armed with bows and poisoned arrows; and some, dodging behind +trees, were observed taking aim as if on the point of shooting. +All the women had been sent out of the way, and the men were evidently +prepared to resist aggression. At the village of a chief named +Tingané, at least five hundred natives collected and ordered +us to stop. Dr. Livingstone went ashore; and on his explaining +that we were English and had come neither to take slaves nor to fight, +but only to open a path by which our countrymen might follow to purchase +cotton, or whatever else they might have to sell, except slaves, Tingané +became at once quite friendly. The presence of the steamer, which +showed that they had an entirely new people to deal with, probably contributed +to this result; for Tingané was notorious for being the barrier +to all intercourse between the Portuguese black traders and the natives +further inland; none were allowed to pass him either way. He was +an elderly, well-made man, grey-headed, and over six feet high. +Though somewhat excited by our presence, he readily complied with the +request to call his people together, in order that all might know what +our objects were.</p> +<p>In commencing intercourse with any people we almost always referred +to the English detestation of slavery. Most of them already possess +some information respecting the efforts made by the English at sea to +suppress the slave-trade; and our work being to induce them to raise +and sell cotton, instead of capturing and selling their fellow-men, +our errand appears quite natural; and as they all have clear ideas of +their own self-interest, and are keen traders, the reasonableness of +the proposal is at once admitted; and as a belief in a Supreme Being, +the Maker and Ruler of all things, and in the continued existence of +departed spirits, is universal, it becomes quite appropriate to explain +that we possess a Book containing a Revelation of the will of Him to +whom in their natural state they recognise no relationship. The +fact that His Son appeared among men, and left His words in His Book, +always awakens attention; but the great difficulty is to make them feel +that they have any relationship to Him, and that He feels any interest +in them. The numbness of moral perception exhibited, is often +discouraging; but the mode of communication, either by interpreters, +or by the imperfect knowledge of the language, which not even missionaries +of talent can overcome save by the labour of many years, may, in part, +account for the phenomenon. However, the idea of the Father of +all being displeased with His children, for selling or killing each +other, at once gains their ready assent: it harmonizes so exactly with +their own ideas of right and wrong. But, as in our own case at +home, nothing less than the instruction and example of many years will +secure their moral elevation.</p> +<p>The dialect spoken here closely resembles that used at Senna and +Tette. We understood it at first only enough to know whether our +interpreter was saying what we bade him, or was indulging in his own +version. After stating pretty nearly what he was told, he had +an inveterate tendency to wind up with “The Book says you are +to grow cotton, and the English are to come and buy it,” or with +some joke of his own, which might have been ludicrous, had it not been +seriously distressing.</p> +<p>In the first ascent of the Shiré our attention was chiefly +directed to the river itself. The delight of threading out the +meanderings of upwards of 200 miles of a hitherto unexplored river must +be felt to be appreciated. All the lower part of the river was +found to be at least two fathoms in depth. It became shallower +higher up, where many departing and re-entering branches diminished +the volume of water, but the absence of sandbanks made it easy of navigation. +We had to exercise the greatest care lest anything we did should be +misconstrued by the crowds who watched us. After having made, +in a straight line, one hundred miles, although the windings of the +river had fully doubled the distance, we found further progress with +the steamer arrested, in 15 degrees 55 minutes south, by magnificent +cataracts, which we called, “The Murchison,” after one whose +name has already a world-wide fame, and whose generous kindness we can +never repay. The native name of that figured in the woodcut is +Mamvira. It is that at which the progress of the steamer was first +stopped. The angle of descent is much smaller than that of the +five cataracts above it; indeed, so small as compared with them, that +after they were discovered this was not included in the number.</p> +<p>A few days were spent here in the hope that there might be an opportunity +of taking observations for longitude, but it rained most of the time, +or the sky was overcast. It was deemed imprudent to risk a land +journey whilst the natives were so very suspicious as to have a strong +guard on the banks of the river night and day; the weather also was +unfavourable. After sending presents and messages to two of the +chiefs, we returned to Tette. In going down stream our progress +was rapid, as we were aided by the current. The hippopotami never +made a mistake, but got out of our way. The crocodiles, not so +wise, sometimes rushed with great velocity at us, thinking that we were +some huge animal swimming. They kept about a foot from the surface, +but made three well-defined ripples from the feet and body, which marked +their rapid progress; raising the head out of the water when only a +few yards from the expected feast, down they went to the bottom like +a stone, without touching the boat.</p> +<p>In the middle of March of the same year (1859), we started again +for a second trip on the Shiré. The natives were now friendly, +and readily sold us rice, fowls, and corn. We entered into amicable +relations with the chief, Chibisa, whose village was about ten miles +below the cataract. He had sent two men on our first visit to +invite us to drink beer; but the steamer was such a terrible apparition +to them, that, after shouting the invitation, they jumped ashore, and +left their canoe to drift down the stream. Chibisa was a remarkably +shrewd man, the very image, save his dark hue, of one of our most celebrated +London actors, <a name="citation2"></a><a href="#footnote2">{2}</a> +and the most intelligent chief, by far, in this quarter. A great +deal of fighting had fallen to his lot, he said; but it was always others +who began; he was invariably in the right, and they alone were to blame. +He was moreover a firm believer in the divine right of kings. +He was an ordinary man, he said, when his father died, and left him +the chieftainship; but directly he succeeded to the high office, he +was conscious of power passing into his head, and down his back; he +felt it enter, and knew that he was a chief, clothed with authority, +and possessed of wisdom; and people then began to fear and reverence +him. He mentioned this, as one would a fact of natural history, +any doubt being quite out of the question. His people, too, believed +in him, for they bathed in the river without the slightest fear of crocodiles, +the chief having placed a powerful medicine there, which protected them +from the bite of these terrible reptiles.</p> +<p>Leaving the vessel opposite Chibisa’s village, Drs. Livingstone +and Kirk and a number of the Makololo started on foot for Lake Shirwa. +They travelled in a northerly direction over a mountainous country. +The people were far from being well-disposed to them, and some of their +guides tried to mislead them, and could not be trusted. Masakasa, +a Makololo headman, overheard some remarks which satisfied him that +the guide was leading them into trouble. He was quiet till they +reached a lonely spot, when he came up to Dr. Livingstone, and said, +“That fellow is bad, he is taking us into mischief; my spear is +sharp, and there is no one here; shall I cast him into the long grass?” +Had the Doctor given the slightest token of assent, or even kept silence, +never more would any one have been led by that guide, for in a twinkling +he would have been where “the wicked cease from troubling.” +It was afterwards found that in this case there was no treachery at +all, but a want of knowledge on their part of the language and of the +country. They asked to be led to “Nyanja Mukulu,” +or Great Lake, meaning, by this, Lake Shirwa; and the guide took them +round a terribly rough piece of mountainous country, gradually edging +away towards a long marsh, which from the numbers of those animals we +had seen there we had called the Elephant Marsh, but which was really +the place known to him by the name “Nyanja Mukulu,” or Great +Lake. Nyanja or Nyanza means, generally, a marsh, lake, river, +or even a mere rivulet.</p> +<p>The party pushed on at last without guides, or only with crazy ones; +for, oddly enough, they were often under great obligations to the madmen +of the different villages: one of these honoured them, as they slept +in the open air, by dancing and singing at their feet the whole night. +These poor fellows sympathized with the explorers, probably in the belief +that they belonged to their own class; and, uninfluenced by the general +opinion of their countrymen, they really pitied, and took kindly to +the strangers, and often guided them faithfully from place to place, +when no sane man could be hired for love or money.</p> +<p>The bearing of the Manganja at this time was very independent; a +striking contrast to the cringing attitude they afterwards assumed, +when the cruel scourge of slave-hunting passed over their country. +Signals were given from the different villages by means of drums, and +notes of defiance and intimidation were sounded in the travellers’ +ears by day; and occasionally they were kept awake the whole night, +in expectation of an instant attack. Drs. Livingstone and Kirk +were desirous that nothing should occur to make the natives regard them +as enemies; Masakasa, on the other hand, was anxious to show what he +could do in the way of fighting them.</p> +<p>The perseverance of the party was finally crowned with success; for +on the 18th of April they discovered Lake Shirwa, a considerable body +of bitter water, containing leeches, fish, crocodiles, and hippopotami. +From having probably no outlet, the water is slightly brackish, and +it appears to be deep, with islands like hills rising out of it. +Their point of view was at the base of Mount Pirimiti or Mopeu-peu, +on its S.S.W. side. Thence the prospect northwards ended in a +sea horizon with two small islands in the distance—a larger one, +resembling a hill-top and covered with trees, rose more in the foreground. +Ranges of hills appeared on the east; and on the west stood Mount Chikala, +which seems to be connected with the great mountain-mass called Zomba.</p> +<p>The shore, near which they spent two nights, was covered with reeds +and papyrus. Wishing to obtain the latitude by the natural horizon, +they waded into the water some distance towards what was reported to +be a sandbank, but were so assaulted by leeches, they were fain to retreat; +and a woman told them that in enticing them into the water the men only +wanted to kill them. The information gathered was that this lake +was nothing in size compared to another in the north, from which it +is separated by only a tongue of land. The northern end of Shirwa +has not been seen, though it has been passed; the length of the lake +may probably be 60 or 80 miles, and about 20 broad. The height +above the sea is 1800 feet, and the taste of the water is like a weak +solution of Epsom salts. The country around is very beautiful, +and clothed with rich vegetation; and the waves, at the time they were +there breaking and foaming over a rock on the south-eastern side, added +to the beauty of the picture. Exceedingly lofty mountains, perhaps +8000 feet above the sea-level, stand near the eastern shore. When +their lofty steep-sided summits appear, some above, some below the clouds, +the scene is grand. This range is called Milanjé; on the +west stands Mount Zomba, 7000 feet in height, and some twenty miles +long.</p> +<p>Their object being rather to gain the confidence of the people by +degrees than to explore, they considered that they had advanced far +enough into the country for one trip; and believing that they could +secure their end by a repetition of their visit, as they had done on +the Shiré, they decided to return to the vessel at Dakanamoio +island; but, instead of returning by the way they came, they passed +down southwards close by Mount Chiradzuru, among the relatives of Chibisa, +and thence by the pass Zedi, down to the Shiré. The Kroomen +had, while we were away, cut a good supply of wood for steaming, and +we soon proceeded down the river.</p> +<p>The steamer reached Tette on the 23rd of June, and, after undergoing +repairs, proceeded to the Kongoné to receive provisions from +one of H.M. cruisers. We had been very abundantly supplied with +first-rate stores, but were unfortunate enough to lose a considerable +portion of them, and had now to bear the privation as best we could. +On the way down, we purchased a few gigantic cabbages and pumpkins at +a native village below Mazaro. Our dinners had usually consisted +of but a single course; but we were surprised the next day by our black +cook from Sierra Leone bearing in a second course. “What +have you got there?” was asked in wonder. “A tart, +sir.” “A tart! of what is it made?” “Of +cabbage, sir.” As we had no sugar, and could not “make +believe,” as in the days of boyhood, we did not enjoy the feast +that Tom’s genius had prepared. Her Majesty’s brig +“Persian,” Lieutenant Saumarez commanding, called on her +way to the Cape; and, though somewhat short of provisions herself, generously +gave us all she could spare. We now parted with our Kroomen, as, +from their inability to march, we could not use them in our land journeys. +A crew was picked out from the Makololo, who, besides being good travellers, +could cut wood, work the ship, and required only native food.</p> +<p>While at the Kongoné it was found necessary to beach the steamer +for repairs. She was built of a newly invented sort of steel plates, +only a sixteenth of an inch in thickness, patented, but unfortunately +never tried before. To build an exploring ship of untried material +was a mistake. Some chemical action on this preparation of steel +caused a minute hole; from this point, branches like lichens, or the +little ragged stars we sometimes see in thawing ice, radiated in all +directions. Small holes went through wherever a bend occurred +in these branches. The bottom very soon became like a sieve, completely +full of minute holes, which leaked perpetually. The engineer stopped +the larger ones, but the vessel was no sooner afloat, than new ones +broke out. The first news of a morning was commonly the unpleasant +announcement of another leak in the forward compartment, or in the middle, +which was worse still.</p> +<p>Frequent showers fell on our way up the Zambesi, in the beginning +of August. On the 8th we had upwards of three inches of rain, +which large quantity, more than falls in any single rainy day during +the season at Tette, we owed to being near the sea. Sometimes +the cabin was nearly flooded; for, in addition to the leakage from below, +rain poured through the roof, and an umbrella had to be used whenever +we wished to write: the mode of coupling the compartments, too, was +a new one, and the action of the hinder compartment on the middle one +pumped up the water of the river, and sent it in streams over the floor +and lockers, where lay the cushions which did double duty as chairs +and beds. In trying to form an opinion of the climate, it must +be recollected that much of the fever, from which we suffered, was caused +by sleeping on these wet cushions. Many of the botanical specimens, +laboriously collected and carefully prepared by Dr. Kirk, were destroyed, +or double work imposed, by their accidentally falling into wet places +in the cabin.</p> +<p>About the middle of August, after cutting wood at Shamoara, we again +steamed up the Shiré, with the intention of becoming better acquainted +with the people, and making another and longer journey on foot to the +north of Lake Shirwa, in search of Lake Nyassa, of which we had already +received some information, under the name Nyinyesi (the stars). +The Shiré is much narrower than the Zambesi, but deeper, and +more easily navigated. It drains a low and exceedingly fertile +valley of from fifteen to twenty miles in breadth. Ranges of wooded +hills bound this valley on both sides. For the first twenty miles +the hills on the left bank are close to the river; then comes Morambala, +a detached mountain 500 yards from the river’s brink, which rises, +with steep sides on the west, to 4000 feet in height, and is about seven +miles in length. It is wooded up to the very top, and very beautiful. +The southern end, seen from a distance, has a fine gradual slope, and +looks as if it might be of easy ascent; but the side which faces the +Shiré is steep and rocky, especially in the upper half. +A small village peeps out about halfway up the mountain; it has a pure +and bracing atmosphere; and is perched above mosquito range. The +people on the summit have a very different climate and vegetation from +those of the plains; but they have to spend a great portion of their +existence amidst white fleecy clouds, which, in the rainy season, rest +daily on the top of their favourite mountain. We were kindly treated +by these mountaineers on our first ascent; before our second they were +nearly all swept away by Mariano. Dr. Kirk found upwards of thirty +species of ferns on this and other mountains, and even good-sized tree-ferns; +though scarcely a single kind is to be met with on the plains. +Lemon and orange trees grew wild, and pineapples had been planted by +the people. Many large hornbills, hawks, monkeys, antelopes, and +rhinoceroses found a home and food among the great trees round its base. +A hot fountain boils up on the plain near the north end. It bubbles +out of the earth, clear as crystal, at two points, or eyes, a few yards +apart from each other, and sends off a fine flowing stream of hot water. +The temperature was found to be 174 degrees Fahr., and it boiled an +egg in about the usual time. Our guide threw in a small branch +to show us how speedily the Madsé-awíra (boiling water) +could kill the leaves. Unlucky lizards and insects did not seem +to understand the nature of a hot-spring, as many of their remains were +lying at the bottom. A large beetle had alighted on the water, +and been killed before it had time to fold its wings. An incrustation, +smelling of sulphur, has been deposited by the water on the stones. +About a hundred feet from the eye of the fountain the mud is as hot +as can be borne by the body. In taking a bath there, it makes +the skin perfectly clean, and none of the mud adheres: it is strange +that the Portuguese do not resort to it for the numerous cutaneous diseases +with which they are so often afflicted.</p> +<p>A few clumps of the palm and acacia trees appear west of Morambala, +on the rich plain forming the tongue of land between the rivers Shiré +and Zambesi. This is a good place for all sorts of game. +The Zambesi canoe-men were afraid to sleep on it from the idea of lions +being there; they preferred to pass the night on an island. Some +black men, who accompanied us as volunteer workmen from Shupanga, called +out one evening that a lion stood on the bank. It was very dark, +and we could only see two sparkling lights, said to be the lion’s +eyes looking at us; for here, as elsewhere, they have a theory that +the lion’s eyes always flash fire at night. Not being fireflies—as +they did not move when a shot was fired in their direction—they +were probably glowworms.</p> +<p>Beyond Morambala the Shiré comes winding through an extensive +marsh. For many miles to the north a broad sea of fresh green +grass extends, and is so level, that it might be used for taking the +meridian altitude of the sun. Ten or fifteen miles north of Morambala, +stands the dome-shaped mountain Makanga, or Chi-kanda; several others +with granitic-looking peaks stretch away to the north, and form the +eastern boundary of the valley; another range, but of metamorphic rocks, +commencing opposite Senna, bounds the valley on the west. After +streaming through a portion of this marsh, we came to a broad belt of +palm and other trees, crossing the fine plain on the right bank. +Marks of large game were abundant. Elephants had been feeding +on the palm nuts, which have a pleasant fruity taste, and are used as +food by man. Two pythons were observed coiled together among the +branches of a large tree, and were both shot. The larger of the +two, a female, was ten feet long. They are harmless, and said +to be good eating. The Makololo having set fire to the grass where +they were cutting wood, a solitary buffalo rushed out of the conflagration, +and made a furious charge at an active young fellow named Mantlanyané. +Never did his fleet limbs serve him better than during the few seconds +of his fearful flight before the maddened animal. When he reached +the bank, and sprang into the river, the infuriated beast was scarcely +six feet behind him. Towards evening, after the day’s labour +in wood-cutting was over, some of the men went fishing. They followed +the common African custom of agitating the water, by giving it a few +sharp strokes with the top of the fishing-rod, immediately after throwing +in the line, to attract the attention of the fish to the bait. +Having caught nothing, the reason assigned was the same as would have +been given in England under like circumstances, namely, that “the +wind made the fish cold, and they would not bite.” Many +gardens of maize, pumpkins, and tobacco, fringed the marshy banks as +we went on. They belong to natives of the hills, who come down +in the dry season, and raise a crop on parts at other times flooded. +While the crops are growing, large quantities of fish are caught, chiefly +<i>Clarias capensis</i>, and <i>Mugil Africanus</i>; they are dried +for sale or future consumption.</p> +<p>As we ascended, we passed a deep stream about thirty yards wide, +flowing in from a body of open water several miles broad. Numbers +of men were busy at different parts of it, filling their canoes with +the lotus root, called <i>Nyika</i>, which, when boiled or roasted, +resembles our chestnuts, and is extensively used in Africa as food. +Out of this lagoon, and by this stream, the chief part of the duckweed +of the Shiré flows. The lagoon itself is called Nyanja +ea Motopé (Lake of Mud). It is also named Nyanja Pangono +(Little Lake), while the elephant marsh goes by the name of Nyanja Mukulu +(Great Lake). It is evident from the shore line still to be observed +on the adjacent hills, that in ancient times these were really lakes, +and the traditional names thus preserved are only another evidence of +the general desiccation which Africa has undergone.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER III.</h3> +<p>The Steamer in difficulties—Elephant hunting—Arrival +at Chibisa’s—Search for Lake Nyassa—The Manganja country—Weavers +and smelters—Lake Pamalombé.</p> +<p>Late in the afternoon of the first day’s steaming, after we +left the wooding-place, we called at the village of Chikanda-Kadzé, +a female chief, to purchase rice for our men; but we were now in the +blissful region where time is absolutely of no account, and where men +may sit down and rest themselves when tired; so they requested us to +wait till next day, and they would then sell us some food. As +our forty black men, however, had nothing to cook for supper, we were +obliged to steam on to reach a village a few miles above. When +we meet those who care not whether we purchase or let it alone, or who +think men ought only to be in a hurry when fleeing from an enemy, our +ideas about time being money, and the power of the purse, receives a +shock. The state of eager competition, which in England wears +out both mind and body, and makes life bitter, is here happily unknown. +The cultivated spots are mere dots compared to the broad fields of rich +soil which is never either grazed or tilled. Pity that the plenty +in store for all, from our Father’s bountiful hands, is not enjoyed +by more.</p> +<p>The wretched little steamer could not carry all the hands we needed; +so, to lighten her, we put some into the boats and towed them astern. +In the dark, one of the boats was capsized; but all in it, except one +poor fellow who could not swim, were picked up. His loss threw +a gloom over us all, and added to the chagrin we often felt at having +been so ill-served in our sorry craft.</p> +<p>Next day we arrived at the village of Mboma (16 degrees 56 minutes +30 seconds S.), where the people raised large quantities of rice, and +were eager traders; the rice was sold at wonderfully low rates, and +we could not purchase a tithe of the food brought for sale.</p> +<p>A native minstrel serenaded us in the evening, playing several quaint +tunes on a species of one stringed fiddle, accompanied by wild, but +not unmusical songs. He told the Makololo that he intended to +play all night to induce us to give him a present. The nights +being cold, the thermometer falling to 47 degrees, with occasional fogs, +he was asked if he was not afraid of perishing from cold; but, with +the genuine spirit of an Italian organ-grinder, he replied, “Oh, +no; I shall spend the night with my white comrades in the big canoe; +I have often heard of the white men, but have never seen them till now, +and I must sing and play well to them.” A small piece of +cloth, however, bought him off, and he moved away in good humour. +The water of the river was 70 degrees at sunrise, which was 23 degrees +warmer than the air at the same time, and this caused fogs, which rose +like steam off the river. When this is the case cold bathing in +the mornings at this time of the year is improper, for, instead of a +glow on coming out, one is apt to get a chill; the air being so much +colder than the water.</p> +<p>A range of hills, commencing opposite Senna, comes to within two +or three miles of Mboma village, and then runs in a north-westerly direction; +the principal hill is named Malawé; a number of villages stand +on its tree-covered sides, and coal is found cropping out in the rocks. +The country improves as we ascend, the rich valley becoming less swampy, +and adorned with a number of trees.</p> +<p>Both banks are dotted with hippopotamus traps, over every track which +these animals have made in going up out of the water to graze. +The hippopotamus feeds on grass alone, and, where there is any danger, +only at night. Its enormous lips act like a mowing-machine, and +form a path of short-cropped grass as it feeds. We never saw it +eat aquatic plants or reeds. The tusks seem weapons of both offence +and defence. The hippopotamus trap consists of a beam five or +six feet long, armed with a spear-head or hard-wood spike, covered with +poison, and suspended to a forked pole by a cord, which, coming down +to the path, is held by a catch, to be set free when the beast treads +on it. Being wary brutes, they are still very numerous. +One got frightened by the ship, as she was steaming close to the bank. +In its eager hurry to escape it rushed on shore, and ran directly under +a trap, when down came the heavy beam on its back, driving the poisoned +spear-head a foot deep into its flesh. In its agony it plunged +back into the river, to die in a few hours, and afterwards furnished +a feast for the natives. The poison on the spear-head does not +affect the meat, except the part around the wound, and that is thrown +away. In some places the descending beam is weighted with heavy +stones, but here the hard heavy wood is sufficient.</p> +<p>“She is leaking worse than ever forward, sir, and there is +a foot of water in the hold,” was our first salutation on the +morning of the 20th. But we have become accustomed to these things +now; the cabin-floor is always wet, and one is obliged to mop up the +water many times a day, giving some countenance to the native idea that +Englishmen live in or on the water, and have no houses but ships. +The cabin is now a favourite breeding-place for mosquitoes, and we have +to support both the ship-bred and shore-bred bloodsuckers, of which +several species show us their irritating attentions. A large brown +sort, called by the Portuguese <i>mansos</i> (tame), flies straight +to its victim, and goes to work at once, as though it were an invited +guest. Some of the small kinds carry uncommonly sharp lancets, +and very potent poison. “What would these insects eat, if +we did not pass this way?” becomes a natural question.</p> +<p>The juices of plants, and decaying vegetable matter in the mud, probably +form the natural food of mosquitoes, and blood is not necessary for +their existence. They appear so commonly at malarious spots, that +their presence may be taken as a hint to man to be off to more healthy +localities. None appear on the high lands. On the low lands +they swarm in myriads. The females alone are furnished with the +biting apparatus, and their number appears to be out of all proportion +in excess of the males. At anchor, on a still evening, they were +excessively annoying; and the sooner we took refuge under our mosquito +curtains, the better. The miserable and sleepless night that only +one mosquito inside the curtain can cause, is so well known, and has +been so often described, that it is needless to describe it here. +One soon learns, from experience, that to beat out the curtains thoroughly +before entering them, so that not one of these pests can possibly be +harboured within, is the only safeguard against such severe trials to +one’s tranquillity and temper.</p> +<p>A few miles above Mboma we came again to the village (16 degrees +44 minutes 30 seconds S.) of the chief Tingané, the beat of whose +war-drums can speedily muster some hundreds of armed men. The +bows and poisoned arrows here are of superior workmanship to those below. +Mariano’s slave-hunting parties stood in great awe of these barbed +arrows, and long kept aloof from Tingané’s villages. +His people were friendly enough with us now, and covered the banks with +a variety of articles for sale. The majestic mountain, Chipironé, +to which we have given the name of Mount Clarendon, now looms in sight, +and further to the N.W. the southern end of the grand Milanjé +range rises in the form of an unfinished sphinx looking down on Lake +Shirwa. The Ruo (16 degrees 31 minutes 0 seconds S.) is said to +have its source in the Milanjé mountains, and flows to the S.W., +to join the Shiré some distance above Tingané’s. +A short way beyond the Ruo lies the Elephant marsh, or Nyanja Mukulu, +which is frequented by vast herds of these animals. We believe +that we counted eight hundred elephants in sight at once. In the +choice of such a strong hold, they have shown their usual sagacity, +for no hunter can get near them through the swamps. They now keep +far from the steamer; but, when she first came up, we steamed into the +midst of a herd, and some were shot from the ship’s deck. +A single lesson was sufficient to teach them that the steamer was a +thing to be avoided; and at the first glimpse they are now off two or +three miles to the midst of the marsh, which is furrowed in every direction +by wandering branches of the Shiré. A fine young elephant +was here caught alive, as he was climbing up the bank to follow his +retreating dam. When laid hold of, he screamed with so much energy +that, to escape a visit from the enraged mother, we steamed off, and +dragged him through the water by the proboscis. As the men were +holding his trunk over the gunwale, Monga, a brave Makololo elephant-hunter, +rushed aft, and drew his knife across it in a sort of frenzy peculiar +to the chase. The wound was skilfully sewn up, and the young animal +soon became quite tame, but, unfortunately the breathing prevented the +cut from healing, and he died in a few days from loss of blood. +Had he lived, and had we been able to bring him home, he would have +been the first <i>African</i> elephant ever seen in England. The +African male elephant is from ten to a little over eleven feet in height, +and differs from the Asiatic species more particularly in the convex +shape of his forehead, and the enormous size of his ears. In Asia +many of the males, and all the females, are without tusks, but in Africa +both sexes are provided with these weapons. The enamel in the +molar teeth is arranged differently in the two species. By an +admirable provision, new teeth constantly come up at the part where +in man the wisdom teeth appear, and these push the others along, and +out at the front end of the jaws, thus keeping the molars sound by renewal, +till the animal attains a very great age. The tusks of animals +from dry rocky countries are very munch more dense and heavier than +those from wet and marshy districts, but the latter attain much the +larger size.</p> +<p>The Shiré marshes support prodigious numbers of many kinds +of water-fowl. An hour at the mast-head unfolds novel views of +life in an African marsh. Near the edge, and on the branches of +some favourite tree, rest scores of plotuses and cormorants, which stretch +their snake-like necks, and in mute amazement turn one eye and then +another towards the approaching monster. By and-by the timid ones +begin to fly off, or take “headers” into the stream; but +a few of the bolder, or more composed, remain, only taking the precaution +to spread their wings ready for instant flight. The pretty ardetta +(<i>Herodias bubulcus</i>), of a light yellow colour when at rest, but +seemingly of a pure white when flying, takes wing, and sweeps across +the green grass in large numbers, often showing us where buffaloes and +elephants are, by perching on their backs. Flocks of ducks, of +which the kind called “Soriri” (<i>Dendrocygna personata</i>) +is most abundant, being night feeders, meditate quietly by the small +lagoons, until startled by the noise of the steam machinery. Pelicans +glide over the water, catching fish, while the Scopus (<i>Scopus umbretta</i>) +and large herons peer intently into pools. The large black and +white spur-winged goose (a constant marauder of native gardens) springs +up, and circles round to find out what the disturbance can be, and then +settles down again with a splash. Hundreds of Linongolos (<i>Anastomus +lamelligerus</i>) rise on the wing from the clumps of reeds, or low +trees (the <i>Eschinomena</i>, from which pith hats are made), on which +they build in colonies, and are speedily high in mid-air. Charming +little red and yellow weavers (<i>Ploceidæ</i>) remind one of +butterflies, as they fly in and out of the tall grass, or hang to the +mouths of their pendent nests, chattering briskly to their mates within. +These weavers seem to have “cock nests,” built with only +a roof, and a perch beneath, with a doorway on each side. The +natives say they are made to protect the bird from the rain. Though +her husband is very attentive, we have seen the hen bird tearing her +mate’s nest to pieces, but why we cannot tell. Kites and +vultures are busy overhead, beating the ground for their repast of carrion; +and the solemn-looking, stately-stepping Marabout, with a taste for +dead fish, or men, stalks slowly along the almost stagnant channels. +Groups of men and boys are searching diligently in various places for +lotus and other roots. Some are standing in canoes, on the weed-covered +ponds, spearing fish, while others are punting over the small intersecting +streams, to examine their sunken fish-baskets.</p> +<p>Towards evening, hundreds of pretty little hawks (<i>Erythropus vespertinus</i>) +are seen flying in a southerly direction, and feeding on dragon-flies +and locusts. They come, apparently, from resting on the palm-trees +during the heat of the day. Flocks of scissor-bills (<i>Rhyncops</i>) +are then also on the wing, and in search of food, ploughing the water +with their lower mandibles, which are nearly half an inch longer than +the upper ones.</p> +<p>At the north-eastern end of the marsh, and about three miles from +the river, commences a great forest of palm-trees (<i>Borassus Æthiopium</i>). +It extends many miles, and at one point comes close to the river. +The grey trunks and green tops of this immense mass of trees give a +pleasing tone of colour to the view. The mountain-range, which +rises close behind the palms, is generally of a cheerful green, and +has many trees, with patches of a lighter tint among them, as if spots +of land had once been cultivated. The sharp angular rocks and +dells on its sides have the appearance of a huge crystal broken; and +this is so often the case in Africa, that one can guess pretty nearly +at sight whether a range is of the old crystalline rocks or not. +The Borassus, though not an oil-bearing palm, is a useful tree. +The fibrous pulp round the large nuts is of a sweet fruity taste, and +is eaten by men and elephants. The natives bury the nuts until +the kernels begin to sprout; when dug up and broken, the inside resembles +coarse potatoes, and is prized in times of scarcity as nutritious food. +During several months of the year, palm-wine, or sura, is obtained in +large quantities; when fresh, it is a pleasant drink, somewhat like +champagne, and not at all intoxicating; though, after standing a few +hours, it becomes highly so. Sticks, a foot long, are driven into +notches in the hard outside of the tree—the inside being soft +or hollow—to serve as a ladder; the top of the fruit-shoot is +cut off, and the sap, pouring out at the fresh wound, is caught in an +earthen pot, which is hung at the point. A thin slice is taken +off the end, to open the pores, and make the juice flow every time the +owner ascends to empty the pot. Temporary huts are erected in +the forest, and men and boys remain by their respective trees day and +night; the nuts, fish, and wine, being their sole food. The Portuguese +use the palm-wine as yeast, and it makes bread so light, that it melts +in the mouth like froth.</p> +<p>Beyond the marsh the country is higher, and has a much larger population. +We passed a long line of temporary huts, on a plain on the right bank, +with crowds of men and women hard at work making salt. They obtain +it by mixing the earth, which is here highly saline, with water, in +a pot with a small hole in it, and then evaporating the liquid, which +runs through, in the sun. From the number of women we saw carrying +it off in bags, we concluded that vast quantities must be made at these +works. It is worth observing that on soils like this, containing +salt, the cotton is of larger and finer staple than elsewhere. +We saw large tracts of this rich brackish soil both in the Shiré +and Zambesi valleys, and hence, probably, sea-island cotton would do +well; a single plant of it, reared by Major Sicard, flourished and produced +the long staple and peculiar tinge of this celebrated variety, though +planted only in the street at Tette; and there also a salt efflorescence +appears, probably from decomposition of the rock, off which the people +scrape it for use.</p> +<p>The large village of the chief, Mankokwé, occupies a site +on the right bank; he owns a number of fertile islands, and is said +to be the Rundo, or paramount chief, of a large district. Being +of an unhappy suspicious disposition, he would not see us; so we thought +it best to move on, rather than spend time in seeking his favour.</p> +<p>On the 25th August we reached Dakanamoio island, opposite the perpendicular +bluff on which Chibisa’s village stands; he had gone, with most +of his people, to live near the Zambesi, but his headman was civil, +and promised us guides and whatever else we needed. A few of the +men were busy cleaning, sorting, spinning, and weaving cotton. +This is a common sight in nearly every village, and each family appears +to have its patch of cotton, as our own ancestors in Scotland had each +his patch of flax. Near sunset an immense flock of the large species +of horn-bill (<i>Buceros cristatus</i>) came here to roost on the great +trees which skirt the edge of the cliff. They leave early in the +morning, often before sunrise, for their feeding-places, coming and +going in pairs. They are evidently of a loving disposition, and +strongly attached to each other, the male always nestling close beside +his mate. A fine male fell to the ground, from fear, at the report +of Dr. Kirk’s gun; it was caught and kept on board; the female +did not go off in the mornings to feed with the others, but flew round +the ship, anxiously trying, by her plaintive calls, to induce her beloved +one to follow her: she came again in the evenings to repeat the invitations. +The poor disconsolate captive soon refused to eat, and in five days +died of grief, because he could not have her company. No internal +injury could be detected after death.</p> +<p>Chibisa and his wife, with a natural show of parental feeling, had +told the Doctor, on his previous visit, that a few years before some +of Chisaka’s men had kidnapped and sold their little daughter, +and that she was now a slave to the padrè at Tette. On +his return to Tette, the Doctor tried hard to ransom and restore the +girl to her parents, and offered twice the value of a slave; the padrè +seemed willing, but she could not be found. This padrè +was better than the average men of the country; and, being always civil +and obliging, would probably have restored her gratuitously, but she +had been sold, it might be to the distant tribe Bazizulu, or he could +not tell where. Custom had rendered his feelings callous, and +Chibisa had to be told that his child would never return. It is +this callous state of mind which leads some of our own blood to quote +Scripture in support of slavery. If we could afford to take a +backward step in civilization, we might find men among ourselves who +would in like manner prove Mormonism or any other enormity to be divine.</p> +<p>We left the ship on the 28th of August, 1859, for the discovery of +Lake Nyassa. Our party numbered forty-two in all—four whites, +thirty-six Makololo, and two guides. We did not actually need +so many, either for carriage or defence; but took them because we believed +that, human nature being everywhere the same, blacks are as ready as +whites to take advantage of the weak, and are as civil and respectful +to the powerful. We armed our men with muskets, which gave us +influence, although it did not add much to our strength, as most of +the men had never drawn a trigger, and in any conflict would in all +probability have been more dangerous to us than the enemy.</p> +<p>Our path crossed the valley, in a north-easterly direction, up the +course of a beautiful flowing stream. Many of the gardens had +excellent cotton growing in them. An hour’s march brought +us to the foot of the Manganja hills, up which lay the toilsome road. +The vegetation soon changed; as we rose bamboos appeared, and new trees +and plants were met with, which gave such incessant employment to Dr. +Kirk, that he travelled the distance three times over. Remarkably +fine trees, one of which has oil-yielding seeds, and belongs to the +mahogany family, grow well in the hollows along the rivulet courses. +The ascent became very fatiguing, and we were glad of a rest. +Looking back from an elevation of a thousand feet, we beheld a lovely +prospect. The eye takes in at a glance the valley beneath, and +the many windings of its silver stream Makubula, or Kubvula, from the +shady hill-side, where it emerges in foaming haste, to where it slowly +glides into the tranquil Shiré; then the Shiré itself +is seen for many a mile above and below Chibisa’s, and the great +level country beyond, with its numerous green woods; until the prospect, +west and north-west, is bounded far away by masses of peaked and dome-shaped +blue mountains, that fringe the highlands of the Maravi country.</p> +<p>After a weary march we halted at Makolongwi, the village of Chitimba. +It stands in a woody hollow on the first of the three terraces of the +Manganja hills, and, like all other Manganja villages, is surrounded +by an impenetrable hedge of poisonous euphorbia. This tree casts +a deep shade, which would render it difficult for bowmen to take aim +at the villagers inside. The grass does not grow beneath it, and +this may be the reason why it is so universally used, for when dry the +grass would readily convey fire to the huts inside; moreover, the hedge +acts as a fender to all flying sparks. As strangers are wont to +do, we sat down under some fine trees near the entrance of the village. +A couple of mats, made of split reeds, were spread for the white men +to sit on; and the headman brought a seguati, or present, of a small +goat and a basket of meal. The full value in beads and cotton +cloth was handed to him in return. He measured the cloth, doubled +it, and then measured that again. The beads were scrutinized; +he had never seen beads of that colour before, and should like to consult +with his comrades before accepting them, and this, after repeated examinations +and much anxious talk, he concluded to do. Meal and peas were +then brought for sale. A fathom of blue cotton cloth, a full dress +for man or woman, was produced. Our Makololo headman, Sininyané, +thinking a part of it was enough for the meal, was proceeding to tear +it, when Chitimba remarked that it was a pity to cut such a nice dress +for his wife, he would rather bring more meal. “All right,” +said Sininyané; “but look, the cloth is very wide, so see +that the basket which carries the meal be wide too, and add a cock to +make the meal taste nicely.” A brisk trade sprang up at +once, each being eager to obtain as fine things as his neighbour,—and +all were in good humour. Women and girls began to pound and grind +meal, and men and boys chased the screaming fowls over the village, +until they ran them down. In a few hours the market was completely +glutted with every sort of native food; the prices, however, rarely +fell, as they could easily eat what was not sold.</p> +<p>We slept under the trees, the air being pheasant, and no mosquitoes +on the hills. According to our usual plan of marching, by early +dawn our camp was in motion. After a cup of coffee and a bit of +biscuit we were on the way. The air was deliciously cool, and +the path a little easier than that of yesterday. We passed a number +of villages, occupying very picturesque spots among the hills, and in +a few hours gained the upper terrace, 3000 feet above the level of the +sea. The plateau lies west of the Milanjé mountains, and +its north-eastern border slopes down to Lake Shirwa. We were all +charmed with the splendid country, and looked with never-failing delight +on its fertile plains, its numerous hills, and majestic mountains. +In some of the passes we saw bramble-berries growing; and the many other +flowers, though of great beauty, did not remind us of youth and of home +like the ungainly thorny bramble-bushes. We were a week in crossing +the highlands in a northerly direction; then we descended into the Upper +Shiré Valley, which is nearly 1200 feet above the level of the +sea. This valley is wonderfully fertile, and supports a large +population. After leaving the somewhat flat-topped southern portion, +the most prominent mountain of the Zomba range is Njongoné, which +has a fine stream running past its northern base. We were detained +at the end of the chain some days by one of our companions being laid +up with fever. One night we were suddenly aroused by buffaloes +rushing close by the sick-bed. We were encamped by a wood on the +border of a marsh, but our patient soon recovered, notwithstanding the +unfavourable situation, and the poor accommodation.</p> +<p>The Manganja country is delightfully well watered. The clear, +cool, gushing streams are very numerous. Once we passed seven +fine brooks and a spring in a single hour, and this, too, near the close +of the dry season. Mount Zomba, which is twenty miles long, and +from 7000 to 8000 feet high, has a beautiful stream flowing through +a verdant valley on its summit, and running away down into Lake Shirwa. +The highlands are well wooded, and many trees, admirable for their height +and timber, grow on the various watercourses. “Is this country +good for cattle?” we inquired of a Makololo herdsman, whose occupation +had given him skill in pasturage. “Truly,” he replied, +“do you not see abundance of those grasses which the cattle love, +and get fat upon?” Yet the people have but few goats, and +fewer sheep. With the exception of an occasional leopard, there +are no beasts of prey to disturb domestic animals. Wool-sheep +would, without doubt, thrive on these highlands. Part of the Upper +Shiré valley has a lady paramount, named Nyango; and in her dominions +women rank higher and receive more respectful treatment than their sisters +on the hills.</p> +<p>The hill chief, Mongazi, called his wife to take charge of a present +we had given him. She dropped down on her knees, clapping her +hands in reverence, before and after receiving our presents from his +lordly hands. It was painful to see the abject manner in which +the women of the hill tribes knelt beside the path as we passed; but +a great difference took place when we got into Nyango’s country.</p> +<p>On entering a village, we proceeded, as all strangers do, at once +to the Boalo: mats of split reeds or bamboo were usually spread for +us to sit on. Our guides then told the men who might be there, +who we were, whence we had come, whither we wanted to go, and what were +our objects. This information was duly carried to the chief, who, +if a sensible man, came at once; but, if he happened to be timid and +suspicious, waited until he had used divination, and his warriors had +time to come in from outlying hamlets. When he makes his appearance, +all the people begin to clap their hands in unison, and continue doing +so till he sits down opposite to us. His counsellors take their +places beside him. He makes a remark or two, and is then silent +for a few seconds. Our guides then sit down in front of the chief +and his counsellors, and both parties lean forward, looking earnestly +at each other; the chief repeats a word, such as “Ambuiatu” +(our Father, or master)—or “moio” (life), and all +clap their hands. Another word is followed by two claps, a third +by still more clapping, when each touches the ground with both hands +placed together. Then all rise and lean forward with measured +clap, and sit down again with clap, clap, clap, fainter, and still fainter, +till the last dies away, or is brought to an end by a smart loud clap +from the chief. They keep perfect time in this species of court +etiquette. Our guides now tell the chief, often in blank verse, +all they have already told his people, with the addition perhaps of +their own suspicions of the visitors. He asks some questions, +and then converses with us through the guides. Direct communication +between the chief and the head of the stranger party is not customary. +In approaching they often ask who is the spokesman, and the spokesman +of the chief addresses the person indicated exclusively. There +is no lack of punctilious good manners. The accustomed presents +are exchanged with civil ceremoniousness; until our men, wearied and +hungry, call out, “English do not buy slaves, they buy food,” +and then the people bring meal, maize, fowls, batatas, yams, beans, +beer, for sale.</p> +<p>The Manganja are an industrious race; and in addition to working +in iron, cotton, and basket-making, they cultivate the soil extensively. +All the people of a village turn out to labour in the fields. +It is no uncommon thing to see men, women, and children hard at work, +with the baby lying close by beneath a shady bush. When a new +piece of woodland is to be cleared, they proceed exactly as farmers +do in America. The trees are cut down with their little axes of +soft native iron; trunks and branches are piled up and burnt, and the +ashes spread on the soil. The corn is planted among the standing +stumps which are left to rot. If grass land is to be brought under +cultivation, as much tall grass as the labourer can conveniently lay +hold of is collected together and tied into a knot. He then strikes +his hoe round the tufts to sever the roots, and leaving all standing, +proceeds until the whole ground assumes the appearance of a field covered +with little shocks of corn in harvest. A short time before the +rains begin, these grass shocks are collected in small heaps, covered +with earth, and burnt, the ashes and burnt soil being used to fertilize +the ground. Large crops of the mapira, or Egyptian dura (<i>Holcus +sorghum</i>), are raised, with millet, beans, and ground-nuts; also +patches of yams, rice, pumpkins, cucumbers, cassava, sweet potatoes, +tobacco, and hemp, or bang (<i>Cannabis setiva</i>). Maize is +grown all the year round. Cotton is cultivated at almost every +village. Three varieties of cotton have been found in the country, +namely, two foreign and one native. The “tonjé manga,” +or foreign cotton, the name showing that it has been introduced, is +of excellent quality, and considered at Manchester to be nearly equal +to the best New Orleans. It is perennial, but requires replanting +once in three years. A considerable amount of this variety is +grown in the Upper and Lower Shiré valleys. Every family +of any importance owns a cotton patch which, from the entire absence +of weeds, seemed to be carefully cultivated. Most were small, +none seen on this journey exceeding half an acre; but on the former +trip some were observed of more than twice that size.</p> +<p>The “tonjé cadja,” or indigenous cotton, is of +shorter staple, and feels in the hand like wool. This kind has +to be planted every season in the highlands; yet, because it makes stronger +cloth, many of the people prefer it to the foreign cotton; the third +variety is not found here. It was remarked to a number of men +near the Shiré Lakelet, a little further on towards Nyassa, “You +should plant plenty of cotton, and probably the English will come and +buy it.” “Truly,” replied a far-travelled Babisa +trader to his fellows, “the country is full of cotton, and if +these people come to buy they will enrich us.” Our own observation +on the cotton cultivated convinced us that this was no empty flourish, +but a fact. Everywhere we met with it, and scarcely ever entered +a village without finding a number of men cleaning, spinning, and weaving. +It is first carefully separated from the seed by the fingers, or by +an iron roller, on a little block of wood, and rove out into long soft +bands without twist. Then it receives its first twist on the spindle, +and becomes about the thickness of coarse candlewick; after being taken +off and wound into a large ball, it is given the final hard twist, and +spun into a firm cop on the spindle again: all the processes being painfully +slow.</p> +<p>Iron ore is dug out of the hills, and its manufacture is the staple +trade of the southern highlands. Each village has its smelting-house, +its charcoal-burners, and blacksmiths. They make good axes, spears, +needles, arrowheads, bracelets and anklets, which, considering the entire +absence of machinery, are sold at surprisingly low rates; a hoe over +two pounds in weight is exchanged for calico of about the value of fourpence. +In villages near Lake Shirwa and elsewhere, the inhabitants enter pretty +largely into the manufacture of crockery, or pottery, making by hand +all sorts of cooking, water, and grain pots, which they ornament with +plumbago found in the hills. Some find employment in weaving neat +baskets from split bamboos, and others collect the fibre of the buazé, +which grows abundantly on the hills, and make it into fish-nets. +These they either use themselves, or exchange with the fishermen on +the river or lakes for dried fish and salt. A great deal of native +trade is carried on between the villages, by means of barter in tobacco, +salt, dried fish, skins, and iron. Many of the men are intelligent-looking, +with well-shaped heads, agreeable faces, and high foreheads. We +soon learned to forget colour, and we frequently saw countenances resembling +those of white people we had known in England, which brought back the +looks of forgotten ones vividly before the mind. The men take +a good deal of pride in the arrangement of their hair; the varieties +of style are endless. One trains his long locks till they take +the admired form of the buffalo’s horns; others prefer to let +their hair hang in a thick coil down their backs, like that animal’s +tail; while another wears it in twisted cords, which, stiffened by fillets +of the inner bark of a tree wound spirally round each curl, radiate +from the head in all directions. Some have it hanging all round +the shoulders in large masses; others shave it off altogether. +Many shave part of it into ornamental figures, in which the fancy of +the barber crops out conspicuously. About as many dandies run +to seed among the blacks as among the whites. The Man ganja adorn +their bodies extravagantly, wearing rings on their fingers and thumbs, +besides throatlets, bracelets, and anklets of brass, copper, or iron. +But the most wonderful of ornaments, if such it may be called, is the +pelélé, or upper-lip ring of the women. The middle +of the upper lip of the girls is pierced close to the septum of the +nose, and a small pin inserted to prevent the puncture closing up. +After it has healed, the pin is taken out and a larger one is pressed +into its place, and so on successively for weeks, and months, and years. +The process of increasing the size of the lip goes on till its capacity +becomes so great that a ring of two inches diameter can be introduced +with ease. All the highland women wear the pelélé, +and it is common on the Upper and Lower Shiré. The poorer +classes make them of hollow or of solid bamboo, but the wealthier of +ivory or tin. The tin pelélé is often made in the +form of a small dish. The ivory one is not unlike a napkin-ring. +No woman ever appears in public without the pelélé, except +in times of mourning for the dead. It is frightfully ugly to see +the upper lip projecting two inches beyond the tip of the nose. +When an old wearer of a hollow bamboo ring smiles, by the action of +the muscles of the cheeks, the ring and lip outside it are dragged back +and thrown above the eyebrows. The nose is seen through the middle +of the ring, amid the exposed teeth show how carefully they have been +chipped to look like those of a cat or crocodile. The pelélé +of an old lady, Chikanda Kadzé, a chieftainess, about twenty +miles north of Morambala, hung down below her chin, with, of course, +a piece of the upper lip around its border. The labial letters +cannot be properly pronounced, but the under lip has to do its best +for them, against the upper teeth and gum. Tell them it makes +them ugly; they had better throw it away; they reply, “Kodi! +Really! it is the fashion.” How this hideous fashion originated +is an enigma. Can thick lips ever have been thought beautiful, +and this mode of artificial enlargement resorted to in consequence? +The constant twiddling of the pelélé with the tongue by +the younger women suggested the irreverent idea that it might have been +invented to give safe employment to that little member. “Why +do the women wear these things?” we inquired of the old chief, +Chinsunsé. Evidently surprised at such a stupid question, +he replied, “For beauty, to be sure! Men have beards and +whiskers; women have none; and what kind of creature would a woman be +without whiskers, and without the pelélé? She would +have a mouth like a man, and no beard; ha! ha! ha!” Afterwards +on the Rovuma, we found men wearing the pelélé, as well +as women. An idea suggested itself on seeing the effects of the +slight but constant pressure exerted on the upper gum and front teeth, +of which our medical brethren will judge the value. In many cases +the upper front teeth, instead of the natural curve outwards, which +the row presents, had been pressed so as to appear as if the line of +alveoli in which they were planted had an inward curve. As this +was produced by the slight pressure of the pelélé backwards, +persons with too prominent teeth might by slight, but long-continued +pressure, by some appliance only as elastic as the lip, have the upper +gum and teeth depressed, especially in youth, more easily than is usually +imagined. The pressure should be applied to the upper gum more +than to the teeth.</p> +<p>The Manganja are not a sober people: they brew large quantities of +beer, and like it well. Having no hops, or other means of checking +fermentation, they are obliged to drink the whole brew in a few days, +or it becomes unfit for use. Great merry-makings take place on +these occasions, and drinking, drumming, and dancing continue day and +night, till the beer is gone. In crossing the hills we sometimes +found whole villages enjoying this kind of mirth. The veteran +traveller of the party remarked, that he had not seen so much drunkenness +during all the sixteen years he had spent in Africa. As we entered +a village one afternoon, not a man was to be seen; but some women were +drinking beer under a tree. In a few moments the native doctor, +one of the innocents, “nobody’s enemy but his own,” +staggered out of a hut, with his cupping-horn dangling from his neck, +and began to scold us for a breach of etiquette. “Is this +the way to come into a man’s village, without sending him word +that you are coming?” Our men soon pacified the fuddled +but good-humoured medico, who, entering his beer-cellar, called on two +of them to help him to carry out a huge pot of beer, which he generously +presented to us. While the “medical practitioner” +was thus hospitably employed, the chief awoke in a fright, and shouted +to the women to run away, or they would all be killed. The ladies +laughed at the idea of their being able to run away, and remained beside +the beer-pots. We selected a spot for our camp, our men cooked +the dinner as usual, and we were quietly eating it, when scores of armed +men, streaming with perspiration, came pouring into the village. +They looked at us, then at each other, and turning to the chief upbraided +him for so needlessly sending for them. “These people are +peaceable; they do not hurt you; you are killed with beer:” so +saying, they returned to their homes.</p> +<p>Native beer has a pinkish colour, and the consistency of gruel. +The grain is made to vegetate, dried in the sun, pounded into meal, +and gently boiled. When only a day or two old, the beer is sweet, +with a slight degree of acidity, which renders it a most grateful beverage +in a hot climate, or when fever begets a sore craving for acid drinks. +A single draught of it satisfies this craving at once. Only by +deep and long-continued potations can intoxication be produced: the +grain being in a minutely divided state, it is a good way of consuming +it, and the decoction is very nutritious. At Tette a measure of +beer is exchanged for an equal-sized pot full of grain. A present +of this beer, so refreshing to our dark comrades, was brought to us +in nearly every village. Beer-drinking does not appear to produce +any disease, or to shorten life on the hills. Never before did +we see so many old, grey-headed men and women; leaning on their staves +they came with the others to see the white men. The aged chief, +Muata Manga, could hardly have been less than ninety years of age; his +venerable appearance struck the Makololo. “He is an old +man,” said they, “a very old man; his skin hangs in wrinkles, +just like that on elephants’ hips.” “Did you +never,” he was asked, “have a fit of travelling come over +you; a desire to see other lands and people?” No, he had +never felt that, and had never been far from home in his life. +For long life they are not indebted to frequent ablutions. An +old man told us that he remembered to have washed once in his life, +but it was so long since that he had forgotten how it felt. “Why +do you wash?” asked Chinsunsé’s women of the Makololo; +“our men never do.”</p> +<p>The superstitious ordeal, by drinking the poisonous muavé, +obtains credit here; and when a person is suspected of crime, this ordeal +is resorted to. If the stomach rejects the poison, the accused +is pronounced innocent; but if it is retained, guilt is believed to +be demonstrated. Their faith is so firm in its discriminating +power, that the supposed criminal offers of his own accord to drink +it, and even chiefs are not exempted. Chibisa, relying on its +efficacy, drank it several times, in order to vindicate his character. +When asserting that all his wars had been just, it was hinted that, +as every chief had the same tale of innocence to tell, we ought to suspend +our judgment. “If you doubt my word,” said he, “give +me the muavé to drink.” A chief at the foot of Mount +Zomba successfully went through the ordeal the day we reached his village; +and his people manifested their joy at his deliverance by drinking beer, +dancing, and drumming for two days and nights. It is possible +that the native doctor, who mixes the ingredients of the poisoned bowl, +may be able to save those whom he considers innocent; but it is difficult +to get the natives to speak about the matter, and no one is willing +to tell what the muavé poison consists of. We have been +shown trees said to be used, but had always reason to doubt the accuracy +of our informants. We once found a tree in a village, with many +pieces of the bark chipped off, closely allied to the Tangena or Tanghina, +the ordeal poison tree of Madagascar; but we could not ascertain any +particulars about it. Death is inflicted on those found guilty +of witchcraft, by the muavé.</p> +<p>The women wail for the dead two days. Seated on the ground +they chant a few plaintive words, and end each verse with the prolonged +sound of a—a, or o—o, or ea-ea-ea—a. Whatever +beer is in the house of the deceased, is poured out on the ground with +the meal, and all cooking and water pots are broken, as being of no +further use. Both men and women wear signs of mourning for their +dead relatives. These consist of narrow strips of the palm-leaf +wound round the head, the arms, legs, neck, and breasts, and worn till +they drop off from decay. They believe in the existence of a supreme +being, called Mpambè, and also Morungo, and in a future state. +“We live only a few days here,” said old Chinsunsé, +“but we live again after death: we do not know where, or in what +condition, or with what companions, for the dead never return to tell +us. Sometimes the dead do come back, and appear to us in dreams; +but they never speak nor tell us where they have gone, nor how they +fare.”</p> +<h3>CHAPTER IV.</h3> +<p>The Upper Shiré—Discovery of Lake Nyassa—Distressing +exploration—Return to Zambesi—Unpleasant visitors—Start +for Sekeletu’s Country in the interior.</p> +<p>Our path followed the Shiré above the cataracts, which is +now a broad deep river, with but little current. It expands in +one place into a lakelet, called Pamalombé, full of fine fish, +and ten or twelve miles long by five or six in breadth. Its banks +are low, and a dense wall of papyrus encircles it. On its western +shore rises a range of hills running north. On reaching the village +of the chief Muana-Moesi, and about a day’s march distant from +Nyassa, we were told that no lake had ever been heard of there; that +the River Shiré stretched on as we saw it now to a distance of +“two months,” and then came out from between perpendicular +rocks, which towered almost to the skies. Our men looked blank +at this piece of news, and said, “Let us go back to the ship, +it is of no use trying to find the lake.” “We shall +go and see those wonderful rocks at any rate,” said the Doctor. +“And when you see them,” replied Masakasa, “you will +just want to see something else. But there <i>is</i> a lake,” +rejoined Masakasa, “for all their denying it, for it is down in +a book.” Masakasa, having unbounded faith in whatever was +in a book, went and scolded the natives for telling him an untruth. +“There is a lake,” said he, “for how could the white +men know about it in a book if it did not exist?” They then +admitted that there was a lake a few miles off. Subsequent inquiries +make it probable that the story of the “perpendicular rocks” +may have had reference to a fissure, known to both natives and Arabs, +in the north-eastern portion of the lake. The walls rise so high +that the path along the bottom is said to be underground. It is +probably a crack similar to that which made the Victoria Falls, and +formed the Shiré Valley.</p> +<p>The chief brought a small present of meal in the evening, and sat +with us for a few minutes. On leaving us he said that he wished +we might sleep well. Scarce had he gone, when a wild sad cry arose +from the river, followed by the shrieking of women. A crocodile +had carried off his principal wife, as she was bathing. The Makololo +snatched up their arms, and rushed to the bank, but it was too late, +she was gone. The wailing of the women continued all night, and +next morning we met others coming to the village to join in the general +mourning. Their grief was evidently heartfelt, as we saw the tears +coursing down their cheeks. In reporting this misfortune to his +neighbours, Muana-Moesi said, “that white men came to his village; +washed themselves at the place where his wife drew water and bathed; +rubbed themselves with a white medicine (soap); and his wife, having +gone to bathe afterwards, was taken by a crocodile; he did not know +whether in consequence of the medicine used or not.” This +we could not find fault with. On our return we were viewed with +awe, and all the men fled at our approach; the women remained; and this +elicited the remark from our men, “The women have the advantage +of men, in not needing to dread the spear.” The practice +of bathing, which our first contact with Chinsunsé’s people +led us to believe was unknown to the natives, we afterwards found to +be common in other parts of the Manganja country.</p> +<p>We discovered Lake Nyassa a little before noon of the 16th September, +1859. Its southern end is in 14 degrees 25 minutes S. Lat., and +35 degrees 30 minutes E. Long. At this point the valley is about +twelve miles wide. There are hills on both sides of the lake, +but the haze from burning grass prevented us at the time from seeing +far. A long time after our return from Nyassa, we received a letter +from Captain R. B. Oldfield, R.N., then commanding H.M.S. “Lyra,” +with the information that Dr. Roscher, an enterprising German who unfortunately +lost his life in his zeal for exploration, had also reached the Lake, +but on the 19th November following our discovery; and on his arrival +had been informed by the natives that a party of white men were at the +southern extremity. On comparing dates (16th September and 19th +November) we were about two months before Dr. Roscher.</p> +<p>It is not known where Dr. Roscher first saw its waters; as the exact +position of Nusseewa on the borders of the Lake, where he lived some +time, is unknown. He was three days north-east of Nusseewa, and +on the Arab road back to the usual crossing-place of the Rovuma, when +he was murdered. The murderers were seized by one of the chiefs, +sent to Zanzibar, and executed. He is said to have kept his discoveries +to himself, with the intention of publishing in Europe the whole at +once, in a splendid book of travels.</p> +<p>The chief of the village near the confluence of the Lake and River +Shiré, an old man, called Mosauka, hearing that we were sitting +under a tree, came and kindly invited us to his village. He took +us to a magnificent banyan-tree, of which he seemed proud. The +roots had been trained down to the ground into the form of a gigantic +arm-chair, without the seat. Four of us slept in the space betwixt +its arms. Mosauka brought us a present of a goat and basket of +meal “to comfort our hearts.” He told us that a large +slave party, led by Arabs, were encamped close by. They had been +up to Cazembe’s country the past year, and were on their way back, +with plenty of slaves, ivory, and malachite. In a few minutes +half a dozen of the leaders came over to see us. They were armed +with long muskets, and, to our mind, were a villanous-looking lot. +They evidently thought the same of us, for they offered several young +children for sale, but, when told that we were English, showed signs +of fear, and decamped during the night. On our return to the Kongoné, +we found that H.M.S. “Lynx” had caught some of these very +slaves in a dhow; for a woman told us she first saw us at Mosauka’s, +and that the Arabs had fled for fear of an <i>uncanny</i> sort of Basungu.</p> +<p>This is one of the great slave-paths from the interior, others cross +the Shiré a little below, and some on the lake itself. +We might have released these slaves but did not know what to do with +them afterwards. On meeting men, led in slave-sticks, the Doctor +had to bear the reproaches of the Makololo, who never slave, “Ay, +you call us bad, but are we yellow-hearted, like these fellows—why +won’t you let us choke them?” To liberate and leave +them, would have done but little good, as the people of the surrounding +villages would soon have seized them, and have sold them again into +slavery. The Manganja chiefs sell their own people, for we met +Ajawa and slave-dealers in several highland villages, who had certainly +been encouraged to come among them for slaves. The chiefs always +seemed ashamed of the traffic, and tried to excuse themselves. +“We do not sell many, and only those who have committed crimes.” +As a rule the regular trade is supplied by the low and criminal classes, +and hence the ugliness of slaves. Others are probably sold besides +criminals, as on the accusation of witchcraft. Friendless orphans +also sometimes disappear suddenly, and no one inquires what has become +of them. The temptation to sell their people is peculiarly great, +as there is but little ivory on the hills, and often the chief has nothing +but human flesh with which to buy foreign goods. The Ajawa offer +cloth, brass rings, pottery, and sometimes handsome young women, and +agree to take the trouble of carrying off by night all those whom the +chief may point out to them. They give four yards of cotton cloth +for a man, three for a woman, and two for a boy or girl, to be taken +to the Portuguese at Mozambique, Iboe, and Quillimane.</p> +<p>The Manganja were more suspicious and less hospitable than the tribes +on the Zambesi. They were slow to believe that our object in coming +into their country was really what we professed it to be. They +naturally judge us by the motives which govern themselves. A chief +in the Upper Shiré Valley, whose scared looks led our men to +christen him Kitlabolawa (I shall be killed), remarked that parties +had come before, with as plausible a story as ours, and, after a few +days, had jumped up and carried off a number of his people as slaves. +We were not allowed to enter some of the villages in the valley, nor +would the inhabitants even sell us food; Zimika’s men, for instance, +stood at the entrance of the euphorbia hedge, and declared we should +not pass in. We sat down under a tree close by. A young +fellow made an angry oration, dancing from side to side with his bow +and poisoned arrows, and gesticulating fiercely in our faces. +He was stopped in the middle of his harangue by an old man, who ordered +him to sit down, and not talk to strangers in that way; he obeyed reluctantly, +scowling defiance, and thrusting out his large lips very significantly. +The women were observed leaving the village; and, suspecting that mischief +might ensue, we proceeded on our journey, to the great disgust of our +men. They were very angry with the natives for their want of hospitality +to strangers, and with us, because we would not allow them to give “the +things a thrashing.” “This is what comes of going +with white men,” they growled out; “had we been with our +own chief, we should have eaten their goats to-night, and had some of +themselves to carry the bundles for us to-morrow.” On our +return by a path which left his village on our right, Zimika sent to +apologize, saying that “he was ill, and in another village at +the time; it was not by his orders we were sent away; his men did not +know that we were a party wishing the land to dwell in peace.”</p> +<p>We were not able, when hastening back to the men left in the ship, +to remain in the villages belonging to this chief; but the people came +after us with things for sale, and invited us to stop, and spend the +night with them, urging, “Are we to have it said that white people +passed through our country and we did not see them?” We +rested by a rivulet to gratify these sight-seers. We appear to +them to be red rather than white; and, though light colour is admired +among themselves, our clothing renders us uncouth in aspect. Blue +eyes appear savage, and a red beard hideous. From the numbers +of aged persons we saw on the highlands, and the increase of mental +and physical vigour we experienced on our ascent from the lowlands, +we inferred that the climate was salubrious, and that our countrymen +might there enjoy good health, and also be of signal benefit, by leading +the multitude of industrious inhabitants to cultivate cotton, buazé, +sugar, and other valuable produce, to exchange for goods of European +manufacture; at the same time teaching them, by precept and example, +the great truths of our Holy Religion.</p> +<p>Our stay at the Lake was necessarily short. We had found that +the best plan for allaying any suspicions, that might arise in the minds +of a people accustomed only to slave-traders, was to pay a hasty visit, +and then leave for a while, and allow the conviction to form among the +people that, though our course of action was so different from that +of others, we were not dangerous, but rather disposed to be friendly. +We had also a party at the vessel, and any indiscretion on their part +might have proved fatal to the character of the Expedition.</p> +<p>The trade of Cazembé and Katanga’s country, and of other +parts of the interior, crosses Nyassa and the Shiré, on its way +to the Arab port, Kilwa, and the Portuguese ports of Iboe and Mozambique. +At present, slaves, ivory, malachite, and copper ornaments, are the +only articles of commerce. According to information collected +by Colonel Rigby at Zanzibar, and from other sources, nearly all the +slaves shipped from the above-mentioned ports come from the Nyassa district. +By means of a small steamer, purchasing the ivory of the Lake and River +above the cataracts, which together have a shore-line of at least 600 +miles, the slave-trade in this quarter would be rendered unprofitable,—for +it is only by the ivory being carried by the slaves, that the latter +do not eat up all the profits of a trip. An influence would be +exerted over an enormous area of country, for the Mazitu about the north +end of the Lake will not allow slave-traders to pass round that way +through their country. They would be most efficient allies to +the English, and might themselves be benefited by more intercourse. +As things are now, the native traders in ivory and malachite have to +submit to heavy exactions; and if we could give them the same prices +which they at present get after carrying their merchandise 300 miles +beyond this to the Coast, it might induce them to return without going +further. It is only by cutting off the supplies in the interior, +that we can crush the slave-trade on the Coast. The plan proposed +would stop the slave-trade from the Zambesi on one side and Kilwa on +the other; and would leave, beyond this tract, only the Portuguese port +of Inhambane on the south, and a portion of the Sultan of Zanzibar’s +dominion on the north, for our cruisers to look after. The Lake +people grow abundance of cotton for their own consumption, and can sell +it for a penny a pound or even less. Water-carriage exists by +the Shiré and Zambesi all the way to England, with the single +exception of a portage of about thirty-five miles past the Murchison +Cataracts, along which a road of less than forty miles could be made +at a trifling expense; and it seems feasible that a legitimate and thriving +trade might, in a short time, take the place of the present unlawful +traffic.</p> +<p>Colonel Rigby, Captains Wilson, Oldfield, and Chapman, and all the +most intelligent officers on the Coast, were unanimous in the belief, +that one small vessel on the Lake would have decidedly more influence, +and do more good in suppressing the slave-trade, than half a dozen men-of-war +on the ocean. By judicious operations, therefore, on a small scale +inland, little expense would be incurred, and the English slave-trade +policy on the East would have the same fair chance of success, as on +the West Coast.</p> +<p>After a land-journey of forty days, we returned to the ship on the +6th of October, 1859, in a somewhat exhausted condition, arising more +from a sort of poisoning, than from the usual fatigue of travel. +We had taken a little mulligatawney paste, for making soup, in case +of want of time to cook other food. Late one afternoon, at the +end of an unusually long march, we reached Mikena, near the base of +Mount Njongoné to the north of Zomba, and the cook was directed +to use a couple of spoonfuls of the paste; but, instead of doing so, +he put in the whole potful. The soup tasted rather hot, but we +added boiled rice to it, and, being very hungry, partook freely of it; +and, in consequence of the overdose, we were delayed several days in +severe suffering, and some of the party did not recover till after our +return to the ship. Our illness may partly have arisen from another +cause. One kind of cassava (<i>Jatropha maligna</i>) is known +to be, in its raw state, poisonous, but by boiling it carefully in two +waters, which must be thrown off, the poison is extracted and the cassava +rendered fit for food. The poisonous sort is easily known by raising +a bit of the bark of the root, and putting the tongue to it. A +bitter taste shows poison, but it is probable that even the sweet kind +contains an injurious principle. The sap, which, like that of +our potatoes, is injurious as an article of food, is used in the “Pepper-pot” +of the West Indies, under the name of “Cassereep,” as a +perfect preservative of meat. This juice put into an earthen vessel +with a little water and Chili pepper is said to keep meat, that is immersed +in it, good for a great length of time; even for years. No iron +or steel must touch the mixture, or it will become sour. This +“Pepper-pot,” of which we first heard from the late Archbishop +Whately, is a most economical meat-safe in a hot climate; any beef, +mutton, pork, or fowl that may be left at dinner, if put into the mixture +and a little fresh cassereep added, keeps perfectly, though otherwise +the heat of the climate or flies would spoil it. Our cook, however, +boiled the cassava root as he was in the habit of cooking meat, namely, +by filling the pot with it, and then pouring in water, which he allowed +to stand on the fire until it had become absorbed and boiled away. +This method did not expel the poisonous properties of the root, or render +it wholesome; for, notwithstanding our systematic caution in purchasing +only the harmless sort, we suffered daily from its effects, and it was +only just before the end of our trip that this pernicious mode of boiling +it was discovered by us.</p> +<p>In ascending 3000 feet from the lowlands to the highlands, or on +reaching the low valley of the Shiré from the higher grounds, +the change of climate was very marked. The heat was oppressive +below, the thermometer standing at from 84 degrees to 103 degrees in +the shade; and our spirits were as dull and languid as they had been +exhilarated on the heights in a temperature cooler by some 20 degrees. +The water of the river was sometimes 84 degrees or higher, whilst that +we had been drinking in the hill streams was only 65 degrees.</p> +<p>It was found necessary to send two of our number across from the +Shiré to Tette; and Dr. Kirk, with guides from Chibisa, and accompanied +by Mr. Rae, the engineer, accomplished the journey. We had found +the country to the north and east so very well watered, that no difficulty +was anticipated in this respect in a march of less than a hundred miles; +but on this occasion our friends suffered severely. The little +water to be had at this time of the year, by digging in the beds of +dry watercourses, was so brackish as to increase thirst—some of +the natives indeed were making salt from it; and when at long intervals +a less brackish supply was found, it was nauseous and muddy from the +frequent visits of large game. The tsetse abounded. The +country was level, and large tracts of it covered with mopane forest, +the leaves of which afford but scanty shade to the baked earth, so that +scarcely any grass grows upon it. The sun was so hot, that the +men frequently jumped from the path, in the vain hope of cooling, for +a moment, their scorched feet under the almost shadeless bushes; and +the native who carried the provision of salt pork got lost, and came +into Tette two days after the rest of the party, with nothing but the +fibre of the meat left, the fat, melted by the blazing sun, having all +run down his back. This path was soon made a highway for slaving +parties by Captain Raposo, the Commandant. The journey nearly +killed our two active young friends; and what the slaves must have since +suffered on it no one can conceive; but slaving probably can never be +conducted without enormous suffering and loss of life.</p> +<p>Mankokwé now sent a message to say that he wished us to stop +at his village on our way down. He came on board on our arrival +there with a handsome present, and said that his young people had dissuaded +him from visiting us before; but now he was determined to see what every +one else was seeing. A bald square-headed man, who had been his +Prime Minister when we came up, was now out of office, and another old +man, who had taken his place accompanied the chief. In passing +the Elephant Marsh, we saw nine large herds of elephants; they sometimes +formed a line two miles long.</p> +<p>On the 2nd of November we anchored off Shamoara, and sent the boat +to Senna for biscuit and other provisions. Senhor Ferrão, +with his wonted generosity, gave us a present of a bullock, which he +sent to us in a canoe. Wishing to know if a second bullock would +be acceptable to us, he consulted his Portuguese and English dictionary, +and asked the sailor in charge if he would take <i>another</i>; but +Jack, mistaking the Portuguese pronunciation of the letter h, replied, +“Oh no, sir, thank you, I don’t want an <i>otter</i> in +the boat, they are such terrible biters!”</p> +<p>We had to ground the vessel on a shallow sandbank every night; she +leaked so fast, that in deep water she would have sunk, and the pump +had to be worked all day to keep her afloat. Heavy rains fell +daily, producing the usual injurious effects in the cabin; and, unable +to wait any longer for our associates, who had gone overland from the +Shiré to Tette, we ran down the Kongoné and beached her +for repairs. Her Majesty’s ship “Lynx,” Lieut. +Berkeley commanding, called shortly afterwards with supplies; the bar, +which had been perfectly smooth for some time before, became rather +rough just before her arrival, so that it was two or three days before +she could communicate with us. Two of her boats tried to come +in on the second day, and one of them, mistaking the passage, capsized +in the heavy breakers abreast of the island. Mr. Hunt, gunner, +the officer in charge of the second boat, behaved nobly, and by his +skilful and gallant conduct succeeded in rescuing every one of the first +boat’s crew. Of course the things that they were bringing +to us were lost, but we were thankful that all the men were saved. +The loss of the mail-bags, containing Government despatches and our +friends’ letters for the past year, was felt severely, as we were +on the point of starting on an expedition into the interior, which might +require eight or nine months; and twenty months is a weary time to be +without news of friends and family. In the repairing of our crazy +craft, we received kind and efficient aid from Lieutenant Berkeley, +and we were enabled to leave for Tette on December 16th.</p> +<p>We had now frequent rains, and the river rose considerably; our progress +up the stream was distressingly slow, and it was not until the 2nd of +February, 1860, that we reached Tette. Mr. Thornton returned on +the same day from a geological tour, by which some Portuguese expected +that a fabulous silver-mine would be rediscovered. The tradition +in the country is, that the Jesuits formerly knew and worked a precious +lode at Chicova. Mr. Thornton had gone beyond Zumbo, in company +with a trader of colour; he soon after this left the Zambesi and, joining +the expedition of the Baron van der Decken, explored the snow mountain +Kilimanjaro, north-west of Zanzibar. Mr. Thornton’s companion, +the trader, brought back much ivory, having found it both abundant and +cheap. He was obliged, however, to pay heavy fines to the Banyai +and other tribes, in the country which is coolly claimed in Europe as +Portuguese. During this trip of six mouths 200 pieces of cotton +cloth of sixteen yards each, besides beads and brass wire, were paid +to the different chiefs, for leave to pass through their country. +In addition to these sufficiently weighty exactions, the natives of +<i>this dominion</i> have got into the habit of imposing fines for alleged +milandos, or crimes, which the traders’ men may have unwittingly +committed. The merchants, however, submit rather than run the +risk of fighting.</p> +<p>The general monotony of existence at Tette is sometimes relieved +by an occasional death or wedding. When the deceased is a person +of consequence, the quantity of gunpowder his slaves are allowed to +expend is enormous. The expense may, in proportion to their means, +resemble that incurred by foolishly gaudy funerals in England. +When at Tette, we always joined with sympathizing hearts in aiding, +by our presence at the last rites, to soothe the sorrows of the surviving +relatives. We are sure that they would have done the same to us +had we been the mourners. We never had to complain of want of +hospitality. Indeed, the great kindness shown by many of whom +we have often spoken, will never be effaced from our memory till our +dying day. When we speak of their failings it is in sorrow, not +in anger. Their trading in slaves is an enormous mistake. +Their Government places them in a false position by cutting them off +from the rest of the world; and of this they always speak with a bitterness +which, were it heard, might alter the tone of the statesmen of Lisbon. +But here there is no press, no booksellers’ shops, and scarcely +a schoolmaster. Had we been born in similar untoward circumstances—we +tremble to think of it!</p> +<p>The weddings are celebrated with as much jollity as weddings are +anywhere. We witnessed one in the house of our friend the Padre. +It being the marriage of his goddaughter, he kindly invited us to be +partakers in his joy; and we there became acquainted with old Donna +Engenia, who was a married wife and had children, when the slaves came +from Cassange, before any of us were born. The whole merry-making +was marked by good taste amid propriety.</p> +<p>About the only interesting object in the vicinity of Tette is the +coal a few miles to the north. There, in the feeders of the stream +Revubué, it crops out in cliff sections. The seams are +from four to seven feet in thickness; one measured was found to be twenty-five +feet thick.</p> +<p>Learning that it would be difficult for our party to obtain food +beyond Kebrabasa before the new crop came in and knowing the difficulty +of hunting for so many men in the wet season, we decided on deferring +our departure for the interior until May, and in the mean time to run +down once more to the Kongoné, in the hopes of receiving letters +and despatches from the man-of-war that was to call in March. +We left Tette on the 10th, and at Senna heard that our lost mail had +been picked up on the beach by natives, west of the Milambé; +carried to Quillimane, sent thence to Senna, and, passing us somewhere +on the river, on to Tette. At Shupanga the governor informed us +that it was a very large mail; no great comfort, seeing it was away +up the river.</p> +<p>Mosquitoes were excessively troublesome at the harbour, and especially +when a light breeze blew from the north over the mangroves. We +lived for several weeks in small huts, built by our men. Those +who did the hunting for the party always got wet, and were attacked +by fever, but generally recovered in time to be out again before the +meat was all consumed. No ship appearing, we started off on the +15th of March, and stopped to wood on the Luabo, near an encampment +of hippopotamus hunters; our men heard again, through them, of the canoe +path from this place to Quillimane, but they declined to point it out.</p> +<p>We found our friend Major Sicard at Mazaro with picks, shovels, hurdles, +and slaves, having come to build a fort and custom-house at the Kongoné. +As we had no good reason to hide the harbour, but many for its being +made known, we supplied him with a chart of the tortuous branches, which, +running among the mangroves, perplex the search; and with such directions +as would enable him to find his way down to the river. He had +brought the relics of our fugitive mail, and it was a disappointment +to find that all had been lost, with the exception of a bundle of old +newspapers, two photographs, and three letters, which had been written +before we left England.</p> +<p>The distance from Mazaro, on the Zambesi side, to the Kwakwa at Nterra, +is about six miles, over a surprisingly rich dark soil. We passed +the night in the long shed, erected at Nterra, on the banks of this +river, for the use of travellers, who have often to wait several days +for canoes; we tried to sleep, but the mosquitoes and rats were so troublesome +as to render sleep impossible. The rats, or rather large mice, +closely resembling <i>Mus pumilio</i> (Smith), of this region, are quite +facetious, and, having a great deal of fun in them, often laugh heartily. +Again and again they woke us up by scampering over our faces, and then +bursting into a loud laugh of He! he! he! at having performed the feat. +Their sense of the ludicrous appears to be exquisite; they screamed +with laughter at the attempts which disturbed and angry human nature +made in the dark to bring their ill-timed merriment to a close. +Unlike their prudent European cousins, which are said to leave a sinking +ship, a party of these took up their quarters in our leaky and sinking +vessel. Quiet and invisible by day, they emerged at night, and +cut their funny pranks. No sooner were we all asleep, than they +made a sudden dash over the lockers and across our faces for the cabin +door, where all broke out into a loud He! he! he! he! he! he! showing +how keenly they enjoyed the joke. They next went forward with +as much delight, and scampered over the men. Every night they +went fore and aft, rousing with impartial feet every sleeper, and laughing +to scorn the aimless blows, growls, and deadly rushes of outraged humanity. +We observed elsewhere a species of large mouse, nearly allied to <i>Euryotis +unisulcatus</i> (F. Cuvier), escaping up a rough and not very upright +wall, with six young ones firmly attached to the perineum. They +were old enough to be well covered with hair, and some were not detached +by a blow which disabled the dam. We could not decide whether +any involuntary muscles were brought into play in helping the young +to adhere. Their weight seemed to require a sort of cataleptic +state of the muscles of the jaw, to enable them to hold on.</p> +<p>Scorpions, centipedes, and poisonous spiders also were not unfrequently +brought into the ship with the wood, and occasionally found their way +into our beds; but in every instance we were fortunate enough to discover +and destroy them before they did any harm. Naval officers on this +coast report that, when scorpions and centipedes remain a few weeks +after being taken on board in a similar manner, their poison loses nearly +all its virulence; but this we did not verify. Snakes sometimes +came in with the wood, but oftener floated down the river to us, climbing +on board with ease by the chain-cable, and some poisonous ones were +caught in the cabin. A green snake lived with us several weeks, +concealing himself behind the casing of the deckhouse in the daytime. +To be aroused in the dark by five feet of cold green snake gliding over +one’s face is rather unpleasant, however rapid the movement may +be. Myriads of two varieties of cockroaches infested the vessel; +they not only ate round the roots of our nails, but even devoured and +defiled our food, flannels, and boots. Vain were all our efforts +to extirpate these destructive pests; if you kill one, say the sailors, +a hundred come down to his funeral! In the work of Commodore Owen +it is stated that cockroaches, pounded into a paste, form a powerful +carminative; this has not been confirmed, but when monkeys are fed on +them they are sure to become lean.</p> +<p>On coming to Senna, we found that the Zulus had arrived in force +for their annual tribute. These men are under good discipline, +and never steal from the people. The tax is claimed on the ground +of conquest, the Zulus having formerly completely overcome the Senna +people, and chased them on to the islands in the Zambesi. Fifty-four +of the Portuguese were slain on the occasion, and, notwithstanding the +mud fort, the village has never recovered its former power. Fever +was now very prevalent, and most of the Portuguese were down with it.</p> +<p>For a good view of the adjacent scenery, the hill, Baramuana, behind +the village, was ascended. A caution was given about the probability +of an attack of fever from a plant that grows near the summit. +Dr. Kirk discovered it to be the <i>Pædevia fœtida</i>, +which, when smelt, actually does give headache and fever. It has +a nasty fetor, as its name indicates. This is one instance in +which fever and a foul smell coincide. In a number of instances +offensive effluvia and fever seems to have no connection. Owing +to the abundant rains, the crops in the Senna district were plentiful; +this was fortunate, after the partial failure of the past two years. +It was the 25th of April, 1860, before we reached Tette; here also the +crops were luxuriant, and the people said that they had not had such +abundance since 1856, the year when Dr. Livingstone came down the river. +It is astonishing to any one who has seen the works for irrigation in +other countries, as at the Cape and in Egypt, that no attempt has ever +been made to lead out the water either of the Zambesi or any of its +tributaries; no machinery has ever been used to raise it even from the +stream, but droughts and starvations are endured, as if they were inevitable +dispensations of Providence, incapable of being mitigated.</p> +<p>Feeling in honour bound to return with those who had been the faithful +companions of Dr. Livingstone, in 1856, and to whose guardianship and +services was due the accomplishment of a journey which all the Portuguese +at Tette had previously pronounced impossible, the requisite steps were +taken to convey them to their homes.</p> +<p>We laid the ship alongside of the island Kanyimbé, opposite +Tette; and, before starting for the country of the Makololo, obtained +a small plot of land, to form a garden for the two English sailors who +were to remain in charge during our absence. We furnished them +with a supply of seeds, and they set to work with such zeal, that they +certainly merited success. Their first attempt at African horticulture +met with failure from a most unexpected source; every seed was dug up +and the inside of it eaten by mice. “Yes,” said an +old native, next morning, on seeing the husks, “that is what happens +this month; for it is the mouse month, and the seed should have been +sown last mouth, when I sowed mine.” The sailors, however, +sowed more next day; and, being determined to outwit the mice, they +this time covered the beds over with grass. The onions, with other +seeds of plants cultivated by the Portuguese, are usually planted in +the beginning of April, in order to have the advantage of the cold season; +the wheat a little later, for the same reason. If sown at the +beginning of the rainy season in November, it runs, as before remarked, +entirely to straw; but as the rains are nearly over in May, advantage +is taken of low-lying patches, which have been flooded by the river. +A hole is made in the mud with a hoe, a few seeds dropped in, and the +earth shoved back with the foot. If not favoured with certain +misty showers, which, lower down the river, are simply fogs, water is +borne from the river to the roots of the wheat in earthern pots; and +in about four months the crop is ready for the sickle. The wheat +of Tette is exported, as the best grown in the country; but a hollow +spot at Maruru, close by Mazaro, yielded very good crops, though just +at the level of the sea, as a few inches rise of tide shows.</p> +<p>A number of days were spent in busy preparation for our journey; +the cloth, beads, and brass wire, for the trip were sewn up in old canvas, +and each package had the bearer’s name printed on it. The +Makololo, who had worked for the Expedition, were paid for their services, +and every one who had come down with the Doctor from the interior received +a present of cloth and ornaments, in order to protect them from the +greater cold of their own country, and to show that they had not come +in vain. Though called Makololo by courtesy, as they were proud +of the name, Kanyata, the principal headman, was the only real Makololo +of the party; and he, in virtue of his birth, had succeeded to the chief +place on the death of Sekwebu. The others belonged to the conquered +tribes of the Batoka, Bashubia, Ba-Selea, and Barotsé. +Some of these men had only added to their own vices those of the Tette +slaves; others, by toiling during the first two years in navigating +canoes, and hunting elephants, had often managed to save a little, to +take back to their own country, but had to part with it all for food +to support the rest in times of hunger, and, latterly, had fallen into +the improvident habits of slaves, and spent their surplus earnings in +beer and agua ardiente.</p> +<p>Everything being ready on the 15th of May, we started at 2 p.m. from +the village where the Makololo had dwelt. A number of the men +did not leave with the goodwill which their talk for months before had +led us to anticipate; but some proceeded upon being told that they were +not compelled to go unless they liked, though others altogether declined +moving. Many had taken up with slave-women, whom they assisted +in hoeing, and in consuming the produce of their gardens. Some +fourteen children had been born to them; and in consequence of now having +no chief to order them, or to claim their services, they thought that +they were about as well off as they had been in their own country. +They knew and regretted that they could call neither wives nor children +their own; the slave-owners claimed the whole; but their natural affections +had been so enchained, that they clave to the domestic ties. By +a law of Portugal the baptized children of slave women are all free; +by the custom of the Zambesi that law is void. When it is referred +to, the officers laugh and say, “These Lisbon-born laws are very +stringent, but somehow, possibly from the heat of the climate, here +they lose all their force.” Only one woman joined our party—the +wife of a Batoka man: she had been given to him, in consideration of +his skilful dancing, by the chief, Chisaka. A merchant sent three +of his men along with us, with a present for Sekeletu, and Major Sicard +also lent us three more to assist us on our return, and two Portuguese +gentleman kindly gave us the loan of a couple of donkeys. We slept +four miles above Tette, and hearing that the Banyai, who levy heavy +fines on the Portuguese traders, lived chiefly on the right bank, we +crossed over to the left, as we could not fully trust our men. +If the Banyai had come in a threatening manner, our followers might, +perhaps, from having homes behind them, have even put down their bundles +and run. Indeed, two of them at this point made up their minds +to go no further, and turned back to Tette. Another, Monga, a +Batoka, was much perplexed, and could not make out what course to pursue, +as he had, three years previously, wounded Kanyata, the headman, with +a spear. This is a capital offence among the Makololo, and he +was afraid of being put to death for it on his return. He tried, +in vain, to console himself with the facts that he had neither father, +mother, sisters, nor brothers to mourn for him, and that he could die +but once. He was good, and would go up to the stars to Yesu, and +therefore did not care for death. In spite, however, of these +reflections, he was much cast down, until Kanyata assured him that he +would never mention his misdeed to the chief; indeed, he had never even +mentioned it to the Doctor, which he would assuredly have done had it +lain heavy on his heart. We were right glad of Monga’s company, +for he was a merry good-tempered fellow, and his lithe manly figure +had always been in the front in danger; and, from being left-handed, +had been easily recognized in the fight with elephants.</p> +<p>We commenced, for a certain number of days, with short marches, walking +gently until broken in to travel. This is of so much importance, +that it occurs to us that more might be made out of soldiers if the +first few days’ marches were easy, and gradually increased in +length and quickness. The nights were cold, with heavy dews and +occasional showers, and we had several cases of fever. Some of +the men deserted every night, and we fully expected that all who had +children would prefer to return to Tette, for little ones are well known +to prove the strongest ties, even to slaves. It was useless informing +them, that if they wanted to return they had only to come and tell us +so; we should not be angry with them for preferring Tette to their own +country. Contact with slaves had destroyed their sense of honour; +they would not go in daylight, but decamped in the night, only in one +instance, however, taking our goods, though, in two more, they carried +off their comrades’ property. By the time we had got well +into the Kebrabasa hills thirty men, nearly a third of the party, had +turned back, and it became evident that, if many more left us, Sekeletu’s +goods could not be carried up. At last, when the refuse had fallen +away, no more desertions took place.</p> +<p>Stopping one afternoon at a Kebrabasa village, a man, who pretended +to be able to change himself into a lion, came to salute us. Smelling +the gunpowder from a gun which had been discharged, he went on one side +to get out of the wind of the piece, trembling in a most artistic manner, +but quite overacting his part. The Makololo explained to us that +he was a Pondoro, or a man who can change his form at will, and added +that he trembles when he smells gunpowder. “Do you not see +how he is trembling now?” We told them to ask him to change +himself at once into a lion, and we would give him a cloth for the performance. +“Oh no,” replied they; “if we tell him so, he may +change himself and come when we are asleep and kill us.” +Having similar superstitions at home, they readily became as firm believers +in the Pondoro as the natives of the village. We were told that +he assumes the form of a lion and remains in the woods for days, and +is sometimes absent for a whole month. His considerate wife had +built him a hut or den, in which she places food and beer for her transformed +lord, whose metamorphosis does not impair his human appetite. +No one ever enters this hut except the Pondoro and his wife, and no +stranger is allowed even to rest his gun against the baobab-tree beside +it: the Mfumo, or petty chief, of another small village wished to fine +our men for placing their muskets against an old tumble-down hut, it +being that of the Pondoro. At times the Pondoro employs his acquired +powers in hunting for the benefit of the village; and after an absence +of a day or two, his wife smells the lion, takes a certain medicine, +places it in the forest, and there quickly leaves it, lest the lion +should kill even her. This medicine enables the Pondoro to change +himself back into a man, return to the village, and say, “Go and +get the game that I have killed for you.” Advantage is of +course taken of what a lion has done, and they go and bring home the +buffalo or antelope killed when he was a lion, or rather found when +he was patiently pursuing his course of deception in the forest. +We saw the Pondoro of another village dressed in a fantastic style, +with numerous charms hung round him, and followed by a troop of boys +who were honouring him with rounds of shrill cheering.</p> +<p>It is believed also that the souls of departed chiefs enter into +lions, and render them sacred. On one occasion, when we had shot +a buffalo in the path beyond the Kafué, a hungry lion, attracted +probably by the smell of the meat, came close to our camp, and roused +up all hands by his roaring. Tuba Mokoro, imbued with the popular +belief that the beast was a chief in disguise, scolded him roundly during +his brief intervals of silence. “You a chief, eh? +You call yourself a chief, do you? What kind of chief are you +to come sneaking about in the dark, trying to steal our buffalo meat! +Are you not ashamed of yourself? A pretty chief truly; you are +like the scavenger beetle, and think of yourself only. You have +not the heart of a chief; why don’t you kill your own beef? +You must have a stone in your chest, and no heart at all, indeed!” +Tuba Mokoro producing no impression on the transformed chief, one of +the men, the most sedate of the party, who seldom spoke, took up the +matter, and tried the lion in another strain. In his slow quiet +way he expostulated with him on the impropriety of such conduct to strangers, +who had never injured him. “We were travelling peaceably +through the country back to our own chief. We never killed people, +nor stole anything. The buffalo meat was ours, not his, and it +did not become a great chief like him to be prowling round in the dark, +trying, like a hyena, to steal the meat of strangers. He might +go and hunt for himself, as there was plenty of game in the forest.” +The Pondoro, being deaf to reason, and only roaring the louder, the +men became angry, and threatened to send a ball through him if he did +not go away. They snatched up their guns to shoot him, but he +prudently kept in the dark, outside the luminous circle made by our +camp fires, and there they did not like to venture. A little strychnine +was put into a piece of meat, and thrown to him, when he soon departed, +and we heard no more of the majestic sneaker.</p> +<p>The Kebrabasa people were now plumper and in better condition than +on our former visits; the harvest had been abundant; they had plenty +to eat and drink, and they were enjoying life as much as ever they could. +At Defwé’s village, near where the ship lay on her first +ascent, we found two Mfumos or headmen, the son and son-in-law of the +former chief. A sister’s son has much more chance of succeeding +to a chieftainship than the chief’s own offspring, it being unquestionable +that the sister’s child has the family blood. The men are +all marked across the nose and up the middle of the forehead with short +horizontal bars or cicatrices; and a single brass earring of two or +three inches diameter, like the ancient Egyptian, is worn by the men. +Some wear the hair long like the ancient Assyrians and Egyptians, and +a few have eyes with the downward and inward slant of the Chinese.</p> +<p>After fording the rapid Luia, we left our former path on the banks +of the Zambesi, and struck off in a N.W. direction behind one of the +hill ranges, the eastern end of which is called Mongwa, the name of +an acacia, having a peculiarly strong fetor, found on it. Our +route wound up a valley along a small mountain-stream which was nearly +dry, and then crossed the rocky spurs of some of the lofty hills. +The country was all very dry at the time, and no water was found except +in an occasional spring and a few wells dug in the beds of watercourses. +The people were poor, and always anxious to convince travellers of the +fact. The men, unlike those on the plains, spend a good deal of +their time in hunting; this may be because they have but little ground +on the hill-sides suitable for gardens, and but little certainty of +reaping what may be sown in the valleys. No women came forward +in the hamlet, east of Chiperiziwa, where we halted for the night. +Two shots had been fired at guinea-fowl a little way off in the valley; +the women fled into the woods, and the men came to know if war was meant, +and a few of the old folks only returned after hearing that we were +for peace. The headman, Kambira, apologized for not having a present +ready, and afterwards brought us some meal, a roasted coney (<i>Hyrax +capensis</i>), and a pot of beer; he wished to be thought poor. +The beer had come to him from a distance; he had none of his own. +Like the Manganja, these people salute by clapping their hands. +When a man comes to a place where others are seated, before sitting +down he claps his hands to each in succession, and they do the same +to him. If he has anything to tell, both speaker and hearer clap +their hands at the close of every paragraph, and then again vigorously +at the end of the speech. The guide, whom the headman gave us, +thus saluted each of his comrades before he started off with us. +There is so little difference in the language, that all the tribes of +this region are virtually of one family.</p> +<p>We proceeded still in the same direction, and passed only two small +hamlets during the day. Except the noise our men made on the march, +everything was still around us: few birds were seen. The appearance +of a whydahbird showed that he had not yet parted with his fine long +plumes. We passed immense quantities of ebony and lignum-vitæ, +and the tree from whose smooth and bitter bark granaries are made for +corn. The country generally is clothed with a forest of ordinary-sized +trees. We slept in the little village near Sindabwé, where +our men contrived to purchase plenty of beer, and were uncommonly boisterous +all the evening. We breakfasted next morning under green wild +date-palms, beside the fine flowery stream, which runs through the charming +valley of Zibah. We now had Mount Chiperiziwa between us, and +part of the river near Morumbwa, having in fact come north about in +order to avoid the difficulties of our former path. The last of +the deserters, a reputed thief, took French leave of us here. +He left the bundle of cloth he was carrying in the path a hundred yards +in front of where we halted, but made off with the musket and most of +the brass rings and beads of his comrade Shirimba, who had unsuspectingly +intrusted them to his care.</p> +<p>Proceeding S.W. up this lovely valley, in about an hour’s time +we reached Sandia’s village. The chief was said to be absent +hunting, and they did not know when he would return. This is such +a common answer to the inquiry after a headman, that one is inclined +to think that it only means that they wish to know the stranger’s +object before exposing their superior to danger. As some of our +men were ill, a halt was made here.</p> +<p>As we were unable to march next morning, six of our young men, anxious +to try their muskets, went off to hunt elephants. For several +hours they saw nothing, and some of them, getting tired, proposed to +go to a village and buy food. “No!” said Mantlanyané, +“we came to hunt, so let us go on.” In a short time +they fell in with a herd of cow elephants and calves. As soon +as the first cow caught sight of the hunters on the rocks above her, +she, with true motherly instinct, placed her young one between her fore-legs +for protection. The men were for scattering, and firing into the +herd indiscriminately. “That won’t do,” cried +Mantlanyané, “let us all fire at this one.” +The poor beast received a volley, and ran down into the plain, where +another shot killed her; the young one escaped with the herd. +The men were wild with excitement, and danced round the fallen queen +of the forest, with loud shouts and exultant songs. They returned, +bearing as trophies the tail and part of the trunk, and marched into +camp as erect as soldiers, and evidently feeling that their stature +had increased considerably since the morning.</p> +<p>Sandia’s wife was duly informed of their success, as here a +law decrees that half the elephant belongs to the chief on whose ground +it has been killed. The Portuguese traders always submit to this +tax, and, were it of native origin, it could hardly be considered unjust. +A chief must have some source of revenue; and, as many chiefs can raise +none except from ivory or slaves, this tax is more free from objections +than any other that a black Chancellor of the Exchequer could devise. +It seems, however, to have originated with the Portuguese themselves, +and then to have spread among the adjacent tribes. The Governors +look sharply after any elephant that may be slain on the Crown lands, +and demand one of the tusks from their vassals. We did not find +the law in operation in any tribe beyond the range of Portuguese traders, +or further than the sphere of travel of those Arabs who imitated Portuguese +customs in trade. At the Kafué in 1855 the chiefs bought +the meat we killed, and demanded nothing as their due; and so it was +up the Shiré during our visits. The slaves of the Portuguese, +who are sent by their masters to shoot elephants, probably connive at +the extension of this law, for they strive to get the good will of the +chiefs to whose country they come, by advising them to make a demand +of half of each elephant killed, and for this advice they are well paid +in beer. When we found that the Portuguese argued in favour of +this law, we told the natives that they might exact tusks from <i>them</i>, +but that the English, being different, preferred the pure native custom. +It was this which made Sandia, as afterwards mentioned, hesitate; but +we did not care to insist on exemption in our favour, where the prevalence +of the custom might have been held to justify the exaction.</p> +<p>The cutting up of an elephant is quite a unique spectacle. +The men stand remind the animal in dead silence, while the chief of +the travelling party declares that, according to ancient law, the head +and right hind-leg belong to him who killed the beast, that is, to him +who inflicted the first wound; the left leg to bins who delivered the +second, or first touched the animal after it fell. The meat around +the eye to the English, or chief of the travellers, and different parts +to the headmen of the different fires, or groups, of which the camp +is composed; not forgetting to enjoin the preservation of the fat and +bowels for a second distribution. This oration finished, the natives +soon become excited, and scream wildly as they cut away at the carcass +with a score of spears, whose long handles quiver in the air above their +heads. Their excitement becomes momentarily more and more intense, +and reaches the culminating point when, as denoted by a roar of gas, +the huge mass is laid fairly open. Some jump inside, and roll +about there in their eagerness to seize the precious fat, while others +run off, screaming, with pieces of the bloody meat, throw it on the +grass, and run back for more: all keep talking and shouting at the utmost +pitch of their voices. Sometimes two or three, regardless of all +laws, seize the same piece of meat, and have a brief fight of words +over it. Occasionally an agonized yell bursts forth, and a native +emerges out of the moving mass of dead elephant and wriggling humanity, +with his hand badly cut by the spear of his excited friend and neighbour: +this requires a rag and some soothing words to prevent bad blood. +In an incredibly short time tons of meat are cut up, and placed in separate +heaps around.</p> +<p>Sandia arrived soon after the beast was divided: he is an elderly +man, and wears a wig made of “ifé” fibre (<i>sanseviera</i>) +dyed black, and of a fine glossy appearance. This plant is allied +to the aloes, and its thick fleshy leaves, in shape somewhat like our +sedges, when bruised yield much fine strong fibre, which is made into +ropes, nets, and wigs. It takes dyes readily, and the fibre might +form a good article of commerce. “Ifé” wigs, +as we afterwards saw, are not uncommon in this country, though perhaps +not so common as hair wigs at home. Sandia’s mosamela, or +small carved wooden pillow, exactly resembling the ancient Egyptian +one, was hung from the back of his neck; this pillow and a sleeping +mat are usually carried by natives when on hunting excursions.</p> +<p>We had the elephant’s fore-foot cooked for ourselves, in native +fashion. A large hole was dug in the ground, in which a fire was +made; and, when the inside was thoroughly heated, the entire foot was +placed in it, and covered over with the hot ashes and soil; another +fire was made above the whole, and kept burning all night. We +had the foot thus cooked for breakfast next morning, and found it delicious. +It is a whitish mass, slightly gelatinous, and sweet, like marrow. +A long march, to prevent biliousness, is a wise precaution after a meal +of elephant’s foot. Elephant’s trunk and tongue are +also good, and, after long simmering, much resemble the hump of a buffalo +and the tongue of an ox; but all the other meat is tough, and, from +its peculiar flavour, only to be eaten by a hungry man. The quantities +of meat our men devour is quite astounding. They boil as much +as their pots will hold, and eat till it becomes physically impossible +for them to stow away any more. An uproarious dance follows, accompanied +with stentorian song; and as soon as they have shaken their first course +down, and washed off the sweat and dust of the after performance, they +go to work to roast more: a short snatch of sleep succeeds, and they +are up and at it again; all night long it is boil and eat, roast and +devour, with a few brief interludes of sleep. Like other carnivora, +these men can endure hunger for a much longer period than the mere porridge-eating +tribes. Our men can cook meat as well as any reasonable traveller +could desire; and, boiled in earthen pots, like Indian chatties, it +tastes much better than when cooked in iron ones.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER V.</h3> +<p>Magnificent scenery—Method of marching—Hippopotamus killed—Lions +and buffalo—Sequasha the ivory-trader.</p> +<p>Sandia gave us two guides; and on the 4th of June we left the Elephant +valley, taking a westerly course; and, after crossing a few ridges, +entered the Chingereré or Paguruguru valley, through which, in +the rainy season, runs the streamlet Pajodzé. The mountains +on our left, between us and the Zambesi, our guides told us have the +same name as the valley, but that at the confluence of the Pajodzé +is called Morumbwa. We struck the river at less than half a mile +to the north of the cataract Morumbwa. On climbing up the base +of this mountain at Pajodzé, we found that we were distant only +the diameter of the mountain from the cataract. In measuring the +cataract we formerly stood on its southern flank; now we were perched +on its northern flank, and at once recognized the onion-shaped mountain, +here called Zakavuma, whose smooth convex surface overlooks the broken +water. Its bearing by compass was l80 degrees from the spot to +which we had climbed, and 700 or 800 yards distant. We now, from +this standing-point, therefore, completed our inspection of all Kebrabasa, +and saw what, as a whole, was never before seen by Europeans so far +as any records show.</p> +<p>The remainder of the Kebrabasa path, on to Chicova, was close to +the compressed and rocky river. Ranges of lofty tree-covered mountains, +with deep narrow valleys, in which are dry watercourses, or flowing +rivulets, stretch from the north-west, and are prolonged on the opposite +side of the river in a south-easterly direction. Looking back, +the mountain scenery in Kebrabasa was magnificent; conspicuous from +their form and steep sides, are the two gigantic portals of the cataract; +the vast forests still wore their many brilliant autumnal-coloured tints +of green, yellow, red, purple, and brown, thrown into relief by the +grey bark of the trunks in the background. Among these variegated +trees were some conspicuous for their new livery of fresh light-green +leaves, as though the winter of others was their spring. The bright +sunshine in these mountain forests, and the ever-changing forms of the +cloud shadows, gliding over portions of the surface, added fresh charms +to scenes already surpassingly beautiful.</p> +<p>From what we have seen of the Kebrabasa rocks and rapids, it appears +too evident that they must always form a barrier to navigation at the +ordinary low water of the river; but the rise of the water in this gorge +being as much as eighty feet perpendicularly, it is probable that a +steamer might be taken up at high flood, when all the rapids are smoothed +over, to run on the Upper Zambesi. The most formidable cataract +in it, Morumbwa, has only about twenty feet of fall, in a distance of +thirty yards, and it must entirely disappear when the water stands eighty +feet higher. Those of the Makololo who worked on board the ship +were not sorry at the steamer being left below, as they had become heartily +tired of cutting the wood that the insatiable furnace of the “Asthmatic” +required. Mbia, who was a bit of a wag, laughingly exclaimed in +broken English, “Oh, Kebrabasa good, very good; no let shippee +up to Sekeletu, too muchee work, cuttee woodyee, cuttee woodyee: Kebrabasa +good.” It is currently reported, and commonly believed, +that once upon a time a Portuguese named José Pedra,—by +the natives called Nyamatimbira,—chief, or capitão mor, +of Zumbo, a man of large enterprise and small humanity,—being +anxious to ascertain if Kebrabasa could be navigated, made two slaves +fast to a canoe, and launched it from Chicova into Kebrabasa, in order +to see if it would come out at the other end. As neither slaves +nor canoe ever appeared again, his Excellency concluded that Kebrabasa +was unnavigable. A trader had a large canoe swept away by a sudden +rise of the river, and it was found without damage below; but the most +satisfactory information was that of old Sandia, who asserted that in +flood all Kebrabasa became quite smooth, and he had often seen it so.</p> +<p>We emerged from the thirty-five or forty miles of Kebrabasa hills +into the Chicova plains on the 7th of June, 1860, having made short +marches all the way. The cold nights caused some of our men to +cough badly, and colds in this country almost invariably become fever. +The Zambesi suddenly expands at Chicova, and assumes the size and appearance +it has at Tette. Near this point we found a large seam of coal +exposed in the left bank.</p> +<p>We met with native travellers occasionally. Those on a long +journey carry with them a sleeping-mat and wooden pillow, cooking-pot +and bag of meal, pipe and tobacco-pouch, a knife, bow, and arrows, and +two small sticks, of from two to three feet in length, for making fire, +when obliged to sleep away from human habitations. Dry wood is +always abundant, and they get fire by the following method. A +notch is cut in one of the sticks, which, with a close-grained outside, +has a small core of pith, and this notched stick is laid horizontally +on a knife-blade on the ground; the operator squatting, places his great +toes on each end to keep all steady, and taking the other wand which +is of very hard wood cut to a blunt point, fits it into the notch at +right angles; the upright wand is made to spin rapidly backwards and +forwards between the palms of the hands, drill fashion, and at the same +time is pressed downwards; the friction, in the course of a minute or +so, ignites portions of the pith of the notched stick, which, rolling +over like live charcoal on to the knife-blade, are lifted into a handful +of fine dry grass, and carefully blown, by waving backwards and forwards +in the air. It is hard work for the hands to procure fire by this +process, as the vigorous drilling and downward pressure requisite soon +blister soft palms.</p> +<p>Having now entered a country where lions were numerous, our men began +to pay greater attention to the arrangements of the camp at night. +As they are accustomed to do with their chiefs, they place the white +men in the centre; Kanyata, his men, and the two donkeys, camp on our +right; Tuba Mokoro’s party of Bashubia are in front; Masakasa, +and Sininyané’s body of Batoka, on the left; and in the +rear six Tette men have their fires. In placing their fires they +are careful to put them where the smoke will not blow in our faces. +Soon after we halt, the spot for the English is selected, and all regulate +their places accordingly, and deposit their burdens. The men take +it by turns to cut some of the tall dry grass, and spread it for our +beds on a spot, either naturally level, or smoothed by the hoe; some, +appointed to carry our bedding, then bring our rugs and karosses, and +place the three rugs in a row on the grass; Dr. Livingstone’s +being in the middle, Dr. Kirk’s on the right, and Charles Livingstone’s +on the left. Our bags, rifles, and revolvers are carefully placed +at our heads, and a fire made near our feet. We have no tent nor +covering of any kind except the branches of the tree under which we +may happen to lie; and it is a pretty sight to look up and see every +branch, leaf, and twig of the tree stand out, reflected against the +clear star-spangled and moonlit sky. The stars of the first magnitude +have names which convey the same meaning over very wide tracts of country. +Here when Venus comes out in the evenings, she is called Ntanda, the +eldest or first-born, and Manjika, the first-born of morning, at other +times: she has so much radiance when shining alone, that she casts a +shadow. Sirius is named Kuewa usiko, “drawer of night,” +because supposed to draw the whole night after it. The moon has +no evil influence in this country, so far as we know. We have +lain and looked up at her, till sweet sleep closed our eyes, unharmed. +Four or five of our men were affected with moon-blindness at Tette; +though they had not slept out of doors there, they became so blind that +their comrades had to guide their hands to the general dish of food; +the affection is unknown in their own country. When our posterity +shall have discovered what it is which, distinct from foul smells, causes +fever, and what, apart from the moon, causes men to be moon-struck, +they will pity our dulness of perception.</p> +<p>The men cut a very small quantity of grass for themselves, and sleep +in fumbas or sleeping-bags, which are double mats of palm-leaf, six +feet long by four wide, and sewn together round three parts of the square, +and left open only on one side. They are used as a protection +from the cold, wet, and mosquitoes, and are entered as we should get +into our beds, were the blankets nailed to the top, bottom, and one +side of the bedstead.</p> +<p>A dozen fires are nightly kindled in the camp; and these, being replenished +from time to time by the men who are awakened by the cold, are kept +burning until daylight. Abundance of dry hard wood is obtained +with little trouble; and burns beautifully. After the great business +of cooking and eating is over, all sit round the camp-fires, and engage +in talking or singing. Every evening one of the Batoka plays his +“sansa,” and continues at it until far into the night; he +accompanies it with an extempore song, in which he rehearses their deeds +ever since they left their own country. At times animated political +discussions spring up, and the amount of eloquence expended on these +occasions is amazing. The whole camp is aroused, and the men shout +to one another from the different fires; whilst some, whose tongues +are never heard on any other subject, burst forth into impassioned speech.</p> +<p>As a specimen of our mode of marching, we rise about five, or as +soon as dawn appears, take a cup of tea and a bit of biscuit; the servants +fold up the blankets and stow them away in the bags they carry; the +others tie their fumbas and cooking-pots to each end of their carrying-sticks, +which are borne on the shoulder; the cook secures the dishes, and all +are on the path by sunrise. If a convenient spot can be found +we halt for breakfast about nine a.m. To save time, this meal +is generally cooked the night before, and has only to be warmed. +We continue the march after breakfast, rest a little in the middle of +the day, and break off early in the afternoon. We average from +two to two-and-a-half miles an hour in a straight line, or as the crow +flies, and seldom have more than five or six hours a day of actual travel. +This in a hot climate is as much as a man can accomplish without being +oppressed; and we always tried to make our progress more a pleasure +than a toil. To hurry over the ground, abuse, and look ferocious +at one’s native companions, merely for the foolish vanity of boasting +how quickly a distance was accomplished, is a combination of silliness +with absurdity quite odious; while kindly consideration for the feelings +of even blacks, the pleasure of observing scenery and everything new +as one moves on at an ordinary pace, and the participation in the most +delicious rest with our fellows, render travelling delightful. +Though not given to over haste, we were a little surprised to find that +we could tire our men out; and even the headman, who carried but little +more than we did, and never, as we often had to do, hunted in the afternoon, +was no better than his comrades. Our experience tends to prove +that the European constitution has a power of endurance, even in the +tropics, greater than that of the hardiest of the meat-eating Africans.</p> +<p>After pitching our camp, one or two of us usually go off to hunt, +more as a matter of necessity than of pleasure, for the men, as well +as ourselves, must have meat. We prefer to take a man with us +to carry home the game, or lead the others to where it lies; but as +they frequently grumble and complain of being tired, we do not particularly +object to going alone, except that it involves the extra labour of our +making a second trip to show the men where the animal that has been +shot is to be found. When it is a couple of miles off it is rather +fatiguing to have to go twice; more especially on the days when it is +solely to supply their wants that, instead of resting ourselves, we +go at all. Like those who perform benevolent deeds at home, the +tired hunter, though trying hard to live in charity with all men, is +strongly tempted to give it up by bringing only sufficient meat for +the three whites and leaving the rest; thus sending the “idle +ungrateful poor” supperless to bed. And yet it is only by +continuance in well-doing, even to the length of what the worldly-wise +call weakness, that the conviction is produced anywhere, that our motives +are high enough to secure sincere respect.</p> +<p>A jungle of mimosa, ebony, and “wait-a-bit” thorn lies +between the Chicova flats and the cultivated plain, on which stand the +villages of the chief, Chitora. He brought us a present of food +and drink, because, as he, with the innate politeness of an African, +said, he “did not wish us to sleep hungry: he had heard of the +Doctor when he passed down, and had a great desire to see and converse +with him; but he was a child then, and could not speak in the presence +of great men. He was glad that he had seen the English now, and +was sorry that his people were away, or he should have made them cook +for us.” All his subsequent conduct showed him to be sincere.</p> +<p>Many of the African women are particular about the water they use +for drinking and cooking, and prefer that which is filtered through +sand. To secure this, they scrape holes in the sandbanks beside +the stream, and scoop up the water, which slowly filters through, rather +than take it from the equally clear and limpid river. This practice +is common in the Zambesi, the Rovuma, and Lake Nyassa; and some of the +Portuguese at Tette have adopted the native custom, and send canoes +to a low island in the middle of the river for water. Chitora’s +people also obtained their supply from shallow wells in the sandy bed +of a small rivulet close to the village. The habit may have arisen +from observing the unhealthiness of the main stream at certain seasons. +During nearly nine months in the year, ordure is deposited around countless +villages along the thousands of miles drained by the Zambesi. +When the heavy rains come down, and sweep the vast fetid accumulation +into the torrents, the water is polluted with filth; and, but for the +precaution mentioned, the natives would prove themselves as little fastidious +as those in London who drink the abomination poured into the Thames +by Reading and Oxford. It is no wonder that sailors suffered so +much from fever after drinking African river water, before the present +admirable system of condensing it was adopted in our navy.</p> +<p>The scent of man is excessively terrible to game of all kinds, much +more so, probably, than the sight of him. A herd of antelopes, +a hundred yards off, gazed at us as we moved along the winding path, +and timidly stood their ground until half our line had passed, but darted +off the instant they “got the wind,” or caught the flavour +of those who had gone by. The sport is all up with the hunter +who gets to the windward of the African beast, as it cannot stand even +the distant aroma of the human race, so much dreaded by all wild animals. +Is this the fear and the dread of man, which the Almighty said to Noah +was to be upon every beast of the field? A lion may, while lying +in wait for his prey, leap on a human being as he would on any other +animal, save a rhinoceros or an elephant, that happened to pass; or +a lioness, when she has cubs, might attack a man, who, passing “up +the wind of her,” had unconsciously, by his scent, alarmed her +for the safety of her whelps; or buffaloes, amid other animals, might +rush at a line of travellers, in apprehension of being surrounded by +them; but neither beast nor snake will, as a general rule, turn on man +except when wounded, or by mistake. If gorillas, unwounded, advance +to do battle with him, and beat their breasts in defiance, they are +an exception to all wild beasts known to us. From the way an elephant +runs at the first glance of man, it is inferred that this huge brute, +though really king of beasts, would run even from a child.</p> +<p>Our two donkeys caused as much admiration as the three white men. +Great was the astonishment when one of the donkeys began to bray. +The timid jumped more than if a lion had roared beside them. All +were startled, and stared in mute amazement at the harsh-voiced one, +till the last broken note was uttered; then, on being assured that nothing +in particular was meant, they looked at each other, and burst into a +loud laugh at their common surprise. When one donkey stimulated +the other to try his vocal powers, the interest felt by the startled +visitors, must have equalled that of the Londoners, when they first +crowded to see the famous hippopotamus.</p> +<p>We were now, when we crossed the boundary rivulet Nyamatarara, out +of Chicova and amongst sandstone rocks, similar to those which prevail +between Lupata and Kebrabasa. In the latter gorge, as already +mentioned, igneous and syenitic masses have been acted on by some great +fiery convulsion of nature; the strata are thrown into a huddled heap +of confusion. The coal has of course disappeared in Kebrabasa, +but is found again in Chicova. Tette grey sandstone is common +about Sinjéré, and wherever it is seen with fossil wood +upon it, coal lies beneath; and here, as at Chicova, some seams crop +out on the banks of the Zambesi. Looking southwards, the country +is open plain and woodland, with detached hills and mountains in the +distance; but the latter are too far off, the natives say, for them +to know their names. The principal hills on our right, as we look +up stream, are from six to twelve miles away, and occasionally they +send down spurs to the river, with brooks flowing through their narrow +valleys. The banks of the Zambesi show two well-defined terraces; +the first, or lowest, being usually narrow, and of great fertility, +while the upper one is a dry grassy plain, a thorny jungle, or a mopane +(<i>Bauhinia</i>) forest. One of these plains, near the Kafué, +is covered with the large stumps and trunks of a petrified forest. +We halted a couple of days by the fine stream Sinjéré, +which comes from the Chiroby-roby hills, about eight miles to the north. +Many lumps of coal, brought down by the rapid current, lie in its channel. +The natives never seem to have discovered that coal would burn, and, +when informed of the fact, shook their heads, smiled incredulously, +and said “<i>Kodi</i>” (really), evidently regarding it +as a mere traveller’s tale. They were astounded to see it +burning freely on our fire of wood. They told us that plenty of +it was seen among the hills; but, being long ago aware that we were +now in an immense coalfield, we did not care to examine it further.</p> +<p>A dyke of black basaltic rock, called Kakololé, crosses the +river near the mouth of the Sinjéré; but it has two open +gateways in it of from sixty to eighty yards in breadth, and the channel +is very deep.</p> +<p>On a shallow sandbank, under the dyke, lay a herd of hippopotami +in fancied security. The young ones were playing with each other +like young puppies, climbing on the backs of their dams, trying to take +hold of one another by the jaws and tumbling over into the water. +Mbia, one of the Makololo, waded across to within a dozen yards of the +drowsy beasts, and shot the father of the herd; who, being very fat, +soon floated, and was secured at the village below. The headman +of the village visited us while we were at breakfast. He wore +a black “ifé” wig and a printed shirt. After +a short silence he said to Masakasa, “You are with the white people, +so why do you not tell them to give me a cloth?” “We +are strangers,” answered Masakasa, “why do you not bring +us some food?” He took the plain hint, and brought us two +fowls, in order that we should not report that in passing him we got +nothing to eat; and, as usual, we gave a cloth in return. In reference +to the hippopotamus he would make no demand, but said he would take +what we chose to give him. The men gorged themselves with meat +for two days, and cut large quantities into long narrow strips, which +they half-dried and half-roasted on wooden frames over the fire. +Much game is taken in this neighbourhood in pitfalls. Sharp-pointed +stakes are set in the bottom, on which the game tumbles and gets impaled. +The natives are careful to warn strangers of these traps, and also of +the poisoned beams suspended on the tall trees for the purpose of killing +elephants and hippopotami. It is not difficult to detect the pitfalls +after one’s attention has been called to them; but in places where +they are careful to carry the earth off to a distance, and a person +is not thinking of such things, a sudden descent of nine feet is an +experience not easily forgotten by the traveller. The sensations +of one thus instantaneously swallowed up by the earth are peculiar. +A momentary suspension of consciousness is followed by the rustling +sound of a shower of sand and dry grass, and the half-bewildered thought +of where he is, and how he came into darkness. Reason awakes to +assure him that he must have come down through that small opening of +daylight overhead, and that he is now where a hippopotamus ought to +have been. The descent of a hippopotamus pitfall is easy, but +to get out again into the upper air is a work of labour. The sides +are smooth and treacherous, and the cross reeds, which support the covering, +break in the attempt to get out by clutching them. A cry from +the depths is unheard by those around, and it is only by repeated and +most desperate efforts that the buried alive can regain the upper world. +At Tette we are told of a white hunter, of unusually small stature, +who plumped into a pit while stalking a guinea-fowl on a tree. +It was the labour of an entire forenoon to get out; and he was congratulating +himself on his escape, and brushing off the clay from his clothes, when +down he went into a second pit, which happened, as is often the case, +to be close beside the first, and it was evening before he could work +himself out of <i>that</i>.</p> +<p>Elephants and buffaloes seldom return to the river by the same path +on two successive nights, they become so apprehensive of danger from +this human art. An old elephant will walk in advance of the herd, +and uncover the pits with his trunk, that the others may see the openings +and tread on firm ground. Female elephants are generally the victims: +more timid by nature than the males, and very motherly in their anxiety +for their calves, they carry their trunks up, trying every breeze for +fancied danger, which often in reality lies at their feet. The +tusker, fearing less, keeps his trunk down, and, warned in time by that +exquisitely sensitive organ, takes heed to his ways.</p> +<p>Our camp on the Sinjéré stood under a wide-spreading +wild fig-tree. From the numbers of this family, of large size, +dotted over the country, the fig or banyan species would seem to have +been held sacred in Africa from the remotest times. The soil teemed +with white ants, whose clay tunnels, formed to screen them from the +eyes of birds, thread over the ground, up the trunks of trees, and along +the branches, from which the little architects clear away all rotten +or dead wood. Very often the exact shape of branches is left in +tunnels on the ground and not a bit of the wood inside. The first +night we passed here these destructive insects ate through our grass-beds, +and attacked our blankets, and certain large red-headed ones even bit +our flesh.</p> +<p>On some days not a single white ant is to be seen abroad; and on +others, and during certain hours, they appear out of doors in myriads, +and work with extraordinary zeal and energy in carrying bits of dried +grass down into their nests. During these busy reaping-fits the +lizards and birds have a good time of it, and enjoy a rich feast at +the expense of thousands of hapless workmen; and when they swarm they +are caught in countless numbers by the natives, and their roasted bodies +are spoken of in an unctuous manner as resembling grains of soft rice +fried in delicious fresh oil.</p> +<p>A strong marauding party of large black ants attacked a nest of white +ones near the camp: as the contest took place beneath the surface, we +could not see the order of the battle; but it soon became apparent that +the blacks had gained the day, and sacked the white town, for they returned +in triumph, bearing off the eggs, and choice bits of the bodies of the +vanquished. A gift, analogous to that of language, has not been +withheld from ants: if part of their building is destroyed, an official +is seen coming out to examine the damage; and, after a careful survey +of the ruins, he chirrups a few clear and distinct notes, and a crowd +of workers begin at once to repair the breach. When the work is +completed, another order is given, and the workmen retire, as will appear +on removing the soft freshly-built portion. We tried to sleep +one rainy might in a native hut, but could not because of attacks by +the fighting battalions of a very small species of formica, not more +than one-sixteenth of an inch in length. It soon became obvious +that they were under regular discipline, and even attempting to carry +out the skilful plans and stratagems of some eminent leader. Our +hands and necks were the first objects of attack. Large bodies +of these little pests were massed in silence round the point to be assaulted. +We could hear the sharp shrill word of command two or three times repeated, +though until then we had not believed in the vocal power of an ant; +the instant after we felt the storming hosts range over head and neck, +biting the tender skin, clinging with a death-grip to the hair, and +parting with their jaws rather than quit their hold. On our lying +down again in the hope of their having been driven off, no sooner was +the light out, and all still, than the manoeuvre was repeated. +Clear and audible orders were issued, and the assault renewed. +It was as hard to sleep in that hut as in the trenches before Sebastopol. +The white ant, being a vegetable feeder, devours articles of vegetable +origin only, and leather, which, by tanning, is imbued with a vegetable +flavour. “A man may be rich to-day and poor to-morrow, from +the ravages of white ants,” said a Portuguese merchant. +“If he gets sick, and unable to look after his goods, his slaves +neglect them, and they are soon destroyed by these insects.” +The reddish ant, in the west called drivers, crossed our path daily, +in solid columns an inch wide, and never did the pugnacity of either +man or beast exceed theirs. It is a sufficient cause of war if +you only approach them, even by accident. Some turn out of the +ranks and stand with open mandibles, or, charging with extended jaws, +bite with savage ferocity. When hunting, we lighted among them +too often; while we were intent on the game, and without a thought of +ants, they quietly covered us from head to foot, then all began to bite +at the same instant; seizing a piece of the skin with their powerful +pincers, they twisted themselves round with it, as if determined to +tear it out. Their bites are so terribly sharp that the bravest +must run, and then strip to pick off those that still cling with their +hooked jaws, as with steel forceps. This kind abounds in damp +places, and is usually met with on the banks of streams. We have +not heard of their actually killing any animal except the Python, and +that only when gorged and quite lethargic, but they soon clear away +any dead animal matter; this appears to be their principal food, and +their use in the economy of nature is clearly in the scavenger line.</p> +<p>We started from the Sinjéré on the 12th of June, our +men carrying with them bundles of hippopotamus meat for sale, and for +future use. We rested for breakfast opposite the Kakololé +dyke, which confines the channel, west of the Manyeréré +mountain. A rogue monkey, the largest by far that we ever saw, +and very fat and tame, walked off leisurely from a garden as we approached. +The monkey is a sacred animal in this region, and is never molested +or killed, because the people believe devoutly that the souls of their +ancestors now occupy these degraded forms, and anticipate that they +themselves must, sooner or later, be transformed in like manner; a future +as cheerless for the black as the spirit-rapper’s heaven is for +the whites. The gardens are separated from each other by a single +row of small stones, a few handfuls of grass, or a slight furrow made +by the hoe. Some are enclosed by a reed fence of the flimsiest +construction, yet sufficient to keep out the ever wary hippopotamus, +who dreads a trap. His extreme caution is taken advantage of by +the women, who hang, as a miniature trap-beam, a kigelia fruit with +a bit of stick in the end. This protects the maize, of which he +is excessively fond.</p> +<p>The quantity of hippopotamus meat eaten by our men made some of them +ill, and our marches were necessarily short. After three hours’ +travel on the 13th, we spent the remainder of the day at the village +of Chasiribera, on a rivulet flowing through a beautiful valley to the +north, which is bounded by magnificent mountain-ranges. Pinkwé, +or Mbingwé, otherwise Moeu, forms the south-eastern angle of +the range. On the 16th June we were at the flourishing village +of Senga, under the headman Manyamé, which lies at the foot of +the mount Motemwa. Nearly all the mountains in this country are +covered with open forest and grass, in colour, according to the season, +green or yellow. Many are between 2000 and 3000 feet high, with +the sky line fringed with trees; the rocks show just sufficiently for +one to observe their stratification, or their granitic form, and though +not covered with dense masses of climbing plants, like those in moister +eastern climates, there is still the idea conveyed that most of the +steep sides are fertile, and none give the impression of that barrenness +which, in northern mountains, suggests the idea that the bones of the +world are sticking through its skin.</p> +<p>The villagers reported that we were on the footsteps of a Portuguese +half-caste, who, at Senga, lately tried to purchase ivory, but, in consequence +of his having murdered a chief near Zumbo and twenty of his men, the +people declined to trade with him. He threatened to take the ivory +by force, if they would not sell it; but that same night the ivory and +the women were spirited out of the village, and only a large body of +armed men remained. The trader, fearing that he might come off +second best if it came to blows, immediately departed. Chikwanitsela, +or Sekuanangila, is the paramount chief of some fifty miles of the northern +bank of the Zambesi in this locality. He lives on the opposite, +or southern side, and there his territory is still more extensive. +We sent him a present from Senga, and were informed by a messenger next +morning that he had a cough and could not come over to see us. +“And has his present a cough too,” remarked one of our party, +“that it does not come to us? Is this the way your chief +treats strangers, receives their present, and sends them no food in +return?” Our men thought Chikwanitsela an uncommonly stingy +fellow; but, as it was possible that some of them might yet wish to +return this way, they did not like to scold him more than this, which +was sufficiently to the point.</p> +<p>Men and women were busily engaged in preparing the ground for the +November planting. Large game was abundant; herds of elephants +and buffaloes came down to the river in the night, but were a long way +off by daylight. They soon adopt this habit in places where they +are hunted.</p> +<p>The plains we travel over are constantly varying in breadth, according +as the furrowed and wooded hills approach or recede from the river. +On the southern side we see the hill Bungwé, and the long, level, +wooded ridge Nyangombé, the first of a series bending from the +S.E. to the N.W. past the Zambesi. We shot an old pallah on the +16th, and found that the poor animal had been visited with more than +the usual share of animal afflictions. He was stone-blind in both +eyes, had several tumours, and a broken leg, which showed no symptoms +of ever having begun to heal. Wild animals sometimes suffer a +great deal from disease, and wearily drag on a miserable existence before +relieved of it by some ravenous beast. Once we drove off a maneless +lion and lioness from a dead buffalo, which had been in the last stage +of a decline. They had watched him staggering to the river to +quench his thirst, and sprang on him as he was crawling up the bank. +One had caught him by the throat, and the other by his high projecting +backbone, which was broken by the lion’s powerful fangs. +The struggle, if any, must have been short. They had only eaten +the intestines when we frightened them off. It is curious that +this is the part that wild animals always begin with, and that it is +also the first choice of our men. Were it not a wise arrangement +that only the strongest males should continue the breed, one could hardly +help pitying the solitary buffalo expelled from the herd for some physical +blemish, or on account of the weakness of approaching old age. +Banished from female society, he naturally becomes morose and savage; +the necessary watchfulness against enemies is now never shared by others; +disgusted, he passes into a state of chronic war with all who enjoy +life, and the sooner after his expulsion that he fills the lion’s +or the wild-dog’s maw, the better for himself and for the peace +of the country.</p> +<p>We encamped on the 20th of June at a spot where Dr. Livingstone, +on his journey from the West to the East Coast, was formerly menaced +by a chief named Mpendé. No offence had been committed +against him, but he had firearms, and, with the express object of showing +his power, he threatened to attack the strangers. Mpendé’s +counsellors having, however, found out that Dr. Livingstone belonged +to a tribe of whom they had heard that “they loved the black man +and did not make slaves,” his conduct at once changed from enmity +to kindness, and, as the place was one well selected for defence, it +was perhaps quite as well for Mpendé that he decided as he did. +Three of his counsellors now visited us, and we gave them a handsome +present for their chief, who came himself next morning and made us a +present of a goat, a basket of boiled maize, and another of vetches. +A few miles above this the headman, Chilondo of Nyamasusa, apologized +for not formerly lending us canoes. “He was absent, and +his children were to blame for not telling him when the Doctor passed; +he did not refuse the canoes.” The sight of our men, now +armed with muskets, had a great effect. Without any bullying, +firearms command respect, and lead men to be reasonable who might otherwise +feel disposed to be troublesome. Nothing, however, our fracas +with Mpendé excepted, could be more peaceful than our passage +through this tract of country in 1856. We then had nothing to +excite the cupidity of the people, and the men maintained themselves, +either by selling elephant’s meat, or by exhibiting feats of foreign +dancing. Most of the people were very generous and friendly; but +the Banyai, nearer to Tette than this, stopped our march with a threatening +war-dance. One of our party, terrified at this, ran away, as we +thought, insane, and could not, after a painful search of three days, +be found. The Banyai, evidently touched by our distress, allowed +us to proceed. Through a man we left on an island a little below +Mpendé’s, we subsequently learned that poor Monaheng had +fled thither, and had been murdered by the headman for no reason except +that he was defenceless. This headman had since become odious +to his countrymen, and had been put to death by them.</p> +<p>On the 23rd of June we entered Pangola’s principal village, +which is upwards of a mile from the river. The ruins of a mud +wall showed that a rude attempt had been made to imitate the Portuguese +style of building. We established ourselves under a stately wild +fig-tree, round whose trunk witchcraft medicine had been tied, to protect +from thieves the honey of the wild bees, which had their hive in one +of the limbs. This is a common device. The charm, or the +medicine, is purchased of the dice doctors, and consists of a strip +of palm-leaf smeared with something, and adorned with a few bits of +grass, wood, or roots. It is tied round the tree, and is believed +to have the power of inflicting disease and death on the thief who climbs +over it. Superstition is thus not without its uses in certain +states of society; it prevents many crimes and misdemeanours, which +would occur but for the salutary fear that it produces.</p> +<p>Pangola arrived, tipsy and talkative.—“We are friends, +we are great friends; I have brought you a basket of green maize—here +it is!” We thanked him, and handed him two fathoms of cotton +cloth, four times the market-value of his present. No, he would +not take so small a present; he wanted a double-barrelled rifle—one +of Dixon’s best. “We are friends, you know; we are +all friends together.” But although we were willing to admit +that, we could not give him our best rifle, so he went off in high dudgeon. +Early next morning, as we were commencing Divine service, Pangola returned, +sober. We explained to him that we wished to worship God, and +invited him to remain; he seemed frightened, and retired: but after +service he again importuned us for the rifle. It was of no use +telling him that we had a long journey before us, and needed it to kill +game for ourselves.—“He too must obtain meat for himself +and people, for they sometimes suffered from hunger.” He +then got sulky, and his people refused to sell food except at extravagant +prices. Knowing that we had nothing to eat, they felt sure of +starving us into compliance. But two of our young men, having +gone off at sunrise, shot a fine waterbuck, and down came the provision +market to the lower figure; they even became eager to sell, but our +men were angry with them for trying compulsion, and would not buy. +Black greed had outwitted itself, as happens often with white cupidity; +and not only here did the traits of Africans remind us of Anglo-Saxons +elsewhere: the notoriously ready world-wide disposition to take an unfair +advantage of a man’s necessities shows that the same mean motives +are pretty widely diffused among all races. It may not be granted +that the same blood flows in all veins, or that all have descended from +the same stock; but the traveller has no doubt that, practically, the +white rogue and black are men and brothers.</p> +<p>Pangola is the child or vassal of Mpendé. Sandia and +Mpendé are the only independent chiefs from Kebrabasa to Zumbo, +and belong to the tribe Manganja. The country north of the mountains +here in sight from the Zambesi is called Senga, and its inhabitants +Asenga, or Basenga, but all appear to be of the same family as the rest +of the Manganja and Maravi. Formerly all the Manganja were united +under the government of their great chief, Undi, whose empire extended +from Lake Shirwa to the River Loangwa; but after Undi’s death +it fell to pieces, and a large portion of it on the Zambesi was absorbed +by their powerful southern neighbours the Banyai. This has been +the inevitable fate of every African empire from time immemorial. +A chief of more than ordinary ability arises and, subduing all his less +powerful neighbours, founds a kingdom, which he governs more or less +wisely till he dies. His successor not having the talents of the +conqueror cannot retain the dominion, and some of the abler under-chiefs +set up for themselves, and, in a few years, the remembrance only of +the empire remains. This, which may be considered as the normal +state of African society, gives rise to frequent and desolating wars, +and the people long in vain for a power able to make all dwell in peace. +In this light, a European colony would be considered by the natives +as an inestimable boon to intertropical Africa. Thousands of industrious +natives would gladly settle round it, and engage in that peaceful pursuit +of agriculture and trade of which they are so fond, and, undistracted +by wars or rumours of wars, might listen to the purifying and ennobling +truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Manganja on the Zambesi, +like their countrymen on the Shiré, are fond of agriculture; +and, in addition to the usual varieties of food, cultivate tobacco and +cotton in quantities more than equal to their wants. To the question, +“Would they work for Europeans?” an affirmative answer may +be given, if the Europeans belong to the class which can pay a reasonable +price for labour, and not to that of adventurers who want employment +for themselves. All were particularly well clothed from Sandia’s +to Pangola’s; and it was noticed that all the cloth was of native +manufacture, the product of their own looms. In Senga a great +deal of iron is obtained from the ore and manufactured very cleverly.</p> +<p>As is customary when a party of armed strangers visits the village, +Pangola took the precaution of sleeping in one of the outlying hamlets. +No one ever knows, or at any rate will tell, where the chief sleeps. +He came not next morning, so we went our way; but in a few moments we +saw the rifle-loving chief approaching with some armed men. Before +meeting us, he left the path and drew up his “following” +under a tree, expecting us to halt, and give him a chance of bothering +us again; but, having already had enough of that, we held right on: +he seemed dumbfoundered, and could hardly believe his own eyes. +For a few seconds he was speechless, but at last recovered so far as +to be able to say, “You are passing Pangola. Do you not +see Pangola?” Mbia was just going by at the time with the +donkey, and, proud of every opportunity of airing his small stock of +English, shouted in reply, “All right! then get on.” +“Click, click, click.”</p> +<p>On the 26th June we breakfasted at Zumbo, on the left bank of the +Loangwa, near the ruins of some ancient Portuguese houses. The +Loangwa was too deep to be forded, and there were no canoes on our side. +Seeing two small ones on the opposite shore, near a few recently erected +huts of two half-castes from Tette, we halted for the ferry-men to come +over. From their movements it was evident that they were in a +state of rollicking drunkenness. Having a waterproof cloak, which +could be inflated into a tiny boat, we sent Mantlanyané across +in it. Three half-intoxicated slaves then brought us the shaky +canoes, which we lashed together and manned with our own canoe-men. +Five men were all that we could carry over at a time; and after four +trips had been made the slaves began to clamour for drink; not receiving +any, as we had none to give, they grew more insolent, and declared that +not another man should cross that day. Sininyané was remonstrating +with them, when a loaded musket was presented at him by one of the trio. +In an instant the gun was out of the rascal’s hands, a rattling +shower of blows fell on his back, and he took an involuntary header +into the river. He crawled up the bank a sad and sober man, and +all three at once tumbled from the height of saucy swagger to a low +depth of slavish abjectness. The musket was found to have an enormous +charge, and might have blown our man to pieces, but for the promptitude +with which his companions administered justice in a lawless land. +We were all ferried safely across by 8 o’clock in the evening.</p> +<p>In illustration of what takes place where no government, or law exists, +the two half-castes, to whom these men belonged, left Tette, with four +hundred slaves, armed with the old Sepoy Brown Bess, to hunt elephants +and trade in ivory. On our way up, we heard from natives of their +lawless deeds, and again, on our way down, from several, who had been +eyewitnesses of the principal crime, and all reports substantially agreed. +The story is a sad one. After the traders reached Zumbo, one of +them, called by the natives Sequasha, entered into a plot with the disaffected +headman, Namakusuru, to kill his chief, Mpangwé, in order that +Namakusuru might seize upon the chieftainship; and for the murder of +Mpangwé the trader agreed to receive ten large tusks of ivory. +Sequasha, with a picked party of armed slaves, went to visit Mpangwé +who received him kindly, and treated him with all the honour and hospitality +usually shown to distinguished strangers, and the women busied themselves +in cooking the best of their provisions for the repast to be set before +him. Of this, and also of the beer, the half-caste partook heartily. +Mpangwé was then asked by Sequasha to allow his men to fire their +guns in amusement. Innocent of any suspicion of treachery, and +anxious to hear the report of firearms, Mpangwé at once gave +his consent; and the slaves rose and poured a murderous volley into +the merry group of unsuspecting spectators, instantly killing the chief +and twenty of his people. The survivors fled in horror. +The children and young women were seized as slaves, and the village +sacked. Sequasha sent the message to Namakusuru: “I have +killed the lion that troubled you; come and let us talk over the matter.” +He came and brought the ivory. “No,” said the half-caste, +“let us divide the land:” and he took the larger share for +himself, and compelled the would-be usurper to deliver up his bracelets, +in token of subjection on becoming the child or vassal of Sequasha. +These were sent in triumph to the authorities at Tette. The governor +of Quillimane had told us that he had received orders from Lisbon to +take advantage of our passing to re-establish Zumbo; and accordingly +these traders had built a small stockade on the rich plain of the right +bank of Loangwa, a mile above the site of the ancient mission church +of Zumbo, as part of the royal policy. The bloodshed was quite +unnecessary, because, the land at Zumbo having of old been purchased, +the natives would have always of their own accord acknowledged the right +thus acquired; they pointed it out to Dr. Livingstone in 1856 that, +though they were cultivating it, is was not theirs, but white man’s +land. Sequasha and his mate had left their ivory in charge of +some of their slaves, who, in the absence of their masters, were now +having a gay time of it, and getting drunk every day with the produce +of the sacked villages. The head slave came and begged for the +musket of the delinquent ferryman, which was returned. He thought +his master did perfectly right to kill Mpangwé, when asked to +do it for the fee of ten tusks, and he even justified it thus: “If +a man invites you to eat, will you not partake?”</p> +<p>We continued our journey on the 28th of June. Game was extremely +abundant, and there were many lions. Mbia drove one off from his +feast on a wild pig, and appropriated what remained of the pork to his +own use. Lions are particularly fond of the flesh of wild pigs +and zebras, and contrive to kill a large number of these animals. +In the afternoon we arrived at the village of the female chief, Ma-mburuma, +but she herself was now living on the opposite side of the river. +Some of her people called, and said she had been frightened by seeing +her son and other children killed by Sequasha, and had fled to the other +bank; but when her heart was healed, she would return and live in her +own village, and among her own people. She constantly inquired +of the black traders, who came up the river, if they had any news of +the white man who passed with the oxen. “He has gone down +into the sea,” was their reply, “but we belong to the same +people.” “Oh no; you need not tell me that; he takes +no slaves, but wishes peace: you are not of his tribe.” +This antislavery character excites such universal attention, that any +missionary who winked at the gigantic evils involved in the slave-trade +would certainly fail to produce any good impression on the native mind.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER VI.</h3> +<p>Illness—The Honey-guide—Abundance of game—The Baenda +pezi—The Batoka.</p> +<p>We left the river here, and proceeded up the valley which leads to +the Mburuma or Mohango pass. The nights were cold, and on the +30th of June the thermometer was as low as 39 degrees at sunrise. +We passed through a village of twenty large huts, which Sequasha had +attacked on his return from the murder of the chief, Mpangwé. +He caught the women and children for slaves, and carried off all the +food, except a huge basket of bran, which the natives are wont to save +against a time of famine. His slaves had broken all the water-pots +and the millstones for grinding meal.</p> +<p>The buazé-trees and bamboos are now seen on the hills; but +the jujube or zisyphus, which has evidently been introduced from India, +extends no further up the river. We had been eating this fruit, +which, having somewhat the taste of apples, the Portuguese call Maçããs, +all the way from Tette; and here they were larger than usual, though +immediately beyond they ceased to be found. No mango-tree either +is to be met with beyond this point, because the Portuguese traders +never established themselves anywhere beyond Zumbo. Tsetse flies +are more numerous and troublesome than we have ever before found them. +They accompany us on the march, often buzzing round our heads like a +swarm of bees. They are very cunning, and when intending to bite, +alight so gently that their presence is not perceived till they thrust +in their lance-like proboscis. The bite is acute, but the pain +is over in a moment; it is followed by a little of the disagreeable +itching of the mosquito’s bite. This fly invariably kills +all domestic animals except goats and donkeys; man and the wild animals +escape. We ourselves were severely bitten on this pass, and so +were our donkeys, but neither suffered from any after effects.</p> +<p>Water is scarce in the Mburuma pass, except during the rainy season. +We however halted beside some fine springs in the bed of the now dry +rivulet, Podébodé, which is continued down to the end +of the pass, and yields water at intervals in pools. Here we remained +a couple of days in consequence of the severe illness of Dr. Kirk. +He had several times been attacked by fever; and observed that when +we were on the cool heights he was comfortable, but when we happened +to descend from a high to a lower altitude, he felt chilly, though the +temperature in the latter case was 25 degrees higher than it was above; +he had been trying different medicines of reputed efficacy with a view +to ascertain whether other combinations might not be superior to the +preparation we generally used; in halting by this water he suddenly +became blind, and unable to stand from faintness. The men, with +great alacrity, prepared a grassy bed, on which we laid our companion, +with the sad forebodings which only those who have tended the sick in +a wild country can realize. We feared that in experimenting he +had over-drugged himself; but we gave him a dose of our fever pills; +on the third day he rode the one of the two donkeys that would allow +itself to be mounted, and on the sixth he marched as well as any of +us. This case is mentioned in order to illustrate what we have +often observed, that moving the patient from place to place is most +conducive to the cure; and the more pluck a man has—the less he +gives in to the disease—the less likely he is to die.</p> +<p>Supplied with water by the pools in the Podébodé, we +again joined the Zambesi at the confluence of the rivulet. When +passing through a dry district the native hunter knows where to expect +water by the animals he sees. The presence of the gemsbuck, duìker +or diver, springbucks, or elephants, is no proof that water is near; +for these animals roam over vast tracts of country, and may be met scores +of miles from it. Not so, however, the zebra, pallah, buffalo, +and rhinoceros; their spoor gives assurance that water is not far off, +as they never stray any distance from its neighbourhood. But when +amidst the solemn stillness of the woods, the singing of joyous birds +falls upon the ear, it is certain that water is close at hand.</p> +<p>Our men in hunting came on an immense herd of buffaloes, quietly +resting in the long dry grass, and began to blaze away furiously at +the astonished animals. In the wild excitement of the hunt, which +heretofore had been conducted with spears, some forgot to load with +ball, and, firing away vigorously with powder only, wondered for the +moment that the buffaloes did not fall. The slayer of the young +elephant, having buried his four bullets in as many buffaloes, fired +three charges of No. 1 shot he had for killing guinea-fowl. The +quaint remarks and merriment after these little adventures seemed to +the listener like the pleasant prattle of children. Mbia and Mantlanyané, +however, killed one buffalo each; both the beasts were in prime condition; +the meat was like really excellent beef, with a smack of venison. +A troop of hungry, howling hyenas also thought the savour tempting, +as they hung round the camp at night, anxious to partake of the feast. +They are, fortunately, arrant cowards, and never attack either men or +beasts except they can catch them asleep, sick, or at some other disadvantage. +With a bright fire at our feet their presence excites no uneasiness. +A piece of meat hung on a tree, high enough to make him jump to reach +it, and a short spear, with its handle firmly planted in the ground +beneath, are used as a device to induce the hyena to commit suicide +by impalement.</p> +<p>The honey-guide is an extraordinary bird; how is it that every member +of its family has learned that all men, white or black, are fond of +honey? The instant the little fellow gets a glimpse of a man, +he hastens to greet him with the hearty invitation to come, as Mbia +translated it, to a bees’ hive, and take some honey. He +flies on in the proper direction, perches on a tree, and looks back +to see if you are following; then on to another and another, until he +guides you to the spot. If you do not accept his first invitation +he follows you with pressing importunities, quite as anxious to lure +the stranger to the bees’ hive as other birds are to draw him +away from their own nest. Except while on the march, our men were +sure to accept the invitation, and manifested the same by a peculiar +responsive whistle, meaning, as they said, “All right, go ahead; +we are coming.” The bird never deceived them, but always +guided them to a hive of bees, though some had but little honey in store. +Has this peculiar habit of the honey-guide its origin, as the attachment +of dogs, in friendship for man, or in love for the sweet pickings of +the plunder left on the ground? Self-interest aiding in preservation +from danger seems to be the rule in most cases, as, for instance, in +the bird that guards the buffalo and rhinoceros. The grass is +often so tall and dense that one could go close up to these animals +quite unperceived; but the guardian bird, sitting on the beast, sees +the approach of danger, flaps its wings and screams, which causes its +bulky charge to rush off from a foe he has neither seen nor heard; for +his reward the vigilant little watcher has the pick of the parasites +on his fat friend. In other cases a chance of escape must be given +even by the animal itself to its prey; as in the rattle-snake, which, +when excited to strike, cannot avoid using his rattle, any more than +the cat can resist curling its tail when excited in the chase of a mouse, +or the cobra can refrain from inflating the loose skin of the neck and +extending it laterally, before striking its poison fangs into its victim. +There are many snakes in parts of this pass; they basked in the warm +sunshine, but rustled off through the leaves as we approached. +We observed one morning a small one of a deadly poisonous species, named +Kakoné, on a bush by the wayside, quietly resting in a horizontal +position, digesting a lizard for breakfast. Though openly in view, +its colours and curves so closely resembled a small branch that some +failed to see it, even after being asked if they perceived anything +on the bush. Here also one of our number had a glance at another +species, rarely seen, and whose swift lightning-like motion has given +rise to the native proverb, that when a man sees this snake he will +forthwith become a rich man.</p> +<p>We slept near the ruined village of the murdered chief, Mpangwé, +a lovely spot, with the Zambesi in front, and extensive gardens behind, +backed by a semicircle of hills receding up to lofty mountains. +Our path kept these mountains on our right, and crossed several streamlets, +which seemed to be perennial, and among others the Selolé, which +apparently flows past the prominent peak Chiarapela. These rivulets +have often human dwellings on their banks; but the land can scarcely +be said to be occupied. The number of all sorts of game increases +wonderfully every day. As a specimen of what may be met with where +there are no human habitations, and where no firearms have been introduced, +we may mention what at times has actually been seen by us. On +the morning of July 3rd a herd of elephants passed within fifty yards +of our sleeping-place, going down to the river along the dry bed of +a rivulet. Starting a few minutes before the main body, we come +upon large flocks of guinea-fowl, shoot what may be wanted for dinner, +or next morning’s breakfast, and leave them in the path to be +picked up by the cook and his mates behind. As we proceed, francolins +of three varieties run across the path, and hundreds of turtle-doves +rise, with great blatter of wing, and fly off to the trees. Guinea-fowls, +francolins, turtle-doves, ducks, and geese are the game birds of this +region. At sunrise a herd of pallahs, standing like a flock of +sheep, allow the first man of our long Indian file to approach within +about fifty yards; but having meat, we let them trot off leisurely and +unmolested. Soon afterwards we come upon a herd of waterbucks, +which here are very much darker in colour, and drier in flesh, than +the same species near the sea. They look at us and we at them; +and we pass on to see a herd of doe koodoos, with a magnificently horned +buck or two, hurrying off to the dry hill-sides. We have ceased +shooting antelopes, as our men have been so often gorged with meat that +they have become fat and dainty. They say that they do not want +more venison, it is so dry and tasteless, and ask why we do not give +them shot to shoot the more savoury guinea-fowl.</p> +<p>About eight o’clock the tsetse commence to buzz about us, and +bite our hands and necks sharply. Just as we are thinking of breakfast, +we meet some buffaloes grazing by the path; but they make off in a heavy +gallop at the sight of man. We fire, and the foremost, badly wounded, +separates from the herd, and is seen to stop amongst the trees; but, +as it is a matter of great danger to follow a wounded buffalo, we hold +on our way. It is this losing of wounded animals which makes firearms +so annihilating to these beasts of the field, and will in time sweep +them all away. The small Enfield bullet is worse than the old +round one for this. It often goes through an animal without killing +him, and he afterwards perishes, when he is of no value to man. +After breakfast we draw near a pond of water; a couple of elephants +stand on its bank, and, at a respectful distance behind these monarchs +of the wilderness, is seen a herd of zebras, and another of waterbucks. +On getting our wind the royal beasts make off at once; but the zebras +remain till the foremost man is within eighty yards of them, when old +and young canter gracefully away. The zebra has a great deal of +curiosity; and this is often fatal to him, for he has the habit of stopping +to look at the hunter. In this particular he is the exact opposite +of the diver antelope, which rushes off like the wind, and never for +a moment stops to look behind, after having once seen or smelt danger. +The finest zebra of the herd is sometimes shot, our men having taken +a sudden fancy to the flesh, which all declare to be the “king +of good meat.” On the plains of short grass between us and +the river many antelopes of different species are calmly grazing, or +reposing. Wild pigs are common, and walk abroad during the day; +but are so shy as seldom to allow a close approach. On taking +alarm they erect their slender tails in the air, and trot off swiftly +in a straight line, keeping their bodies as steady as a locomotive on +a railroad. A mile beyond the pool three cow buffaloes with their +calves come from the woods, and move out into the plain. A troop +of monkeys, on the edge of the forest, scamper back to its depths on +hearing the loud song of Singeleka, and old surly fellows, catching +sight of the human party, insult it with a loud and angry bark. +Early in the afternoon we may see buffaloes again, or other animals. +We camp on the dry higher ground, after, as has happened, driving off +a solitary elephant. The nights are warmer now, and possess nearly +as much of interest and novelty as the days. A new world awakes +and comes forth, more numerous, if we may judge by the noise it makes, +than that which is abroad by sunlight. Lions and hyenas roar around +us, and sometimes come disagreeably near, though they have never ventured +into our midst. Strange birds sing their agreeable songs, while +others scream and call harshly as if in fear or anger. Marvellous +insect-sounds fall upon the ear; one, said by natives to proceed from +a large beetle, resembles a succession of measured musical blows upon +an anvil, while many others are perfectly indescribable. A little +lemur was once seen to leap about from branch to branch with the agility +of a frog; it chirruped like a bird, and is not larger than a robin +red-breast. Reptiles, though numerous, seldom troubled us; only +two men suffered from stings, and that very slightly, during the entire +journey, the one supposed that he was bitten by a snake, and the other +was stung by a scorpion.</p> +<p>Grass-burning has begun, and is producing the blue hazy atmosphere +of the American Indian summer, which in Western Africa is called the +“smokes.” Miles of fire burn on the mountain-sides +in the evenings, but go out during the night. From their height +they resemble a broad zigzag line of fire in the heavens.</p> +<p>We slept on the night of the 6th of July on the left bank of the +Chongwé, which comes through a gap in the hills on our right, +and is twenty yards wide. A small tribe of the Bazizulu, from +the south, under Dadanga, have recently settled here and built a village. +Some of their houses are square, and they seem to be on friendly terms +with the Bakoa, who own the country. They, like the other natives, +cultivate cotton, but of a different species from any we have yet seen +in Africa, the staple being very long, and the boll larger than what +is usually met with; the seeds cohere as in the Pernambuco kind. +They brought the seed with them from their own country, the distant +mountains of which in the south, still inhabited by their fellow-countrymen, +who possess much cattle and use shields, can be seen from this high +ground. These people profess to be children of the great paramount +chief, Kwanyakarombé, who is said to be lord of all the Bazizulu. +The name of this tribe is known to geographers, who derive their information +from the Portuguese, as the <i>Morusurus</i>, and the hills mentioned +above are said to have been the country of Changamira, the warrior-chief +of history, whom no Portuguese ever dared to approach. The Bazizulu +seem, by report, to be brave mountaineers; nearer the river, the Sidima +inhabit the plains; just as on the north side, the Babimpé live +on the heights, about two days off, and the Makoa on or near the river. +The chief of the Bazizulu we were now with was hospitable and friendly. +A herd of buffaloes came trampling through the gardens and roused up +our men; a feat that roaring lions seldom achieved.</p> +<p>Our course next day passed over the upper terrace and through a dense +thorn jungle. Travelling is always difficult where there is no +path, but it is even more perplexing where the forest is cut up by many +game-tracks. Here we got separated from one another, and a rhinoceros +with angry snort dashed at Dr. Livingstone as he stooped to pick up +a specimen of the wild fruit morula; but she strangely stopped stock-still +when less than her own length distant, and gave him time to escape; +a branch pulled out his watch as he ran, and turning half round to grasp +it, he got a distant glance of her and her calf still standing on the +selfsame spot, as if arrested in the middle of her charge by an unseen +hand. When about fifty yards off, thinking his companions close +behind, he shouted “Look out there!” when off she rushed, +snorting loudly, in another direction. The Doctor usually went +unarmed before this, but never afterwards.</p> +<p>A fine eland was shot by Dr. Kirk this afternoon, the first we have +killed. It was in first-rate condition, and remarkably fat; but +the meat, though so tempting in appearance, severely deranged all who +partook of it heartily, especially those who ate of the fat. Natives +who live in game countries, and are acquainted with the different kinds +of wild animals, have a prejudice against the fat of the eland, the +pallah, the zebra, hippopotamus, and pig; they never reject it, however, +the climate making the desire for all animal food very strong; but they +consider that it causes ulcers and leprosy, while the fat of sheep and +of oxen never produces any bad effects, unless the animal is diseased.</p> +<p>On the morning of the 9th, after passing four villages, we breakfasted +at an old friend’s, Tombanyama, who lives now on the mainland, +having resigned the reedy island, where he was first seen, to the buffaloes, +which used to take his crops and show fight to his men. He keeps +a large flock of tame pigeons, and some fine fat capons, one of which +he gave us, with a basket of meal. They have plenty of salt in +this part of the country, obtaining it from the plains in the usual +way.</p> +<p>The half-caste partner of Sequasha and a number of his men were staying +near. The fellow was very munch frightened when he saw us, and +trembled so much when he spoke, that the Makololo and other natives +noticed and remarked on it. His fears arose from a sense of guilt, +as we said nothing to frighten him, and did not allude to the murder +till a few minutes before starting; when it was remarked that Dr. Livingstone +having been accredited to the murdered chief, it would be his duty to +report on it; and that not even the Portuguese Government would approve +of the deed. He defended it by saying that they had put in the +right man, the other was a usurper. He was evidently greatly relieved +when we departed. In the afternoon we came to an outlying hamlet +of Kambadzo, whose own village is on an island, Nyampungo, or Nyangalulé, +at the confluence of the Kafué. The chief was on a visit +here, and they had been enjoying a regular jollification. There +had been much mirth, music, drinking, and dancing. The men, and +women too, had taken “a wee drap too much,” but had not +passed the complimentary stage. The wife of the headman, after +looking at us a few moments, called out to the others, “Black +traders have come before, calling themselves Bazungu, or white men, +but now, for the first time, have we seen the real Bazungu.” +Kambadzo also soon appeared; he was sorry that we had not come before +the beer was all done, but he was going back to see if it was all really +and entirely finished, and not one little potful left somewhere.</p> +<p>This was, of course, mere characteristic politeness, as he was perfectly +aware that every drop had been swallowed; so we proceeded on to the +Kafué, or Kafujé, accompanied by the most intelligent +of his headmen. A high ridge, just before we reached the confluence, +commands a splendid view of the two great rivers, and the rich country +beyond. Behind, on the north and east, is the high mountain-range, +along whose base we have been travelling; the whole range is covered +with trees, which appear even on the prominent peaks, Chiarapela, Morindi, +and Chiava; at this last the chain bends away to the N.W., and we could +see the distant mountains where the chief, Semalembué, gained +all our hearts in 1856.</p> +<p>On the 9th of July we tried to send Semalembué a present, +but the people here refused to incur the responsibility of carrying +it. We, who have the art of writing, cannot realize the danger +one incurs of being accused of purloining a portion of goods sent from +one person to another, when the carrier cannot prove that he delivered +all committed to his charge. Rumours of a foray having been made, +either by Makololo or Batoka, as far as the fork of the Kafué, +were received here by our men with great indignation, as it looked as +if the marauders were shutting up the country, which they had been trying +so much to open. Below the junction of the rivers, on a shallow +sandbank, lay a large herd of hippopotami, their bodies out of the water, +like masses of black rock. Kambadzo’s island, called Nyangalulé, +a name which occurs again at the mouth of the Zambesi, has many choice +Motsikiri (<i>Trachelia</i>) trees on it; and four very conspicuous +stately palms growing out of a single stem. The Kafué reminds +us a little of the Shiré, flowing between steep banks, with fertile +land on both sides. It is a smaller river, and has less current. +Here it seems to come from the west. The headman of the village, +near which we encamped, brought a present of meal, fowls, and sweet +potatoes. They have both the red and white varieties of this potato. +We have, on several occasions during this journey, felt the want of +vegetables, in a disagreeable craving which our diet of meat and native +meal could not satisfy. It became worse and worse till we got +a meal of potatoes, which allayed it at once. A great scarcity +of vegetables prevails in these parts of Africa. The natives collect +several kinds of wild plants in the woods, which they use no doubt for +the purpose of driving off cravings similar to those we experienced.</p> +<p>Owing to the strength of the wind, and the cranky state of the canoes, +it was late in the afternoon of the 11th before our party was ferried +over the Kafué. After crossing, we were in the Bawé +country. Fishhooks here, of native workmanship, were observed +to have barbs like the European hooks: elsewhere the point of the hook +is merely bent in towards the shank, to have the same effect in keeping +on the fish as the barb. We slept near a village a short distance +above the ford. The people here are of Batoka origin, the same +as many of our men, and call themselves Batonga (independents), or Balengi, +and their language only differs slightly from that of the Bakoa, who +live between the two rivers Kafué and Loangwa. The paramount +chief of the district lives to the west of this place, and is called +Nchomokela—an hereditary title: the family burying-place is on +a small hill near this village. The women salute us by clapping +their hands and lullilooing as we enter and leave a village, and the +men, as they think, respectfully clap their hands on their hips. +Immense crops of mapira (<i>holcus sorghum</i>) are raised; one species +of it forms a natural bend on the seed-stalk, so that the massive ear +hangs down. The grain was heaped up on wooden stages, and so was +a variety of other products. The men are skilful hunters, and +kill elephants and buffaloes with long heavy spears. We halted +a few minutes on the morning of the 12th July, opposite the narrow island +of Sikakoa, which has a village on its lower end. We were here +told that Moselekatsé’s chief town is a month’s distance +from this place. They had heard, moreover, that the English had +come to Moselekatsé, and told him it was wrong to kill men; and +he had replied that he was born to kill people, but would drop the habit; +and, since the English came, he had sent out his men, not to kill as +of yore, but to collect tribute of cloth and ivory. This report +referred to the arrival of the Rev. R. Moffat, of Kuruman, who, we afterwards +found, had established a mission. The statement is interesting +as showing that, though imperfectly expressed, the purport of the missionaries’ +teaching had travelled, in a short time, over 300 miles, and we know +not how far the knowledge of the English operations on the coast spread +inland.</p> +<p>When abreast of the high wooded island Kalabi we came in contact +with one of the game-laws of the country, which has come down from the +most ancient times. An old buffalo crossed the path a few yards +in front of us; our guide threw his small spear at its hip, and it was +going off scarcely hurt, when three rifle balls knocked it over. +“It is mine,” said the guide. He had wounded it first, +and the established native game-law is that the animal belongs to the +man who first draws blood; the two legs on one side, by the same law, +belonged to us for killing it. This beast was very old, blind +of one eye, and scabby; the horns, mere stumps, not a foot long, must +have atrophied, when by age he lost the strength distinctive of his +sex; some eighteen or twenty inches of horn could not well be worn down +by mere rubbing against the trees. We saw many buffaloes next +day, standing quietly amidst a thick thorn-jungle, through which we +were passing. They often stood until we were within fifty or a +hundred yards of them.</p> +<p>On the 14th July we left the river at the mountain-range, which, +lying north-east and south-west across the river, forms the Kariba gorge. +Near the upper end of the Kariba rapids, the stream Sanyati enters from +the south, and is reported to have Moselekatsé’s principal +cattle-posts at its sources; our route went round the end of the mountains, +and we encamped beside the village of the generous chief Moloi, who +brought us three immense baskets of fine mapira meal, ten fowls, and +two pots of beer. On receiving a present in return, he rose, and, +with a few dancing gestures, said or sang, “Motota, Motota, Motota,” +which our men translated into “thanks.” He had visited +Moselekatsé a few months before our arrival, and saw the English +missionaries, living in their wagons. “They told Moselekatsé,” +said he, “they were of his family, or friends, and would plough +the land and live at their own expense;” and he had replied, “The +land is before you, and I shall come and see you plough.” +This again was substantially what took place, when Mr. Moffat introduced +the missionaries to his old friend, and shows still further that the +notion of losing their country by admitting foreigners does not come +as the first idea to the native mind. One might imagine that, +as mechanical powers are unknown to the heathen, the almost magic operations +of machinery, the discoveries of modern science and art, or the presence +of the prodigious force which, for instance, is associated with the +sight of a man-of-war, would have the effect which miracles once had +of arresting the attention and inspiring awe. But, though we have +heard the natives exclaim in admiration at the sight of even small illustrations +of what science enables us to do—“Ye are gods, and not men”—the +heart is unaffected. In attempting their moral elevation, it is +always more conducive to the end desired, that the teacher should come +unaccompanied by any power to cause either jealousy or fear. The +heathen, who have not become aware of the greed and hate which too often +characterize the advancing tide of emigration, listen with most attention +to the message of Divine love when delivered by men who evidently possess +the same human sympathies with themselves. A chief is rather envied +his good fortune in first securing foreigners in his town. Jealousy +of strangers belongs more to the Arab than to the African character; +and if the women are let alone by the traveller, no danger need be apprehended +from any save the slave-trading tribes, and not often even from them.</p> +<p>We passed through a fertile country, covered with open forest, accompanied +by the friendly Bawé. They are very hospitable; many of +them were named, among themselves, “the Baenda pezi,” or +“Go-nakeds,” their only clothing being a coat of red ochre. +Occasionally stopping at their villages we were duly lullilooed, and +regaled with sweet new-made beer, which, being yet unfermented, was +not intoxicating. It is in this state called Liting or Makondé. +Some of the men carry large shields of buffalo-hide, and all are well +supplied with heavy spears. The vicinity of the villages is usually +cleared and cultivated in large patches; but nowhere can the country +be said to be stocked with people. At every village stands were +erected, and piles of the native corn, still unthrashed, placed upon +them; some had been beaten out, put into oblong parcels made of grass, +and stacked in wooden frames.</p> +<p>We crossed several rivulets in our course, as the Mandora, the Lofia, +the Manzaia (with brackish water), the Rimbé, the Chibué, +the Chezia, the Chilola (containing fragments of coal), which did little +more than mark our progress. The island and rapid of Nakansalo, +of which we had formerly heard, were of no importance, the rapid being +but half a mile long, and only on one side of the island. The +island Kaluzi marks one of the numerous places where astronomical observations +were made; Mozia, a station where a volunteer poet left us; the island +Mochenya, and Mpandé island, at the mouth of the Zungwé +rivulet, where we left the Zambesi.</p> +<p>When favoured with the hospitality and company of the “Go-nakeds,” +we tried to discover if nudity were the badge of a particular order +among the Bawé, but they could only refer to custom. Some +among them had always liked it for no reason in particular: shame seemed +to lie dormant, and the sense could not be aroused by our laughing and +joking them on their appearance. They evidently felt no less decent +than we did with our clothes on; but, whatever may be said in favour +of nude statues, it struck us that man, in a state of nature, is a most +ungainly animal. Could we see a number of the degraded of our +own lower classes in like guise, it is probable that, without the black +colour which acts somehow as a dress, they would look worse still.</p> +<p>In domestic contentions the Bawé are careful not to kill each +other; but, when one village goes to war with another, they are not +so particular. The victorious party are said to quarter one of +the bodies of the enemies they may have killed, and to perform certain +ceremonies over the fragments. The vanquished call upon their +conquerors to give them a portion also; and, when this request is complied +with, they too perform the same ceremonies, and lament over their dead +comrade, after which the late combatants may visit each other in peace. +Sometimes the head of the slain is taken and buried in an ant-hill, +till all the flesh is gone; and the lower jaw is then worn as a trophy +by the slayer; but this we never saw, and the foregoing information +was obtained only through an interpreter.</p> +<p>We left the Zambesi at the mouth of the Zungwé or Mozama or +Dela rivulet, up which we proceeded, first in a westerly and then in +a north-westerly direction. The Zungwé at this time had +no water in its sandy channel for the first eight or ten miles. +Willows, however, grow on the banks, and water soon began to appear +in the hollows; and a few miles further up it was a fine flowing stream +deliciously cold. As in many other streams from Chicova to near +Sinamané shale and coal crop out in the bank; and here the large +roots of stigmaria or its allied plants were found. We followed +the course of the Zungwé to the foot of the Batoka highlands, +up whose steep and rugged sides of red and white quartz we climbed till +we attained an altitude of upwards of 3000 feet. Here, on the +cool and bracing heights, the exhilaration of mind and body was delightful, +as we looked back at the hollow beneath covered with a hot sultry glare, +not unpleasant now that we were in the mild radiance above. We +had a noble view of the great valley in which the Zambesi flows. +The cultivated portions are so small in comparison to the rest of the +landscape that the valley appears nearly all forest, with a few grassy +glades. We spent the night of the 28th July high above the level +of the sea, by the rivulet Tyotyo, near Tabacheu or Chirebuechina, names +both signifying white mountain; in the morning hoar frost covered the +ground, and thin ice was on the pools. Skirting the southern flank +of Tabacheu, we soon passed from the hills on to the portion of the +vast table-land called Mataba, and looking back saw all the way across +the Zambesi valley to the lofty ridge some thirty miles off, which, +coming from the Mashona, a country in the S.E., runs to the N.W. to +join the ridge at the angle of which are the Victoria Falls, and then +bends far to the N.E. from the same point. Only a few years since +these extensive highlands were peopled by the Batoka; numerous herds +of cattle furnished abundance of milk, and the rich soil amply repaid +the labour of the husbandman; now large herds of buffaloes, zebras, +and antelopes fatten on the excellent pasture; and on that land, which +formerly supported multitudes, not a man is to been seen. In travelling +from Monday morning till late on Saturday afternoon, all the way from +Tabacheu to Moachemba, which is only twenty-one miles of latitude from +the Victoria Falls, and constantly passing the ruined sites of utterly +deserted Botoka villages, we did not fall in with a single person. +The Batoka were driven out of their noble country by the invasions of +Moselekatsé and Sebetuané. Several tribes of Bechuana +and Basutu, fleeing from the Zulu or Matebelé chief Moselekatsé +reached the Zambesi above the Falls. Coming from a land without +rivers, none of them knew how to swim; and one tribe, called the Bamangwato, +wishing to cross the Zambesi, was ferried over, men and women separately, +to different islands, by one of the Batoka chiefs; the men were then +left to starve and the women appropriated by the ferryman and his people. +Sekomi, the present chief of the Bamangwato, then an infant in his mother’s +arms, was enabled, through the kindness of a private Batoka, to escape. +This act seems to have made an indelible impression on Sekomi’s +heart, for though otherwise callous, he still never fails to inquire +after the welfare of his benefactor.</p> +<p>Sebetuané, with his wonted ability, outwitted the treacherous +Batoka, by insisting in the politest manner on their chief remaining +at his own side until the people and cattle were all carried safe across; +the chief was then handsomely rewarded, both with cattle and brass rings +off Sebetuané’s own wives. No sooner were the Makololo, +then called Basuto, safely over, than they were confronted by the whole +Batoka nation; and to this day the Makololo point with pride to the +spot on the Lekoné, near to which they were encamped, where Sebetuané, +with a mere handful of warriors in comparison to the vast horde that +surrounded him, stood waiting the onslaught, the warriors in one small +body, the women and children guarding the cattle behind them. +The Batoka, of course, melted away before those who had been made veterans +by years of continual fighting, and Sebetuané always justified +his subsequent conquests in that country by alleging that the Batoka +had come out to fight with a man fleeing for his life, who had never +done them any wrong. They seem never to have been a warlike race; +passing through their country, we once observed a large stone cairn, +and our guide favoured us with the following account of it:—“Once +upon a time, our forefathers were going to fight another tribe, and +here they halted and sat down. After a long consultation, they +came to the unanimous conclusion that, instead of proceeding to fight +and kill their neighbours, and perhaps be killed themselves, it would +be more like men to raise this heap of stones, as their protest against +the wrong the other tribe had done them, which, having accomplished, +they returned quietly home.” Such men of peace could not +stand before the Makololo, nor, of course, the more warlike Matebelé, +who coming afterwards, drove even their conquerors, the Makololo, out +of the country. Sebetuané, however, profiting by the tactics +which he had learned of the Batoka, inveigled a large body of this new +enemy on to another island, and after due starvation there overcame +the whole. A much greater army of “Moselekatsé’s +own” followed with canoes, but were now baffled by Sebetuané’s +placing all his people and cattle on an island and so guarding it that +none could approach. Dispirited, famished, borne down by fever, +they returned to the Falls, and all except five were cut off.</p> +<p>But though the Batoka appear never to have had much inclination to +fight with men, they are decidedly brave hunters of buffaloes and elephants. +They go fearlessly close up to these formidable animals, and kill them +with large spears. The Banyai, who have long bullied all Portuguese +traders, were amazed at the daring and bravery of the Batoka in coming +at once to close quarters with the elephant; and Chisaka, a Portuguese +rebel, having formerly induced a body of this tribe to settle with him, +ravaged all the Portuguese villas around Tette. They bear the +name of Basimilongwé, and some of our men found relations among +them. Sininyané and Matenga also, two of our party, were +once inveigled into a Portuguese expedition against Mariano, by the +assertion that the Doctor had arrived and had sent for them to come +down to Senna. On finding that they were entrapped to fight, they +left, after seeing an officer with a large number of Tette slaves killed.</p> +<p>The Batoka had attained somewhat civilized ideas, in planting and +protecting various fruit and oil-seed yielding trees of the country. +No other tribe either plants or abstains from cutting down fruit trees, +but here we saw some which had been planted in regular rows, and the +trunks of which were quite two feet in diameter. The grand old +Mosibé, a tree yielding a bean with a thin red pellicle, said +to be very fattening, had probably seen two hundred summers. Dr. +Kirk found that the Mosibé is peculiar, in being allied to a +species met with only in the West Indies. The Motsikiri, sometimes +called Mafuta, yields a hard fat, and an oil which is exported from +Inhambane. It is said that two ancient Batoka travellers went +down as far as the Loangwa, and finding the Maçãã +tree (<i>jujube</i> or <i>zisyphus</i>) in fruit, carried the seed all +the way back to the great Falls, in order to plant them. Two of +these trees are still to be seen there, the only specimens of the kind +in that region.</p> +<p>The Batoka had made a near approach to the custom of more refined +nations and had permanent graveyards, either on the sides of hills, +thus rendered sacred, or under large old shady trees; they reverence +the tombs of their ancestors, and plant the largest elephants’ +tusks, as monuments at the head of the grave, or entirely enclose it +with the choicest ivory. Some of the other tribes throw the dead +body into the river to be devoured by crocodiles, or, sewing it up in +a mat, place it on the branch of a baobab, or cast it in some lonely +gloomy spot, surrounded by dense tropical vegetation, where it affords +a meal to the foul hyenas; but the Batoka reverently bury their dead, +and regard the spot henceforth as sacred. The ordeal by the poison +of the muavé is resorted to by the Batoka, as well as by the +other tribes; but a cock is often made to stand proxy for the supposed +witch. Near the confluence of the Kafué the Mambo, or chief, +with some of his headmen, came to our sleeping-place with a present; +their foreheads were smeared with white flour, and an unusual seriousness +marked their demeanour. Shortly before our arrival they had been +accused of witchcraft; conscious of innocence, they accepted the ordeal, +and undertook to drink the poisoned muavé. For this purpose +they made a journey to the sacred hill of Nchomokela, on which repose +the bodies of their ancestors; and, after a solemn appeal to the unseen +spirits to attest the innocence of their children, they swallowed the +muavé, vomited, and were therefore declared not guilty. +It is evident that they believe that the soul has a continued existence; +and that the spirits of the departed know what those they have left +behind them are doing, and are pleased or not according as their deeds +are good or evil; this belief is universal. The owner of a large +canoe refused to sell it, because it belonged to the spirit of his father, +who helped him when he killed the hippopotamus. Another, when +the bargain for his canoe was nearly completed, seeing a large serpent +on a branch of the tree overhead, refused to complete the sale, alleging +that this was the spirit of his father come to protest against it.</p> +<p>Some of the Batoka chiefs must have been men of considerable enterprise; +the land of one, in the western part of this country, was protected +by the Zambesi on the S., and on the N. and E. lay an impassable reedy +marsh, filled with water all the year round, leaving only his western +border open to invasion: he conceived the idea of digging a broad and +deep canal nearly a mile in length, from the reedy marsh to the Zambesi, +and, having actually carried the scheme into execution, he formed a +large island, on which his cattle grazed in safety, and his corn ripened +from year to year secure from all marauders.</p> +<p>Another chief, who died a number of years ago, believed that he had +discovered a remedy for tsetse-bitten cattle; his son Moyara showed +us a plant, which was new to our botanist, and likewise told us how +the medicine was prepared; the bark of the root, and, what might please +our homoeopathic friends, a dozen of the tsetse are dried, and ground +together into a fine powder. This mixture is administered internally; +and the cattle are fumigated by burning under them the rest of the plant +collected. The treatment must be continued for weeks, whenever +the symptoms of poison appear. This medicine, he frankly admitted, +would not cure all the bitten cattle. “For,” said +he, “cattle, and men too, die in spite of medicine; but should +a herd by accident stray into a tsetse district and be bitten, by this +medicine of my father, Kampa-kampa, some of them could be saved, while, +without it, all would inevitably die.” He stipulated that +we were not to show the medicine to other people, and if ever we needed +it in this region we must employ him; but if we were far off we might +make it ourselves; and when we saw it cure the cattle think of him, +and send him a present.</p> +<p>Our men made it known everywhere that we wished the tribes to live +in peace, and would use our influence to induce Sekeletu to prevent +the Batoka of Moshobotwané and the Makololo under-chiefs making +forays into their country: they had already suffered severely, and their +remonstrances with their countryman, Moshobotwané, evoked only +the answer, “The Makololo have given me a spear; why should I +not use it?” He, indeed, it was who, being remarkably swift +of foot, first guided the Makololo in their conquest of the country. +In the character of peacemakers, therefore, we experienced abundant +hospitality; and, from the Kafué to the Falls, none of our party +was allowed to suffer hunger. The natives sent to our sleeping-places +generous presents of the finest white meal, and fat capons to give it +a relish, great pots of beer to comfort our hearts, together with pumpkins, +beans, and tobacco, so that we “should sleep neither hungry nor +thirsty.”</p> +<p>In travelling from the Kafué to the Zungwé we frequently +passed several villages in the course of a day’s march. +In the evening came deputies from the villages, at which we could not +stay to sleep, with liberal presents of food. It would have pained +them to have allowed strangers to pass without partaking of their hospitality; +repeatedly were we hailed from huts, and asked to wait a moment and +drink a little of the beer, which was brought with alacrity. Our +march resembled a triumphant procession. We entered and left every +village amidst the cheers of its inhabitants; the men clapping their +hands, and the women lullilooing, with the shrill call, “Let us +sleep,” or “Peace.” Passing through a hamlet +one day, our guide called to the people, “Why do you not clap +your hands and salute when you see men who are wishing to bring peace +to the land?” When we halted for the night it was no uncommon +thing for the people to prepare our camp entirely of their own accord; +some with hoes quickly smoothed the ground for our beds, others brought +dried grass and spread it carefully over the spot; some with their small +axes speedily made a bush fence to shield us from the wind; and if, +as occasionally happened, the water was a little distance off, others +hastened and brought it with firewood to cook our food with. They +are an industrious people, and very fond of agriculture. For hours +together we marched through unbroken fields of mapira, or native corn, +of a great width; but one can give no idea of the extent of land under +the hoe as compared with any European country. The extent of surface +is so great that the largest fields under culture, when viewed on a +wide landscape, dwindle to mere spots. When taken in connection +with the wants of the people, the cultivation on the whole is most creditable +to their industry. They erect numerous granaries which give their +villages the appearance of being large; and, when the water of the Zambesi +has subsided, they place large quantities of grain, tied up in bundles +of grass, and well plastered over with clay, on low sand islands for +protection from the attacks of marauding mice and men. Owing to +the ravages of the weevil, the native corn can hardly be preserved until +the following crop comes in. However largely they may cultivate, +and however abundant the harvest, it must all be consumed in a year. +This may account for their making so much of it into beer. The +beer these Batoka or Bawé brew is not the sour and intoxicating +boala or pombe found among some other tribes, but sweet, and highly +nutritive, with only a slight degree of acidity, sufficient to render +it a pleasant drink. The people were all plump, and in good condition; +and we never saw a single case of intoxication among them, though all +drank abundance of this liting, or sweet beer. Both men and boys +were eager to work for very small pay. Our men could hire any +number of them to carry their burdens for a few beads a day. Our +miserly and dirty ex-cook had an old pair of trousers that some one +had given to him; after he had long worn them himself, with one of the +sorely decayed legs he hired a man to carry his heavy load a whole day; +a second man carried it the next day for the other leg, and what remained +of the old garment, without the buttons, procured the labour of another +man for the third day.</p> +<p>Men of remarkable ability have risen up among the Africans from time +to time, as amongst other portions of the human family. Some have +attracted the attention, and excited the admiration of large districts +by their wisdom. Others, apparently by the powers of ventriloquism, +or by peculiar dexterity in throwing the spear, or shooting with the +bow, have been the wonder of their generation; but the total absence +of literature leads to the loss of all former experience, and the wisdom +of the wise has not been handed down. They have had their minstrels +too, but mere tradition preserves not their effusions. One of +these, and apparently a genuine poet, attached himself to our party +for several days, and whenever we halted, sang our praises to the villagers, +in smooth and harmonious numbers. It was a sort of blank verse, +and each line consisted of five syllables. The song was short +when it first began, but each day he picked up more information about +us, and added to the poem until our praises became an ode of respectable +length. When distance from home compelled his return he expressed +his regret at leaving us, and was, of course, paid for his useful and +pleasant flatteries. Another, though a less gifted son of song, +belonged to the Batoka of our own party. Every evening, while +the others were cooking, talking, or sleeping, he rehearsed his songs, +containing a history of everything he had seen in the land of the white +men, and on the way back. In composing, extempore, any new piece, +he was never at a loss; for if the right word did not come he halted +not, but eked out the measure with a peculiar musical sound meaning +nothing at all. He accompanied his recitations on the <i>sansa</i>, +an instrument figured in the woodcut, the nine iron keys of which are +played with the thumbs, while the fingers pass behind to hold it. +The hollow end and ornaments face the breast of the player. Persons +of a musical turn, if too poor to buy a sansa, may be seen playing vigorously +on an instrument made with a number of thick corn-stalks sewn together, +as a sansa frame, and keys of split bamboo, which, though making but +little sound, seems to soothe the player himself. When the instrument +is played with a calabash as a sounding board, it emits a greater volume +of sound. Pieces of shells and tin are added to make a jingling +accompaniment, and the calabash is also ornamented.</p> +<p>After we had passed up, a party of slaves, belonging to the two native +Portuguese who assassinated the chief, Mpangwé, and took possession +of his lands at Zumbo, followed on our footsteps, and representing themselves +to be our “children,” bought great quantities of ivory from +the Bawé, for a few coarse beads a tusk. They also purchased +ten large new canoes to carry it, at the rate of six strings of red +or white beads, or two fathoms of grey calico, for each canoe, and, +at the same cheap rate, a number of good-looking girls.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER VII.</h3> +<p>The Victoria Falls of the Zambesi—Marvellous grandeur of the +Cataracts—The Makololo’s town—The Chief Sekeletu.</p> +<p>During the time we remained at Motunta a splendid meteor was observed +to lighten the whole heavens. The observer’s back was turned +to it, but on looking round the streak of light was seen to remain on +its path some seconds. This streak is usually explained to be +only the continuance of the impression made by the shining body on the +retina. This cannot be, as in this case the meteor was not actually +seen and yet the streak was clearly perceived. The rays of planets +and stars also require another explanation than that usually given.</p> +<p>Fruit-trees and gigantic wild fig-trees, and circles of stones on +which corn safes were placed, with worn grindstones, point out where +the villages once stood. The only reason now assigned for this +fine country remaining desolate is the fear of fresh visitations by +the Matebelé. The country now slopes gradually to the west +into the Makololo Valley. Two days’ march from the Batoka +village nearest the highlands, we met with some hunters who were burning +the dry grass, in order to attract the game by the fresh vegetation +which speedily springs up afterwards. The grass, as already remarked, +is excellent for cattle. One species, with leaves having finely +serrated edges, and of a reddish-brown colour, we noticed our men eating: +it tastes exactly like liquorice-root, and is named kezu-kezu. +The tsetse, known to the Batoka by the name “ndoka,” does +not exist here, though buffaloes and elephants abound.</p> +<p>A small trap in the path, baited with a mouse, to catch spotted cats +(<i>F. Genetta</i>), is usually the first indication that we are drawing +near to a village; but when we get within the sounds of pounding corn, +cockcrowing, or the merry shouts of children at play, we know that the +huts are but a few yards off, though the trees conceal them from view. +We reached, on the 4th of August, Moachemba, the first of the Batoka +villages which now owe allegiance to Sekeletu, and could see distinctly +with the naked eye, in the great valley spread out before us, the columns +of vapour rising from the Victoria Falls, though upwards of 20 miles +distant. We were informed that, the rains having failed this year, +the corn crops had been lost, and great scarcity and much hunger prevailed +from Sesheké to Linyanti. Some of the reports which the +men had heard from the Batoka of the hills concerning their families, +were here confirmed. Takelang’s wife had been killed by +Mashotlané, the headman at the Falls, on a charge, as usual, +of witchcraft. Inchikola’s two wives, believing him to be +dead, had married again; and Masakasa was intensely disgusted to hear +that two years ago his friends, upon a report of his death, threw his +shield over the Falls, slaughtered all his oxen, and held a species +of wild Irish wake, in honour of his memory: he said he meant to disown +them, and to say, when they come to salute him, “I am dead. +I am not here. I belong to another world, and should stink if +I came among you.”</p> +<p>All the sad news we had previously heard, of the disastrous results +which followed the attempt of a party of missionaries, under the Rev. +H. Helmore, to plant the gospel at Linyanti, were here fully confirmed. +Several of the missionaries and their native attendants, from Kuruman, +had succumbed to the fever, and the survivors had retired some weeks +before our arrival. We remained the whole of the 7th beside the +village of the old Batoka chief, Moshobotwané, the stoutest man +we have seen in Africa. The cause of our delay here was a severe +attack of fever in Charles Livingstone. He took a dose of our +fever pills; was better on the 8th, and marched three hours; then on +the 9th marched eight miles to the Great Falls, and spent the rest of +the day in the fatiguing exercise of sight-seeing. We were in +the very same valley as Linyanti, and this was the same fever which +treated, or rather maltreated, with only a little Dover’s powder, +proved so fatal to poor Helmore; the symptoms, too, were identical with +those afterwards described by non-medical persons as those of poison.</p> +<p>We gave Moshobotwané a present, and a pretty plain exposition +of what we thought of his bloody forays among his Batoka brethren. +A scolding does most good to the recipient, when put alongside some +obliging act. He certainly did not take it ill, as was evident +from what he gave us in return; which consisted of a liberal supply +of meal, milk, and an ox. He has a large herd of cattle, and a +tract of fine pasture-land on the beautiful stream Lekoné. +A home-feeling comes over one, even in the interior of Africa, at seeing +once more cattle grazing peacefully in the meadows. The tsetse +inhabits the trees which bound the pasture-land on the west; so, should +the herdsman forget his duty, the cattle straying might be entirely +lost. The women of this village were more numerous than the men, +the result of the chief’s marauding. The Batoko wife of +Sima came up from the Falls, to welcome her husband back, bringing a +present of the best fruits of the country. Her husband was the +only one of the party who had brought a wife from Tette, namely, the +girl whom he obtained from Chisaka for his feats of dancing. According +to our ideas, his first wife could hardly have been pleased at seeing +the second and younger one; but she took her away home with her, while +the husband remained with us. In going down to the Fall village +we met several of the real Makololo. They are lighter in colour +than the other tribes, being of a rich warm brown; and they speak in +a slow deliberate manner, distinctly pronouncing every word. On +reaching the village opposite Kalai, we had an interview with the Makololo +headman, Mashotlané: he came to the shed in which we were seated, +a little boy carrying his low three-legged stool before him: on this +he sat down with becoming dignity, looked round him for a few seconds, +then at us, and, saluting us with “Rumela” (good morning, +or hail), he gave us some boiled hippopotamus meat, took a piece himself, +and then handed the rest to his attendants, who soon ate it up. +He defended his forays on the ground that, when he went to collect tribute, +the Batoka attacked him, and killed some of his attendants. The +excuses made for their little wars are often the very same as those +made by Cæsar in his “Commentaries.” Few admit, +like old Moshobotwané, that they fought because they had the +power, and a fair prospect of conquering. We found here Pitsané, +who had accompanied the Doctor to St. Paul de Loanda. He had been +sent by Sekeletu to purchase three horses from a trading party of Griquas +from Kuruman, who charged nine large tusks apiece for very wretched +animals.</p> +<p>In the evening, when all was still, one of our men, Takelang, fired +his musket, and cried out, “I am weeping for my wife: my court +is desolate: I have no home;” and then uttered a loud wail of +anguish.</p> +<p>We proceeded next morning, 9th August, 1860, to see the Victoria +Falls. Mosi-oa-tunya is the Makololo name and means smoke sounding; +Seongo or Chongwé, meaning the Rainbow, or the place of the Rainbow, +was the more ancient term they bore. We embarked in canoes, belonging +to Tuba Mokoro, “smasher of canoes,” an ominous name; but +he alone, it seems, knew the medicine which insures one against shipwreck +in the rapids above the Falls. For some miles the river was smooth +and tranquil, and we glided pleasantly over water clear as crystal, +and past lovely islands densely covered with a tropical vegetation. +Noticeable among the many trees were the lofty Hyphæne and Borassus +palms; the graceful wild date-palm, with its fruit in golden clusters, +and the umbrageous mokononga, of cypress form, with its dark-green leaves +and scarlet fruit. Many flowers peeped out near the water’s +edge, some entirely new to us, and others, as the convolvulus, old acquaintances.</p> +<p>But our attention was quickly called from the charming islands to +the dangerous rapids, down which Tuba might unintentionally shoot us. +To confess the truth, the very ugly aspect of these roaring rapids could +scarcely fail to cause some uneasiness in the minds of new-comers. +It is only when the river is very low, as it was now, that any one durst +venture to the island to which we were bound. If one went during +the period of flood, and fortunately hit the island, he would be obliged +to remain there till the water subsided again, if he lived so long. +Both hippopotami and elephants have been known to be swept over the +Falls, and of course smashed to pulp.</p> +<p>Before entering the race of waters, we were requested not to speak, +as our talking might diminish the virtue of the medicine; and no one +with such boiling eddying rapids before his eyes, would think of disobeying +the orders of a “canoe-smasher.” It soon became evident +that there was sound sense in this request of Tuba’s, although +the reason assigned was not unlike that of the canoe-man from Sesheke, +who begged one of our party not to whistle, because whistling made the +wind come. It was the duty of the man at the bow to look out ahead +for the proper course, and when he saw a rock or snag, to call out to +the steersman. Tuba doubtless thought that talking on board might +divert the attention of his steersman, at a time when the neglect of +an order, or a slight mistake, would be sure to spill us all into the +chafing river. There were places where the utmost exertions of +both men had to be put forth in order to force the canoe to the only +safe part of the rapid, and to prevent it from sweeping down broadside +on, where in a twinkling we should have found ourselves floundering +among the plotuses and cormorants, which were engaged in diving for +their breakfast of small fish. At times it seemed as if nothing +could save us from dashing in our headlong race against the rocks which, +now that the river was low, jutted out of the water; but just at the +very nick of time, Tuba passed the word to the steersman, and then with +ready pole turned the canoe a little aside, and we glided swiftly past +the threatened danger. Never was canoe more admirably managed: +once only did the medicine seem to have lost something of its efficacy. +We were driving swiftly down, a black rock over which the white foam +flew, lay directly in our path, the pole was planted against it as readily +as ever, but it slipped, just as Tuba put forth his strength to turn +the bow off. We struck hard, and were half-full of water in a +moment; Tuba recovered himself as speedily, shoved off the bow, and +shot the canoe into a still shallow place, to bale out the water. +Here we were given to understand that it was not the medicine which +was at fault; that had lost none of its virtue; the accident was owing +entirely to Tuba having started without his breakfast. Need it +be said we never let Tuba go without that meal again?</p> +<p>We landed at the head of Garden Island, which is situated near the +middle of the river and on the lip of the Falls. On reaching that +lip, and peering over the giddy height, the wondrous and unique character +of the magnificent cascade at once burst upon us.</p> +<p>It is rather a hopeless task to endeavour to convey an idea of it +in words, since, as was remarked on the spot, an accomplished painter, +even by a number of views, could but impart a faint impression of the +glorious scene. The probable mode of its formation may perhaps +help to the conception of its peculiar shape. Niagara has been +formed by a wearing back of the rock over which the river falls; and +during a long course of ages, it has gradually receded, and left a broad, +deep, and pretty straight trough in front. It goes on wearing +back daily, and may yet discharge the lakes from which its river—the +St. Lawrence—flows. But the Victoria Falls have been formed +by a crack right across the river, in the hard, black, basaltic rock +which there formed the bed of the Zambesi. The lips of the crack +are still quite sharp, save about three feet of the edge over which +the river rolls. The walls go sheer down from the lips without +any projecting crag, or symptoms of stratification or dislocation. +When the mighty rift occurred, no change of level took place in the +two parts of the bed of the river thus rent asunder, consequently, in +coming down the river to Garden Island, the water suddenly disappears, +and we see the opposite side of the cleft, with grass and trees growing +where once the river ran, on the same level as that part of its bed +on which we sail. The first crack is, in length, a few yards more +than the breadth of the Zambesi, which by measurement we found to be +a little over 1860 yards, but this number we resolved to retain as indicating +the year in which the Fall was for the first time carefully examined. +The main stream here runs nearly north and south, and the cleft across +it is nearly east and west. The depth of the rift was measured +by lowering a line, to the end of which a few bullets and a foot of +white cotton cloth were tied. One of us lay with his head over +a projecting crag, and watched the descending calico, till, after his +companions had paid out 310 feet, the weight rested on a sloping projection, +probably 50 feet from the water below, the actual bottom being still +further down. The white cloth now appeared the size of a crown-piece. +On measuring the width of this deep cleft by sextant, it was found at +Garden Island, its narrowest part, to be eighty yards, and at its broadest +somewhat more. Into this chasm, of twice the depth of Niagara-fall, +the river, a full mile wide, rolls with a deafening roar; and this is +Mosi-oa-tunya, or the Victoria Falls.</p> +<p>Looking from Garden Island, down to the bottom of the abyss, nearly +half a mile of water, which has fallen over that portion of the Falls +to our right, or west of our point of view, is seen collected in a narrow +channel twenty or thirty yards wide, and flowing at exactly right angles +to its previous course, to our left; while the other half, or that which +fell over the eastern portion of the Falls, is seen in the left of the +narrow channel below, coming towards our right. Both waters unite +midway, in a fearful boiling whirlpool, and find an outlet by a crack +situated at right angles to the fissure of the Falls. This outlet +is about 1170 yards from the western end of the chasm, and some 600 +from its eastern end; the whirlpool is at its commencement. The +Zambesi, now apparently not more than twenty or thirty yards wide, rushes +and surges south, through the narrow escape-channel for 130 yards; then +enters a second chasm somewhat deeper, and nearly parallel with the +first. Abandoning the bottom of the eastern half of this second +chasm to the growth of large trees, it turns sharply off to the west, +and forms a promontory, with the escape-channel at its point, of 1170 +yards long, and 416 yards broad at the base. After reaching this +base, the river runs abruptly round the head of another promontory, +and flows away to the east, in a third chasm; then glides round a third +promontory, much narrower than the rest, and away back to the west, +in a fourth chasm; and we could see in the distance that it appeared +to round still another promontory, and bend once more in another chasm +towards the east. In this gigantic, zigzag, yet narrow trough, +the rocks are all so sharply cut and angular, that the idea at once +arises that the hard basaltic trap must have been riven into its present +shape by a force acting from beneath, and that this probably took place +when the ancient inland seas were let off by similar fissures nearer +the ocean.</p> +<p>The land beyond, or on the south of the Falls, retains, as already +remarked, the same level as before the rent was made. It is as +if the trough below Niagara were bent right and left, several times +before it reached the railway bridge. The land in the supposed +bends being of the same height as that above the Fall, would give standing-places, +or points of view, of the same nature as that from the railway-bridge, +but the nearest would be only eighty yards, instead of two miles (the +distance to the bridge) from the face of the cascade. The tops +of the promontories are in general flat, smooth, and studded with trees. +The first, with its base on the east, is at one place so narrow, that +it would be dangerous to walk to its extremity. On the second, +however, we found a broad rhinoceros path and a hut; but, unless the +builder were a hermit, with a pet rhinoceros, we cannot conceive what +beast or man ever went there for. On reaching the apex of this +second eastern promontory we saw the great river, of a deep sea-green +colour, now sorely compressed, gliding away, at least 400 feet below +us.</p> +<p>Garden Island, when the river is low, commands the best view of the +Great Fall chasm, as also of the promontory opposite, with its grove +of large evergreen trees, and brilliant rainbows of three-quarters of +a circle, two, three, and sometimes even four in number, resting on +the face of the vast perpendicular rock, down which tiny streams are +always running to be swept again back by the upward rushing vapour. +But as, at Niagara, one has to go over to the Canadian shore to see +the chief wonder—the Great Horse-shoe Fall—so here we have +to cross over to Moselekatsé’s side to the promontory of +evergreens, for the best view of the principal Falls of Mosi-oa-tunya. +Beginning, therefore, at the base of this promontory, and facing the +Cataract, at the west end of the chasm, there is, first, a fall of thirty-six +yards in breadth, and of course, as they all are, upwards of 310 feet +in depth. Then Boaruka, a small island, intervenes, and next comes +a great fall, with a breadth of 573 yards; a projecting rock separates +this from a second grand fall of 325 yards broad; in all, upwards of +900 yards of perennial Falls. Further east stands Garden Island; +then, as the river was at its lowest, came a good deal of the bare rock +of its bed, with a score of narrow falls, which, at the time of flood, +constitute one enormous cascade of nearly another half-mile. Near +the east end of the chasm are two larger falls, but they are nothing +at low water compared to those between the islands.</p> +<p>The whole body of water rolls clear over, quite unbroken; but, after +a descent of ten or more feet, the entire mass suddenly becomes like +a huge sheet of driven snow. Pieces of water leap off it in the +form of comets with tails streaming behind, till the whole snowy sheet +becomes myriads of rushing, leaping, aqueous comets. This peculiarity +was not observed by Charles Livingstone at Niagara, and here it happens, +possibly from the dryness of the atmosphere, or whatever the cause may +be which makes every drop of Zambesi water appear to possess a sort +of individuality. It runs off the ends of the paddles, and glides +in beads along the smooth surface, like drops of quicksilver on a table. +Here we see them in a conglomeration, each with a train of pure white +vapour, racing down till lost in clouds of spray. A stone dropped +in became less and less to the eye, and at last disappeared in the dense +mist below.</p> +<p>Charles Livingstone had seen Niagara, and gave Mosi-oa-tunya the +palm, though now at the end of a drought, and the river at its very +lowest. Many feel a disappointment on first seeing the great American +Falls, but Mosi-oa-tunya is so strange, it must ever cause wonder. +In the amount of water, Niagara probably excels, though not during the +months when the Zambesi is in flood. The vast body of water, separating +in the comet-like forms described, necessarily encloses in its descent +a large volume of air, which, forced into the cleft, to an unknown depth, +rebounds, and rushes up loaded with vapour to form the three or even +six columns, as if of steam, visible at the Batoka village Moachemba, +twenty-one miles distant. On attaining a height of 200, or at +most 300 feet from the level of the river above the cascade, this vapour +becomes condensed into a perpetual shower of fine rain. Much of +the spray, rising to the west of Garden Island, falls on the grove of +evergreen trees opposite; and from their leaves, heavy drops are for +ever falling, to form sundry little rills, which, in running down the +steep face of rock, are blown off and turned back, or licked off their +perpendicular bed, up into the column from which they have just descended.</p> +<p>The morning sun gilds these columns of watery smoke with all the +glowing colours of double or treble rainbows. The evening sun, +from a hot yellow sky, imparts a sulphureous hue, and gives one the +impression that the yawning gulf might resemble the mouth of the bottomless +pit. No bird sits and sings on the branches of the grove of perpetual +showers, or ever builds its nest there. We saw hornbills and flocks +of little black weavers flying across from the mainland to the islands, +and from the islands to the points of the promontories and back again, +but they uniformly shunned the region of perpetual rain, occupied by +the evergreen grove. The sunshine, elsewhere in this land so overpowering, +never penetrates the deep gloom of that shade. In the presence +of the strange Mosi-oa-tunya, we can sympathize with those who, when +the world was young, peopled earth, air, and river, with beings not +of mortal form. Sacred to what deity would be this awful chasm +and that dark grove, over which hovers an ever-abiding “pillar +of cloud”?</p> +<p>The ancient Batoka chieftains used Kazeruka, now Garden Island, and +Boaruka, the island further west, also on the lip of the Falls, as sacred +spots for worshipping the Deity. It is no wonder that under the +cloudy columns, and near the brilliant rainbows, with the ceaseless +roar of the cataract, with the perpetual flow, as if pouring forth from +the hand of the Almighty, their souls should be filled with reverential +awe. It inspired wonder in the native mind throughout the interior. +Among the first questions asked by Sebituané of Mr. Oswell and +Dr. Livingstone, in 1851, was, “Have you any smoke soundings in +your country,” and “what causes the smoke to rise for ever +so high out of water?” In that year its fame was heard 200 +miles off, and it was approached within two days; but it was seen by +no European till 1855, when Dr. Livingstone visited it on his way to +the East Coast. Being then accompanied as far as this Fall by +Sekeletu and 200 followers, his stay was necessarily short; and the +two days there were employed in observations for fixing the geographical +position of the place, and turning the showers, that at times sweep +from the columns of vapour across the island, to account, in teaching +the Makololo arboriculture, and making that garden from which the natives +named the island; so that he did not visit the opposite sides of the +cleft, nor see the wonderful course of the river beyond the Falls. +The hippopotami had destroyed the trees which were then planted; and, +though a strong stockaded hedge was made again, and living orange-trees, +cashew-nuts, and coffee seeds put in afresh, we fear that the perseverance +of the hippopotami will overcome the obstacle of the hedge. It +would require a resident missionary to rear European fruit-trees. +The period at which the peach and apricot come into blossom is about +the end of the dry season, and artificial irrigation is necessary. +The Batoka, the only arboriculturists in the country, rear native fruit-trees +alone—the mosibe, the motsikiri, the boma, and others. When +a tribe takes an interest in trees, it becomes more attached to the +spot on which they are planted, and they prove one of the civilizing +influences.</p> +<p>Where one Englishman goes, others are sure to follow. Mr. Baldwin, +a gentleman from Natal, succeeded in reaching the Falls guided by his +pocket-compass alone. On meeting the second subject of Her Majesty, +who had ever beheld the greatest of African wonders, we found him a +sort of prisoner at large. He had called on Mashotlané +to ferry him over to the north side of the river, and, when nearly over, +he took a bath, by jumping in and swimming ashore. “If,” +said Mashotlané, “he had been devoured by one of the crocodiles +which abound there, the English would have blamed us for his death. +He nearly inflicted a great injury upon us, therefore, we said, he must +pay a fine.” As Mr. Baldwin had nothing with him wherewith +to pay, they were taking care of him till he should receive beads from +his wagon, two days distant.</p> +<p>Mashotlané’s education had been received in the camp +of Sebituané, where but little regard was paid to human life. +He was not yet in his prime, and his fine open countenance presented +to us no indication of the evil influences which unhappily, from infancy, +had been at work on his mind. The native eye was more penetrating +than ours; for the expression of our men was, “He has drunk the +blood of men—you may see it in his eyes.” He made +no further difficulty about Mr. Baldwin; but the week after we left +he inflicted a severe wound on the head of one of his wives with his +rhinoceros-horn club. She, being of a good family, left him, and +we subsequently met her and another of his wives proceeding up the country.</p> +<p>The ground is strewn with agates for a number of miles above the +Falls; but the fires, which burn off the grass yearly, have injured +most of those on the surface. Our men were delighted to hear that +they do as well as flints for muskets; and this with the new ideas of +the value of gold (<i>dalama</i>) and malachite, that they had acquired +at Tette, made them conceive that we were not altogether silly in picking +up and looking at stones.</p> +<p>Marching up the river, we crossed the Lekoné at its confluence, +about eight miles above the island Kalai, and went on to a village opposite +the Island Chundu. Nambowé, the headman, is one of the +Matebelé or Zulus, who have had to flee from the anger of Moselekatsé, +to take refuge with the Makololo.</p> +<p>We spent Sunday, the 12th, at the village of Molelé, a tall +old Batoka, who was proud of having formerly been a great favourite +with Sebituané. In coming hither we passed through patches +of forest abounding in all sorts of game. The elephants’ +tusks, placed over graves, are now allowed to decay, and the skulls, +which the former Batoka stuck on poles to ornament their villages, not +being renewed, now crumble into dust. Here the famine, of which +we had heard, became apparent, Molelé’s people being employed +in digging up the <i>tsitla</i> root out of the marshes, and cutting +out the soft core of the young palm-trees, for food.</p> +<p>The village, situated on the side of a wooded ridge, commands an +extensive view of a great expanse of meadow and marsh lying along the +bank of the river. On these holmes herds of buffaloes and waterbucks +daily graze in security, as they have in the reedy marshes a refuge +into which they can run on the approach of danger. The pretty +little tianyane or ourebi is abundant further on, and herds of blue +weldebeests or brindled gnus (<i>Katoblepas Gorgon</i>) amused us by +their fantastic capers. They present a much more ferocious aspect +than the lion himself, but are quite timid. We never could, by +waving a red handkerchief, according to the prescription, induce them +to venture near to us. It may therefore be that the red colour +excites their fury only when wounded or hotly pursued. Herds of +lechee or lechwé now enliven the meadows; and they and their +younger brother, the graceful poku, smaller, and of a rounder contour, +race together towards the grassy fens. We venture to call the +poku after the late Major Vardon, a noble-hearted African traveller; +but fully anticipate that some aspiring Nimrod will prefer that his +own name should go down to posterity on the back of this buck.</p> +<p>Midway between Tabacheu and the Great Falls the streams begin to +flow westward. On the other side they begin to flow east. +Large round masses of granite, somewhat like old castles, tower aloft +about the Kalomo. The country is an elevated plateau, and our +men knew and named the different plains as we passed them by.</p> +<p>On the 13th we met a party from Sekeletu, who was now at Sesheké. +Our approach had been reported, and they had been sent to ask the Doctor +what the price of a horse ought to be; and what he said, that they were +to give and no more. In reply they were told that by their having +given nine large tusks for one horse before the Doctor came, the Griquas +would naturally imagine that the price was already settled. It +was exceedingly amusing to witness the exact imitation they gave of +the swagger of a certain white with whom they had been dealing, and +who had, as they had perceived, evidently wished to assume an air of +indifference. Holding up the head and scratching the beard it +was hinted might indicate not indifference, but vermin. It is +well that we do not always know what they say about us. The remarks +are often not quite complimentary, and resemble closely what certain +white travellers say about the blacks.</p> +<p>We made our camp in the afternoon abreast of the large island called +Mparira, opposite the mouth of the Chobé. Francolins, quails, +and guinea-fowls, as well as larger game, were abundant. The Makololo +headman, Mokompa, brought us a liberal present; and in the usual way, +which is considered politeness, regretted he had no milk, as his cows +were all dry. We got some honey here from the very small stingless +bee, called, by the Batoka, moandi, and by others, the kokomatsané. +This honey is slightly acid, and has an aromatic flavour. The +bees are easily known from their habit of buzzing about the eyes, and +tickling the skin by sucking it as common flies do. The hive has +a tube of wax like a quill, for its entrance, and is usually in the +hollows of trees.</p> +<p>Mokompa feared that the tribe was breaking up, and lamented the condition +into which they had fallen in consequence of Sekeletu’s leprosy; +he did not know what was to become of them. He sent two canoes +to take us up to Sesheké; his best canoe had taken ivory up to +the chief, to purchase goods of some native traders from Benguela. +Above the Falls the paddlers always stand in the canoes, using long +paddles, ten feet in length, and changing from side to side without +losing the stroke.</p> +<p>Mochokotsa, a messenger from Sekeletu, met us on the 17th, with another +request for the Doctor to take ivory and purchase a horse. He +again declined to interfere. None were to come up to Sekeletu +but the Doctor; and all the men who had had smallpox at Tette, three +years ago, were to go back to Moshobotwané, and he would sprinkle +medicine over them, to drive away the infection, and prevent it spreading +in the tribe. Mochokotsa was told to say to Sekeletu that the +disease was known of old to white men, and we even knew the medicine +to prevent it; and, were there any danger now, we should be the first +to warn him of it. Why did not he go himself to have Moshobotwané +sprinkle medicine to drive away his leprosy. We were not afraid +of his disease, nor of the fever that had killed the teachers and many +Makololo at Linyanti. As this attempt at quarantine was evidently +the suggestion of native doctors to increase their own importance, we +added that we had no food, and would hunt next day for game, and the +day after; and, should we be still ordered purification by their medicine, +we should then return to our own country.</p> +<p>The message was not all of our dictation, our companions interlarded +it with their own indignant protests, and said some strong things in +the Tette dialect about these “doctor things” keeping them +back from seeing their father; when to their surprise Mochokotsa told +them he knew every word they were saying, as he was of the tribe Bazizulu, +and defied them to deceive him by any dialect, either of the Mashona +on the east, or of the Mambari on the west. Mochokotsa then repeated +our message twice, to be sure that he had it every word, and went back +again. These chiefs’ messengers have most retentive memories; +they carry messages of considerable length great distances, and deliver +them almost word for word. Two or three usually go together, and +when on the way the message is rehearsed every night, in order that +the exact words may be kept to. One of the native objections to +learning to write is, that these men answer the purpose of transmitting +intelligence to a distance as well as a letter would; and, if a person +wishes to communicate with any one in the town, the best way to do so +is either to go to or send for him. And as for corresponding with +friends very far off, that is all very well for white people, but the +blacks have no friends to whom to write. The only effective argument +for the learning to read is, that it is their duty to know the revelation +from their Father in Heaven, as it stands in the Book.</p> +<p>Our messenger returned on the evening of the following day with “You +speak truly,” says Sekeletu, “the disease is old, come on +at once, do not sleep in the path; for I am greatly desirous (<i>tlologelecoe</i>) +to see the Doctor.”</p> +<p>After Mochokotsa left us, we met some of Mokompa’s men bringing +back the ivory, as horses were preferred to the West-Coast goods. +They were the bearers of instructions to Mokompa, and as these instructions +illustrate the government of people who have learned scarcely anything +from Europeans, they are inserted, though otherwise of no importance. +Mashotlané had not behaved so civilly to Mr. Baldwin as Sekeletu +had ordered him to do to all Englishmen. He had been very uncivil +to the messengers sent by Moselekatsé with letters from Mr. Moffat, +treated them as spies, and would not land to take the bag until they +moved off. On our speaking to him about this, he justified his +conduct on the plea that he was set at the Falls for the very purpose +of watching these, their natural enemies; and how was he to know that +they had been sent by Mr. Moffat? Our men thereupon reported at +head-quarters that Mashotlané had cursed the Doctor. The +instructions to Mokompa, from Sekeletu, were to “go and tell Mashotlané +that he had offended greatly. He had not cursed Monaré +(Dr. Livingstone) but Sebituané, as Monaré was now in +the place of Sebituané, and he reverenced him as he had done +his father. Any fine taken from Mr. Baldwin was to be returned +at once, as he was not a Boer but an Englishman. Sekeletu was +very angry, and Mokompa must not conceal the message.”</p> +<p>On finding afterwards that Mashotlané’s conduct had +been most outrageous to the Batoka, Sekeletu sent for him to come to +Sesheké, in order that he might have him more under his own eye; +but Mashotlané, fearing that this meant the punishment of death, +sent a polite answer, alleging that he was ill and unable to travel. +Sekeletu tried again to remove Mashotlané from the Falls, but +without success. In theory the chief is absolute and quite despotic; +in practice his authority is limited, and he cannot, without occasionally +putting refractory headmen to death, force his subordinates to do his +will.</p> +<p>Except the small rapids by Mparira island, near the mouth of the +Chobé, the rest of the way to Sesheké by water is smooth. +Herds of cattle of two or three varieties graze on the islands in the +river: the Batoka possessed a very small breed of beautiful shape, and +remarkably tame, and many may still be seen; a larger kind, many of +which have horns pendent, and loose at the roots; and a still larger +sort, with horns of extraordinary dimensions,—apparently a burden +for the beast to carry. This breed was found in abundance at Lake +Ngami. We stopped at noon at one of the cattle-posts of Mokompa, +and had a refreshing drink of milk. Men of his standing have usually +several herds placed at different spots, and the owner visits each in +turn, while his head-quarters are at his village. His son, a boy +of ten, had charge of the establishment during his father’s absence. +According to Makololo ideas, the cattle-post is the proper school in +which sons should be brought up. Here they receive the right sort +of education—the knowledge of pasture and how to manage cattle.</p> +<p>Strong easterly winds blow daily from noon till midnight, and continue +till the October or November rains set in. Whirlwinds, raising +huge pillars of smoke from burning grass and weeds, are common in the +forenoon. We were nearly caught in an immense one. It crossed +about twenty yards in front of us, the wind apparently rushing into +it from all points of the compass. Whirling round and round in +great eddies, it swept up hundreds of feet into the air a continuous +dense dark cloud of the black pulverized soil, mixed with dried grass, +off the plain. Herds of the new antelopes, lechwé, and +poku, with the kokong, or gnus, and zebras stood gazing at us as we +passed. The mirage lifted them at times halfway to the clouds, +and twisted them and the clumps of palms into strange unearthly forms. +The extensive and rich level plains by the banks, along the sides of +which we paddled, would support a vast population, and might be easily +irrigated from the Zambesi. If watered, they would yield crops +all the year round, and never suffer loss by drought. The hippopotamus +is killed here with long lance-like spears. We saw two men, in +a light canoe, stealing noiselessly down on one of these animals thought +to be asleep; but it was on the alert, and they had quickly to retreat. +Comparatively few of these animals now remain between Sesheké +and the Falls, and they are uncommonly wary, as it is certain death +for one to be caught napping in the daytime.</p> +<p>On the 18th we entered Sesheké. The old town, now in +ruins, stands on the left bank of the river. The people have built +another on the same side, a quarter of a mile higher up, since their +headman Moriantsiané was put to death for bewitching the chief +with leprosy. Sekeletu was on the right bank, near a number of +temporary huts. A man hailed us from the chiefs quarters, and +requested us to rest under the old Kotla, or public meeting-place tree. +A young Makololo, with the large thighs which Zulus and most of this +tribe have, crossed over to receive orders from the chief, who had not +shown himself to the people since he was affected with leprosy. +On returning he ran for Mokelé, the headman of the new town, +who, after going over to Sekeletu, came back and conducted us to a small +but good hut, and afterwards brought us a fine fat ox, as a present +from the chief. “This is a time of hunger,” he said, +“and we have no meat, but we expect some soon from the Barotsé +Valley.” We were entirely out of food when we reached Sesheké. +Never was better meat than that of the ox Sekeletu sent, and infinitely +above the flesh of all kinds of game is beef!</p> +<p>A constant stream of visitors rolled in on us the day after our arrival. +Several of them, who had suffered affliction during the Doctor’s +absence, seemed to be much affected on seeing him again. All were +in low spirits. A severe drought had cut off the crops, and destroyed +the pasture of Linyanti, and the people were scattered over the country +in search of wild fruits, and the hospitality of those whose ground-nuts +(<i>Arachis hypogœa</i>) had not failed. Sekeletu’s +leprosy brought troops of evils in its train. Believing himself +bewitched, he had suspected a number of his chief men, and had put some, +with their families, to death; others had fled to distant tribes, and +were living in exile. The chief had shut himself up, and allowed +no one to come into his presence but his uncle Mamiré. +Ponwané, who had been as “head and eyes” to him, +had just died; evidence, he thought, of the potent spells of those who +hated all who loved the chief. The country was suffering grievously, +and Sebituané’s grand empire was crumbling to pieces. +A large body of young Barotsé had revolted and fled to the north; +killing a man by the way, in order to put a blood-feud between Masiko, +the chief to whom they were going, and Sekeletu. The Batoka under +Sinamané, and Muemba, were independent, and Mashotlané +at the Falls was setting Sekeletu’s authority virtually at defiance. +Sebituané’s wise policy in treating the conquered tribes +on equal terms with his own Makololo, as all children of the chief, +and equally eligible to the highest honours, had been abandoned by his +son, who married none but Makololo women, and appointed to office none +but Makololo men. He had become unpopular among the black tribes, +conquered by the spear but more effectually won by the subsequent wise +and just government of his father.</p> +<p>Strange rumours were afloat respecting the unseen Sekeletu; his fingers +were said to have grown like eagle’s claws, and his face so frightfully +distorted that no one could recognize him. Some had begun to hint +that he might not really be the son of the great Sebituané, the +founder of the nation, strong in battle, and wise in the affairs of +state. “In the days of the Great Lion” (Sebituané), +said his only sister, Moriantsiané’s widow, whose husband +Sekeletu had killed, “we had chiefs and little chiefs and elders +to carry on the government, and the great chief, Sebituané, knew +them all, and everything they did, and the whole country was wisely +ruled; but now Sekeletu knows nothing of what his underlings do, and +they care not for him, and the Makololo power is fast passing away.” +<a name="citation3"></a><a href="#footnote3">{3}</a></p> +<p>The native doctors had given the case of Sekeletu up. They +could not cure him, and pronounced the disease incurable. An old +doctress from the Manyeti tribe had come to see what she could do for +him, and on her skill he now hung his last hopes. She allowed +no one to see him, except his mother and uncle, making entire seclusion +from society an essential condition of the much longed-for cure. +He sent, notwithstanding, for the Doctor; and on the following day we +all three were permitted to see him. He was sitting in a covered +wagon, which was enclosed by a high wall of close-set reeds; his face +was only slightly disfigured by the thickening of the skin in parts, +where the leprosy had passed over it; and the only peculiarity about +his hands was the extreme length of his finger-nails, which, however, +was nothing very much out of the way, as all the Makololo gentlemen +wear them uncommonly long. He has the quiet, unassuming manners +of his father, Sebituané, speaks distinctly, in a low pleasant +voice, and appears to be a sensible man, except perhaps on the subject +of his having been bewitched; and in this, when alluded to, he exhibits +as firm a belief as if it were his monomania. “Moriantsiané, +my aunt’s husband, tried the bewitching medicine first on his +wife, and she is leprous, and so is her head-servant; then, seeing that +it succeeded, he gave me a stronger dose in the cooked flesh of a goat, +and I have had the disease ever since. They have lately killed +Ponwané, and, as you see, are now killing me.” Ponwané +had died of fever a short time previously. Sekeletu asked us for +medicine and medical attendance, but we did not like to take the case +out of the hands of the female physician already employed, it being +bad policy to appear to undervalue any of the profession; and she, being +anxious to go on with her remedies, said “she had not given him +up yet, but would try for another month; if he was not cured by that +time, then she would hand him over to the white doctors.” +But we intended to leave the country before a month was up; so Mamiré, +with others, induced the old lady to suspend her treatment for a little. +She remained, as the doctors stipulated, in the chief’s establishment, +and on full pay.</p> +<p>Sekeletu was told plainly that the disease was unknown in our country, +and was thought exceedingly obstinate of cure; that we did not believe +in his being bewitched, and we were willing to do all we could to help +him. This was a case for disinterested benevolence; no pay was +expected, but considerable risk incurred; yet we could not decline it, +as we had the trading in horses. Having, however, none of the +medicines usually employed in skin diseases with us, we tried the local +application of lunar caustic, and hydriodate of potash internally; and +with such gratifying results, that Mamiré wished the patient +to be smeared all over with a solution of lunar caustic, which he believed +to be of the same nature as the blistering fluid formerly applied to +his own knee by Mr. Oswell. <i>Its</i> power he considered irresistible, +and he would fain have had anything like it tried on Sekeletu.</p> +<p>It was a time of great scarcity and hunger, but Sekeletu treated +us hospitably, preparing tea for us at every visit we paid him. +With the tea we had excellent American biscuit and preserved fruits, +which had been brought to him all the way from Benguela. The fruits +he most relished were those preserved in their own juices; plums, apples, +pears, strawberries, and peaches, which we have seen only among Portuguese +and Spaniards. It made us anxious to plant the fruit-tree seeds +we had brought, and all were pleased with the idea of having these same +fruits in their own country.</p> +<p>Mokelé, the headman of Sesheké, and Sebituané’s +sister, Manchunyané, were ordered to provide us with food, as +Sekeletu’s wives, to whom this duty properly belonged, were at +Linyanti. We found a black trader from the West Coast, and some +Griqua traders from the South, both in search of ivory. Ivory +is dear at Sesheké; but cheaper in the Batoka country, from Sinamané’s +to the Kafué, than anywhere else. The trader from Benguela +took orders for goods for his next year’s trip, and offered to +bring tea, coffee, and sugar at cent. per cent. prices. As, in +consequence of a hint formerly given, the Makololo had secured all the +ivory in the Batoga country to the east, by purchasing it with hoes, +the Benguela traders found it unprofitable to go thither for slaves. +They assured us that without ivory the trade in slaves did not pay. +In this way, and by the orders of Sekeletu, an extensive slave-mart +was closed. These orders were never infringed except secretly. +We discovered only two or three cases of their infraction.</p> +<p>Sekeletu was well pleased with the various articles we brought for +him, and inquired if a ship could not bring his sugar-mill and the other +goods we had been obliged to leave behind at Tette. On hearing +that there was a possibility of a powerful steamer ascending as far +as Sinamané’s, but never above the Grand Victoria Falls, +he asked, with charming simplicity, if a cannon could not blow away +the Falls, so as to allow the vessel to come up to Sesheké.</p> +<p>To save the tribe from breaking up, by the continual loss of real +Makololo, it ought at once to remove to the healthy Batoka highlands, +near the Kafué. Fully aware of this, Sekeletu remarked +that all his people, save two, were convinced that, if they remained +in the lowlands, a few years would suffice to cut off all the real Makololo; +they came originally from the healthy South, near the confluence of +the Likwa and Namagari, where fever is almost unknown, and its ravages +had been as frightful among them here, as amongst Europeans on the Coast. +Sebituané’s sister described its first appearance among +the tribe, after their settling in the Barotsé Valley on the +Zambesi. Many of them were seized with a shivering sickness, as +if from excessive cold; they had never seen the like before. They +made great fires, and laid the shivering wretches down before them; +but, pile on wood as they might, they could not raise heat enough to +drive the cold out of the bodies of the sufferers, and they shivered +on till they died. But, though all preferred the highlands, they +were afraid to go there, lest the Matebelé should come and rob +them of their much-loved cattle. Sebituané, with all his +veterans, could not withstand that enemy; and how could they be resisted, +now that most of the brave warriors were dead? The young men would +break, and run away the moment they saw the terrible Matebelé, +being as much afraid of them as the black conquered tribes are of the +Makololo. “But if the Doctor and his wife,” said the +chiefs and counsellors, “would come and live with us, we would +remove to the highlands at once, as Moselekatsé would not attack +a place where the daughter of his friend, Moffat, was living.”</p> +<p>The Makololo are by far the most intelligent and enterprising of +the tribes we have met. None but brave and daring men remained +long with Sebituané, his stern discipline soon eradicated cowardice +from his army. Death was the inevitable doom of the coward. +If the chief saw a man running away from the fight, he rushed after +him with amazing speed, and cut him down; or waited till he returned +to the town, and then summoned the deserter into his presence. +“You did not wish to die on the field, you wished to die at home, +did you? you shall have your wish!” and he was instantly led off +and executed. The present race of young men are inferior in most +respects to their fathers. The old Makololo had many manly virtues; +they were truthful, and never stole, excepting in what they considered +the honourable way of lifting cattle in fair fight. But this can +hardly be said of their sons; who, having been brought up among the +subjected tribes, have acquired some of the vices peculiar to a menial +and degraded race. A few of the old Makololo cautioned us not +to leave any of our property exposed, as the blacks were great thieves; +and some of our own men advised us to be on our guard, as the Makololo +also would steal. A very few trifling articles were stolen by +a young Makololo; and he, on being spoken to on the subject, showed +great ingenuity in excusing himself, by a plausible and untruthful story. +The Makololo of old were hard workers, and did not consider labour as +beneath them; but their sons never work, regarding it as fit only for +the Mashona and Makalaka servants. Sebituané, seeing that +the rival tribes had the advantage over his, in knowing how to manage +canoes, had his warriors taught to navigate; and his own son, with his +companions, paddled the chief’s canoe. All the dishes, baskets, +stools, and canoes are made by the black tribes called Manyeti and Matlotlora. +The houses are built by the women and servants. The Makololo women +are vastly superior to any we have yet seen. They are of a light +warm brown complexion, have pleasant countenances, and are remarkably +quick of apprehension. They dress neatly, wearing a kilt and mantle, +and have many ornaments. Sebituané’s sister, the +head lady of Sesheké, wore eighteen solid brass rings, as thick +as one’s finger, on each leg, and three of copper under each knee; +nineteen brass rings on her left arm, and eight of brass and copper +on her right, also a large ivory ring above each elbow. She had +a pretty bead necklace, and a bead sash encircled her waist. The +weight of the bright brass rings round her legs impeded her walking, +and chafed her ankles; but, as it was the fashion, she did not mind +the inconvenience, and guarded against the pain by putting soft rag +round the lower rings.</p> +<p>Justice appears upon the whole to be pretty fairly administered among +the Makololo. A headman took some beads and a blanket from one +of his men who had been with us; the matter was brought before the chief, +and he immediately ordered the goods to be restored, and decreed, moreover, +that no headman should take the property of the men who had returned. +In theory, all the goods brought back belonged to the chief; the men +laid them at his feet, and made a formal offer of them all; he looked +at the articles, and told the men to keep them. This is almost +invariably the case. Tuba Mokoro, however, fearing lest Sekeletu +might take a fancy to some of his best goods, exhibited only a few of +his old and least valuable acquisitions. Masakasa had little to +show; he had committed some breach of native law in one of the villages +on the way, and paid a heavy fine rather than have the matter brought +to the Doctor’s ears. Each carrier is entitled to a portion +of the goods in his bundle, though purchased by the chief’s ivory, +and they never hesitate to claim their rights; but no wages can be demanded +from the chief, if he fails to respond to the first application.</p> +<p>Our men, accustomed to our ways, thought that the English system +of paying a man for his labour was the only correct one, and some even +said it would be better to live under a government where life and labour +were more secure and valuable than here. While with us, they always +conducted themselves with propriety during Divine service, and not only +maintained decorum themselves, but insisted on other natives who might +be present doing the same. When Moshobotwané, the Batoka +chief, came on one occasion with a number of his men, they listened +in silence to the reading of the Bible in the Makololo tongue; but, +as soon as we all knelt down to pray, they commenced a vigorous clapping +of hands, their mode of asking a favour. Our indignant Makololo +soon silenced their noisy accompaniment, and looked with great contempt +on this display of ignorance. Nearly all our men had learned to +repeat the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles’ Creed in their +own language, and felt rather proud of being able to do so; and when +they reached home, they liked to recite them to groups of admiring friends. +Their ideas of right and wrong differ in no respect from our own, except +in their professed inability to see how it can be improper for a man +to have more than one wife. A year or two ago several of the wives +of those who had been absent with us petitioned the chief for leave +to marry again. They thought that it was of no use waiting any +longer, their husbands must be dead; but Sekeletu refused permission; +he himself had bet a number of oxen that the Doctor would return with +their husbands, and he had promised the absent men that their wives +should be kept for them. The impatient spouses had therefore to +wait a little longer. Some of them, however, eloped with other +men; the wife of Mantlanyané, for instance, ran off and left +his little boy among strangers. Mantlanyané was very angry +when he heard of it, not that he cared much about her deserting him, +for he had two other wives at Tette, but he was indignant at her abandoning +his boy.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER VIII.</h3> +<p>Life amongst the Makololo—Return journey—Native hospitality—A +canoe voyage on the Zambesi.</p> +<p>While we were at Sesheké, an ox was killed by a crocodile; +a man found the carcass floating in the river, and appropriated the +meat. When the owner heard of this, he requested him to come before +the chief, as he meant to complain of him; rather than go, the delinquent +settled the matter by giving one of his own oxen in lieu of the lost +one. A headman from near Linyanti came with a complaint that all +his people had run off, owing to the “hunger.” Sekeletu +said, “You must not be left to grow lean alone, some of them must +come back to you.” He had thus an order to compel their +return, if he chose to put it in force. Families frequently leave +their own headman and flee to another village, and sometimes a whole +village decamps by night, leaving the headman by himself. Sekeletu +rarely interfered with the liberty of the subject to choose his own +headman, and, as it is often the fault of the latter which causes the +people to depart, it is punishment enough for him to be left alone. +Flagrant disobedience to the chief’s orders is punished with death. +A Moshubia man was ordered to cut some reeds for Sekeletu: he went off, +and hid himself for two days instead. For this he was doomed to +die, and was carried in a canoe to the middle of the river, choked, +and tossed into the stream. The spectators hooted the executioners, +calling out to them that they too would soon be carried out and strangled. +Occasionally when a man is sent to beat an offender, he tells him his +object, returns, and assures the chief he has nearly killed him. +The transgressor then keeps for a while out of sight, and the matter +is forgotten. The river here teems with monstrous crocodiles, +and women are frequently, while drawing water, carried off by these +reptiles.</p> +<p>We met a venerable warrior, sole survivor, probably, of the Mantatee +host which threatened to invade the colony in 1824. He retained +a vivid recollection of their encounter with the Griquas: “As +we looked at the men and horses, puffs of smoke arose, and some of us +dropped down dead!” “Never saw anything like it in +my life, a man’s brains lying in one place and his body in another!” +They could not understand what was killing them; a ball struck a man’s +shield at an angle; knocked his arm out of joint at the shoulder; and +leaving a mark, or burn, as he said, on the shield, killed another man +close by. We saw the man with his shoulder still dislocated. +Sebetuané was present at the fight, and had an exalted opinion +of the power of white people ever afterwards.</p> +<p>The ancient costume of the Makololo consisted of the skin of a lamb, +kid, jackal, ocelot, or other small animal, worn round and below the +loins: and in cold weather a kaross, or skin mantle, was thrown over +the shoulders. The kaross is now laid aside, and the young men +of fashion wear a monkey-jacket and a skin round the hips; but no trousers, +waistcoat, or shirt. The river and lake tribes are in general +very cleanly, bathing several times a day. The Makololo women +use water rather sparingly, rubbing themselves with melted butter instead: +this keeps off parasites, but gives their clothes a rancid odour. +One stage of civilization often leads of necessity to another—the +possession of clothes creates a demand for soap; give a man a needle, +and he is soon back to you for thread.</p> +<p>This being a time of mourning, on account of the illness of the chief, +the men were negligent of their persons, they did not cut their hair, +or have merry dances, or carry spear and shield when they walked abroad. +The wife of Pitsané was busy making a large hut, while we were +in the town: she informed us that the men left house-building entirely +to the women and servants. A round tower of stakes and reeds, +nine or ten feet high, is raised and plastered; a floor is next made +of soft tufa, or ant-hill material and cowdung. This plaster prevents +the poisonous insects, called tumpans, whose bite causes fever in some, +and painful sores in all, from harbouring in the cracks or soil. +The roof, which is much larger in diameter than the tower, is made on +the ground, and then, many persons assisting, lifted up and placed on +the tower, and thatched. A plastered reed fence is next built +up to meet the outer part of the roof, which still projects a little +over this fence, and a space of three feet remains between it and the +tower. We slept in this space, instead of in the tower, as the +inner door of the hut we occupied was uncomfortably small, being only +nineteen inches high, and twenty-two inches wide at the floor. +A foot from the bottom it measured seventeen inches in breadth, and +close to the top only twelve inches, so it was a difficult matter to +get through it. The tower has no light or ventilation, except +through this small door. The reason a lady assigned for having +the doors so very small was to keep out the mice!</p> +<p>The children have merry times, especially in the cool of the evening. +One of their games consists of a little girl being carried on the shoulders +of two others. She sits with outstretched arms, as they walk about +with her, and all the rest clap their hands, and stopping before each +hut sing pretty airs, some beating time on their little kilts of cowskin, +others making a curious humming sound between the songs. Excepting +this and the skipping-rope, the play of the girls consists in imitation +of the serious work of their mothers, building little huts, making small +pots, and cooking, pounding corn in miniature mortars, or hoeing tiny +gardens. The boys play with spears of reeds pointed with wood, +and small shields, or bows and arrows; or amuse themselves in making +little cattle-pens, or in moulding cattle in clay; they show great ingenuity +in the imitation of various-shaped horns. Some too are said to +use slings, but as soon as they can watch the goats, or calves, they +are sent to the field. We saw many boys riding on the calves they +had in charge, but this is an innovation since the arrival of the English +with their horses. Tselané, one of the ladies, on observing +Dr. Livingstone noting observations on the wet and dry bulb thermometers, +thought that he too was engaged in play; for on receiving no reply to +her question, which was rather difficult to answer, as the native tongue +has no scientific terms, she said with roguish glee, “Poor thing, +playing like a little child!”</p> +<p>Like other Africans, the Makololo have great faith in the power of +medicine; they believe that there is an especial medicine for every +ill that flesh is heir to. Mamiré is anxious to have children; +he has six wives, and only one boy, and he begs earnestly for “child +medicine.” The mother of Sekeletu came from the Barotsé +Valley to see her son. Thinks she has lost flesh since Dr. Livingstone +was here before, and asks for “the medicine of fatness.” +The Makololo consider plumpness an essential part of beauty in women, +but the extreme stoutness, mentioned by Captain Speke, in the north, +would be considered hideous here, for the men have been overheard speaking +of a lady whom we call “inclined to <i>embonpoint</i>,” +as “fat unto ugliness.”</p> +<p>Two packages from the Kuruman, containing letters and newspapers, +reached Linyanti previous to our arrival, and Sekeletu, not knowing +when we were coming, left them there; but now at once sent a messenger +for them. This man returned on the seventh day, having travelled +240 geographical miles. One of the packages was too heavy for +him, and he left it behind. As the Doctor wished to get some more +medicine and papers out of the wagon left at Linyanti in 1853, he decided +upon going thither himself. The chief gave him his own horse, +now about twelve years old, and some men. He found everything +in his wagon as safe as when he left it seven years before. The +headmen, Mosalé and Pekonyané, received him cordially, +and lamented that they had so little to offer him. Oh! had he +only arrived the year previous, when there was abundance of milk and +corn and beer.</p> +<p>Very early the next morning the old town-crier, Ma-Pulenyané, +of his own accord made a public proclamation, which, in the perfect +stillness of the town long before dawn, was striking: “I have +dreamed! I have dreamed! I have dreamed! Thou Mosalé +and thou Pekonyané, my lords, be not faint-hearted, nor let your +hearts be sore, but believe all the words of Monaré (the Doctor) +for his heart is white as milk towards the Makololo. I dreamed +that he was coming, and that the tribe would live, if you prayed to +God and give heed to the word of Monaré.” Ma-Pulenyané +showed Dr. Livingstone the burying-place where poor Helmore and seven +others were laid, distinguishing those whom he had put to rest, and +those for whom Mafalé had performed that last office. Nothing +whatever marked the spot, and with the native idea of <i>hiding</i> +the dead, it was said, “it will soon be all overgrown with bushes, +for no one will cultivate there.” None but Ma-Pulenyané +approached the place, the others stood at a respectful distance; they +invariably avoid everything connected with the dead, and no such thing +as taking portions of human bodies to make charms of, as is the custom +further north, has ever been known among the Makololo.</p> +<p>Sekeletu’s health improved greatly during our visit, the melancholy +foreboding left his spirits, and he became cheerful, but resolutely +refused to leave his den, and appear in public till he was perfectly +cured, and had regained what he considered his good looks. He +also feared lest some of those who had bewitched him originally might +still be among the people, and neutralize our remedies. <a name="citation4"></a><a href="#footnote4">{4}</a></p> +<p>As we expected another steamer to be at Kongoné in November, +it was impossible for us to remain in Sesheké more than one month. +Before our departure, the chief and his principal men expressed in a +formal manner their great desire to have English people settled on the +Batoka highlands. At one time he proposed to go as far as Phori, +in order to select a place of residence; but as he afterwards saw reasons +for remaining where he was, till his cure was completed, he gave orders +to those sent with us, in the event of our getting, on our return, past +the rapids near Tette, not to bring us to Sesheké, but to send +forward a messenger, and he with the whole tribe would come to us. +Dr. Kirk being of the same age, Sekeletu was particularly anxious that +he should come and live with him. He said that he would cut off +a section of the country for the special use of the English; and on +being told that in all probability their descendants would cause disturbance +in his country, he replied, “These would be only domestic feuds, +and of no importance.” The great extent of uncultivated +land on the cool and now unpeopled highlands has but to be seen to convince +the spectator how much room there is, and to spare, for a vastly greater +population than ever, in our day, can be congregated there.</p> +<p>On the last occasion of our holding Divine service at Sesheké, +the men were invited to converse on the subject on which they had been +addressed. So many of them had died since we were here before, +that not much probability existed of our all meeting again, and this +had naturally led to the subject of a future state. They replied +that they did not wish to offend the speaker, but they could not believe +that all the dead would rise again: “Can those who have been killed +in the field and devoured by the vultures; or those who have been eaten +by the hyenas or lions; or those who have been tossed into the river, +and eaten by more than one crocodile,—can they all be raised again +to life?” They were told that men could take a leaden bullet, +change it into a salt (acetate of lead), which could be dissolved as +completely in water as our bodies in the stomachs of animals, and then +reconvert it into lead; or that the bullet could be transformed into +the red and white paint of our wagons, and again be reconverted into +the original lead; and that if men exactly like themselves could do +so much, how much more could He do who has made the eye to see, and +the ear to hear! We added, however, that we believed in a resurrection, +not because we understood how it would be brought about, but because +our Heavenly Father assured us of it in His Book. The reference +to the truth of the Book and its Author seems always to have more influence +on the native mind than the cleverness of the illustration. The +knowledge of the people is scanty, but their reasoning is generally +clear as far as their information goes.</p> +<p>We left Sesheké on the 17th September, 1860, convoyed by Pitsané +and Leshoré with their men. Pitsané was ordered +by Sekeletu to make a hedge round the garden at the Falls, to protect +the seeds we had brought; and also to collect some of the tobacco tribute +below the Falls. Leshoré, besides acting as a sort of guard +of honour to us, was sent on a diplomatic mission to Sinamané. +No tribute was exacted by Sekeletu from Sinamané; but, as he +had sent in his adhesion, he was expected to act as a guard in case +of the Matebelé wishing to cross and attack the Makololo. +As we intended to purchase canoes of Sinamané in which to descend +the river, Leshoré was to commend us to whatever help this Batoka +chief could render. It must be confessed that Leshoré’s +men, who were all of the black subject tribes, really needed to be viewed +by us in the most charitable light; for Leshoré, on entering +any village, called out to the inhabitants, “Look out for your +property, and see that my thieves don’t steal it.”</p> +<p>Two young Makololo with their Batoka servants accompanied us to see +if Kebrabasa could be surmounted, and to bring a supply of medicine +for Sekeletu’s leprosy; and half a dozen able canoe-men, under +Mobito, who had previously gone with Dr. Livingstone to Loanda, were +sent to help us in our river navigation. Some men on foot drove +six oxen which Sekeletu had given us as provisions for the journey. +It was, as before remarked, a time of scarcity; and, considering the +dearth of food, our treatment had been liberal.</p> +<p>By day the canoe-men are accustomed to keep close under the river’s +bank from fear of the hippopotami; by night, however, they keep in the +middle of the stream, as then those animals are usually close to the +bank on their way to their grazing grounds. Our progress was considerably +impeded by the high winds, which at this season of the year begin about +eight in the morning, and blow strongly up the river all day. +The canoes were poor leaky affairs, and so low in parts of the gunwale, +that the paddlers were afraid to follow the channel when it crossed +the river, lest the waves might swamp us. A rough sea is dreaded +by all these inland canoe-men; but though timid, they are by no means +unskilful at their work. The ocean rather astonished them afterwards; +and also the admirable way that the Nyassa men managed their canoes +on a rough lake, and even amongst the breakers, where no small boat +could possibly live.</p> +<p>On the night of the 17th we slept on the left bank of the Majeelé, +after having had all the men ferried across. An ox was slaughtered, +and not an ounce of it was left next morning. Our two young Makololo +companions, Maloka and Ramakukané, having never travelled before, +naturally clung to some of the luxuries they had been accustomed to +at home. When they lay down to sleep, their servants were called +to spread their blankets over their august persons, not forgetting their +feet. This seems to be the duty of the Makololo wife to her husband, +and strangers sometimes receive the honour. One of our party, +having wandered, slept at the village of Nambowé. When +he laid down, to his surprise two of Nambowé’s wives came +at once, and carefully and kindly spread his kaross over him.</p> +<p>A beautiful silvery fish with reddish fins, called Ngwesi, is very +abundant in the river; large ones weigh fifteen or twenty pounds each. +Its teeth are exposed, and so arranged that, when they meet, the edges +cut a hook like nippers. The Ngwesi seems to be a very ravenous +fish. It often gulps down the Konokono, a fish armed with serrated +bones more than an inch in length in the pectoral and dorsal fins, which, +fitting into a notch at the roots, can be put by the fish on full cock +or straight out,—they cannot be folded down, without its will, +and even break in resisting. The name “Konokono,” +elbow-elbow, is given it from a resemblance its extended fins are supposed +to bear to a man’s elbows stuck out from his body. It often +performs the little trick of cocking its fins in the stomach of the +Ngwesi, and, the elbows piercing its enemy’s sides, he is frequently +found floating dead. The fin bones seem to have an acrid secretion +on them, for the wound they make is excessively painful. The Konokono +barks distinctly when landed with the hook. Our canoe-men invariably +picked up every dead fish they saw on the surface of the water, however +far gone. An unfragrant odour was no objection; the fish was boiled +and eaten, and the water drunk as soup. It is a curious fact that +many of the Africans keep fish as we do woodcocks, until they are extremely +offensive, before they consider them fit to eat. Our paddlers +informed us on our way down that iguanas lay their eggs in July and +August, and crocodiles in September. The eggs remain a month or +two under the sand where they are laid, and the young come out when +the rains have fairly commenced. The canoe-men were quite positive +that crocodiles frequently stun men by striking them with their tails, +and then squat on them till they are drowned. We once caught a +young crocodile, which certainly did use its tail to inflict sharp blows, +and led us to conclude that the native opinion is correct. They +believed also that, if a person shuts the beast’s eyes, it lets +go its hold. Crocodiles have been known to unite and kill a large +one of their own species and eat it. Some fishermen throw the +bones of the fish into the river but in most of the fishing villages +there are heaps of them in various places. The villagers can walk +over them without getting them into their feet; but the Makololo, from +having softer soles, are unable to do so. The explanation offered +was, that the fishermen have a medicine against fish-bones, but that +they will not reveal it to the Makololo.</p> +<p>We spent a night on Mparira island, which is four miles long and +about one mile broad. Mokompa, the headman, was away hunting elephants. +His wife sent for him on our arrival, and he returned next morning before +we left. Taking advantage of the long-continued drought, he had +set fire to the reeds between the Chobé and Zambesi, in such +a manner as to drive the game out at one corner, where his men laid +in wait with their spears. He had killed five elephants and three +buffaloes, wounding several others which escaped.</p> +<p>On our land party coming up, we were told that the oxen were bitten +by the tsetse: they could see a great difference in their looks. +One was already eaten, and they now wished to slaughter another. +A third fell into a buffalo-pit next day, so our stock was soon reduced.</p> +<p>The Batoka chief, Moshobotwané, again treated us with his +usual hospitality, giving us an ox, some meal, and milk. We took +another view of the grand Mosi-oa-tunya, and planted a quantity of seeds +in the garden on the island; but, as no one will renew the hedge, the +hippopotami will, doubtless, soon destroy what we planted. Mashotlané +assisted us. So much power was allowed to this under-chief, that +he appeared as if he had cast off the authority of Sekeletu altogether. +He did not show much courtesy to his messengers; instead of giving them +food, as is customary, he took the meat out of a pot in their presence, +and handed it to his own followers. This may have been because +Sekeletu’s men bore an order to him to remove to Linyanti. +He had not only insulted Baldwin, but had also driven away the Griqua +traders; but this may all end in nothing. Some of the natives +here, and at Sesheké, know a few of the low tricks of more civilized +traders. A pot of milk was brought to us one evening, which was +more indebted to the Zambesi than to any cow. Baskets of fine-looking +white meal, elsewhere, had occasionally the lower half filled with bran. +Eggs are always a perilous investment. The native idea of a good +egg differs as widely from our own as is possible on such a trifling +subject. An egg is eaten here with apparent relish, though an +embryo chick be inside.</p> +<p>We left Mosi-oa-tunya on the 27th, and slept close to the village +of Bakwini. It is built on a ridge of loose red soil, which produces +great crops of mapira and ground-nuts; many magnificent mosibe-trees +stand near the village. Machimisi, the headman of the village, +possesses a herd of cattle and a large heart; he kept us company for +a couple of days to guide us on our way.</p> +<p>We had heard a good deal of a stronghold some miles below the Falls, +called Kalunda. Our return path was much nearer the Zambesi than +that of our ascent,—in fact, as near as the rough country would +allow,—but we left it twice before we reached Sinamané’s, +in order to see Kalunda and a Fall called Moömba, or Moamba. +The Makololo had once dispossessed the Batoka of Kalunda, but we could +not see the fissure, or whatever it is, that rendered it a place of +security, as it was on the southern bank. The crack of the Great +Falls was here continued: the rocks are the same as further up, but +perhaps less weather-worn—and now partially stratified in great +thick masses. The country through which we were travelling was +covered with a cindery-looking volcanic tufa, and might be called “Katakaumena.”</p> +<p>The description we received of the Moamba Falls seemed to promise +something grand. They were said to send up “smoke” +in the wet season, like Mosi-oa-tunya; but when we looked down into +the cleft, in which the dark-green narrow river still rolls, we saw, +about 800 or 1000 feet below us, what, after Mosi-oa-tunya, seemed two +insignificant cataracts. It was evident that Pitsané, observing +our delight at the Victoria Falls, wished to increase our pleasure by +a second wonder. One Mosi-oa-tunya, however, is quite enough for +a continent.</p> +<p>We had now an opportunity of seeing more of the Batoka, than we had +on the highland route to our north. They did not wait till the +evening before offering food to the strangers. The aged wife of +the headman of a hamlet, where we rested at midday, at once kindled +a fire, and put on the cooking-pot to make porridge. Both men +and women are to be distinguished by greater roundness of feature than +the other natives, and the custom of knocking out the upper front teeth +gives at once a distinctive character to the face. Their colour +attests the greater altitude of the country in which many of them formerly +lived. Some, however, are as dark as the Bashubia and Barotsé +of the great valley to their west, in which stands Sesheké, formerly +the capital of the Balui, or Bashubia.</p> +<p>The assertion may seem strange, yet it is none the less true, that +in all the tribes we have visited we never saw a really black person. +Different shades of brown prevail, and often with a bright bronze tint, +which no painter, except Mr. Angus, seems able to catch. Those +who inhabit elevated, dry situations, and who are not obliged to work +much in the sun, are frequently of a light warm brown, “dark but +comely.” Darkness of colour is probably partly caused by +the sun, and partly by something in the climate or soil which we do +not yet know. We see something of the same sort in trout and other +fish which take their colour from the ponds or streams in which they +live. The members of our party were much less embrowned by free +exposure to the sun for years than Dr. Livingstone and his family were +by passing once from Kuruman to Cape Town, a journey which occupied +only a couple of months.</p> +<p>We encamped on the Kalomo, on the 1st of October, and found the weather +very much warmer than when we crossed this stream in August. At +3 p.m. the thermometer, four feet from the ground, was 101 degrees in +the shade; the wet bulb only 61 degrees: a difference of 40 degrees. +Yet, notwithstanding this extreme dryness of the atmosphere, without +a drop of rain having fallen for months, and scarcely any dew, many +of the shrubs and trees were putting forth fresh leaves of various hues, +while others made a profuse display of lovely blossoms.</p> +<p>Two old and very savage buffaloes were shot for our companions on +the 3rd October. Our Volunteers may feel an interest in knowing +that balls sometimes have but little effect: one buffalo fell, on receiving +a Jacob’s shell; it was hit again twice, and lost a large amount +of blood; and yet it sprang up, and charged a native, who, by great +agility, had just time to climb a tree, before the maddened beast struck +it, battering-ram fashion, hard enough almost to have split both head +and tree. It paused a few seconds—drew back several paces—glared +up at the man—and then dashed at the tree again and again, as +if determined to shake him out of it. It took two more Jacob’s +shells, and five other large solid rifle-balls to finish the beast at +last. These old surly buffaloes had been wandering about in a +sort of miserable fellowship; their skins were diseased and scabby, +as if leprous, and their horns atrophied or worn down to stumps—the +first was killed outright, by one Jacob’s shell, the second died +hard. There is so much difference in the tenacity of life in wounded +animals of the same species, that the inquiry is suggested where the +seat of life can be?—We have seen a buffalo live long enough, +after a large bullet had passed right through the heart, to allow firm +adherent clots to be formed in the two holes.</p> +<p>One day’s journey above Sinamané’s, a mass of +mountain called Gorongué, or Golongwé, is said to cross +the river, and the rent through which the river passes is, by native +report, quite fearful to behold. The country round it is so rocky, +that our companions dreaded the fatigue, and were not much to blame, +if, as is probably the case, the way be worse than that over which we +travelled. As we trudged along over the black slag-like rocks, +the almost leafless trees affording no shade, the heat was quite as +great as Europeans could bear. It was 102 degrees in the shade, +and a thermometer placed under the tongue or armpit showed that our +blood was 99.5 degrees, or 1.5 degrees hotter than that of the natives, +which stood at 98 degrees. Our shoes, however, enable us to pass +over the hot burning soil better than they can. Many of those +who wear sandals have corns on the sides of the feet, and on the heels, +where the straps pass. We have seen instances, too, where neither +sandals nor shoes were worn, of corns on the soles of the feet. +It is, moreover, not at all uncommon to see toes cocked up, as if pressed +out of their proper places; at home, we should have unhesitatingly ascribed +this to the vicious fashions perversely followed by our shoemakers.</p> +<p>On the 5th, after crossing some hills, we rested at the village of +Simariango. The bellows of the blacksmith here were somewhat different +from the common goatskin bags, and more like those seen in Madagascar. +They consisted of two wooden vessels, like a lady’s bandbox of +small dimensions, the upper ends of which were covered with leather, +and looked something like the heads of drums, except that the leather +bagged in the centre. They were fitted with long nozzles, through +which the air was driven by working the loose covering of the tops up +and down by means of a small piece of wood attached to their centres. +The blacksmith said that tin was obtained from a people in the north, +called Marendi, and that he had made it into bracelets; we had never +heard before of tin being found in the country.</p> +<p>Our course then lay down the bed of a rivulet, called Mapatizia, +in which there was much calc spar, with calcareous schist, and then +the Tette grey sandstone, which usually overlies coal. On the +6th we arrived at the islet Chilombé, belonging to Sinamané, +where the Zambesi runs broad and smooth again, and were well received +by Sinamané himself. Never was Sunday more welcome to the +weary than this, the last we were to spend with our convoy.</p> +<p>We now saw many good-looking young men and women. The dresses +of the ladies are identical with those of Nubian women in Upper Egypt. +To a belt on the waist a great number of strings are attached to hang +all round the person. These fringes are about six or eight inches +long. The matrons wear in addition a skin cut like the tails of +the coatee formerly worn by our dragoons. The younger girls wear +the waist-belt exhibited in the woodcut, ornamented with shells, and +have the fringes only in front. Marauding parties of Batoka, calling +themselves Makololo, have for some time had a wholesome dread of Sinamané’s +“long spears.” Before going to Tette our Batoka friend, +Masakasa, was one of a party that came to steal some of the young women; +but Sinamané, to their utter astonishment, attacked them so furiously +that the survivors barely escaped with their lives. Masakasa had +to flee so fast that he threw away his shield, his spear, and his clothes, +and returned home a wiser and a sadder man.</p> +<p>Sinamané’s people cultivate large quantities of tobacco, +which they manufacture into balls for the Makololo market. Twenty +balls, weighing about three-quarters of a pound each, are sold for a +hoe. The tobacco is planted on low moist spots on the banks of +the Zambesi; and was in flower at the time we were there, in October. +Sinamane’s people appear to have abundance of food, and are all +in good condition. He could sell us only two of his canoes; but +lent us three more to carry us as far as Moemba’s, where he thought +others might be purchased. They were manned by his own canoe-men, +who were to bring them back. The river is about 250 yards wide, +and flows serenely between high banks towards the North-east. +Below Sinamané’s the banks are often worn down fifty feet, +and composed of shingle and gravel of igneous rocks, sometimes set in +a ferruginous matrix. The bottom is all gravel and shingle, how +formed we cannot imagine, unless in pot-holes in the deep fissure above. +The bottom above the Falls, save a few rocks close by them, is generally +sandy or of soft tufa. Every damp spot is covered with maize, +pumpkins, water-melons, tobacco, and hemp. There is a pretty numerous +Batoka population on both sides of the river. As we sailed slowly +down, the people saluted us from the banks, by clapping their hands. +A headman even hailed us, and brought a generous present of corn and +pumpkins.</p> +<p>Moemba owns a rich island, called Mosanga, a mile in length, on which +his village stands. He has the reputation of being a brave warrior, +and is certainly a great talker; but he gave us strangers something +better than a stream of words. We received a handsome present +of corn, and the fattest goat we had ever seen; it resembled mutton. +His people were as liberal as their chief. They brought two large +baskets of corn, and a lot of tobacco, as a sort of general contribution +to the travellers. One of Sinamané’s canoe-men, after +trying to get his pay, deserted here, and went back before the stipulated +time, with the story, that the Englishman had stolen the canoes. +Shortly after sunrise next morning, Sinamané came into the village +with fifty of his “long spears,” evidently determined to +retake his property by force; he saw at a glance that his man had deceived +him. Moemba rallied him for coming on a wildgoose chase. +“Here are your canoes left with me, your men have all been paid, +and the Englishmen are now asking me to sell my canoes.” +Sinamané said little to us; only observing that he had been deceived +by his follower. A single remark of his chief’s caused the +foolish fellow to leave suddenly, evidently much frightened and crestfallen. +Sinamané had been very kind to us, and, as he was looking on +when we gave our present to Moemba, we made him also an additional offering +of some beads, and parted good friends. Moemba, having heard that +we had called the people of Sinamané together to tell them about +our Saviour’s mission to man, and to pray with them, associated +the idea of Sunday with the meeting, and, before anything of the sort +was proposed, came and asked that he and his people might be “sundayed” +as well as his neighbours; and be given a little seed wheat, and fruit-tree +seeds; with which request of course we very willingly complied. +The idea of praying direct to the Supreme Being, though not quite new +to all, seems to strike their minds so forcibly that it will not be +forgotten. Sinamané said that he prayed to God, Morungo, +and made drink-offerings to him. Though he had heard of us, he +had never seen white men before.</p> +<p>Beautiful crowned cranes, named from their note “ma-wang,” +were seen daily, and were beginning to pair. Large flocks of spur-winged +geese, or machikwe, were common. This goose is said to lay her +eggs in March. We saw also pairs of Egyptian geese, as well as +a few of the knob-nosed, or, as they are called in India, combed geese. +When the Egyptian geese, as at the present time, have young, the goslings +keep so steadily in the wake of their mother, that they look as if they +were a part of her tail; and both parents, when on land, simulate lameness +quite as well as our plovers, to draw off pursuers. The ostrich +also adopts the lapwing fashion, but no quadrupeds do: they show fight +to defend their young instead. In some places the steep banks +were dotted with the holes which lead into the nests of bee-eaters. +These birds came out in hundreds as we passed. When the red-breasted +species settle on the trees, they give them the appearance of being +covered with red foliage.</p> +<p>On the morning of the 12th October we passed through a wild, hilly +country, with fine wooded scenery on both sides, but thinly inhabited. +The largest trees were usually thorny acacias, of great size and beautiful +forms. As we sailed by several villages without touching, the +people became alarmed, and ran along the banks, spears in hand. +We employed one to go forward and tell Mpandé of our coming. +This allayed their fears, and we went ashore, and took breakfast near +the large island with two villages on it, opposite the mouth of the +Zungwé, where we had left the Zambesi on our way up. Mpandé +was sorry that he had no canoes of his own to sell, but he would lend +us two. He gave us cooked pumpkins and a water-melon. His +servant had lateral curvature of the spine. We have often seen +cases of humpback, but this was the only case of this kind of curvature +we had met with. Mpandé accompanied us himself in his own +vessel, till we had an opportunity of purchasing a fine large canoe +elsewhere. We paid what was considered a large price for it: twelve +strings of blue cut glass neck beads, an equal number of large blue +ones of the size of marbles, and two yards of grey calico. Had +the beads been coarser, they would have been more valued, because such +were in fashion. Before concluding the bargain the owner said +“his bowels yearned for his canoe, and we must give a little more +to stop their yearning.” This was irresistible. The +trading party of Sequasha, which we now met, had purchased ten large +new canoes for six strings of cheap coarse white beads each, or their +equivalent, four yards of calico, and had bought for the merest trifle +ivory enough to load them all. They were driving a trade in slaves +also, which was something new in this part of Africa, and likely soon +to change the character of the inhabitants. These men had been +living in clover, and were uncommonly fat and plump. When sent +to trade, slaves wisely never stint themselves of beer or anything else, +which their master’s goods can buy.</p> +<p>The temperature of the Zambesi had increased 10 degrees since August, +being now 80 degrees. The air was as high as 96 degrees after +sunset; and, the vicinity of the water being the coolest part, we usually +made our beds close by the river’s brink, though there in danger +of crocodiles. Africa differs from India in the air always becoming +cool and refreshing long before the sun returns, and there can be no +doubt that we can in this country bear exposure to the sun, which would +be fatal in India. It is probably owing to the greater dryness +of the African atmosphere that sunstroke is so rarely met with. +In twenty-two years Dr. Livingstone never met or heard of a single case, +though the protective head-dresses of India are rarely seen.</p> +<p>When the water is nearly at its lowest, we occasionally meet with +small rapids which are probably not in existence during the rest of +the year. Having slept opposite the rivulet Bume, which comes +from the south, we passed the island of Nakansalo, and went down the +rapids of the same name on the 17th, and came on the morning of the +19th to the more serious ones of Nakabelé, at the entrance to +Kariba. The Makololo guided the canoes admirably through the opening +in the dyke. When we entered the gorge we came on upwards of thirty +hippopotami: a bank near the entrance stretches two-thirds across the +narrowed river, and in the still place behind it they were swimming +about. Several were in the channel, and our canoe-men were afraid +to venture down among them, because, as they affirm, there is commonly +an ill-natured one in a herd, which takes a malignant pleasure in upsetting +canoes. Two or three boys on the rocks opposite amused themselves +by throwing stones at the frightened animals, and hit several on the +head. It would have been no difficult matter to have shot the +whole herd. We fired a few shots to drive them off; the balls +often glance off the skull, and no more harm is done than when a schoolboy +gets a bloody nose; we killed one, which floated away down the rapid +current, followed by a number of men on the bank. A native called +to us from the left bank, and said that a man on his side knew how to +pray to the Kariba gods, and advised us to hire him to pray for our +safety, while we were going down the rapids, or we should certainly +all be drowned. No one ever risked his life in Kariba without +first paying the river-doctor, or priest, for his prayers. Our +men asked if there was a cataract in front, but he declined giving any +information; they were not on his side of the river; if they would come +over, then he might be able to tell them. We crossed, but he went +off to the village. We then landed and walked over the hills to +have a look at Karaba before trusting our canoes in it. The current +was strong, and there was broken water in some places, but the channel +was nearly straight, and had no cataract, so we determined to risk it. +Our men visited the village while we were gone, and were treated to +beer and tobacco. The priest who knows how to pray to the god +that rules the rapids followed us with several of his friends, and they +were rather surprised to see us pass down in safety, without the aid +of his intercession. The natives who followed the dead hippopotamus +caught it a couple of miles below, and, having made it fast to a rock, +were sitting waiting for us on the bank beside the dead animal. +As there was a considerable current there, and the rocky banks were +unfit for our beds, we took the hippopotamus in tow, telling the villagers +to follow, and we would give them most of the meat. The crocodiles +tugged so hard at the carcass, that we were soon obliged to cast it +adrift, to float down in the current, to avoid upsetting the canoe. +We had to go on so far before finding a suitable spot to spend the night +in, that the natives concluded we did not intend to share the meat with +them, and returned to the village. We slept two nights at the +place where the hippopotamus was cut up. The crocodiles had a +busy time of it in the dark, tearing away at what was left in the river, +and thrashing the water furiously with their powerful tails. The +hills on both sides of Kariba are much like those of Kebrabasa, the +strata tilted and twisted in every direction, with no level ground.</p> +<p>Although the hills confine the Zambesi within a narrow channel for +a number of miles, there are no rapids beyond those near the entrance. +The river is smooth and apparently very deep. Only one single +human being was seen in the gorge, the country being too rough for culture. +Some rocks in the water, near the outlet of Kariba, at a distance look +like a fort; and such large masses dislocated, bent, and even twisted +to a remarkable degree, at once attest some tremendous upheaving and +convulsive action of nature, which probably caused Kebrabasa, Kariba, +and the Victoria Falls to assume their present forms; it took place +after the formation of the coal, that mineral having then been tilted +up. We have probably nothing equal to it in the present quiet +operations of nature.</p> +<p>On emerging we pitched our camp by a small stream, the Pendelé, +a few miles below the gorge. The Palabi mountain stands on the +western side of the lower end of the Kariba strait; the range to which +it belongs crosses the river, and runs to the south-east. Chikumbula, +a hospitable old headman, under Nchomokela, the paramount chief of a +large district, whom we did not see, brought us next morning a great +basket of meal, and four fowls, with some beer, and a cake of salt, +“to make it taste good.” Chikumbula said that the +elephants plagued them, by eating up the cotton-plants; but his people +seem to be well off.</p> +<p>A few days before we came, they caught three buffaloes in pitfalls +in one night, and, unable to eat them all, left one to rot. During +the night the wind changed and blew from the dead buffalo to our sleeping-place; +and a hungry lion, not at all dainty in his food, stirred up the putrid +mass, and growled and gloated over his feast, to the disturbance of +our slumbers. Game of all kinds is in most extraordinary abundance, +especially from this point to below the Kafué, and so it is on +Moselekatsó’s side, where there are no inhabitants. +The drought drives all the game to the river to drink. An hour’s +walk on the right bank, morning or evening, reveals a country swarming +with wild animals: vast herds of pallahs, many waterbucks, koodoos, +buffaloes, wild pigs, elands, zebras, and monkeys appear; francolins, +guinea-fowls, and myriads of turtledoves attract the eye in the covers, +with the fresh spoor of elephants and rhinoceroses, which had been at +the river during the night. Every few miles we came upon a school +of hippopotami, asleep on some shallow sandbank; their bodies, nearly +all out of the water, appeared like masses of black rock in the river. +When these animals are hunted much, they become proportionably wary, +but here no hunter ever troubles them, and they repose in security, +always however taking the precaution of sleeping just above the deep +channel, into which they can plunge when alarmed. When a shot +is fired into a sleeping herd, all start up on their feet, and stare +with peculiar stolid looks of hippopotamic surprise, and wait for another +shot before dashing into deep water. A few miles below Chikumbula’s +we saw a white hippopotamus in a herd. Our men had never seen +one like it before. It was of a pinkish white, exactly like the +colour of the Albino. It seemed to be the father of a number of +others, for there were many marked with large light patches. The +so-called <i>white</i> elephant is just such a pinkish Albino as this +hippopotamus. A few miles above Kariba we observed that, in two +small hamlets, many of the inhabitants had a similar affection of the +skin. The same influence appeared to have affected man and beast. +A dark coloured hippopotamus stood alone, as if expelled from the herd, +and bit the water, shaking his head from side to side in a most frantic +manner. When the female has twins, she is said to kill one of +them.</p> +<p>We touched at the beautiful tree-covered island of Kalabi, opposite +where Tuba-mokoro lectured the lion in our way up. The ancestors +of the people who now inhabit this island possessed cattle. The +tsetse has taken possession of the country since “the beeves were +lifted.” No one knows where these insects breed; at a certain +season all disappear, and as suddenly come back, no one knows whence. +The natives are such close observers of nature, that their ignorance +in this case surprised us. A solitary hippopotamus had selected +the little bay in which we landed, and where the women drew water, for +his dwelling-place. Pretty little lizards, with light blue and +red tails, run among the rocks, catching flies and other insects. +These harmless—though to new-comers repulsive—creatures +sometimes perform good service to man, by eating great numbers of the +destructive white ants.</p> +<p>At noon on the 24th October, we found Sequasha in a village below +the Kafué, with the main body of his people. He said that +210 elephants had been killed during his trip; many of his men being +excellent hunters. The numbers of animals we saw renders this +possible. He reported that, after reaching the Kafué, he +went northwards into the country of the Zulus, whose ancestors formerly +migrated from the south and set up a sort of Republican form of government. +Sequasha is the greatest Portuguese traveller we ever became acquainted +with, and he boasts that he is able to speak a dozen different dialects; +yet, unfortunately, he can give but a very meagre account of the countries +and people he has seen, and his statements are not very much to be relied +on. But considering the influence among which he has been reared, +and the want of the means of education at Tette, it is a wonder that +he possesses the good traits that he sometimes exhibits. Among +his wares were several cheap American clocks; a useless investment rather, +for a part of Africa where no one cares for the artificial measurement +of time. These clocks got him into trouble among the Banyai: he +set them all agoing in the presence of a chief, who became frightened +at the strange sounds they made, and looked upon them as so many witchcraft +agencies at work to bring all manner of evils upon himself and his people. +Sequasha, it was decided, had been guilty of a milando, or crime, and +he had to pay a heavy fine of cloth and beads for his exhibition. +He alluded to our having heard that he had killed Mpangwé, and +he denied having actually done so; but in his absence his name had got +mixed up in the affair, in consequence of his slaves, while drinking +beer one night with Namakusuru, the man who succeeded Mpangwé, +saying that they would kill the chief for him. His partner had +not thought of this when we saw him on the way up, for he tried to excuse +the murder, by saying that now they had put the right man into the chieftainship.</p> +<p>After three hours’ sail, on the morning of the 29th, the river +was narrowed again by the mountains of Mburuma, called Karivua, into +one channel, and another rapid dimly appeared. It was formed by +two currents guided by rocks to the centre. In going down it, +the men sent by Sekeletu behaved very nobly. The canoes entered +without previous survey, and the huge jobbling waves of mid-current +began at once to fill them. With great presence of mind, and without +a moment’s hesitation, two men lightened each by jumping overboard; +they then ordered a Botoka man to do the same, as “the white men +must be saved.” “I cannot swim,” said the Batoka. +“Jump out, then, and hold on to the canoe;” which he instantly +did. Swimming alongside, they guided the swamping canoes down +the swift current to the foot of the rapid, and then ran them ashore +to bale them out. A boat could have passed down safely, but our +canoes were not a foot above the water at the gunwales.</p> +<p>Thanks to the bravery of these poor fellows, nothing was lost, although +everything was well soaked. This rapid is nearly opposite the +west end of the Mburuma mountains or Karivua. Another soon begins +below it. They are said to be all smoothed over when the river +rises. The canoes had to be unloaded at this the worst rapid, +and the goods carried about a hundred yards. By taking the time +in which a piece of stick floated past 100 feet, we found the current +to be running six knots, by far the greatest velocity noted in the river. +As the men were bringing the last canoe down close to the shore, the +stern swung round into the current, and all except one man let go, rather +than be dragged off. He clung to the bow, and was swept out into +the middle of the stream. Having held on when he ought to have +let go, he next put his life in jeopardy by letting go when he ought +to have held on; and was in a few seconds swallowed up by a fearful +whirlpool. His comrades launched out a canoe below, and caught +him as he rose the third time to the surface, and saved him, though +much exhausted and very cold.</p> +<p>The scenery of this pass reminded us of Kebrabasa, although it is +much inferior. A band of the same black shining glaze runs along +the rocks about two feet from the water’s edge. There was +not a blade of grass on some of the hills, it being the end of the usual +dry season succeeding a previous severe drought; yet the hill-sides +were dotted over with beautiful green trees. A few antelopes were +seen on the rugged slopes, where some people too appeared lying down, +taking a cup of beer. The Karivua narrows are about thirty miles +in length. They end at the mountain Roganora. Two rocks, +twelve or fifteen feet above the water at the time we were there, may +in flood be covered and dangerous. Our chief danger was the wind, +a very slight ripple being sufficient to swamp canoes.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER IX.</h3> +<p>The waterbuck—Disaster in Kebrabasa rapids—The “Ma +Robert” founders—Arrival of the “Pioneer” and +Bishop Mackenzie’s party—Portuguese slave-trade—Interference +and liberation.</p> +<p>We arrived at Zumbo, at the mouth of the Loangwa, on the 1st of November. +The water being scarcely up to the knee, our land party waded this river +with ease. A buffalo was shot on an island opposite Pangola’s, +the ball lodging in the spleen. It was found to have been wounded +in the same organ previously, for an iron bullet was imbedded in it, +and the wound entirely healed. A great deal of the plant <i>Pistia +stratiotes</i> was seen floating in the river. Many people inhabit +the right bank about this part, yet the game is very abundant.</p> +<p>As we were taking our breakfast on the morning of the 2nd, the Mambo +Kazai, of whom we knew nothing, and his men came with their muskets +and large powder-horns to levy a fine, and obtain payment for the wood +we used in cooking. But on our replying to his demand that we +were English, “Oh! are you?” he said; “I thought you +were Bazungu (Portuguese). They are the people I take payments +from:” and he apologized for his mistake. Bazungu, or Azungu, +is a term applied to all foreigners of a light colour, and to Arabs; +even to trading slaves if clothed; it probably means foreigners, or +visitors,—from <i>zunga</i>, to visit or wander,—and the +Portuguese were the only foreigners these men had ever seen. As +we had no desire to pass for people of that nation—quite the contrary—we +usually made a broad line of demarcation by saying that we were English, +and the English neither bought, sold, nor held black people as slaves, +but wished to put a stop to the slave-trade altogether.</p> +<p>We called upon our friend, Mpendé, in passing. He provided +a hut for us, with new mats spread on the floor. Having told him +that we were hurrying on because the rains were near, “Are they +near?” eagerly inquired an old counsellor, “and are we to +have plenty of rain this year?” We could only say that it +was about the usual time for the rains to commence; and that there were +the usual indications in great abundance of clouds floating westwards, +but that we knew nothing more than they did themselves.</p> +<p>The hippopotami are more wary here than higher up, as the natives +hunt them with guns. Having shot one on a shallow sandbank, our +men undertook to bring it over to the left bank, in order to cut it +up with greater ease. It was a fine fat one, and all rejoiced +in the hope of eating the fat for butter, with our hard dry cakes of +native meal. Our cook was sent over to cut a choice piece for +dinner, but returned with the astonishing intelligence that the carcass +was gone. They had been hoodwinked, and were very much ashamed +of themselves. A number of Banyai came to assist in rolling it +ashore, and asserted that it was all shallow water. They rolled +it over and over towards the land, and, finding the rope we had made +fast to it, as they said, an encumbrance, it was unloosed. All +were shouting and talking as loud as they could bawl, when suddenly +our expected feast plumped into a deep hole, as the Banyai intended +it should do. When sinking, all the Makololo jumped in after it. +One caught frantically at the tail; another grasped a foot; a third +seized the hip; “but, by Sebituanè, it would go down in +spite of all that we could do.” Instead of a fat hippopotamus +we had only a lean fowl for dinner, and were glad enough to get even +that. The hippopotamus, however, floated during the night, and +was found about a mile below. The Banyai then assembled on the +bank, and disputed our right to the beast: “It might have been +shot by somebody else.” Our men took a little of it and +then left it, rather than come into collision with them.</p> +<p>A fine waterbuck was shot in the Kakololé narrows, at Mount +Manyereré; it dropped beside the creek where it was feeding; +an enormous crocodile, that had been watching it at the moment, seized +and dragged it into the water, which was not very deep. The mortally +wounded animal made a desperate plunge, and hauling the crocodile several +yards tore itself out of the hideous jaws. To escape the hunter, +the waterbuck jumped into the river, and was swimming across, when another +crocodile gave chase, but a ball soon sent it to the bottom. The +waterbuck swam a little longer, the fine head dropped, the body turned +over, and one of the canoes dragged it ashore. Below Kakololé, +and still at the base of Manyereré mountain, several coal-seams, +not noticed on our ascent, were now seen to crop out on the right bank +of the Zambesi.</p> +<p>Chitora, of Chicova, treated us with his former hospitality. +Our men were all much pleased with his kindness, and certainly did not +look upon it as a proof of weakness. They meant to return his +friendliness when they came this way on a marauding expedition to eat +the sheep of the Banyai, for insulting them in the affair of the hippopotamus; +they would then send word to Chitora not to run away, for they, being +his friends, would do such a good-hearted man no harm.</p> +<p>We entered Kebrabasa rapids, at the east end of Chicova, in the canoes, +and went down a number of miles, until the river narrowed into a groove +of fifty or sixty yards wide, of which we have already spoken in describing +the flood-bed and channel of low water. The navigation then became +difficult and dangerous. A fifteen feet fall of the water in our +absence had developed many cataracts. Two of our canoes passed +safely down a narrow channel, which, bifurcating, had an ugly whirlpool +at the rocky partition between the two branches, the deep hole in the +whirls at times opening and then shutting. The Doctor’s +canoe came next, and seemed to be drifting broadside into the open vortex, +in spite of the utmost exertions of the paddlers. The rest were +expecting to have to pull to the rescue; the men saying, “Look +where these people are going!—look, look!”—when a +loud crash burst on our ears. Dr. Kirk’s canoe was dashed +on a projection of the perpendicular rocks, by a sudden and mysterious +boiling up of the river, which occurs at irregular intervals. +Dr. Kirk was seen resisting the sucking-down action of the water, which +must have been fifteen fathoms deep, and raising himself by his arms +on to the ledge, while his steersman, holding on to the same rocks, +saved the canoe; but nearly all its contents were swept away down the +stream. Dr. Livingstone’s canoe, meanwhile, which had distracted +the men’s attention, was saved by the cavity in the whirlpool +filling up as the frightful eddy was reached. A few of the things +in Dr. Kirk’s canoe were left; but all that was valuable, including +a chronometer, a barometer, and, to our great sorrow, his notes of the +journey and botanical drawings of the fruit-trees of the interior, perished.</p> +<p>We now left the river, and proceeded on foot, sorry that we had not +done so the day before. The men were thoroughly frightened, they +had never seen such perilous navigation. They would carry all +the loads, rather than risk Kebrabasa any longer; but the fatigue of +a day’s march over the hot rocks and burning sand changed their +tune before night; and then they regretted having left the canoes; they +thought they should have dragged them past the dangerous places, and +then launched them again. One of the two donkeys died from exhaustion +near the Luia. Though the men eat zebras and quaggas, blood relations +of the donkey, they were shocked at the idea of eating the ass; “it +would be like eating man himself, because the donkey lives with man, +and is his bosom companion.” We met two large trading parties +of Tette slaves on their way to Zumbo, leading, to be sold for ivory, +a number of Manganja women, with ropes round their necks, and all made +fast to one long rope.</p> +<p>Panzo, the headman of the village east of Kebrabasa, received us +with great kindness. After the usual salutation he went up the +hill, and, in a loud voice, called across the valley to the women of +several hamlets to cook supper for us. About eight in the evening +he returned, followed by a procession of women, bringing the food. +There were eight dishes of nsima, or porridge, six of different sorts +of very good wild vegetables, with dishes of beans and fowls; all deliciously +well cooked, and scrupulously clean. The wooden dishes were nearly +as white as the meal itself: food also was brought for our men. +Ripe mangoes, which usually indicate the vicinity of the Portuguese, +were found on the 21st November; and we reached Tette early on the 23rd, +having been absent a little over six months.</p> +<p>The two English sailors, left in charge of the steamer, were well, +had behaved well, and had enjoyed excellent health all the time we were +away. Their farm had been a failure. We left a few sheep, +to be slaughtered when they wished for fresh meat, and two dozen fowls. +Purchasing more, they soon had double the number of the latter, and +anticipated a good supply of eggs; but they also bought two monkeys, +and <i>they</i> ate all the eggs. A hippopotamus came up one night, +and laid waste their vegetable garden; the sheep broke into their cotton +patch, when it was in flower, and ate it all, except the stems; then +the crocodiles carried off the sheep, and the natives stole the fowls. +Nor were they more successful as gun-smiths: a Portuguese trader, having +an exalted opinion of the ingenuity of English sailors, showed them +a double-barrelled rifle, and inquired if they could put on the <i>browning</i>, +which had rusted off. “I think I knows how,” said +one, whose father was a blacksmith, “it’s very easy; you +have only to put the barrels in the fire.” A great fire +of wood was made on shore, and the unlucky barrels put over it, to secure +the handsome rifle colour. To Jack’s utter amazement the +barrels came asunder. To get out of the scrape, his companion +and he stuck the pieces together with resin, and sent it to the owner, +with the message, “It was all they could do for it, and they would +not charge him anything for the job!” They had also invented +an original mode of settling a bargain; having ascertained the market +price of provisions, they paid that, but no more. If the traders +refused to leave the ship till the price was increased, a chameleon, +of which the natives have a mortal dread, was brought out of the cabin; +and the moment the natives saw the creature, they at once sprang overboard. +The chameleon settled every dispute in a twinkling.</p> +<p>But besides their good-humoured intercourse, they showed humanity +worthy of English sailors. A terrible scream roused them up one +night, and they pushed off in a boat to the rescue. A crocodile +had caught a woman, and was dragging her across a shallow sandbank. +Just as they came up to her, she gave a fearful shriek: the horrid reptile +had snapped off her leg at the knee. They took her on board, bandaged +the limb as well as they could, and, not thinking of any better way +of showing their sympathy, gave her a glass of rum, and carried her +to a hut in the village. Next morning they found the bandages +torn off, and the unfortunate creature left to die. “I believe,” +remarked Rowe, one of the sailors, “her master was angry with +us for saving her life, seeing as how she had lost her leg.”</p> +<p>The Zambesi being unusually low, we remained at Tette till it rose +a little, and then left on the 3rd of December for the Kongoné. +It was hard work to keep the vessel afloat; indeed, we never expected +her to remain above water. New leaks broke out every day; the +engine pump gave way; the bridge broke down; three compartments filled +at night; except the cabin and front compartment all was flooded; and +in a few days we were assured by Rowe that “she can’t be +worse than she is, sir.” He and Hutchins had spent much +of their time, while we were away, in patching her bottom, puddling +it with clay, and shoring it, and it was chiefly to please them that +we again attempted to make use of her. We had long been fully +convinced that the steel plates were thoroughly unsuitable. On +the morning of the 21st the uncomfortable “Asthmatic” grounded +on a sandbank and filled. She could neither be emptied nor got +off. The river rose during the night, and all that was visible +of the worn-out craft next day was about six feet of her two masts. +Most of the property we had on board was saved; and we spent the Christmas +of 1860 encamped on the island of Chimba. Canoes were sent for +from Senna; and we reached it on the 27th, to be again hospitably entertained +by our friend, Senhor Ferrão.</p> +<p>We reached the Kongoné on the 4th of January, 1861. +A flagstaff and a Custom-house had been erected during our absence; +a hut, also, for a black lance-corporal and three privates. By +the kind permission of the lance-corporal, who came to see us as soon +as he had got into his trousers and shirt, we took up our quarters in +the Custom-house, which, like the other buildings, is a small square +floorless hut of mangrove stakes overlaid with reeds. The soldiers +complained of hunger, they had nothing to eat but a little mapira, and +were making palm wine to deaden their cravings. While waiting +for a ship, we had leisure to read the newspapers and periodicals we +found in the mail which was waiting our arrival at Tette. Several +were a year and a half old.</p> +<p>Our provisions began to run short; and towards the end of the month +there was nothing left but a little bad biscuit and a few ounces of +sugar. Coffee and tea were expended, but scarcely missed, as our +sailors discovered a pretty good substitute in roasted mapira. +Fresh meat was obtained in abundance from our antelope preserves on +the large island made by a creek between the Kongoné and East +Luabo.</p> +<p>In this focus of decaying vegetation, nothing is so much to be dreaded +as inactivity. We had, therefore, to find what exercise and amusement +we could, when hunting was not required, in peering about in the fetid +swamps; to have gone mooning about, in listless idleness, would have +ensured fever in its worst form, and probably with fatal results.</p> +<p>A curious little blenny-fish swarms in the numerous creeks which +intersect the mangrove topes. When alarmed, it hurries across +the surface of the water in a series of leaps. It may be considered +amphibious, as it lives as much out of the water as in it, and its most +busy time is during low water. Then it appears on the sand or +mud, near the little pools left by the retiring tide; it raises itself +on its pectoral fins into something of a standing attitude, and with +its large projecting eyes keeps a sharp look-out for the light-coloured +fly, on which it feeds. Should the fly alight at too great a distance +for even a second leap, the blenny moves slowly towards it like a cat +to its prey, or like a jumping spider; and, as soon as it gets within +two or three inches of the insect, by a sudden spring contrives to pop +its underset mouth directly over the unlucky victim. He is, moreover, +a pugnacious little fellow; and rather prolonged fights may be observed +between him and his brethren. One, in fleeing from an apparent +danger, jumped into a pool a foot square, which the other evidently +regarded as his by right of prior discovery; in a twinkling the owner, +with eyes flashing fury, and with dorsal fin bristling up in rage, dashed +at the intruding foe. The fight waxed furious, no tempest in a +teapot ever equalled the storm of that miniature sea. The warriors +were now in the water, and anon out of it, for the battle raged on sea +and shore. They struck hard, they bit each other; until, becoming +exhausted, they seized each other by the jaws like two bull-dogs, then +paused for breath, and at it again as fiercely as before, until the +combat ended by the precipitate retreat of the invader.</p> +<p>The muddy ground under the mangrove-trees is covered with soldier-crabs, +which quickly slink into their holes on any symptom of danger. +When the ebbing tide retires, myriads of minute crabs emerge from their +underground quarters, and begin to work like so many busy bees. +Soon many miles of the smooth sand become rough with the results of +their labour. They are toiling for their daily bread: a round +bit of moist sand appears at the little labourer’s mouth, and +is quickly brushed off by one of the claws; a second bit follows the +first; and another, and still another come as fast as they can be laid +aside. As these pellets accumulate, the crab moves sideways, and +the work continues. The first impression one receives is, that +the little creature has swallowed a great deal of sand, and is getting +rid of it as speedily as possible: a habit he indulges in of darting +into his hole at intervals, as if for fresh supplies, tends to strengthen +this idea; but the size of the heaps formed in a few seconds shows that +this cannot be the case, and leads to the impression that, although +not readily seen, at the distance at which he chooses to keep the observer, +yet that possibly he raises the sand to his mouth, where whatever animalcule +it may contain is sifted out of it, and the remainder rejected in the +manner described. At times the larger species of crabs perform +a sort of concert; and from each subterranean abode strange sounds arise, +as if, in imitation of the songsters of the groves, for very joy they +sang!</p> +<p>We found some natives pounding the woody stems of a poisonous climbing-plant +(<i>Dirca palustris</i>) called Busungu, or poison, which grows abundantly +in the swamps. When a good quantity was bruised, it was tied up +in bundles. The stream above and below was obstructed with bushes, +and with a sort of rinsing motion the poison was diffused through the +water. Many fish were soon affected, swain in shore, and died, +others were only stupefied. The plant has pink, pea-shaped blossoms, +and smooth, pointed, glossy leaves, and the brown bark is covered with +minute white points. The knowledge of it might prove of use to +a shipwrecked party by enabling them to catch the fish.</p> +<p>The poison is said to be deleterious to man if the water is drunk; +but not when the fish is cooked. The Busungu is repulsive to some +insects, and is smeared round the shoots of the palm-trees to prevent +the ants from getting into the palm wine while it is dropping from the +tops of the palm-trees into the little pots suspended to collect it.</p> +<p>We were in the habit of walking from our beds into the salt water +at sunrise, for a bath, till a large crocodile appeared at the bathing-place, +and from that time forth we took our dip in the sea, away from the harbour, +about midday. This is said to be unwholesome, but we did not find +it so. It is certainly better not to bathe in the mornings, when +the air is colder than the water—for then, on returning to the +cooler air, one is apt to get a chill and fever. In the mouth +of the river, many saw-fish are found. Rowe saw one while bathing—caught +it by the tail, and shoved it, “snout on,” ashore. +The saw is from a foot to eighteen inches long. We never heard +of any one being wounded by this fish; nor, though it goes hundreds +of miles up the river in fresh water, could we learn that it was eaten +by the people. The hippopotami delighted to spend the day among +the breakers, and seemed to enjoy the fun as much as we did.</p> +<p>Severe gales occurred during our stay on the Coast, and many small +sea-birds (<i>Prion Banksii</i>, Smith) perished: the beach was strewn +with their dead bodies, and some were found hundreds of yards inland; +many were so emaciated as to dry up without putrefying. We were +plagued with myriads of mosquitoes, and had some touches of fever; the +men we brought from malarious regions of the interior suffered almost +as much from it here as we did ourselves. This gives strength +to the idea that the civilized withstand the evil influences of strange +climates better than the uncivilized. When negroes return to their +own country from healthy lands, they suffer as severely as foreigners +ever do.</p> +<p>On the 31st of January, 1861, our new ship, the “Pioneer,” +arrived from England, and anchored outside the bar; but the weather +was stormy, and she did not venture in till the 4th of February.</p> +<p>Two of H.M. cruisers came at the same time, bringing Bishop Mackenzie, +and the Oxford and Cambridge Mission to the tribes of the Shiré +and Lake Nyassa. The Mission consisted of six Englishmen, and +five coloured men from the Cape. It was a puzzle to know what +to do with so many men. The estimable Bishop, anxious to commence +his work without delay, wished the “Pioneer” to carry the +Mission up the Shiré, as far as Chibisa’s, and there leave +them. But there were grave objections to this. The “Pioneer” +was under orders to explore the Rovuma, as the Portuguese Government +had refused to open the Zambesi to the ships of other nations, and their +officials were very effectually pursuing a system, which, by abstracting +the labour, was rendering the country of no value either to foreigners +or to themselves. She was already two months behind her time, +and the rainy season was half over. Then, if the party were taken +to Chibisa’s, the Mission would he left without a medical attendant, +in an unhealthy region, at the beginning of the most sickly season of +the year, and without means of reaching the healthy highlands, or of +returning to the sea. We dreaded that, in the absence of medical +aid and all knowledge of the treatment of fever, there might be a repetition +of the sorrowful fate which befell the similar non-medical Mission at +Linyanti.</p> +<p>On the 25th of February the “Pioneer” anchored in the +mouth of the Rovuma, which, unlike most African rivers, has a magnificent +bay and no bar. We wooded, and then waited for the Bishop till +the 9th of March, when he came in the “Lyra.” On the +11th we proceeded up the river, and saw that it had fallen four or five +feet during our detention. The scenery on the lower part of the +Rovuma is superior to that on the Zambesi, for we can see the highlands +from the sea. Eight miles from the mouth the mangroves are left +behind, and a beautiful range of well-wooded hills on each bank begins. +On these ridges the tree resembling African blackwood, of finer grain +than ebony, grows abundantly, and attains a large size. Few people +were seen, and those were of Arab breed, and did not appear to be very +well off. The current of the Rovuma was now as strong as that +of the Zambesi, but the volume of water is very much less. Several +of the crossings had barely water enough for our ship, drawing five +feet, to pass. When we were thirty miles up the river, the water +fell suddenly seven inches in twenty-four hours. As the March +flood is the last of the season, and it appeared to be expended, it +was thought prudent to avoid the chance of a year’s detention, +by getting the ship back to the sea without delay. Had the Expedition +been alone, we would have pushed up in boats, or afoot, and done what +we could towards the exploration of the river and upper end of the lake; +but, though the Mission was a private one, and entirely distinct from +our own, a public one, the objects of both being similar, we felt anxious +to aid our countrymen in their noble enterprise; and, rather than follow +our own inclination, decided to return to the Shiré, see the +Mission party settled safely, and afterwards explore Lake Nyassa and +the Rovuma, from the Lake downwards. Fever broke out on board +the “Pioneer,” at the mouth of the Rovuma, as we thought +from our having anchored close to a creek coming out of the mangroves; +and it remained in her until we completely isolated the engine-room +from the rest of the ship. The coal-dust rotting sent out strong +effluvia, and kept up the disease for more than a twelvemonth.</p> +<p>Soon after we started the fever put the “Pioneer” almost +entirely into the hands of the original Zambesi Expedition, and not +long afterwards the leader had to navigate the ocean as well as the +river. The habit of finding the geographical positions on land +renders it an easy task to steer a steamer with only three or four sails +at sea; where, if one does not run ashore, no one follows to find out +an error, and where a current affords a ready excuse for every blunder.</p> +<p>Touching at Mohilla, one of the Comoro Islands, on our return, we +found a mixed race of Arabs, Africans, and their conquerors, the natives +of Madagascar. Being Mahometans, they have mosques and schools, +in which we were pleased to see girls as well as boys taught to read +the Koran. The teacher said he was paid by the job, and received +ten dollars for teaching each child to read. The clever ones learn +in six months; but the dull ones take a couple of years. We next +went over to Johanna for our friends; and, after a sojourn of a few +days at the beautiful Comoro Islands, we sailed for the Kongoné +mouth of the Zambesi with Bishop Mackenzie and his party. We reached +the coast in seven days, and passed up the Zambesi to the Shiré.</p> +<p>The “Pioneer,” constructed under the skilful supervision +of Admiral Sir Baldwin Walker and the late Admiral Washington, warm-hearted +and highly esteemed friends of the Expedition, was a very superior vessel, +and well suited for our work in every respect, except in her draught +of water. Five feet were found to be too much for the navigation +of the upper part of the Shiré. Designed to draw three +feet only, the weight necessary to impart extra strength, and fit her +for the ocean, brought her down two feet more, and caused us a great +deal of hard and vexatious work, in laying out anchors, and toiling +at the capstan to get her off sandbanks. We should not have minded +this much, but for the heavy loss of time which might have been more +profitably, and infinitely more pleasantly, spent in intercourse with +the people, exploring new regions, and otherwise carrying out the objects +of the Expedition. Once we were a fortnight on a bank of soft +yielding sand, having only two or three inches less water than the ship +drew; this delay was occasioned by the anchors coming home, and the +current swinging the ship broadside on the bank, which, immediately +on our touching, always formed behind us. We did not like to leave +the ship short of Chibisa’s, lest the crew should suffer from +the malaria of the lowland around; and it would have been difficult +to have got the Mission goods carried up. We were daily visited +by crowds of natives, who brought us abundance of provisions far beyond +our ability to consume. In hauling the “Pioneer” over +the shallow places, the Bishop, with Horace Waller and Mr. Scudamore, +were ever ready and anxious to lend a hand, and worked as hard as any +on board. Had our fine little ship drawn but three feet, she could +have run up and down the river at any time of the year with the greatest +ease, but as it was, having once passed up over a few shallow banks, +it was impossible to take her down again until the river rose in December. +She could go up over a bank, but not come down over it, as a heap of +sand always formed instantly astern, while the current washed it away +from under her bows.</p> +<p>On at last reaching Chibisa’s, we heard that there was war +in the Manganja country, and the slave-trade was going on briskly. +A deputation from a chief near Mount Zomba had just passed on its way +to Chibisa, who was in a distant village, to implore him to come himself, +or send medicine, to drive off the Waiao, Waiau, or Ajawa, whose marauding +parties were desolating the land. A large gang of recently enslaved +Manganja crossed the river, on their way to Tette, a few days before +we got the ship up. Chibisa’s deputy was civil, and readily +gave us permission to hire as many men to carry the Bishop’s goods +up to the hills as were willing to go. With a sufficient number, +therefore, we started for the highlands on the 15th of July, to show +the Bishop the country, which, from its altitude and coolness, was most +suitable for a station. Our first day’s march was a long +and fatiguing one. The few hamlets we passed were poor, and had +no food for our men, and we were obliged to go on till 4 p.m., when +we entered the small village of Chipindu. The inhabitants complained +of hunger, and said they had no food to sell, and no hut for us to sleep +in; but, if we would only go on a little further, we should come to +a village where they had plenty to eat; but we had travelled far enough, +and determined to remain where we were. Before sunset as much +food was brought as we cared to purchase, and, as it threatened to rain, +huts were provided for the whole party.</p> +<p>Next forenoon we halted at the village of our old friend Mbamé, +to obtain new carriers, because Chibisa’s men, never before having +been hired, and not having yet learned to trust us, did not choose to +go further. After resting a little, Mbamé told us that +a slave party on its way to Tette would presently pass through his village. +“Shall we interfere?” we inquired of each other. We +remembered that all our valuable private baggage was in Tette, which, +if we freed the slaves, might, together with some Government property, +be destroyed in retaliation; but this system of slave-hunters dogging +us where previously they durst not venture, and, on pretence of being +“our children,” setting one tribe against another, to furnish +themselves with slaves, would so inevitably thwart all the efforts, +for which we had the sanction of the Portuguese Government, that we +resolved to run all risks, and put a stop, if possible, to the slave-trade, +which had now followed on the footsteps of our discoveries. A +few minutes after Mbamé had spoken to us, the slave party, a +long line of manacled men, women, and children, came wending their way +round the hill and into the valley, on the side of which the village +stood. The black drivers, armed with muskets, and bedecked with +various articles of finery, marched jauntily in the front, middle, and +rear of the line; some of them blowing exultant notes out of long tin +horns. They seemed to feel that they were doing a very noble thing, +and might proudly march with an air of triumph. But the instant +the fellows caught a glimpse of the English, they darted off like mad +into the forest; so fast, indeed, that we caught but a glimpse of their +red caps and the soles of their feet. The chief of the party alone +remained; and he, from being in front, had his hand tightly grasped +by a Makololo! He proved to be a well-known slave of the late +Commandant at Tette, and for some time our own attendant while there. +On asking him how he obtained these captives, he replied he had bought +them; but on our inquiring of the people themselves, all, save four, +said they had been captured in war. While this inquiry was going +on, he bolted too. The captives knelt down, and, in their way +of expressing thanks, clapped their hands with great energy. They +were thus left entirely on our hands, and knives were soon busy at work +cutting the women and children loose. It was more difficult to +cut the men adrift, as each had his neck in the fork of a stout stick, +six or seven feet long, and was kept in by an iron rod which was riveted +at both ends across the throat. With a saw, luckily in the Bishop’s +baggage, one by one the men were sawn out into freedom. The women, +on being told to take the meal they were carrying and cook breakfast +for themselves and the children, seemed to consider the news too good +to be true; but after a little coaxing went at it with alacrity, and +made a capital fire by which to boil their pots with the slave sticks +and bonds, their old acquaintances through many a sad night and weary +day. Many were mere children about five years of age and under. +One little boy, with the simplicity of childhood, said to our men, “The +others tied and starved us, you cut the ropes and tell us to eat; what +sort of people are you?—Where did you come from?” +Two of the women had been shot the day before for attempting to untie +the thongs. This, the rest were told, was to prevent them from +attempting to escape. One woman had her infant’s brains +knocked out, because she could not carry her load and it. And +a man was dispatched with an axe, because he had broken down with fatigue. +Self-interest would have set a watch over the whole rather than commit +murder; but in this traffic we invariably find self-interest overcome +by contempt of human life and by bloodthirstiness.</p> +<p>The Bishop was not present at this scene, having gone to bathe in +a little stream below the village; but on his return he warmly approved +of what had been done; he at first had doubts, but now felt that, had +he been present, he would have joined us in the good work. Logic +is out of place when the question with a true-hearted man is, whether +his brother man is to be saved or not. Eighty-four, chiefly women +and children, were liberated; and on being told that they were now free, +and might go where they pleased, or remain with us, they all chose to +stay; and the Bishop wisely attached them to his Mission, to be educated +as members of a Christian family. In this way a great difficulty +in the commencement of a Mission was overcome. Years are usually +required before confidence is so far instilled into the natives’ +mind as to induce them, young or old, to submit to the guidance of strangers +professing to be actuated by motives the reverse of worldly wisdom, +and inculcating customs strange and unknown to them and their fathers.</p> +<p>We proceeded next morning to Soché’s with our liberated +party, the men cheerfully carrying the Bishop’s goods. As +we had begun, it was of no use to do things by halves, so eight others +were freed in a hamlet on our path; but a party of traders, with nearly +a hundred slaves, fled from Soché’s on hearing of our proceedings. +Dr. Kirk and four Makololo followed them with great energy, but they +made clear off to Tette. Six more captives were liberated at Mongazi’s, +and two slave-traders detained for the night, to prevent them from carrying +information to a large party still in front. Of their own accord +they volunteered the information that the Governor’s servants +had charge of the next party; but we did not choose to be led by them, +though they offered to guide us to his Excellency’s own agents. +Two of the Bishop’s black men from the Cape, having once been +slaves, were now zealous emancipators, and volunteered to guard the +prisoners during the night. So anxious were our heroes to keep +them safe, that instead of relieving each other, by keeping watch and +watch, both kept watch together, till towards four o’clock in +the morning, when sleep stole gently over them both; and the wakeful +prisoners, seizing the opportunity, escaped: one of the guards, perceiving +the loss, rushed out of the hut, shouting, “They are gone, the +prisoners are off, and they have taken my rifle with them, and the women +too! Fire! everybody fire!” The rifle and the women, +however, were all safe enough, the slave-traders being only too glad +to escape alone. Fifty more slaves were freed next day in another +village; and, the whole party being stark-naked, cloth enough was left +to clothe them, better probably than they had ever been clothed before. +The head of this gang, whom we knew as the agent of one of the principal +merchants of Tette, said that they had the license of the Governor for +all they did. This we were fully aware of without his stating +it. It is quite impossible for any enterprise to be undertaken +there without the Governor’s knowledge and connivance.</p> +<p>The portion of the highlands which the Bishop wished to look at before +deciding on a settlement belonged to Chiwawa, or Chibaba, the most manly +and generous Manganja chief we had met with on our previous journey. +On reaching Nsambo’s, near Mount Chiradzuru, we heard that Chibaba +was dead, and that Chigunda was chief instead. Chigunda, apparently +of his own accord, though possibly he may have learnt that the Bishop +intended to settle somewhere in the country, asked him to come and live +with him at Magomero, adding that there was room enough for both. +This hearty and spontaneous invitation had considerable influence on +the Bishop’s mind, and seemed to decide the question. A +place nearer the Shiré would have been chosen had he expected +his supplies to come up that river; but the Portuguese, claiming the +river Shiré, though never occupying even its mouth, had closed +it, as well as the Zambesi.</p> +<p>Our hopes were turned to the Rovuma, as a free highway into Lake +Nyassa and the vast interior. A steamer was already ordered for +the Lake, and the Bishop, seeing the advantageous nature of the highlands +which stretch an immense way to the north, was more anxious to be near +the Lake and the Rovuma, than the Shiré. When he decided +to settle at Magomero, it was thought desirable, to prevent the country +from being depopulated, to visit the Ajawa chief, and to try and persuade +him to give up his slaving and kidnapping courses, and turn the energies +of his people to peaceful pursuits.</p> +<p>On the morning of the 22nd we were informed that the Ajawa were near, +and were burning a village a few miles off. Leaving the rescued +slaves, we moved off to seek an interview with these scourges of the +country. On our way we met crowds of Manganja fleeing from the +war in front. These poor fugitives from the slave hunt had, as +usual, to leave all the food they possessed, except the little they +could carry on their heads. We passed field after field of Indian +corn or beans, standing ripe for harvesting, but the owners were away. +The villages were all deserted: one where we breakfasted two years before, +and saw a number of men peacefully weaving cloth, and, among ourselves, +called it the “Paisley of the hills,” was burnt; the stores +of corn were poured out in cartloads, and scattered all over the plain, +and all along the paths, neither conquerors nor conquered having been +able to convey it away. About two o’clock we saw the smoke +of burning villages, and heard triumphant shouts, mingled with the wail +of the Manganja women, lamenting over their slain. The Bishop +then engaged us in fervent prayer; and, on rising from our knees, we +saw a long line of Ajawa warriors, with their captives, coming round +the hill-side. The first of the returning conquerors were entering +their own village below, and we heard women welcoming them back with +“lillilooings.” The Ajawa headman left the path on +seeing us, and stood on an anthill to obtain a complete view of our +party. We called out that we had come to have an interview with +them, but some of the Manganja who followed us shouted “Our Chibisa +is come:” Chibisa being well known as a great conjurer and general. +The Ajawa ran off yelling and screaming, “Nkondo! Nkondo!” +(War! War!) We heard the words of the Manganja, but they did not +strike us at the moment as neutralizing all our assertions of peace. +The captives threw down their loads on the path, and fled to the hills: +and a large body of armed men came running up from the village, and +in a few seconds they were all around us, though mostly concealed by +the projecting rocks and long grass. In vain we protested that +we had not come to fight, but to talk with them. They would not +listen, having, as we remembered afterwards, good reason, in the cry +of “Our Chibisa.” Flushed with recent victory over +three villages, and confident of an easy triumph over a mere handful +of men, they began to shoot their poisoned arrows, sending them with +great force upwards of a hundred yards, and wounding one of our followers +through the arm. Our retiring slowly up the ascent from the village +only made them more eager to prevent our escape; and, in the belief +that this retreat was evidence of fear, they closed upon us in bloodthirsty +fury. Some came within fifty yards, dancing hideously; others +having quite surrounded us, and availing themselves of the rocks and +long grass hard by, were intent on cutting us off, while others made +off with their women and a large body of slaves. Four were armed +with muskets, and we were obliged in self-defence to return their fire +and drive them off. When they saw the range of rifles, they very +soon desisted, and ran away; but some shouted to us from the hills the +consoling intimation, that they would follow, and kill us where we slept. +Only two of the captives escaped to us, but probably most of those made +prisoners that day fled elsewhere in the confusion. We returned +to the village which we had left in the morning, after a hungry, fatiguing, +and most unpleasant day.</p> +<p>Though we could not blame ourselves for the course we had followed, +we felt sorry for what had happened. It was the first time we +had ever been attacked by the natives or come into collision with them; +though we had always taken it for granted that we might be called upon +to act in self-defence, we were on this occasion less prepared than +usual, no game having been expected here. The men had only a single +round of cartridge each; their leader had no revolver, and the rifle +he usually fired with was left at the ship to save it from the damp +of the season. Had we known better the effect of slavery and murder +on the temper of these bloodthirsty marauders, we should have tried +messages and presents before going near them.</p> +<p>The old chief, Chinsunsé, came on a visit to us next day, +and pressed the Bishop to come and live with him. “Chigunda,” +he said, “is but a child, and the Bishop ought to live with the +father rather than with the child.” But the old man’s +object was so evidently to have the Mission as a shield against the +Ajawa, that his invitation was declined. While begging us to drive +away the marauders, that he might live in peace, he adopted the stratagem +of causing a number of his men to rush into the village, in breathless +haste, with the news that the Ajawa were close upon us. And having +been reminded that we never fought, unless attacked, as we were the +day before, and that we had come among them for the purpose of promoting +peace, and of teaching them to worship the Supreme, to give up selling +His children, and to cultivate other objects for barter than each other, +he replied, in a huff, “Then I am dead already.”</p> +<p>The Bishop, feeling, as most Englishmen would, at the prospect of +the people now in his charge being swept off into slavery by hordes +of men-stealers, proposed to go at once to the rescue of the captive +Manganja, and drive the marauding Ajawa out of the country. All +were warmly in favour of this, save Dr. Livingstone, who opposed it +on the ground that it would be better for the Bishop to wait, and see +the effect of the check the slave-hunters had just experienced. +The Ajawa were evidently goaded on by Portuguese agents from Tette, +and there was no bond of union among the Manganja on which to work. +It was possible that the Ajawa might be persuaded to something better, +though, from having long been in the habit of slaving for the Quillimané +market, it was not very probable. But the Manganja could easily +be overcome piecemeal by any enemy; old feuds made them glad to see +calamities befall their next neighbours. We counselled them to +unite against the common enemies of their country, and added distinctly +that we English would on no account enter into their quarrels. +On the Bishop inquiring whether, in the event of the Manganja again +asking aid against the Ajawa, it would be his duty to accede to their +request,—“No,” replied Dr. Livingstone, “you +will be oppressed by their importunities, but do not interfere in native +quarrels.” This advice the good man honourably mentions +in his journal. We have been rather minute in relating what occurred +during the few days of our connection with the Mission of the English +Universities, on the hills, because, the recorded advice having been +discarded, blame was thrown on Dr. Livingstone’s shoulders, as +if the missionaries had no individual responsibility for their subsequent +conduct. This, unquestionably, good Bishop Mackenzie had too much +manliness to have allowed. The connection of the members of the +Zambesi Expedition, with the acts of the Bishop’s Mission, now +ceased, for we returned to the ship and prepared for our journey to +Lake Nyassa. We cheerfully, if necessary, will bear all responsibility +up to this point; and if the Bishop afterwards made mistakes in certain +collisions with the slavers, he had the votes of all his party with +him, and those who best knew the peculiar circumstances, and the loving +disposition of this good-hearted man, will blame him least. In +this position, and in these circumstances, we left our friends at the +Mission Station.</p> +<p>As a temporary measure the Bishop decided to place his Mission Station +on a small promontory formed by the windings of the little, clear stream +of Magomero, which was so cold that the limbs were quite benumbed by +washing in it in the July mornings. The site chosen was a pleasant +spot to the eye, and completely surrounded by stately, shady trees. +It was expected to serve for a residence, till the Bishop had acquired +an accurate knowledge of the adjacent country, and of the political +relations of the people, and could select a healthy and commanding situation, +as a permanent centre of Christian civilization. Everything promised +fairly. The weather was delightful, resembling the pleasantest +part of an English summer; provisions poured in very cheap and in great +abundance. The Bishop, with characteristic ardour, commenced learning +the language, Mr. Waller began building, and Mr. Scudamore improvised +a sort of infant school for the children, than which there is no better +means for acquiring an unwritten tongue.</p> +<p>On the 6th of August, 1861, a few days after returning from Magomero, +Drs. Livingstone and Kirk, and Charles Livingstone started for Nyassa +with a light four-oared gig, a white sailor, and a score of attendants. +We hired people along the path to carry the boat past the forty miles +of the Murchison Cataracts for a cubit of cotton cloth a day. +This being deemed great wages, more than twice the men required eagerly +offered their services. The chief difficulty was in limiting their +numbers. Crowds followed us; and, had we not taken down in the +morning the names of the porters engaged, in the evening claims would +have been made by those who only helped during the last ten minutes +of the journey. The men of one village carried the boat to the +next, and all we had to do was to tell the headman that we wanted fresh +men in the morning. He saw us pay the first party, and had his +men ready at the time appointed, so there was no delay in waiting for +carriers. They often make a loud noise when carrying heavy loads, +but talking and bawling does not put them out of breath. The country +was rough and with little soil on it, but covered with grass and open +forest. A few small trees were cut down to clear a path for our +shouting assistants, who were good enough to consider the boat as a +certificate of peaceful intentions at least to them. Several small +streams were passed, the largest of which were the Mukuru-Madsé +and Lesungwé. The inhabitants on both banks were now civil +and obliging. Our possession of a boat, and consequent power of +crossing independently of the canoes, helped to develop their good manners, +which were not apparent on our previous visit.</p> +<p>There is often a surprising contrast between neighbouring villages. +One is well off and thriving, having good huts, plenty of food, and +native cloth; and its people are frank, trusty, generous, and eager +to sell provisions; while in the next the inhabitants may be ill-housed, +disobliging, suspicious, ill-fed, and scantily clad, and with nothing +for sale, though the land around is as fertile as that of their wealthier +neighbours. We followed the river for the most part to avail ourselves +of the still reaches for sailing; but a comparatively smooth country +lies further inland, over which a good road could be made. Some +of the five main cataracts are very grand, the river falling 1200 feet +in the 40 miles. After passing the last of the cataracts, we launched +our boat for good on the broad and deep waters of the Upper Shiré, +and were virtually on the lake, for the gentle current shows but little +difference of level. The bed is broad and deep, but the course +is rather tortuous at first, and makes a long bend to the east till +it comes within five or six miles of the base of Mount Zomba. +The natives regarded the Upper Shiré as a prolongation of Lake +Nyassa; for where what we called the river approaches Lake Shirwa, a +little north of the mountains, they said that the hippopotami, “which +are great night travellers,” pass from <i>one lake into the other</i>. +There the land is flat, and only a short land journey would be necessary. +Seldom does the current here exceed a knot an hour, while that of the +Lower Shiré is from two to two-and-a-half knots. Our land +party of Makololo accompanied us along the right bank, and passed thousands +of Manganja fugitives living in temporary huts on that side, who had +recently been driven from their villages on the opposite hills by the +Ajawa.</p> +<p>The soil was dry and hard, and covered with mopane-trees; but some +of the Manganja were busy hoeing the ground and planting the little +corn they had brought with them. The effects of hunger were already +visible on those whose food had been seized or burned by the Ajawa and +Portuguese slave-traders. The spokesman or prime minister of one +of the chiefs, named Kaloñjeré, was a humpbacked dwarf, +a fluent speaker, who tried hard to make us go over and drive off the +Ajawa; but he could not deny that by selling people Kaloñjeré +had invited these slave-hunters to the country. This is the second +humpbacked dwarf we have found occupying the like important post, the +other was the prime minister of a Batonga chief on the Zambesi.</p> +<p>As we sailed along, we disturbed many white-breasted cormorants; +we had seen the same species fishing between the cataracts. Here, +with many other wild-fowls, they find subsistence on the smooth water +by night, and sit sleepily on trees and in the reeds by day. Many +hippopotami were seen in the river, and one of them stretched its wide +jaws, as if to swallow the whole stern of the boat, close to Dr. Kirk’s +back; the animal was so near that, in opening its mouth, it lashed a +quantity of water on to the stern-sheets, but did no damage. To +avoid large marauding parties of Ajawa, on the left bank of the Shiré, +we continued on the right, or western side, with our land party, along +the shore of the small lake Pamalombé. This lakelet is +ten or twelve miles in length, and five or six broad. It is nearly +surrounded by a broad belt of papyrus, so dense that we could scarcely +find an opening to the shore. The plants, ten or twelve feet high, +grew so closely together that air was excluded, and so much sulphuretted +hydrogen gas evolved that by one night’s exposure the bottom of +the boat was blackened. Myriads of mosquitoes showed, as probably +they always do, the presence of malaria.</p> +<p>We hastened from this sickly spot, trying to take the attentions +of the mosquitoes as hints to seek more pleasant quarters on the healthy +shores of Lake Nyassa; and when we sailed into it, on the 2nd September, +we felt refreshed by the greater coolness of the air off this large +body of water. The depth was the first point of interest. +This is indicated by the colour of the water, which, on a belt along +the shore, varying from a quarter to half a mile in breadth, is light +green, and this is met by the deep blue or indigo tint of the Indian +Ocean, which is the colour of the great body of Nyassa. We found +the Upper Shiré from nine to fifteen feet in depth; but skirting +the western side of the lake about a mile from the shore the water deepened +from nine to fifteen fathoms; then, as we rounded the grand mountainous +promontory, which we named Cape Maclear, after our excellent friend +the Astronomer Royal at the Cape of Good Hope, we could get no bottom +with our lead-line of thirty-five fathoms. We pulled along the +western shore, which was a succession of bays, and found that where +the bottom was sandy near the beach, and to a mile out, the depth varied +from six to fourteen fathoms. In a rocky bay about latitude 11 +degrees 40 minutes we had soundings at 100 fathoms, though outside the +same bay we found none with a fishing-line of 116 fathoms; but this +cast was unsatisfactory, as the line broke in coming up. According +to our present knowledge, a ship could anchor only near the shore.</p> +<p>Looking back to the southern end of Lake Nyassa, the arm from which +the Shiré flows was found to be about thirty miles long and from +ten to twelve broad. Rounding Cape Maclear, and looking to the +south-west, we have another arm, which stretches some eighteen miles +southward, and is from six to twelve miles in breadth. These arms +give the southern end a forked appearance, and with the help of a little +imagination it may be likened to the “boot-shape” of Italy. +The narrowest part is about the ankle, eighteen or twenty miles. +From this it widens to the north, and in the upper third or fourth it +is fifty or sixty miles broad. The length is over 200 miles. +The direction in which it lies is as near as possible due north and +south. Nothing of the great bend to the west, shown in all the +previous maps, could be detected by either compass or chronometer, and +the watch we used was an excellent one. The season of the year +was very unfavourable. The “smokes” filled the air +with an impenetrable haze, and the equinoctial gales made it impossible +for us to cross to the eastern side. When we caught a glimpse +of the sun rising from behind the mountains to the east, we made sketches +and bearings of them at different latitudes, which enabled us to secure +approximate measurements of the width. These agreed with the times +taken by the natives at the different crossing-places—as Tsenga +and Molamba. About the beginning of the upper third the lake is +crossed by taking advantage of the island Chizumara, which name in the +native tongue means the “ending;” further north they go +round the end instead, though that takes several days.</p> +<p>The lake appeared to be surrounded by mountains, but it was afterwards +found that these beautiful tree-covered heights were, on the west, only +the edges of high table-lands. Like all narrow seas encircled +by highlands, it is visited by sudden and tremendous storms. We +were on it in September and October, perhaps the stormiest season of +the year, and were repeatedly detained by gales. At times, while +sailing pleasantly over the blue water with a gentle breeze, suddenly +and without any warning was heard the sound of a coming storm, roaring +on with crowds of angry waves in its wake. We were caught one +morning with the sea breaking all around us, and, unable either to advance +or recede, anchored a mile from shore, in seven fathoms. The furious +surf on the beach would have shivered our boat to atoms, had we tried +to land. The waves most dreaded came rolling on in threes, with +their crests, driven into spray, streaming behind them. A short +lull followed each triple charge. Had one of these seas struck +our boat, nothing could have saved us; for they came on with resistless +force; seaward, in shore, and on either side of us, they broke in foam, +but we escaped. For six weary hours we faced those terrible trios. +A low, dark, detached, oddly shaped cloud came slowly from the mountains, +and hung for hours directly over our heads. A flock of night-jars +(<i>Cometornis vexillarius</i>), which on no other occasion come out +by day, soared above us in the gale, like birds of evil omen. +Our black crew became sea-sick and unable to sit up or keep the boat’s +head to the sea. The natives and our land party stood on the high +cliffs looking at us and exclaiming, as the waves seemed to swallow +up the boat, “They are lost! they are all dead!” When +at last the gale moderated and we got safely ashore, they saluted us +warmly, as after a long absence. From this time we trusted implicitly +to the opinions of our seaman, John Neil, who, having been a fisherman +on the coast of Ireland, understood boating on a stormy coast, and by +his advice we often sat cowering on the land for days together waiting +for the surf to go down. He had never seen such waves before. +We had to beach the boat every night to save her from being swamped +at anchor; and, did we not believe the gales to be peculiar to one season +of the year, would call Nyassa the “Lake of Storms.”</p> +<p>Distinct white marks on the rocks showed that, for some time during +the rainy season, the water of the lake is three feet above the point +to which it falls towards the close of the dry period of the year. +The rains begin here in November, and the permanent rise of the Shiré +does not take place till January. The western side of Lake Nyassa, +with the exception of the great harbour to the west of Cape Maclear, +is, as has been said before, a succession of small bays of nearly similar +form, each having an open sandy beach and pebbly shore, and being separated +from its neighbour by a rocky headland, with detached rocks extending +some distance out to sea. The great south-western bay referred +to would form a magnificent harbour, the only really good one we saw +to the west.</p> +<p>The land immediately adjacent to the lake is low and fertile, though +in some places marshy and tenanted by large flocks of ducks, geese, +herons, crowned cranes, and other birds. In the southern parts +we have sometimes ten or a dozen miles of rich plains, bordered by what +seem high ranges of well-wooded hills, running nearly parallel with +the lake. Northwards the mountains become loftier and present +some magnificent views, range towering beyond range, until the dim, +lofty outlines projected against the sky bound the prospect. Still +further north the plain becomes more narrow, until, near where we turned, +it disappears altogether, and the mountains rise abruptly out of the +lake, forming the north-east boundary of what was described to us as +an extensive table-land; well suited for pasturage and agriculture, +and now only partially occupied by a tribe of Zulus, who came from the +south some years ago. These people own large herds of cattle, +and are constantly increasing in numbers by annexing other tribes.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER X.</h3> +<p>The Lake tribes—The Mazitu—Quantities of elephants—Distressing +journey—Detention on the Shiré.</p> +<p>Never before in Africa have we seen anything like the dense population +on the shores of Lake Nyassa. In the southern part there was an +almost unbroken chain of villages. On the beach of wellnigh of +every little sandy bay, dark crowds were standing, gazing at the novel +sight of a boat under sail; and wherever we landed we were surrounded +in a few seconds by hundreds of men, women, and children, who hastened +to have a stare at the “chirombo” (wild animals).</p> +<p>During a portion of the year, the northern dwellers on the lake have +a harvest which furnishes a singular sort of food. As we approached +our limit in that direction, clouds, as of smoke rising from miles of +burning grass, were observed bending in a south-easterly direction, +and we thought that the unseen land on the opposite side was closing +in, and that we were near the end of the lake. But next morning +we sailed through one of the clouds on our own side, and discovered +that it was neither smoke nor haze, but countless millions of minute +midges called “kungo” (a cloud or fog). They filled +the air to an immense height, and swarmed upon the water, too light +to sink in it. Eyes and mouth had to be kept closed while passing +through this living cloud: they struck upon the face like fine drifting +snow. Thousands lay in the boat when she emerged from the cloud +of midges. The people gather these minute insects by night, and +boil them into thick cakes, to be used as a relish—millions of +midges in a cake. A kungo cake, an inch thick, and as large as +the blue bonnet of a Scotch ploughman, was offered to us; it was very +dark in colour, and tasted not unlike caviare, or salted locusts.</p> +<p>Abundance of excellent fish is found in the lake, and nearly all +were new to us. The mpasa, or sanjika, found by Dr. Kirk to be +a kind of carp, was running up the rivers to spawn, like our salmon +at home: the largest we saw was over two feet in length; it is a splendid +fish, and the best we have ever eaten in Africa. They were ascending +the rivers in August and September, and furnished active and profitable +employment to many fishermen, who did not mind their being out of season. +Weirs were constructed full of sluices, in each of which was set a large +basket-trap, through whose single tortuous opening the fish once in +has but small chance of escape. A short distance below the weir, +nets are stretched across from bank to bank, so that it seemed a marvel +how the most sagacious sanjika could get up at all without being taken. +Possibly a passage up the river is found at night; but this is not the +country of Sundays or “close times” for either men or fish. +The lake fish are caught chiefly in nets, although men, and even women +with babies on their backs, are occasionally seen fishing from the rocks +with hooks.</p> +<p>A net with small meshes is used for catching the young fry of a silvery +kind like pickerel, when they are about two inches long; thousands are +often taken in a single haul. We had a present of a large bucketful +one day for dinner: they tasted as if they had been cooked with a little +quinine, probably from their gall-bladders being left in. In deep +water, some sorts are taken by lowering fish-baskets attached by a long +cord to a float, around which is often tied a mass of grass or weeds, +as an alluring shade for the deep-sea fish. Fleets of fine canoes +are engaged in the fisheries. The men have long paddles, and stand +erect while using them. They sometimes venture out when a considerable +sea is running. Our Makololo acknowledge that, in handling canoes, +the Lake men beat them; they were unwilling to cross the Zambesi even, +when the wind blew fresh.</p> +<p>Though there are many crocodiles in the lake, and some of an extraordinary +size, the fishermen say that it is a rare thing for any one to be carried +off by these reptiles. When crocodiles can easily obtain abundance +of fish—their natural food—they seldom attack men; but when +unable to see to catch their prey, from the muddiness of the water in +floods, they are very dangerous.</p> +<p>Many men and boys are employed in gathering the buazé, in +preparing the fibre, and in making it into long nets. The knot +of the net is different from ours, for they invariably use what sailors +call the reef knot, but they net with a needle like that we use. +From the amount of native cotton cloth worn in many of the southern +villages, it is evident that a great number of hands and heads must +be employed in the cultivation of cotton, and in the various slow processes +through which it has to pass, before the web is finished in the native +loom. In addition to this branch of industry, an extensive manufacture +of cloth, from the inner bark of an undescribed tree, of the botanical +group, <i>Cæsalpineæ</i>, is ever going on, from one end +of the lake to the other; and both toil and time are required to procure +the bark, and to prepare it by pounding and steeping it to render it +soft and pliable. The prodigious amount of the bark clothing worn +indicates the destruction of an immense number of trees every year; +yet the adjacent heights seem still well covered with timber.</p> +<p>The Lake people are by no means handsome: the women are <i>very</i> +plain; and really make themselves hideous by the means they adopt to +render themselves attractive. The <i>pelelé</i>, or ornament +for the upper lip, is universally worn by the ladies; the most valuable +is of pure tin, hammered into the shape of a small dish; some are made +of white quartz, and give the wearer the appearance of having an inch +or more of one of Price’s patent candles thrust through the lip, +and projecting beyond the tip of the nose.</p> +<p>In character, the Lake tribes are very much like other people; there +are decent men among them, while a good many are no better than they +should be. They are open-handed enough: if one of us, as was often +the case, went to see a net drawn, a fish was always offered. +Sailing one day past a number of men, who had just dragged their nets +ashore, at one of the fine fisheries at Pamalombé, we were hailed +and asked to stop, and received a liberal donation of beautiful fish. +Arriving late one afternoon at a small village on the lake, a number +of the inhabitants manned two canoes, took out their seine, dragged +it, and made us a present of the entire haul. The northern chief, +Marenga, a tall handsome man, with a fine aquiline nose, whom we found +living in his stockade in a forest about twenty miles north of the mountain +Kowirwé, behaved like a gentleman to us. His land extended +from Dambo to the north of Makuza hill. He was specially generous, +and gave us bountiful presents of food and beer. “Do they +wear such things in your country?” he asked, pointing to his iron +bracelet, which was studded with copper, and highly prized. The +Doctor said he had never seen such in his country, whereupon Marenga +instantly took it off, and presented it to him, and his wife also did +the same with hers. On our return south from the mountains near +the north end of the lake, we reached Marenga’s on the 7th October. +When he could not prevail upon us to forego the advantage of a fair +wind for his invitation to “spend the whole day drinking his beer, +which was,” he said, “quite ready,” he loaded us with +provisions, all of which he sent for before we gave him any present. +In allusion to the boat’s sail, his people said that they had +no Bazimo, or none worth having, seeing they had never invented the +like for them. The chief, Mankambira, likewise treated us with +kindness; but wherever the slave-trade is carried on, the people are +dishonest and uncivil; that invariably leaves a blight and a curse in +its path. The first question put to us at the lake crossing-places, +was, “Have you come to buy slaves?” On hearing that +we were English, and never purchased slaves, the questioners put on +a supercilious air, and sometimes refused to sell us food. This +want of respect to us may have been owing to the impressions conveyed +to them by the Arabs, whose dhows have sometimes been taken by English +cruisers when engaged in lawful trade. Much foreign cloth, beads, +and brass-wire were worn by these ferrymen—and some had muskets.</p> +<p>By Chitanda, near one of the slave crossing-places, we were robbed +for the first time in Africa, and learned by experience that these people, +like more civilized nations, have expert thieves among them. It +might be only a coincidence; but we never suffered from impudence, loss +of property, or were endangered, unless among people familiar with slaving. +We had such a general sense of security, that never, save when we suspected +treachery, did we set a watch at night. Our native companions +had, on this occasion, been carousing on beer, and had removed to a +distance of some thirty yards, that we might not overhear their free +and easy after-dinner remarks, and two of us had a slight touch of fever; +between three and four o’clock in the morning some thieves came, +while we slept ingloriously—rifles and revolvers all ready,—and +relieved us of most of our goods. The boat’s sail, under +which we slept, was open all around, so the feat was easy.</p> +<p>Awaking as honest men do, at the usual hour, the loss of one was +announced by “My bag is gone—with all my clothes; and my +boots too!” “And mine!” responded a second. +“And mine also!” chimed in the third, “with the bag +of beads, and the rice!” “Is the cloth taken?” +was the eager inquiry, as that would have been equivalent to all our +money. It had been used for a pillow that night, and thus saved. +The rogues left on the beach, close to our beds, the Aneroid Barometer +and a pair of boots, thinking possibly that they might be of use to +us, or, at least, that they could be of none to them. They shoved +back some dried plants and fishes into one bag, but carried off many +other specimens we had collected; some of our notes also, and nearly +all our clothing.</p> +<p>We could not suspect the people of the village near which we lay. +We had probably been followed for days by the thieves watching for an +opportunity. And our suspicions fell on some persons who had come +from the East Coast; but having no evidence, and expecting to hear if +our goods were exposed for sale in the vicinity, we made no fuss about +it, and began to make new clothing. That our rifles and revolvers +were left untouched was greatly to our advantage: yet we felt it was +most humiliating for armed men to have been so thoroughly fleeced by +a few black rascals.</p> +<p>Some of the best fisheries appear to be private property. We +found shelter from a storm one morning in a spacious lagoon, which communicated +with the lake by a narrow passage. Across this strait stakes were +driven in, leaving only spaces for the basket fish-traps. A score +of men were busily engaged in taking out the fish. We tried to +purchase some, but they refused to sell. The fish did not belong +to them, they would send for the proprietor of the place. The +proprietor arrived in a short time, and readily sold what we wanted.</p> +<p>Some of the burying-grounds are very well arranged, and well cared +for; this was noticed at Chitanda, and more particularly at a village +on the southern shore of the fine harbour at Cape Maclear. Wide +and neat paths were made in the burying-ground on its eastern and southern +sides. A grand old fig-tree stood at the north-east corner, and +its wide-spreading branches threw their kindly shade over the last resting-place +of the dead. Several other magnificent trees grew around the hallowed +spot. Mounds were raised as they are at home, but all lay north +and south, the heads apparently north. The graves of the sexes +were distinguished by the various implements which the buried dead had +used in their different employments during life; but they were all broken, +as if to be employed no more. A piece of fishing-net and a broken +paddle told where a fisherman lay. The graves of the women had +the wooden mortar, and the heavy pestle used in pounding the corn, and +the basket in which the meal is sifted, while all had numerous broken +calabashes and pots arranged around them. The idea that the future +life is like the present does not appear to prevail; yet a banana-tree +had been carefully planted at the head of several of the graves; the +fruit might be considered an offering to those who still possess human +tastes. The people of the neighbouring villages were friendly +and obliging, and willingly brought us food for sale.</p> +<p>Pursuing our exploration, we found that the northern part of the +lake was the abode of lawlessness and bloodshed. The Mazité, +or Mazitu, live on the highlands, and make sudden swoops on the villages +of the plains. They are Zulus who came originally from the south, +inland of Sofalla and Inhambané; and are of the same family as +those who levy annual tribute from the Portuguese on the Zambesi. +All the villages north of Mankambira’s (lat. 11 degrees 44 minutes +south) had been recently destroyed by these terrible marauders, but +they were foiled in their attacks upon that chief and Marenga. +The thickets and stockades round their villages enabled the bowmen to +pick off the Mazitu in security, while they were afraid to venture near +any place where they could not use their shields. Beyond Mankambira’s +we saw burned villages, and the putrid bodies of many who had fallen +by Mazitu spears only a few days before. Our land party were afraid +to go further. This reluctance to proceed without the presence +of a white man was very natural, because bands of the enemy who had +ravaged the country were supposed to be still roaming about; and if +these marauders saw none but men of their own colour, our party might +forthwith be attacked. Compliance with their request led to an +event which might have been attended by very serious consequences. +Dr. Livingstone got separated from the party in the boat for four days. +Having taken the first morning’s journey along with them, and +directing the boat to call for him in a bay in sight, both parties proceeded +north. In an hour Dr. Livingstone and his party struck inland, +on approaching the foot of the mountains which rise abruptly from the +lake. Supposing that they had heard of a path behind the high +range which there forms the shore, those in the boat held on their course; +but it soon began to blow so fresh that they had to run ashore for safety. +While delayed a couple of hours, two men were sent up the hills to look +for the land party, but they could see nothing of them, and the boat +party sailed as soon as it was safe to put to sea, with the conviction +that the missing ones would regain the lake in front.</p> +<p>In a short time a small island or mass of rocks was passed, on which +were a number of armed Mazitu with some young women, apparently their +wives. The headman said that he had been wounded in the foot by +Mankambira, and that they were staying there till he could walk to his +chief, who lived over the hills. They had several large canoes, +and it was evident that this was a nest of lake pirates, who sallied +out by night to kill and plunder. They reported a path behind +the hills, and, the crew being reassured, the boat sailed on. +A few miles further, another and still larger band of pirates were fallen +in with, and hundreds of crows and kites hovered over and round the +rocks on which they lived. Dr. Kirk and Charles Livingstone, though +ordered in a voice of authority to come ashore, kept on their course. +A number of canoes then shot out from the rocks and chased them. +One with nine strong paddlers persevered for some time after all the +others gave up the chase. A good breeze, however, enabled the +gig to get away from them with ease. After sailing twelve or fifteen +miles, north of the point where Dr. Livingstone had left them, it was +decided that he must be behind; but no sooner had the boat’s head +been turned south, than another gale compelled her to seek shelter in +a bay. Here a number of wretched fugitives from the slave-trade +on the opposite shore of the lake were found; the original inhabitants +of the place had all been swept off the year before by the Mazitu. +In the deserted gardens beautiful cotton was seen growing, much of it +had the staple an inch and a half long, and of very fine quality. +Some of the plants were uncommonly large, deserving to be ranked with +trees.</p> +<p>On their trying to purchase food, the natives had nothing to sell +except a little dried cassava-root, and a few fish: and they demanded +two yards of calico for the head only of a large fish. When the +gale admitted of their return, their former pursuers tried to draw them +ashore by asserting that they had quantities of ivory for sale. +Owing to a succession of gales, it was the fourth day from parting that +the boat was found by Dr. Livingstone, who was coming on in search of +it with only two of his companions.</p> +<p>After proceeding a short distance up the path in which they had been +lost sight of, they learned that it would take several days to go round +the mountains, and rejoin the lake; and they therefore turned down to +the bay, expecting to find the boat, but only saw it disappearing away +to the north. They pushed on as briskly as possible after it, +but the mountain flank which forms the coast proved excessively tedious +and fatiguing; travelling all day, the distance made, in a straight +line, was under five miles. As soon as day dawned, the march was +resumed; and, after hearing at the first inhabited rock that their companions +had passed it the day before, a goat was slaughtered out of the four +which they had with them, when suddenly, to the evident consternation +of the men, seven Mazitu appeared armed with spears and shields, with +their heads dressed fantastically with feathers. To hold a parley, +Dr. Livingstone and Moloka, a Makololo man who spoke Zulu, went unarmed +to meet them. On Dr. Livingstone approaching them, they ordered +him to stop, and sit down in the sun, while they sat in the shade. +“No, no!” was the reply, “if you sit in the shade, +so will we.” They then rattled their shields with their +clubs, a proceeding which usually inspires terror; but Moloka remarked, +“It is not the first time we have heard shields rattled.” +And all sat down together. They asked for a present, to show their +chief that they had actually met strangers—something as evidence +of having seen men who were not Arabs. And they were requested +in turn to take these strangers to the boat, or to their chief. +All the goods were in the boat, and to show that no present such as +they wanted was in his pockets, Dr. Livingstone emptied them, turning +out, among other things, a note-book: thinking it was a pistol they +started up, and said, “Put that in again.” The younger +men then became boisterous, and demanded a goat. That could not +be spared, as they were the sole provisions. When they insisted, +they were asked how many of the party they had killed, that they thus +began to divide the spoil; this evidently made them ashamed. The +elders were more reasonable; they dreaded treachery, and were as much +afraid of Dr. Livingstone and his party as his men were of them; for +on leaving they sped away up the hills like frightened deer. One +of them, and probably the leader, was married, as seen by portions of +his hair sewn into a ring; all were observed by their teeth to be people +of the country, who had been incorporated into the Zulu tribe.</p> +<p>The way still led over a succession of steep ridges with ravines +of from 500 to 1000 feet in depth; some of the sides had to be scaled +on hands and knees, and no sooner was the top reached than the descent +began again. Each ravine had a running stream; and the whole country, +though so very rugged, had all been cultivated, and densely peopled. +Many banana-trees, uncared for patches of corn, and Congo-bean bushes +attested former cultivation. The population had all been swept +away; ruined villages, broken utensils, and human skeletons, met with +at every turn, told a sad tale. So numerous were the slain, that +it was thought the inhabitants had been slaughtered in consequence of +having made raids on the Zulus for cattle.</p> +<p>Continuing the journey that night as long as light served, they slept +unconsciously on the edge of a deep precipice, without fire, lest the +Mazitu should see it. Next morning most of the men were tired +out, the dread of the apparition of the day before tending probably +to increase the lameness of which they complained. When told, +however, that all might return to Mankambira’s save two, Moloka +and Charlie, they would not, till assured that the act would not be +considered one of cowardice. Giving them one of the goats as provision, +another was slaughtered for the remainder of the party who, having found +on the rocks a canoe which had belonged to one of the deserted villages, +determined to put to sea again; but the craft was very small, and the +remaining goat, spite of many a threat of having its throat cut, jumped +and rolled about so, as nearly to capsize it; so Dr. Livingstone took +to the shore again, and after another night spent without fire, except +just for cooking, was delighted to see the boat coming back.</p> +<p>We pulled that day to Mankambira’s, a distance that on shore, +with the most heartbreaking toil, had taken three days to travel. +This was the last latitude taken, 11 degrees 44 minutes S. The +boat had gone about 24 minutes further to the north, the land party +probably half that distance, but fever prevented the instruments being +used. Dr. Kirk and Charles Livingstone were therefore furthest +up the lake, and they saw about 20 minutes beyond their turning-point, +say into the tenth degree of south latitude. From the heights +of at least a thousand feet, over which the land party toiled, the dark +mountain masses on both sides of the lake were seen closing in. +At this elevation the view extended at least as far as that from the +boats, and it is believed the end of the lake lies on the southern borders +of 10 degrees, or the northern limits of 11 degrees south latitude.</p> +<p>Elephants are numerous on the borders of the lake, and surprisingly +tame, being often found close to the villages. Hippopotami swarm +very much at their ease in the creeks and lagoons, and herds are sometimes +seen in the lake itself. Their tameness arises from the fact that +poisoned arrows have no effect on either elephant or hippopotamus. +Five of each were shot for food during our journey. Two of the +elephants were females, and had only a single tusk apiece, and were +each killed by the first shot. It is always a case of famine or +satiety when depending on the rifle for food—a glut of meat or +none at all. Most frequently it is scanty fare, except when game +is abundant, as it is far up the Zambesi. We had one morning two +hippopotami and an elephant, perhaps in all some eight tons of meat, +and two days after the last of a few sardines only for dinner.</p> +<p>One morning when sailing past a pretty thickly-inhabited part, we +were surprised at seeing nine large bull-elephants standing near the +beach quietly flapping their gigantic ears. Glad of an opportunity +of getting some fresh meat, we landed and fired into one. They +all retreated into a marshy piece of ground between two villages. +Our men gave chase, and fired into the herd. Standing on a sand +hummock, we could see the bleeding animals throwing showers of water +with their trunks over their backs. The herd was soon driven back +upon us, and a wounded one turned to bay. Yet neither this one, +nor any of the others, ever attempted to charge. Having broken +his legs with a rifle-ball, we fired into him at forty yards as rapidly +as we could load and discharge the rifles. He simply shook his +head at each shot, and received at least sixty Enfield balls before +he fell. Our excellent sailor from the north of Ireland happened +to fire the last, and, as soon as he saw the animal fall, he turned +with an air of triumph to the Doctor and exclaimed, “It was <i>my</i> +shot that done it, sir!”</p> +<p>In a few minutes upwards of a thousand natives were round the prostrate +king of beasts; and, after our men had taken all they wanted, an invitation +was given to the villagers to take the remainder. They rushed +at it like hungry hyenas, and in an incredibly short time every inch +of it was carried off. It was only by knowing that the meat would +all be used that we felt justified in the slaughter of this noble creature. +The tusks weighed 62 lbs. each. A large amount of ivory might +be obtained from the people of Nyassa, and we were frequently told of +their having it in their huts.</p> +<p>While detained by a storm on the 17th October at the mouth of the +Kaombé, we were visited by several men belonging to an Arab who +had been for fourteen years in the interior at Katanga’s, south +of Cazembe’s. They had just brought down ivory, malachite, +copper rings, and slaves to exchange for cloth at the lake. The +malachite was said to be dug out of a large vein on the side of a hill +near Katanga’s. They knew Lake Tanganyika well, but had +not heard of the Zambesi. They spoke quite positively, saying +that the water of Lake Tanganyika flowed out by the opposite end to +that of Nyassa. As they had seen neither of the overflows, we +took it simply as a piece of Arab geography. We passed their establishment +of long sheds next day, and were satisfied that the Arabs must be driving +a good trade.</p> +<p>The Lake slave-trade was going on at a terrible rate. Two enterprising +Arabs had built a dhow, and were running her, crowded with slaves, regularly +across the Lake. We were told she sailed the day before we reached +their head-quarters. This establishment is in the latitude of +the Portuguese slave-exporting town of Iboe, and partly supplies that +vile market; but the greater number of the slaves go to Kilwa. +We did not see much evidence of a wish to barter. Some ivory was +offered for sale; but the chief traffic was in human chattels. +Would that we could give a comprehensive account of the horrors of the +slave-trade, with an approximation to the number of lives it yearly +destroys! for we feel sure that were even half the truth told and recognized, +the feelings of men would be so thoroughly roused, that this devilish +traffic in human flesh would be put down at all risks; but neither we, +nor any one else, have the statistics necessary for a work of this kind. +Let us state what we do know of one portion of Africa, and then every +reader who believes our tale can apply the ratio of the known misery +to find out the unknown. We were informed by Colonel Rigby, late +H.M. Political Agent, and Consul at Zanzibar, that 19,000 slaves from +this Nyassa country alone pass annually through the Custom-house of +that island. This is exclusive of course of those sent to Portuguese +slave-ports. Let it not be supposed for an instant that this number, +19,000, represents all the victims. Those taken out of the country +are but a very small section of the sufferers. We never realized +the atrocious nature of the traffic, until we saw it at the fountain-head. +There truly “Satan has his seat.” Besides those actually +captured, thousands are killed and die of their wounds and famine, driven +from their villages by the slave raid proper. Thousands perish +in internecine war waged for slaves with their own clansmen and neighbours, +slain by the lust of gain, which is stimulated, be it remembered always, +by the slave purchasers of Cuba and elsewhere. The many skeletons +we have seen, amongst rocks and woods, by the little pools, and along +the paths of the wilderness, attest the awful sacrifice of human life, +which must be attributed, directly or indirectly, to this trade of hell. +We would ask our countrymen to believe us when we say, as we conscientiously +can, that it is our deliberate opinion, from what we know and have seen, +that not one-fifth of the victims of the slave-trade ever become slaves. +Taking the Shiré Valley as an average, we should say not even +one-tenth arrive at their destination. As the system, therefore, +involves such an awful waste of human life,—or shall we say of +human labour?—and moreover tends directly to perpetuate the barbarism +of those who remain in the country, the argument for the continuance +of this wasteful course because, forsooth, a fraction of the enslaved +may find good masters, seems of no great value. This reasoning, +if not the result of ignorance, may be of maudlin philanthropy. +A small armed steamer on Lake Nyassa could easily, by exercising a control, +and furnishing goods in exchange for ivory and other products, break +the neck of this infamous traffic in that quarter; for nearly all must +cross the Lake or the Upper Shiré.</p> +<p>Our exploration of the Lake extended from the 2nd September to the +27th October, 1861; and, having expended or lost most of the goods we +had brought, it was necessary to go back to the ship. When near +the southern end, on our return, we were told that a very large slave-party +had just crossed to the eastern side. We heard the fire of three +guns in the evening, and judged by the report that they must be at least +six-pounders. They were said to belong to an Ajawa chief named +Mukata.</p> +<p>In descending the Shiré, we found concealed in the broad belt +of papyrus round the lakelet Pamalombé, into which the river +expands, a number of Manganja families who had been driven from their +homes by the Ajawa raids. So thickly did the papyrus grow, that +when beat down it supported their small temporary huts, though when +they walked from one hut to another, it heaved and bent beneath their +feet as thin ice does at home.</p> +<p>A dense and impenetrable forest of the papyrus was left standing +between them and the land, and no one passing by on the same side would +ever have suspected that human beings lived there. They came to +this spot from the south by means of their canoes, which enabled them +to obtain a living from the fine fish which abound in the lakelet. +They had a large quantity of excellent salt sewed up in bark, some of +which we bought, our own having run out. We anchored for the night +off their floating camp, and were visited by myriads of mosquitoes. +Some of the natives show a love of country quite surprising. We +saw fugitives on the mountains, in the north of the lake, who were persisting +in clinging to the haunts of their boyhood and youth, in spite of starvation +and the continual danger of being put to death by the Mazitu.</p> +<p>A few miles below the lakelet is the last of the great slave-crossings. +Since the Ajawa invasion the villages on the left bank had been abandoned, +and the people, as we saw in our ascent, were living on the right or +western bank.</p> +<p>As we were resting for a few minutes opposite the valuable fishery +at Movunguti, a young effeminate-looking man from some sea-coast tribe +came in great state to have a look at us. He walked under a large +umbrella, and was followed by five handsome damsels gaily dressed and +adorned with a view to attract purchasers. One was carrying his +pipe for smoking bang, here called “chamba;” another his +bow and arrows; a third his battle-axe; a fourth one of his robes; while +the last was ready to take his umbrella when he felt tired. This +show of his merchandise was to excite the cupidity of any chief who +had ivory, and may be called the lawful way of carrying on the slave-trade. +What proportion it bears to the other ways in which we have seen this +traffic pursued, we never found means of forming a judgment. He +sat and looked at us for a few minutes, the young ladies kneeling behind +him; and having satisfied himself that we were not likely to be customers, +he departed.</p> +<p>On our first trip we met, at the landing opposite this place, a middle-aged +woman of considerable intelligence, and possessing more knowledge of +the country than any of the men. Our first definite information +about Lake Nyassa was obtained from her. Seeing us taking notes, +she remarked that she had been to the sea, and had there seen white +men writing. She had seen camels also, probably among the Arabs. +She was the only Manganja woman we ever met who was ashamed of wearing +the “pelelé,” or lip-ring. She retired to her +hut, took it out, and kept her hand before her mouth to hide the hideous +hole in the lip while conversing with us. All the villagers respected +her, and even the headmen took a secondary place in her presence. +On inquiring for her now, we found that she was dead. We never +obtained sufficient materials to estimate the relative mortality of +the highlands and lowlands; but, from many very old white-headed blacks +having been seen on the highlands, we think it probable that even native +races are longer lived the higher their dwelling-places are.</p> +<p>We landed below at Mikena’s and took observations for longitude, +to verify those taken two years before. The village was deserted, +Mikena and his people having fled to the other side of the river. +A few had come across this morning to work in their old gardens. +After completing the observations we had breakfast; and, as the last +of the things were being carried into the boat, a Manganja man came +running down to his canoe, crying out, “The Ajawa have just killed +my comrade!” We shoved off, and in two minutes the advanced +guard of a large marauding party were standing with their muskets on +the spot where we had taken breakfast. They were evidently surprised +at seeing us there, and halted; as did also the main body of perhaps +a thousand men. “Kill them,” cried the Manganja; “they +are going up to the hills to kill the English,” meaning the missionaries +we had left at Magomero. But having no prospect of friendly communication +with them, nor confidence in Manganja’s testimony, we proceeded +down the river; leaving the Ajawa sitting under a large baobab, and +the Manganja cursing them most energetically across the river.</p> +<p>On our way up, we had seen that the people of Zimika had taken refuge +on a long island in the Shiré, where they had placed stores of +grain to prevent it falling into the hands of the Ajawa; supposing afterwards +that the invasion and war were past, they had removed back again to +the mainland on the east, and were living in fancied security. +On approaching the chief’s village, which was built in the midst +of a beautiful grove of lofty wild-fig and palm trees, sounds of revelry +fell upon our ears. The people were having a merry time—drumming, +dancing, and drinking beer—while a powerful enemy was close at +hand, bringing death or slavery to every one in the village. One +of our men called out to several who came to the bank to look at us, +that the Ajawa were coming and were even now at Mikena’s village; +but they were dazed with drinking, and took no notice of the warning.</p> +<p>Crowds of carriers offered their services after we left the river. +Several sets of them placed so much confidence in us, as to decline +receiving payment at the end of the first day; they wished to work another +day, and so receive both days’ wages in one piece. The young +headman of a new village himself came on with his men. The march +was a pretty long one, and one of the men proposed to lay the burdens +down beside a hut a mile or more from the next village. The headman +scolded the fellow for his meanness in wishing to get rid of our goods +where we could not procure carriers, and made him carry them on. +The village, at the foot of the cataracts, had increased very much in +size and wealth since we passed it on our way up. A number of +large new huts had been built; and the people had a good stock of cloth +and beads. We could not account for this sudden prosperity, until +we saw some fine large canoes, instead of the two old, leaky things +which lay there before. This had become a crossing-place for the +slaves that the Portuguese agents were carrying to Tette, because they +were afraid to take them across nearer to where the ship lay, about +seven miles off. Nothing was more disheartening than this conduct +of the Manganja, in profiting by the entire breaking up of their nation.</p> +<p>We reached the ship on the 8th of November, 1861, in a very weak +condition, having suffered more from hunger than on any previous trip. +Heavy rains commenced on the 9th, and continued several days; the river +rose rapidly, and became highly discoloured. Bishop Mackenzie +came down to the ship on the 14th, with some of the “Pioneer’s” +men, who had been at Magomero for the benefit of their health, and also +for the purpose of assisting the Mission. The Bishop appeared +to be in excellent spirits, and thought that the future promised fair +for peace and usefulness. The Ajawa having been defeated and driven +off while we were on the Lake, had sent word that they desired to live +at peace with the English. Many of the Manganja had settled round +Magomero, in order to be under the protection of the Bishop; and it +was hoped that the slave-trade would soon cease in the highlands, and +the people be left in the secure enjoyment of their industry. +The Mission, it was also anticipated, might soon become, to a considerable +degree, self-supporting, and raise certain kinds of food, like the Portuguese +of Senna and Quillimane. Mr. Burrup, an energetic young man, had +arrived at Chibisa’s the day before the Bishop, having come up +the Shiré in a canoe. A surgeon and a lay brother followed +behind in another canoe. The “Pioneer’s” draught +being too much for the upper part of the Shiré, it was not deemed +advisable to bring her up, on the next trip, further than the Ruo; the +Bishop, therefore, resolved to explore the country from Magomero to +the mouth of that river, and to meet the ship with his sisters and Mrs. +Burrup, in January. This was arranged before parting, and then +the good Bishop and Burrup, whom we were never to meet again, left us; +they gave and received three hearty English cheers as they went to the +shore, and we steamed off.</p> +<p>The rains ceased on the 14th, and the waters of the Shiré +fell, even more rapidly than they had risen. A shoal, twenty miles +below Chibisa’s, checked our further progress, and we lay there +five weary weeks, till the permanent rise of the river took place. +During this detention, with a large marsh on each side, the first death +occurred in the Expedition which had now been three-and-a-half years +in the country. The carpenter’s mate, a fine healthy young +man, was seized with fever. The usual remedies had no effect; +he died suddenly while we were at evening prayers, and was buried on +shore. He came out in the “Pioneer,” and, with the +exception of a slight touch of fever at the mouth of the Rovuma, had +enjoyed perfect health all the time he had been with us. The Portuguese +are of opinion that the European who has immunity from this disease +for any length of time after he enters the country is more likely to +be cut off by it when it does come, than the man who has it frequently +at first.</p> +<p>The rains became pretty general towards the close of December, and +the Shiré was in flood in the beginning of January, 1862. +At our wooding-place, a mile above the Ruo, the water was three feet +higher than it was when we were here in June; and on the night of the +6th it rose eighteen inches more, and swept down an immense amount of +brushwood and logs which swarmed with beetles and the two kinds of shells +which are common all over the African continent. Natives in canoes +were busy spearing fish in the meadows and creeks, and appeared to be +taking them in great numbers. Spur-winged geese, and others of +the knob-nosed species, took advantage of the low gardens being flooded, +and came to pilfer the beans. As we passed the Ruo, on the 7th, +and saw nothing of the Bishop, we concluded that he had heard from his +surgeon of our detention, and had deferred his journey. He arrived +there five days after, on the 12th.</p> +<p>After paying our Senna men, as they wished to go home, we landed +them here. All were keen traders, and had invested largely in +native iron-hoes, axes, and ornaments. Many of the hoes and spears +had been taken from the slaving parties whose captives we liberated; +for on these occasions our Senna friends were always uncommonly zealous +and active. The remainder had been purchased with the old clothes +we had given them and their store of hippopotamus meat: they had no +fear of losing them, or of being punished for aiding us. The system, +in which they had been trained, had eradicated the idea of personal +responsibility from their minds. The Portuguese slaveholders would +blame the English alone, they said; they were our servants at the time. +No white man on board could purchase so cheaply as these men could. +Many a time had their eloquence persuaded a native trader to sell for +a bit of dirty worn cloth things for which he had, but a little before, +refused twice the amount of clean new calico. “Scissors” +being troubled with a cough at night, received a present of a quilted +coverlet, which had seen a good deal of service. A few days afterwards, +a good chance of investing in hoes offering itself, he ripped off both +sides, tore them into a dozen pieces, and purchased about a dozen hoes +with them.</p> +<p>We entered the Zambesi on the 11th of January, and steamed down towards +the coast, taking the side on which we had come up; but the channel +had changed to the other side during the summer, as it sometimes does, +and we soon grounded. A Portuguese gentleman, formerly a lieutenant +in the army, and now living on Sangwisa, one of the islands of the Zambesi, +came over with his slaves, to aid us in getting the ship off. +He said frankly, that his people were all great thieves, and we must +be on our guard not to leave anything about. He next made a short +speech to his men, told them he knew what thieves they were, but implored +them not to steal from us, as we would give them a present of cloth +when the work was done. “The natives of this country,” +he remarked to us, “think only of three things, what they shall +eat and drink, how many wives they can have, and what they may steal +from their master, if not how they may murder him.” He always +slept with a loaded musket by his side. This opinion may apply +to slaves, but decidedly does not in our experience apply to freemen. +We paid his men for helping us, and believe that even they, being paid, +stole nothing from us. Our friend farms pretty extensively the +large island called Sangwisa,—lent him for nothing by Senhor Ferrão,—and +raises large quantities of mapira and beans, and also beautiful white +rice, grown from seed brought a few years ago from South Carolina. +He furnished us with some, which was very acceptable; for though not +in absolute want, we were living on beans, salt pork, and fowls, all +the biscuit and flour on board having been expended.</p> +<p>We fully expected that the owners of the captives we had liberated +would show their displeasure, at least by their tongues; but they seemed +ashamed; only one ventured a remark, and he, in the course of common +conversation, said, with a smile, “You took the Governor’s +slaves, didn’t you?” “Yes, we did free several +gangs that we met in the Manganja country.” The Portuguese +of Tette, from the Governor downwards, were extensively engaged in slaving. +The trade is partly internal and partly external: they send some of +the captives, and those bought, into the interior, up the Zambesi: some +of these we actually met on their way up the river. The young +women were sold there for ivory: an ordinary-looking one brought two +arrobas, sixty-four pounds weight, and an extra beauty brought twice +that amount. The men and boys were kept as carriers, to take the +ivory down from the interior to Tette, or were retained on farms on +the Zambesi, ready for export if a slaver should call: of this last +mode of slaving we were witnesses also. The slaves were sent down +the river chained, and in large canoes. This went on openly at +Tette, and more especially so while the French “Free Emigration” +system was in full operation. This double mode of disposing of +the captives pays better than the single system of sending them down +to the coast for exportation. One merchant at Tette, with whom +we were well acquainted, sent into the interior three hundred Manganja +women to be sold for ivory, and another sent a hundred and fifty.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XI.</h3> +<p>Arrival of H.M.S. “Gorgon”—Dr. Livingstone’s +new steamer and Mrs. Livingstone—Death of Mrs. Livingstone—Voyage +to Johanna and the Rovuma—An attack upon the “Pioneer’s” +boats.</p> +<p>We anchored on the Great Luabo mouth of the Zambesi, because wood +was much more easily obtained there than at the Kongoné.</p> +<p>On the 30th, H.M.S. “Gorgon” arrived, towing the brig +which brought Mrs. Livingstone, some ladies about to join their relatives +in the Universities’ Mission, and the twenty-four sections of +a new iron steamer intended for the navigation of Lake Nyassa. +The “Pioneer” steamed out, and towed the brig into the Kongoné +harbour. The new steamer was called the “Lady of the Lake,” +or the “Lady Nyassa,” and as much as could be carried of +her in one trip was placed, by the help of the officers and men of the +“Gorgon,” on board the “Pioneer,” and the two +large paddle-box boats of H.M.’s ship. We steamed off for +Ruo on the 10th of February, having on board Captain Wilson, with a +number of his officers and men to help us to discharge the cargo. +Our progress up was distressingly slow. The river was in flood, +and we had a three-knot current against us in many places. These +delays kept us six months in the delta, instead of, as we anticipated, +only six days; for, finding it impossible to carry the sections up to +the Ruo without great loss of time, it was thought best to land them +at Shupanga, and, putting the hull of the “Lady Nyassa” +together there, to tow her up to the foot of the Murchison Cataracts.</p> +<p>A few days before the “Pioneer” reached Shupanga, Captain +Wilson, seeing the hopeless state of affairs, generously resolved to +hasten with the Mission ladies up to those who, we thought, were anxiously +awaiting their arrival, and therefore started in his gig for the Ruo, +taking Miss Mackenzie, Mrs. Burrup, and his surgeon, Dr. Ramsay. +They were accompanied by Dr. Kirk and Mr. Sewell, paymaster of the “Gorgon,” +in the whale-boat of the “Lady Nyassa.” As our slow-paced-launch, +“Ma Robert,” had formerly gone up to the foot of the cataracts +in nine days’ steaming, it was supposed that the boats might easily +reach the expected meeting-place at the Ruo in a week; but the Shiré +was now in flood, and in its most rapid state; and they were longer +in getting up about half the distance, than it was hoped they would +be in the whole navigable part of the river. They could hear nothing +of the Bishop from the chief of the island, Malo, at the mouth of the +Ruo. “No white man had ever come to his village,” +he said. They proceeded on to Chibisa’s, suffering terribly +from mosquitoes at night. Their toil in stemming the rapid current +made them estimate the distance, by the windings, as nearer 300 than +200 miles. The Makololo who had remained at Chibisa’s told +them the sad news of the death of the good Bishop and of Mr. Burrup. +Other information received there awakened fresh anxiety on behalf of +the survivors; so, leaving the ladies with Dr. Ramsay and the Makololo, +Captain Wilson and Dr. Kirk went up the hills, in hopes of being able +to render assistance, and on the way they met some of the Mission party +at Soché’s. The excessive fatigue that our friends +had undergone in the voyage up to Chibisa’s in no wise deterred +them from this further attempt for the benefit of their countrymen, +but the fresh labour, with diminished rations, was too much for their +strength. They were reduced to a diet of native beans and an occasional +fowl. Both became very ill of fever, Captain Wilson so dangerously +that his fellow-sufferer lost all hopes of his recovery. His strong +able-bodied cockswain did good service in cheerfully carrying his much-loved +Commander, and they managed to return to the boat, and brought the two +bereaved and sorrow-stricken ladies back to the “Pioneer.”</p> +<p>We learnt that the Bishop, wishing to find a shorter route down to +the Shiré, had sent two men to explore the country between Magomero +and the junction of the Ruo; and in December Messrs. Proctor and Scudamore, +with a number of Manganja carriers, left Magomero for the same purpose. +They were to go close to Mount Choro, and then skirt the Elephant Marsh, +with Mount Clarendon on their left. Their guides seem to have +led them away to the east, instead of south; to the upper waters of +the Ruo in the Shirwa valley, instead of to its mouth. Entering +an Anguru slave-trading village, they soon began to suspect that the +people meant mischief, and just before sunset a woman told some of their +men that if they slept there they would all be killed. On their +preparing to leave, the Anguru followed them and shot their arrows at +the retreating party. Two of the carriers were captured, and all +the goods were taken by these robbers. An arrow-head struck deep +into the stock of Proctor’s gun; and the two missionaries, barely +escaping with their lives, swam a deep river at night, and returned +to Magomero famished and exhausted.</p> +<p>The wives of the captive carriers came to the Bishop day after day +weeping and imploring him to rescue their husbands from slavery. +The men had been caught while in his service, no one else could be entreated; +there was no public law nor any power superior to his own, to which +an appeal could be made; for in him Church and State were, in the disorganized +state of the country, virtually united. It seemed to him to be +clearly his duty to try and rescue these kidnapped members of the Mission +family. He accordingly invited the veteran Makololo to go with +him on this somewhat hazardous errand. Nothing could have been +proposed to them which they would have liked better, and they went with +alacrity to eat the sheep of the Anguru, only regretting that the enemy +did not keep cattle as well. Had the matter been left entirely +in their hands, they would have made a clean sweep of that part of the +country; but the Bishop restrained them, and went in an open manner, +thus commending the measure to all the natives, as one of justice. +This deliberation, however, gave the delinquents a chance of escape.</p> +<p>The missionaries were successful; the offending village was burned, +and a few sheep and goats were secured which could not be considered +other than a very mild punishment for the offence committed; the headman, +Muana-somba, afraid to retain the prisoners any longer, forthwith liberated +them, and they returned to their homes. This incident took place +at the time we were at the Ruo and during the rains, and proved very +trying to the health of the missionaries; they were frequently wetted, +and had hardly any food but roasted maize. Mr. Scudamore was never +well afterwards. Directly on their return to Magomero, the Bishop +and Mr. Burrup, both suffering from diarrhoea in consequence of wet, +hunger, and exposure, started for Chibisa’s to go down to the +Ruo by the Shiré. So fully did the Bishop expect a renewal +of the soaking wet from which he had just returned, that on leaving +Magomero he walked through the stream. The rivulets were so swollen +that it took five days to do a journey that would otherwise have occupied +only two days and a half.</p> +<p>None of the Manganja being willing to take them down the river during +the flood, three Makololo canoe-men agreed to go with them. After +paddling till near sunset, they decided to stop and sleep on shore; +but the mosquitoes were so numerous that they insisted on going on again; +the Bishop, being a week behind the time he had engaged to be at the +Ruo, reluctantly consented, and in the darkness the canoe was upset +in one of the strong eddies or whirlpools, which suddenly boil up in +flood time near the outgoing branches of the river; clothing, medicines, +tea, coffee, and sugar were all lost. Wet and weary, and tormented +by mosquitoes, they lay in the canoe till morning dawned, and then proceeded +to Malo, an island at the mouth of the Ruo, where the Bishop was at +once seized with fever.</p> +<p>Had they been in their usual health, they would doubtless have pushed +on to Shupanga, or to the ship; but fever rapidly prostrates the energies, +and induces a drowsy stupor, from which, if not roused by medicine, +the patient gradually sinks into the sleep of death. Still mindful, +however, of his office, the Bishop consoled himself by thinking that +he might gain the friendship of the chief, which would be of essential +service to him in his future labours. That heartless man, however, +probably suspicious of all foreigners from the knowledge he had acquired +of white slave-traders, wanted to turn the dying Bishop out of the hut, +as he required it for his corn, but yielded to the expostulations of +the Makololo. Day after day for three weeks did these faithful +fellows remain beside his mat on the floor; till, without medicine or +even proper food, he died. They dug his grave on the edge of the +deep dark forest where the natives buried their dead. Mr. Burrup, +himself far gone with dysentery, staggered from the hut, and, as in +the dusk of evening they committed the Bishop’s body to the grave, +repeated from memory portions of our beautiful service for the Burial +of the Dead—“earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; +in sure and certain hope of the resurrection of the dead through our +Lord Jesus Christ.” And in this sad way ended the earthly +career of one, of whom it can safely be said that for unselfish goodness +of heart, and earnest devotion to the noble work he had undertaken, +none of the commendations of his friends can exceed the reality. +The grave in which his body rests is about a hundred yards from the +confluence of the Ruo, on the left bank of the Shiré, and opposite +the island of Malo. The Makololo then took Mr. Burrup up in the +canoe as far as they could, and, making a litter of branches, carried +him themselves, or got others to carry him, all the way back to his +countrymen at Magomero. They hurried him on lest he should die +in their hands, and blame be attached to them. Soon after his +return he expired, from the disease which was on him when he started +to meet his wife.</p> +<p>Captain Wilson arrived at Shupanga on the 11th of March, having been +three weeks on the Shiré. On the 15th the “Pioneer” +steamed down to the Kongoné. The “Gorgon” had +been driven out to sea in a gale, and had gone to Johanna for provisions, +and it was the 2nd of April before she returned. It was fortunate +for us that she had obtained a supply, as our provisions were exhausted, +and we had to buy some from the master of the brig. The “Gorgon” +left for the Cape on the 4th, taking all, except one, of the Mission +party who had come in January. We take this opportunity of expressing +our heartfelt gratitude to the gallant Captain I. C. Wilson and his +officers for innumerable acts of kindness and hearty co-operation. +Our warmest thanks are also due to Captain R. B. Oldfield and the other +officers from the Admiral downwards, and we beg to assure them that +nothing could be more encouraging to us in our difficulties and trials, +than the knowledge that we possessed their friendship and sympathy in +our labours.</p> +<p>The Rev. James Stewart, of the Free Church of Scotland, arrived in +the “Gorgon.” He had wisely come out to inspect the +country, before deciding on the formation of a Mission in the interior. +To this object he devoted many months of earnest labour. This +Mission was intended to embrace both the industrial and the religious +element; and as the route by the Zambesi and Shiré forms the +only one at present known, with but a couple of days’ land journey +to the highlands, which stretch to an unknown distance into the continent, +and as no jealousy was likely to be excited in the mind of a man of +Bishop Mackenzie’s enlarged views—there being moreover room +for hundreds of Missions—we gladly extended the little aid in +our power to an envoy from the energetic body above mentioned, but recommended +him to examine the field with his own eyes.</p> +<p>During our subsequent detention at Shupanga, he proceeded as far +up the Shiré as the Upper Cataracts, and saw the mere remnants +of that dense population, which we at first had found living in peace +and plenty, but which was now scattered and destroyed by famine and +slave-hunting. The land, which both before and after we found +so fair and fruitful, was burned up by a severe drought; in fact, it +was at its very worst. With most praiseworthy energy, and in spite +of occasional attacks of fever, he then ascended the Zambesi as far +as Kebrabasa; and, what may be of interest to some, compared it, in +parts, to the Danube. His estimate of the highlands would naturally +be lower than ours. The main drawbacks in his opinion, however, +were the slave-trade, and the power allowed the effete Portuguese of +shutting up the country from all except a few convicts of their own +nation. The time of his coming was inopportune; the disasters +which, from inexperience, had befallen the Mission of the Universities, +had a depressing effect on the minds of many at home, and rendered a +new attempt unadvisable; though, had the Scotch perseverance and energy +been introduced, it is highly probable that they would have reacted, +most beneficially, on the zeal of our English brethren, and desertion +would never have been heard of. After examining the country, Mr. +Stewart descended the Zambesi in the beginning of the following year, +and proceeded homewards with his report, by Mosambique and the Cape.</p> +<p>On the 7th of April we had only one man fit for duty; all the rest +were down with fever, or with the vile spirit secretly sold to them +by the Portuguese officer of customs, in spite of our earnest request +to him to refrain from the pernicious traffic.</p> +<p>We started on the 11th for Shupanga with another load of the “Lady +Nyassa.” As we steamed up the delta, we observed many of +the natives wearing strips of palm-leaf, the signs of sickness and mourning; +for they too suffer from fever. This is the unhealthy season; +the rains are over, and the hot sun draws up malaria from the decayed +vegetation; disease seemed peculiarly severe this year. On our +way up we met Mr. Waller, who had come from Magomero for provisions; +the missionaries were suffering severely from want of food; the liberated +people were starving, and dying of diarrhoea, and loathsome sores. +The Ajawa, stimulated in their slave raids by supplies of ammunition +and cloth from the Portuguese, had destroyed the large crops of the +past year; a drought had followed, and little or no food could be bought. +With his usual energy, Mr. Waller hired canoes, loaded them with stores, +and took them up the long weary way to Chibisa’s. Before +he arrived he was informed that the Mission of the Universities, now +deprived of its brave leader, had retired from the highlands down to +the Low Shiré Valley. This appeared to us, who knew the +danger of leading a sedentary life, the greatest mistake they could +have made, and was the result of no other counsel or responsibility +than their own. Waller would have reascended at once to the higher +altitude, but various objections stood in the way. The loss of +poor Scudamore and Dickinson, in this low-lying situation, but added +to the regret that the highlands had not received a fair trial.</p> +<p>When the news of the Bishop’s unfortunate collisions with the +natives, and of his untimely end, reached England, much blame was imputed +to him. The policy, which with the formal sanction of all his +companions he had adopted, being directly contrary to the advice which +Dr. Livingstone tendered, and to the assurances of the peaceable nature +of the Mission which the Doctor had given to the natives, a friendly +disapproval of a bishop’s engaging in war was ventured on, when +we met him at Chibisa’s in November. But when we found his +conduct regarded with so much bitterness in England, whether from a +disposition to “stand by the down man,” or from having an +intimate knowledge of the peculiar circumstances of the country in which +he was placed, or from the thorough confidence which intimacy caused +us to repose in his genuine piety, and devout service of God, we came +to think much more leniently of his proceedings, than his assailants +did. He never seemed to doubt but that he had done his duty; and +throughout he had always been supported by his associates.</p> +<p>The question whether a Bishop, in the event of his flock being torn +from his bosom, may make war to rescue them, requires serious consideration. +It seems to narrow itself into whether a Christian man may lawfully +use the civil power or the sword at all in defensive war, as police +or otherwise. We would do almost anything to avoid a collision +with degraded natives; but in case of an invasion—our blood boils +at the very thought of our wives, daughters, or sisters being touched—we, +as men with human feelings, would unhesitatingly fight to the death, +with all the fury in our power.</p> +<p>The good Bishop was as intensely averse to using arms, before he +met the slave-hunters, as any man in England. In the course he +pursued he may have made a mistake, but it is a mistake which very few +Englishmen on meeting bands of helpless captives, or members of his +family in bonds, would have failed to commit likewise.</p> +<p>During unhealthy April, the fever was more severe in Shupanga and +Mazaro than usual. We had several cases on board—they were +quickly cured, but, from our being in the delta, as quickly returned. +About the middle of the month Mrs. Livingstone was prostrated by this +disease; and it was accompanied by obstinate vomiting. Nothing +is yet known that can allay this distressing symptom, which of course +renders medicine of no avail, as it is instantly rejected. She +received whatever medical aid could be rendered from Dr. Kirk, but became +unconscious, and her eyes were closed in the sleep of death as the sunset +on the evening of the Christian Sabbath, the 27th April, 1862. +A coffin was made during the night, a grave was dug next day under the +branches of the great baobab-tree, and with sympathizing hearts the +little band of his countrymen assisted the bereaved husband in burying +his dead. At his request, the Rev. James Stewart read the burial-service; +and the seamen kindly volunteered to mount guard for some nights at +the spot where her body rests in hope. Those who are not aware +how this brave, good, English wife made a delightful home at Kolobeng, +a thousand miles inland from the Cape, and as the daughter of Moffat +and a Christian lady exercised most beneficial influence over the rude +tribes of the interior, may wonder that she should have braved the dangers +and toils of this down-trodden land. She knew them all, and, in +the disinterested and dutiful attempt to renew her labours, was called +to her rest instead. “<i>Fiat, Domine, voluntas tua</i>!”</p> +<p>On the 5th of May Dr. Kirk and Charles Livingstone started in the +boat for Tette, in order to see the property of the Expedition brought +down in canoes. They took four Mazaro canoe-men to manage the +boat, and a white sailor to cook for them; but, unfortunately, he caught +fever the very day after leaving the ship, and was ill most of the trip; +so they had to cook for themselves, and to take care of him besides.</p> +<p>We now proceeded with preparations for the launch of the “Lady +Nyassa.” Ground was levelled on the bank at Shupanga, for +the purpose of arranging the compartments in order: she was placed on +palm-trees which were brought from a place lower down the river for +ways, and the engineer and his assistants were soon busily engaged; +about a fortnight after they were all brought from Kongoné, the +sections were screwed together. The blacks are more addicted to +stealing where slavery exists than elsewhere. We were annoyed +by thieves who carried off the iron screw-bolts, but were gratified +to find that strychnine saved us from the man-thief as well as the hyena-thief. +A hyena was killed by it, and after the natives saw the dead animal +and knew how we had destroyed it, they concluded that it was not safe +to steal from men who possessed a medicine so powerful. The half-caste, +who kept Shupanga-house, said he wished to have some to give to the +Zulus, of whom he was mortally afraid, and to whom he had to pay an +unwilling tribute.</p> +<p>The “Pioneer” made several trips to the Kongoné, +and returned with the last load on the 12th of June. On the 23rd +the “Lady Nyassa” was safely launched, the work of putting +her together having been interrupted by fever and dysentery, and many +other causes which it would only weary the reader to narrate in detail. +Natives from all parts of the country came to see the launch, most of +them quite certain that, being made of iron, she must go to the bottom +as soon as she entered the water. Earnest discussions had taken +place among them with regard to the propriety of using iron for ship-building. +The majority affirmed that it would never answer. They said, “If +we put a hoe into the water, or the smallest bit of iron, it sinks immediately. +How then can such a mass of iron float? it must go to the bottom.” +The minority answered that this might be true with them, but white men +had medicine for everything. “They could even make a woman, +all except the speaking; look at that one on the figure-head of the +vessel.” The unbelievers were astonished, and could hardly +believe their eyes, when they saw the ship float lightly and gracefully +on the river, instead of going to the bottom, as they so confidently +predicted. “Truly,” they said, “these men have +powerful medicine.”</p> +<p>Birds are numerous on the Shupanga estate. Some kinds remain +all the year round, while many others are there only for a few months. +Flocks of green pigeons come in April to feed on the young fruit of +the wild fig-trees, which is also eaten by a large species of bat in +the evenings. The pretty little black weaver, with yellow shoulders, +appears to enjoy life intensely after assuming his wooing dress. +A hearty breakfast is eaten in the mornings and then come the hours +for making merry. A select party of three or four perch on the +bushes which skirt a small grassy plain, and cheer themselves with the +music of their own quiet and self-complacent song. A playful performance +on the wind succeeds. Expanding his soft velvet-like plumage, +one glides with quivering pinions to the centre of the open space, singing +as he flies, then turns with a rapid whirring sound from his wings—somewhat +like a child’s rattle—and returns to his place again. +One by one the others perform the same feat, and continue the sport +for hours, striving which can produce the loudest brattle while turning. +These games are only played during the season of courting and of the +gay feathers; the merriment seems never to be thought of while the bird +wears his winter suit of sober brown.</p> +<p>We received two mules from the Cape to aid us in transporting the +pieces of the “Lady Nyassa” past the cataracts and landed +them at Shupanga, but they soon perished. A Portuguese gentleman +kindly informed us, <i>after</i> both the mules were dead, that he knew +they would die; for the land there had been often tried, and nothing +would live on it—not even a pig. He said he had not told +us so before, because he did not like to appear officious!</p> +<p>By the time everything had been placed on board the “Lady Nyassa,” +the waters of the Zambesi and the Shiré had fallen so low that +it was useless to attempt taking her up to the cataracts before the +rains in December. Draught oxen and provisions also were required, +and could not be obtained nearer than the Island of Johanna. The +Portuguese, without refusing positively to let trade enter the Zambesi, +threw impediments in the way; they only wanted a small duty! They +were about to establish a river police, and rearrange the Crown lands, +which have long since become Zulu lands; meanwhile they were making +the Zambesi, by slaving, of no value to any one.</p> +<p>The Rovuma, which was reported to come from Lake Nyassa, being out +of their claims and a free river, we determined to explore it in our +boats immediately on our return from Johanna, for which place, after +some delay at the Kongoné, in repairing engines, paddle-wheel, +and rudder, we sailed on the 6th of August. A store of naval provisions +had been formed on a hulk in Pomoné Bay of that island for the +supply of the cruisers, and was in charge of Mr. Sunley, the Consul, +from whom we always received the kindest attentions and assistance. +He now obliged us by parting with six oxen, trained for his own use +in sugar-making. Though sadly hampered in his undertaking by being +obliged to employ slave labour, he has by indomitable energy overcome +obstacles under which most persons would have sunk. He has done +all that under the circumstances could be done to infuse a desire for +freedom, by paying regular wages; and has established a large factory, +and brought 300 acres of rich soil under cultivation with sugar-cane. +We trust he will realize the fortune which he so well deserves to earn. +Had Mr. Sunley performed the same experiment on the mainland, where +people would have flocked to him for the wages he now gives, he would +certainly have inaugurated a new era on the East Coast of Africa. +On a small island where the slaveholders have complete power over the +slaves, and where there is no free soil such as is everywhere met with +in Africa, the experiment ought not to be repeated. Were Mr. Sunley +commencing again, it should neither be in Zanzibar nor Johanna, but +on African soil, where, if even a slave is ill-treated, he can easily +by flight become free. On an island under native rule a joint +manufacture by Arabs and Englishmen might only mean that the latter +were to escape the odium of flogging the slaves.</p> +<p>On leaving Johanna and our oxen for a time, H.M.S. “Orestes” +towed us thence to the mouth of the Rovuma at the beginning of September. +Captain Gardner, her commander, and several of his officers, accompanied +us up the river for two days in the gig and cutter. The water +was unusually low, and it was rather dull work for a few hours in the +morning; but the scene became livelier and more animated when the breeze +began to blow. Our four boats they swept on under full sail, the +men on the look out in the gig and cutter calling, “Port, sir!” +“Starboard, sir!” “As you go, sir!” while +the black men in the bows of the others shouted the practical equivalents, +“Pagombé! Pagombé!” “Enda queté!” +“Berané! Berané!” Presently the leading-boat +touches on a sandbank; down comes the fluttering sail; the men jump +out to shove her off, and the other boats, shunning the obstruction, +shoot on ahead to be brought up each in its turn by mistaking a sandbank +for the channel, which had often but a very little depth of water.</p> +<p>A drowsy herd of hippopotami were suddenly startled by a score of +rifle-shots, and stared in amazement at the strange objects which had +invaded their peaceful domains, until a few more bullets compelled them +to seek refuge at the bottom of the deep pool, near which they had been +quietly reposing. On our return, one of the herd retaliated. +He followed the boat, came up under it, and twice tried to tear the +bottom out of it; but fortunately it was too flat for his jaws to get +a good grip, so he merely damaged one of the planks with his tusks, +though he lifted the boat right up, with ten men and a ton of ebony +in it.</p> +<p>We slept, one of the two nights Captain Gardner was with us, opposite +the lakelet Chidia, which is connected with the river in flood time, +and is nearly surrounded by hills some 500 or 600 feet high, dotted +over with trees. A few small groups of huts stood on the hill-sides, +with gardens off which the usual native produce had been reaped. +The people did not seem much alarmed by the presence of the large party +which had drawn up on the sandbanks below their dwellings. There +is abundance of large ebony in the neighbourhood. The pretty little +antelope (<i>Cephalophus cæruleus</i>), about the size of a hare, +seemed to abound, as many of their skins were offered for sale. +Neat figured date-leaf mats of various colours are woven here, the different +dyes being obtained from the barks of trees. Cattle could not +live on the banks of the Rovuma on account of the tsetse, which are +found from near the mouth, up as far as we could take the boats. +The navigation did not improve as we ascended; snags, brought down by +the floods, were common, and left in the channel on the sudden subsidence +of the water. In many places, where the river divided into two +or three channels, there was not water enough in any of them for a boat +drawing three feet, so we had to drag ours over the shoals; but we saw +the river at its very lowest, and it may be years before it is so dried +up again.</p> +<p>The valley of the Rovuma, bounded on each side by a range of highlands, +is from two to four miles in width, and comes in a pretty straight course +from the W.S.W.; but the channel of the river is winding, and now at +its lowest zigzagged so perversely, that frequently the boats had to +pass over three miles to make one in a straight line. With a full +stream it must of course be much easier work. Few natives were +seen during the first week. Their villages are concealed in the +thick jungle on the hill-sides, for protection from marauding slave-parties. +Not much of interest was observed on this part of the silent and shallow +river. Though feeling convinced that it was unfit for navigation, +except for eight months of the year, we pushed on, resolved to see if, +further inland, the accounts we had received from different naval officers +of its great capabilities would prove correct; or if, by communication +with Lake Nyassa, even the upper part could be turned to account. +Our exploration showed us that the greatest precaution is required in +those who visit new countries.</p> +<p>The reports we received from gentlemen, who had entered the river +and were well qualified to judge, were that the Rovuma was infinitely +superior to the Zambesi, in the absence of any bar at its mouth, in +its greater volume of water, and in the beauty of the adjacent lands. +We probably came at a different season from that in which they visited +it, and our account ought to be taken with theirs to arrive at the truth. +It might be available as a highway for commerce during three quarters +of each year; but casual visitors, like ourselves and others, are all +ill able to decide. The absence of animal life was remarkable. +Occasionally we saw pairs of the stately jabirus, or adjutant-looking +marabouts, wading among the shoals, and spur-winged geese, and other +water-fowl, but there was scarcely a crocodile or a hippopotamus to +be seen.</p> +<p>At the end of the first week, an old man called at our camp, and +said he would send a present from his village, which was up among the +hills. He appeared next morning with a number of his people, bringing +meal, cassava-root, and yams. The language differs considerably +from that on the Zambesi, but it is of the same family. The people +are Makondé, and are on friendly terms with the Mabiha, and the +Makoa, who live south of the Rovuma. When taking a walk up the +slopes of the north bank, we found a great variety of trees we had seen +nowhere else. Those usually met with far inland seem here to approach +the coast. African ebony, generally named <i>mpingu</i>, is abundant +within eight miles of the sea; it attains a larger size, and has more +of the interior black wood than usual. A good timber tree called +<i>mosoko</i> is also found; and we saw half-caste Arabs near the coast +cutting up a large log of it into planks. Before reaching the +top of the rise we were in a forest of bamboos. On the plateau +above, large patches were cleared and cultivated. A man invited +us to take a cup of beer; on our complying with his request, the fear +previously shown by the bystanders vanished. Our Mazaro men could +hardly understand what they said. Some of them waded in the river +and caught a curious fish in holes in the claybank. Its ventral +fin is peculiar, being unusually large, and of a circular shape, like +boys’ playthings called “suckers.” We were told +that this fish is found also in the Zambesi, and is called Chiriré. +Though all its fins are large, it is asserted that it rarely ventures +out into the stream, but remains near its hole, where it is readily +caught by the hand.</p> +<p>The Zambesi men thoroughly understood the characteristic marks of +deep or shallow water, and showed great skill in finding out the proper +channel. The Molimo is the steersman at the helm, the Mokadamo +is the head canoe-man, and he stands erect on the bows with a long pole +in his hands, and directs the steersman where to go, aiding the rudder, +if necessary, with his pole. The others preferred to stand and +punt our boat, rather than row with our long oars, being able to shove +her ahead faster than they could pull her. They are accustomed +to short paddles. Our Mokadamo was affected with moon-blindness, +and could not see at all at night. His comrades then led him about, +and handed him his food. They thought that it was only because +his eyes rested all night, that he could see the channel so well by +day. At difficult places the Mokadamo sometimes, however, made +mistakes, and ran us aground; and the others, evidently imbued with +the spirit of resistance to constituted authority, and led by João +an aspirant for the office, jeered him for his stupidity. “Was +he asleep? Why did he allow the boat to come there? Could +he not see the channel was somewhere else?” At last the +Mokadamo threw down the pole in disgust, and told João he might +be a Mokadamo himself. The office was accepted with alacrity; +but in a few minutes he too ran us into a worse difficulty than his +predecessor ever did, and was at once disrated amidst the derision of +his comrades.</p> +<p>On the 16th September, we arrived at the inhabited island of Kichokomané. +The usual way of approaching an unknown people is to call out in a cheerful +tone “Malonda!” Things for sale, or do you want to +sell anything? If we can obtain a man from the last village, he +is employed, though only useful in explaining to the next that we come +in a friendly way. The people here were shy of us at first, and +could not be induced to sell any food; until a woman, more adventurous +than the rest, sold us a fowl. This opened the market, and crowds +came with fowls and meal, far beyond our wants. The women are +as ugly as those on Lake Nyassa, for who can be handsome wearing the +pelelé, or upper-lip ring, of large dimensions? We were +once surprised to see young men wearing the pelelé, and were +told that in the tribe of the Mabiha, on the south bank, men as well +as women wore them.</p> +<p>Along the left bank, above Kichokomané, is an exceedingly +fertile plain, nearly two miles broad, and studded with a number of +deserted villages. The inhabitants were living in temporary huts +on low naked sandbanks; and we found this to be the case as far as we +went. They leave most of their property and food behind, because +they are not afraid of these being stolen, but only fear being stolen +themselves. The great slave-route from Nyassa to Kilwa passes +to N.E. from S.W., just beyond them; and it is dangerous to remain in +their villages at this time of year, when the kidnappers are abroad. +In one of the temporary villages, we saw, in passing, two human heads +lying on the ground. We slept a couple of miles above this village.</p> +<p>Before sunrise next morning, a large party armed with bows and arrows +and muskets came to the camp, two or three of them having a fowl each, +which we refused to purchase, having bought enough the day before. +They followed us all the morning, and after breakfast those on the left +bank swam across and joined the main party on the other side. +It was evidently their intention to attack us at a chosen spot, where +we had to pass close to a high bank, but their plan was frustrated by +a stiff breeze sweeping the boat past, before the majority could get +to the place. They disappeared then, but came out again ahead +of us, on a high wooded bank, walking rapidly to the bend, near which +we were obliged to sail. An arrow was shot at the foremost boat; +and seeing the force at the bend, we pushed out from the side, as far +as the shoal water would permit, and tried to bring them to a parley, +by declaring that we had not come to fight, but to see the river. +“Why did you fire a gun, a little while ago?” they asked. +“We shot a large puff-adder, to prevent it from killing men; you +may see it lying dead on the beach.” With great courage, +our Mokadamo waded to within thirty yards of the bank, and spoke with +much earnestness, assuring them that we were a peaceable party, and +had not come for war, but to see the river. We were friends, and +our countrymen bought cotton and ivory, and wished to come and trade +with them. All we wanted was to go up quietly to look at the river, +and then return to the sea. While he was talking with those on +the shore, the old rogue, who appeared to be the ringleader, stole up +the bank, and with a dozen others, waded across to the island, near +which the boats lay, and came down behind us. Wild with excitement, +they rushed into the water, and danced in our rear, with drawn bows, +taking aim, and making various savage gesticulations. Their leader +urged them to get behind some snags, and then shoot at us. The +party on the bank in front had many muskets—and those of them, +who had bows, held them with arrows ready set in the bowstrings. +They had a mass of thick bush and trees behind them, into which they +could in a moment dart, after discharging their muskets and arrows, +and be completely hidden from our sight; a circumstance that always +gives people who use bows and arrows the greatest confidence. +Notwithstanding these demonstrations, we were exceedingly loath to come +to blows. We spent a full half-hour exposed at any moment to be +struck by a bullet or poisoned arrow. We explained that we were +better armed than they were, and had plenty of ammunition, the suspected +want of which often inspires them with courage, but that we did not +wish to shed the blood of the children of the same Great Father with +ourselves; that if we must fight, the guilt would be all theirs.</p> +<p>This being a common mode of expostulation among themselves, we so +far succeeded, that with great persuasion the leader and others laid +down their arms, and waded over from the bank to the boats to talk the +matter over. “This was their river; they did not allow white +men to use it. We must pay toll for leave to pass.” +It was somewhat humiliating to do so, but it was pay or fight; and, +rather than fight, we submitted to the humiliation of paying for their +friendship, and gave them thirty yards of cloth. They pledged +themselves to be our friends ever afterwards, and said they would have +food cooked for us on our return. We then hoisted sail, and proceeded, +glad that the affair had been amicably settled. Those on shore +walked up to the bend above to look at the boat, as we supposed; but +the moment she was abreast of them, they gave us a volley of musket-balls +and poisoned arrows, without a word of warning. Fortunately we +were so near, that all the arrows passed clear over us, but four musket-balls +went through the sail just above our heads. All our assailants +bolted into the bushes and long grass the instant after firing, save +two, one of whom was about to discharge a musket and the other an arrow, +when arrested by the fire of the second boat. Not one of them +showed their faces again, till we were a thousand yards away. +A few shots were then fired over their heads, to give them an idea of +the range of our rifles, and they all fled into the woods. Those +on the sandbank rushed off too, with the utmost speed; but as they had +not shot at us, we did not molest them, and they went off safely with +their cloth. They probably expected to kill one of our number, +and in the confusion rob the boats. It is only where the people +are slavers that the natives of this part of Africa are bloodthirsty.</p> +<p>These people have a bad name in the country in front, even among +their own tribe. A slave-trading Arab we met above, thinking we +were then on our way down the river, advised us not to land at the villages, +but to stay in the boats, as the inhabitants were treacherous, and attacked +at once, without any warning or provocation. Our experience of +their conduct fully confirmed the truth of what he said. There +was no trade on the river where they lived, but beyond that part there +was a brisk canoe-trade in rice and salt; those further in the interior +cultivating rice, and sending it down the river to be exchanged for +salt, which is extracted from the earth in certain places on the banks. +Our assailants hardly anticipated resistance, and told a neighbouring +chief that, if they had known who we were, they would not have attacked +English, who can “bite hard.” They offered no molestations +on our way down, though we were an hour in passing their village. +Our canoe-men plucked up courage on finding that we had come off unhurt. +One of them, named Chiku, acknowledging that he had been terribly frightened, +said. “His fear was not the kind which makes a man jump +overboard and run away; but that which brings the heart up to the mouth, +and renders the man powerless, and no more able to fight than a woman.”</p> +<p>In the country of Chonga Michi, about 80 or 90 miles up the river, +we found decent people, though of the same tribe, who treated strangers +with civility. A body of Makoa had come from their own country +in the south, and settled here. The Makoa are known by a cicatrice +in the forehead shaped like the new moon with the horns turned downwards. +The tribe possesses all the country west of Mosambique; and they will +not allow any of the Portuguese to pass into their country more than +two hours’ distance from the fort. A hill some ten or twelve +miles distant, called Pau, has been visited during the present generation +only by one Portuguese and one English officer, and this visit was accomplished +only by the influence of the private friendship of a chief for this +Portuguese gentleman. Our allies have occupied the Fort of Mosambique +for three hundred years, but in this, as in all other cases, have no +power further than they can see from a gun-carriage.</p> +<p>The Makoa chief, Matingula, was hospitable and communicative, telling +us all he knew of the river and country beyond. He had been once +to Iboe and once at Mosambique with slaves. Our men understood +his language easily. A useless musket he had bought at one of +the above places was offered us for a little cloth. Having received +a present of food from him, a railway rug was handed to him: he looked +at it—had never seen cloth like that before—did not approve +of it, and would rather have cotton cloth. “But this will +keep you warm at night.”—“Oh, I do not wish to be +kept warm at night.”—We gave him a bit of cotton cloth, +not one-third the value of the rug, but it was more highly prized. +His people refused to sell their fowls for our splendid prints and drab +cloths. They had probably been taken in with gaudy-patterned sham +prints before. They preferred a very cheap, plain, blue stuff +of which they had experience. A great quantity of excellent honey +is collected all along the river, by bark hives being placed for the +bees on the high trees on both banks. Large pots of it, very good +and clear, were offered in exchange for a very little cloth. No +wax was brought for sale; there being no market for this commodity, +it is probably thrown away as useless.</p> +<p>At Michi we lose the tableland which, up to this point, bounds the +view on both sides of the river, as it were, with ranges of flat-topped +hills, 600 or 800 feet high; and to this plateau a level fertile plain +succeeds, on which stand detached granite hills. That portion +of the tableland on the right bank seems to bend away to the south, +still preserving the appearance of a hill range. The height opposite +extends a few miles further west, and then branches off in a northerly +direction. A few small pieces of coal were picked up on the sandbanks, +showing that this useful mineral exists on the Rovuma, or on some of +its tributaries: the natives know that it will burn. At the lakelet +Chidia, we noticed the same sandstone rock, with fossil wood on it, +which we have on the Zambesi, and knew to be a sure evidence of coal +beneath. We mentioned this at the time to Captain Gardner, and +our finding coal now seemed a verification of what we then said; the +coal-field probably extends from the Zambesi to the Rovuma, if not beyond +it. Some of the rocks lower down have the permanent water-line +three feet above the present height of the water.</p> +<p>A few miles west of the Makoa of Matingula, we came again among the +Makondé, but now of good repute. War and slavery have driven +them to seek refuge on the sand-banks. A venerable-looking old +man hailed us as we passed, and asked us if we were going by without +speaking. We landed, and he laid down his gun and came to us; +he was accompanied by his brother, who shook hands with every one in +the boat, as he had seen people do at Kilwa. “Then you have +seen white men before?” we said. “Yes,” replied +the polite African, “but never people of your quality.” +These men were very black, and wore but little clothing. A young +woman, dressed in the highest style of Makondé fashion, punting +as dexterously as a man could, brought a canoe full of girls to see +us. She wore an ornamental head-dress of red beads tied to her +hair on one side of her head, a necklace of fine beads of various colours, +two bright figured brass bracelets on her left arm, and scarcely a farthing’s +worth of cloth, though it was at its cheapest.</p> +<p>As we pushed on westwards, we found that the river makes a little +southing, and some reaches were deeper than any near the sea; but when +we had ascended about 140 miles by the river’s course from the +sea, soft tufa rocks began to appear; ten miles beyond, the river became +more narrow and rocky, and when, according to our measurement, we had +ascended 156 miles, our further progress was arrested. We were +rather less than two degrees in a straight line from the Coast. +The incidents worth noticing were but few: seven canoes with loads of +salt and rice kept company with us for some days, and the further we +went inland, the more civil the people became.</p> +<p>When we came to a stand, just below the island of Nyamatolo, Long. +38 degrees 36 minutes E., and Lat. 11 degrees 53 minutes, the river +was narrow, and full of rocks. Near the island there is a rocky +rapid with narrow passages fit only for native canoes; the fall is small, +and the banks quite low; but these rocks were an effectual barrier to +all further progress in boats. Previous reports represented the +navigable part of this river as extending to the distance of a month’s +sail from its mouth; we found that, at the ordinary heights of the water, +a boat might reach the obstructions which seem peculiar to all African +rivers in six or eight days. The Rovuma is remarkable for the +high lands that flank it for some eighty miles from the ocean. +The cataracts of other rivers occur in mountains, those of the Rovuma +are found in a level part, with hills only in the distance. Far +away in the west and north we could see high blue heights, probably +of igneous origin from their forms, rising out of a plain.</p> +<p>The distance from Ngomano, a spot thirty miles further up, to the +Arab crossing-places of Lake Nyassa Tsenga or Kotakota was said to be +twelve days. The way we had discovered to Lake Nyassa by Murchison’s +Cataracts had so much less land carriage, that we considered it best +to take our steamer thither, by the route in which we were well known, +instead of working where we were strangers; and accordingly we made +up our minds to return.</p> +<p>The natives reported a worse place above our turning-point—the +passage being still narrower than this. An Arab, they said, once +built a boat above the rapids, and sent it down full of slaves; but +it was broken to pieces in these upper narrows. Many still maintained +that the Rovuma came from Nyassa, and that it is very narrow as it issues +out of the lake. One man declared that he had seen it with his +own eyes as it left the lake, and seemed displeased at being cross-questioned, +as if we doubted his veracity.</p> +<p>More satisfactory information, as it appeared to us, was obtained +from others. Two days, or thirty miles, beyond where we turned +back, the Rovuma is joined by the Liendé, which, coming from +the south-west, rises in the mountains on the east side of Nyassa. +The great slave route to Kilwa runs up the banks of this river, which +is only ankle-deep at the dry season of the year. The Rovuma itself +comes from the W.N.W., and after the traveller passes the confluence +of the Liendé at Ngomano or “meeting-place,” the +chief of which part is named Ndondé, he finds the river narrow, +and the people Ajawa.</p> +<p>Crocodiles in the Rovuma have a sorry time of it. Never before +were reptiles so persecuted and snubbed. They are hunted with +spears, and spring traps are set for them. If one of them enters +an inviting pool after fish, he soon finds a fence thrown round it, +and a spring trap set in the only path out of the enclosure. Their +flesh is eaten, and relished. The banks, on which the female lays +her eggs by night, are carefully searched by day, and all the eggs dug +out and devoured. The fish-hawk makes havoc among the few young +ones that escape their other enemies. Our men were constantly +on the look-out for crocodiles’ nests. One was found containing +thirty-five newly-laid eggs, and they declared that the crocodile would +lay as many more the second night in another place. The eggs were +a foot deep in the sand on the top of a bank ten feet high. The +animal digs a hole with its foot, covers the eggs, and leaves them till +the river rises over the nest in about three months afterwards, when +she comes back, and assists the young ones out. We once saw opposite +Tette young crocodiles in December, swimming beside an island in company +with an old one. The yolk of the egg is nearly as white as the +real white. In taste they resemble hen’s eggs with perhaps +a smack of custard, and would be as highly relished by whites as by +blacks, were it not for their unsavoury origin in men-eaters.</p> +<p>Hunting the Senzé (<i>Aulacodus Swindernianus</i>), an animal +the size of a large cat, but in shape more like a pig, was the chief +business of men and boys as we passed the reedy banks and low islands. +They set fire to a mass of reeds, and, armed with sticks, spears, bows +and arrows, stand in groups guarding the outlets through which the seared +Senzé may run from the approaching flames. Dark dense volumes +of impenetrable smoke now roll over on the lee side of the islet, and +shroud the hunters. At times vast sheets of lurid flames bursting +forth, roaring, crackling and exploding, leap wildly far above the tall +reeds. Out rush the terrified animals, and amid the smoke are +seen the excited hunters dancing about with frantic gesticulations, +and hurling stick, spear, and arrow at their burned out victims. +Kites hover over the smoke, ready to pounce on the mantis and locusts +as they spring from the fire. Small crows and hundreds of swallows +are on eager wing, darting into the smoke and out again, seizing fugitive +flies. Scores of insects, in their haste to escape from the fire, +jump into the river, and the active fish enjoy a rare feast.</p> +<p>We returned to the “Pioneer” on the 9th of October, having +been away one month. The ship’s company had used distilled +water, a condenser having been sent out from England; and there had +not been a single case of sickness on board since we left, though there +were so many cases of fever the few days she lay in the same spot last +year. Our boat party drank the water of the river, and the three +white sailors, who had never been in an African river before, had some +slight attacks of fever.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XII.</h3> +<p>Return to the Zambesi—Bishop Mackenzie’s grave—Frightful +scenes with crocodiles—Death of Mr. Thornton—African poisons—Recall +of the Expedition.</p> +<p>We put to sea on the 18th of October, and, again touching at Johanna, +obtained a crew of Johanna men and some oxen, and sailed for the Zambesi; +but our fuel failing before we reached it, and the wind being contrary, +we ran into Quillimane for wood.</p> +<p>Quillimane must have been built solely for the sake of carrying on +the slave-trade, for no man in his senses would ever have dreamed of +placing a village on such a low, muddy, fever-haunted, and mosquito-swarming +site, had it not been for the facilities it afforded for slaving. +The bar may at springs and floods be easily crossed by sailing-vessels, +but, being far from the land, it is always dangerous for boats. +Slaves, under the name of “free emigrants,” have gone by +thousands from Quillimane, during the last six years, to the ports a +little to the south, particularly to Massangano. Some excellent +brick-houses still stand in the place, and the owners are generous and +hospitable: among them our good friend, Colonel Nuñez. +His disinterested kindness to us and to all our countrymen can never +be forgotten. He is a noble example of what energy and uprightness +may accomplish even here. He came out as a cabin-boy, and, without +a single friend to help him, he has persevered in an honourable course +until he is the richest man on the East Coast. When Dr. Livingstone +came down the Zambesi in 1856, Colonel Nuñez was the chief of +the only four honourable, trustworthy men in the country. But +while he has risen a whole herd has sunk, making loud lamentations, +through puffs of cigar-smoke, over negro laziness; they might add, their +own.</p> +<p>All agricultural enterprise is virtually discouraged by Quillimane +Government. A man must purchase a permit from the Governor, when +he wishes to visit his country farm; and this tax, in a country where +labour is unpopular, causes the farms to be almost entirely left in +the hands of a head slave, who makes returns to his master as interest +or honesty prompts him. A passport must also be bought whenever +a man wishes to go up the river to Mazaro, Senna, or Tette, or even +to reside for a month at Quillimane. With a soil and a climate +well suited for the growth of the cane, abundance of slave labour, and +water communication to any market in the world, they have never made +their own sugar. All they use is imported from Bombay. “The +people of Quillimane have no enterprise,” said a young European +Portuguese, “they do nothing, and are always wasting their time +in suffering, or in recovering from fever.”</p> +<p>We entered the Zambesi about the end of November and found it unusually +low, so we did not get up to Shupanga till the 19th of December. +The friends of our Mazaro men, who had now become good sailors and very +attentive servants, turned out and gave them a hearty welcome back from +the perils of the sea: they had begun to fear that they would never +return. We hired them at a sixteen-yard piece of cloth a month—about +ten shillings’ worth, the Portuguese market-price of the cloth +being then sevenpence halfpenny a yard,—and paid them five pieces +each, for four-and-a-half months’ work. A merchant at the +same time paid other Mazaro men three pieces for seven months, and they +were with him in the interior. If the merchants do not prosper, +it is not because labour is dear, but because it is scarce, and because +they are so eager on every occasion to sell the workmen out of the country. +Our men had also received quantities of good clothes from the sailors +of the “Pioneer” and of the “Orestes,” and were +now regarded by their neighbours and by themselves as men of importance. +Never before had they possessed so much wealth: they believed that they +might settle in life, being now of sufficient standing to warrant their +entering the married state; and a wife and a hut were among their first +investments. Sixteen yards were paid to the wife’s parents, +and a hut cost four yards. We should have liked to have kept them +in the ship, for they were well-behaved and had learned a great deal +of the work required. Though they would not themselves go again, +they engaged others for us; and brought twice as many as we could take, +of their brothers and cousins, who were eager to join the ship and go +with us up the Shiré, or anywhere else. They all agreed +to take half-pay until they too had learned to work; and we found no +scarcity of labour, though all that could be exported is now out of +the country.</p> +<p>There had been a drought of unusual severity during the past season +in the country between Lupata and Kebrabasa, and it had extended north-east +to the Manganja highlands. All the Tette slaves, except a very +few household ones, had been driven away by hunger, and were now far +off in the woods, and wherever wild fruit, or the prospect of obtaining +anything whatever to keep the breath of life in them, was to be found. +Their masters were said never to expect to see them again. There +have been two years of great hunger at Tette since we have been in the +country, and a famine like the present prevailed in 1854, when thousands +died of starvation. If men like the Cape farmers owned this country, +their energy and enterprise would soon render the crops independent +of rain. There being plenty of slope or fall, the land could be +easily irrigated from the Zambesi and its tributary streams. A +Portuguese colony can never prosper: it is used as a penal settlement, +and everything must be done military fashion. “What do I +care for this country?” said the most enterprising of the Tette +merchants, “all I want is to make money as soon possible, and +then go to Bombay and enjoy it.” All business at Tette was +now suspended. Carriers could not be found to take the goods into +the interior, and the merchants could barely obtain food for their own +families. At Mazaro more rain had fallen, and a tolerable crop +followed. The people of Shupanga were collecting and drying different +wild fruits, nearly all of which are far from palatable to a European +taste. The root of a small creeper called “bisé” +is dug up and eaten. In appearance it is not unlike the small +white sweet potato, and has a little of the flavour of our potato. +It would be very good, if it were only a little larger. From another +tuber, called “ulanga,” very good starch can be made. +A few miles from Shupanga there is an abundance of large game, but the +people here, though fond enough of meat, are not a hunting race, and +seldom kill any.</p> +<p>The Shiré having risen, we steamed off on the 10th of January, +1863, with the “Lady Nyassa” in tow. It was not long +before we came upon the ravages of the notorious Mariano. The +survivors of a small hamlet, at the foot of Morambala, were in a state +of starvation, having lost their food by one of his marauding parties. +The women were in the fields collecting insects, roots, wild fruits, +and whatever could be eaten, in order to drag on their lives, if possible, +till the next crop should be ripe. Two canoes passed us, that +had been robbed by Mariano’s band of everything they had in them; +the owners were gathering palm-nuts for their subsistence. They +wore palm-leaf aprons, as the robbers had stripped them of their clothing +and ornaments. Dead bodies floated past us daily, and in the mornings +the paddles had to be cleared of corpses, caught by the floats during +the night. For scores of miles the entire population of the valley +was swept away by this scourge Mariano, who is again, as he was before, +the great Portuguese slave-agent. It made the heart ache to see +the widespread desolation; the river-banks, once so populous, all silent; +the villages burned down, and an oppressive stillness reigning where +formerly crowds of eager sellers appeared with the various products +of their industry. Here and there might be seen on the bank a +small dreary deserted shed, where had sat, day after day, a starving +fisherman, until the rising waters drove the fish from their wonted +haunts, and left him to die. Tingané had been defeated; +his people had been killed, kidnapped, and forced to flee from their +villages. There were a few wretched survivors in a village above +the Ruo; but the majority of the population was dead. The sight +and smell of dead bodies was everywhere. Many skeletons lay beside +the path, where in their weakness they had fallen and expired. +Ghastly living forms of boys and girls, with dull dead eyes, were crouching +beside some of the huts. A few more miserable days of their terrible +hunger, and they would be with the dead.</p> +<p>Oppressed with the shocking scenes around, we visited the Bishop’s +grave; and though it matters little where a good Christian’s ashes +rest, yet it was with sadness that we thought over the hopes which had +clustered around him, as he left the classic grounds of Cambridge, all +now buried in this wild place. How it would have torn his kindly +heart to witness the sights we now were forced to see!</p> +<p>In giving vent to the natural feelings of regret, that a man so eminently +endowed and learned, as was Bishop Mackenzie, should have been so soon +cut off, some have expressed an opinion that it was wrong to use an +instrument so valuable <i>merely</i> to convert the heathen. If +the attempt is to be made at all, it is “penny wise and pound +foolish” to employ any but the very best men, and those who are +specially educated for the work. An ordinary clergyman, however +well suited for a parish, will not, without special training, make a +Missionary; and as to their comparative usefulness, it is like that +of the man who builds an hospital, as compared with that of the surgeon +who in after years only administers for a time the remedies which the +founder had provided in perpetuity. Had the Bishop succeeded in +introducing Christianity, his converts might have been few, but they +would have formed a continuous roll for all time to come.</p> +<p>The Shiré fell two feet, before we reached the shallow crossing +where we had formerly such difficulty, and we had now two ships to take +up. A hippopotamus was shot two miles above a bank on which the +ship lay a fortnight: it floated in three hours. As the boat was +towing it down, the crocodiles were attracted by the dead beast, and +several shots had to be fired to keep them off. The bullet had +not entered the brain of the animal, but driven a splinter of bone into +it. A little moisture with some gas issued from the wound, and +this was all that could tell the crocodiles down the stream of a dead +hippopotamus; and yet they came up from miles below. Their sense +of smell must be as acute as their hearing; both are quite extraordinary. +Dozens fed on the meat we left. Our Krooman, Jumbo, used to assert +that the crocodile never eats fresh meat, but always keeps it till it +is high and tender—and the stronger it smells the better he likes +it. There seems to be some truth in this. They can swallow +but small pieces at a time, and find it difficult to tear fresh meat. +In the act of swallowing, which is like that of a dog, the head is raised +out of the water. We tried to catch some, and one was soon hooked; +it required half-a-dozen hands to haul him up the river, and the shark-hook +straightened, and he got away. A large iron hook was next made, +but, as the creatures could not swallow it, their jaws soon pressed +it straight—and our crocodile-fishing was a failure. As +one might expect,—from the power even of a salmon—the tug +of a crocodile was terribly strong.</p> +<p>The corpse of a boy floated past the ship; a monstrous crocodile +rushed at it with the speed of a greyhound, caught it and shook it, +as a terrier dog does a rat. Others dashed at the prey, each with +his powerful tail causing the water to churn and froth, as he furiously +tore off a piece. In a few seconds it was all gone. The +sight was frightful to behold. The Shiré swarmed with crocodiles; +we counted sixty-seven of these repulsive reptiles on a single bank, +but they are not as fierce as they are in some rivers. “Crocodiles,” +says Captain Tuckey, “are so plentiful in the Congo, near the +rapids, and so frequently carry off the women, who at daylight go down +to the river for water, that, while they are filling their calabashes, +one of the party is usually employed in throwing large stones into the +water outside.” Here, either a calabash on a long pole is +used in drawing water, or a fence is planted. The natives eat +the crocodile, but to us the idea of tasting the musky-scented, fishy-looking +flesh carried the idea of cannibalism. Humboldt remarks, that +in South America the alligators of some rivers are more dangerous than +in others. Alligators differ from crocodiles in the fourth or +canine tooth going into a hole or socket in the upper jaw, while in +the crocodile it fits into a notch. The forefoot of the crocodile +has five toes not webbed, the hindfoot has four toes which are webbed; +in the alligator the web is altogether wanting. They are so much +alike that they would no doubt breed together.</p> +<p>One of the crocodiles which was shot had a piece snapped off the +end of his tail, another had lost a forefoot in fighting; we saw actual +leeches between the teeth, such as are mentioned by Herodotus, but we +never witnessed the plover picking them out. Their greater fierceness +in one part of the country than another is doubtless owing to a scarcity +of fish; in fact, Captain Tuckey says, of that part of the Congo, mentioned +above, “There are no fish here but catfish,” and we found +that the lake crocodiles, living in clear water, and with plenty of +fish, scarcely ever attacked man. The Shiré teems with +fish of many different kinds. The only time, as already remarked, +when its crocodiles are particularly to be dreaded, is when the river +is in flood. Then the fish are driven from their usual haunts, +and no game comes down to the river to drink, water being abundant in +pools inland. Hunger now impels the crocodile to lie in wait for +the women who come to draw water, and on the Zambesi numbers are carried +off every year. The danger is not so great at other seasons; though +it is never safe to bathe, or to stoop to drink, where one cannot see +the bottom, especially in the evening. One of the Makololo ran +down in the dusk of the river; and, as he was busy tossing the water +to his mouth with his hand, in the manner peculiar to the natives, a +crocodile rose suddenly from the bottom, and caught him by the hand. +The limb of a tree was fortunately within reach, and he had presence +of mind to lay hold of it. Both tugged and pulled; the crocodile +for his dinner, and the man for dear life. For a time it appeared +doubtful whether a dinner or a life was to be sacrificed; but the man +held on, and the monster let the hand go, leaving the deep marks of +his ugly teeth in it.</p> +<p>During our detention, in expectation of the permanent rise of the +river in March, Dr. Kirk and Mr. C. Livingstone collected numbers of +the wading-birds of the marshes—and made pleasant additions to +our salted provisions, in geese, ducks, and hippopotamus flesh. +One of the comb or knob-nosed geese, on being strangled in order to +have its skin preserved without injury, continued to breathe audibly +by the broken humerus, or wing-bone, and other means had to be adopted +to put it out of pain. This was as if a man on the gallows were +to continue to breathe by a broken armbone, and afforded us an illustration +of the fact, that in birds, the vital air penetrates every part of the +interior of their bodies. The breath passes through and round +about the lungs—bathes the surfaces of the viscera, and enters +the cavities of the bones; it even penetrates into some spaces between +the muscles of the neck—and thus not only is the most perfect +oxygenation of the blood secured, but, the temperature of the blood +being very high, the air in every part is rarefied, and the great lightness +and vigour provided for, that the habits of birds require. Several +birds were found by Dr. Kirk to have marrow in the tibiæ, though +these bones are generally described as hollow.</p> +<p>During the period of our detention on the shallow part of the river +in March, Mr. Thornton came up to us from Shupanga: he had, as before +narrated, left the Expedition in 1859, and joined Baron van der Decken, +in the journey to Kilimanjaro, when, by an ascent of the mountain to +the height of 8000 feet, it was first proved to be covered with perpetual +snow, and the previous information respecting it, given by the Church +of England Missionaries, Krapf and Rebman, confirmed. It is now +well known that the Baron subsequently ascended the Kilimanjaro to 14,000 +feet, and ascertained its highest peak to be at least 20,000 feet above +the sea. Mr. Thornton made the map of the first journey, at Shupanga, +from materials collected when with the Baron; and when that work was +accomplished, followed us. He was then directed to examine geologically +the Cataract district, but not to expose himself to contact with the +Ajawa until the feelings of that tribe should be ascertained.</p> +<p>The members of Bishop Mackenzie’s party, on the loss of their +head, fell back from Magomero on the highlands, to Chibisa’s, +in the low-lying Shiré Valley; and Thornton, finding them suffering +from want of animal food, kindly volunteered to go across thence to +Tette, and bring a supply of goats and sheep. We were not aware +of this step, to which the generosity of his nature prompted him, till +two days after he had started. In addition to securing supplies +for the Universities’ Mission, he brought some for the Expedition, +and took bearings, by which he hoped to connect his former work at Tette +with the mountains in the Shiré district. The toil of this +journey was too much for his strength, as with the addition of great +scarcity of water, it had been for that of Dr. Kirk and Rae, and he +returned in a sadly haggard and exhausted condition; diarrhoea supervened, +and that ended in dysentery and fever, which terminated fatally on the +21st of April, 1863. He received the unremitting attentions of +Dr. Kirk, and Dr. Meller, surgeon of the “Pioneer,” during +the fortnight of his illness; and as he had suffered very little from +fever, or any other disease, in Africa, we had entertained strong hopes +that his youth and unimpaired constitution would have carried him through. +During the night of the 20th his mind wandered so much, that we could +not ascertain his last wishes; and on the morning of the 21st, to our +great sorrow, he died. He was buried on the 22nd, near a large +tree on the right bank of the Shiré, about five hundred yards +from the lowest of the Murchison Cataracts—and close to a rivulet, +at which the “Lady Nyassa” and “Pioneer” lay.</p> +<p>No words can convey an adequate idea of the scene of widespread desolation +which the once pleasant Shiré Valley now presented. Instead +of smiling villages and crowds of people coming with things for sale, +scarcely a soul was to be seen; and, when by chance one lighted on a +native, his frame bore the impress of hunger, and his countenance the +look of a cringing broken-spiritedness. A drought had visited +the land after the slave-hunting panic swept over it. Had it been +possible to conceive the thorough depopulation which had ensued, we +should have avoided coming up the river. Large masses of the people +had fled down to the Shiré, only anxious to get the river between +them and their enemies. Most of the food had been left behind; +and famine and starvation had cut off so many, that the remainder were +too few to bury the dead. The corpses we saw floating down the +river were only a remnant of those that had perished, whom their friends, +from weakness, could not bury, nor over-gorged crocodiles devour. +It is true that famine caused a great portion of this waste of human +life: but the slave-trade must be deemed the chief agent in the ruin, +because, as we were informed, in former droughts all the people flocked +from the hills down to the marshes, which are capable of yielding crops +of maize in less than three months, at any time of the year, and now +they were afraid to do so. A few, encouraged by the Mission in +the attempt to cultivate, had their little patches robbed as successive +swarms of fugitives came from the hills. Who can blame these outcasts +from house and home for stealing to save their wretched lives, or wonder +that the owners protected the little all, on which their own lives depended, +with club and spear? We were informed by Mr. Waller of the dreadful +blight which had befallen the once smiling Shiré Valley. +His words, though strong, failed to impress us with the reality. +In fact, they were received, as some may accept our own, as tinged with +exaggeration; but when our eyes beheld the last mere driblets of this +cup of woe, we for the first time felt that the enormous wrongs inflicted +on our fellow-men by slaving are beyond exaggeration.</p> +<p>Wherever we took a walk, human skeletons were seen in every direction, +and it was painfully interesting to observe the different postures in +which the poor wretches had breathed their last. A whole heap +had been thrown down a slope behind a village, where the fugitives often +crossed the river from the east; and in one hut of the same village +no fewer than twenty drums had been collected, probably the ferryman’s +fees. Many had ended their misery under shady trees—others +under projecting crags in the hills—while others lay in their +huts, with closed doors, which when opened disclosed the mouldering +corpse with the poor rags round the loins—the skull fallen off +the pillow—the little skeleton of the child, that had perished +first, rolled up in a mat between two large skeletons. The sight +of this desert, but eighteen months ago a well peopled valley, now literally +strewn with human bones, forced the conviction upon us, that the destruction +of human life in the middle passage, however great, constitutes but +a small portion of the waste, and made us feel that unless the slave-trade—that +monster iniquity, which has so long brooded over Africa—is put +down, lawful commerce cannot be established.</p> +<p>We believed that, if it were possible to get a steamer upon the Lake, +we could by her means put a check on the slavers from the East Coast; +and aid more effectually still in the suppression of the slave-trade, +by introducing, by way of the Rovuma, a lawful traffic in ivory. +We therefore unscrewed the “Lady Nyassa” at a rivulet about +five hundred yards below the first cataract, and began to make a road +over the thirty-five or forty miles of land portage, by which to carry +her up piecemeal. After mature consideration, we could not imagine +a more noble work of benevolence, than thus to introduce light and liberty +into a quarter of this fair earth, which human lust has converted into +the nearest possible resemblance of what we conceive the infernal regions +to be—and we sacrificed much of our private resources as an offering +for the promotion of so good a cause.</p> +<p>The chief part of the labour of road-making consisted in cutting +down trees and removing stones. The country being covered with +open forest, a small tree had to be cut about every fifty or sixty yards. +The land near the river was so very much intersected by ravines, that +search had to be made, a mile from its banks, for more level ground. +Experienced Hottentot drivers would have taken Cape wagons without any +other trouble than that of occasionally cutting down a tree. No +tsetse infested this district, and the cattle brought from Johanna flourished +on the abundant pasture. The first half-mile of road led up, by +a gradual slope, to an altitude of two hundred feet above the ship, +and a sensible difference of climate was felt even there. For +the remainder of the distance the height increased,—till, at the +uppermost cataract, we were more than 1200 feet above the sea. +The country here, having recovered from the effects of the drought, +was bright with young green woodland, and mountains of the same refreshing +hue. But the absence of the crowds, which had attended us as we +carried up the boat, when the women followed us for miles with fine +meal, vegetables, and fat fowls for sale, and the boys were ever ready +for a little job—and the oppressive stillness bore heavily on +our spirits. The Portuguese of Tette had very effectually removed +our labourers. Not an ounce of fresh provisions could be obtained, +except what could be shot, and even the food for our native crew had +to be brought one hundred and fifty miles from the Zambesi.</p> +<p>The diet of salt provisions and preserved meats without vegetables, +with the depression of spirits caused by seeing how effectually a few +wretched convicts, aided by the connivance of officials, of whom better +might have been hoped, could counteract our best efforts, and turn intended +good to certain evil, brought on attacks of dysentery, which went the +round of the Expedition—and, Dr. Kirk and Charles Livingstone +having suffered most severely, it was deemed advisable that they should +go home. This measure was necessary, though much to the regret +of all—for having done so much, they were naturally anxious to +be present, when, by the establishing ourselves on the Lake, all our +efforts should be crowned with success. After it had been decided +that these two officers, and all the whites who could be spared, should +be sent down to the sea for a passage to England, Dr. Livingstone was +seized in May with a severe attack of dysentery, which continued for +a month, and reduced him to a shadow. Dr. Kirk kindly remained +in attendance till the worst was passed. The parting took place +on the 19th of May.</p> +<p>After a few miles of road were completed, and the oxen broken in, +we resolved to try and render ourselves independent of the south for +fresh provisions, by going in a boat up the Shiré, above the +Cataracts, to the tribes at the foot of Lake Nyassa, who were still +untouched by the Ajawa invasion. In furtherance of this plan Dr. +Livingstone and Mr. Rae determined to walk up to examine, and, if need +be, mend the boat which had been left two seasons previously hung up +to the limb of a large shady tree, before attempting to carry another +past the Cataracts. The “Pioneer,” which was to be +left in charge of our active and most trustworthy gunner, Mr. Edward +D. Young, R.N., was thoroughly roofed over with euphorbia branches and +grass, so as completely to protect her decks from the sun: she also +received daily a due amount of man-of-war scrubbing and washing; and, +besides having everything put in shipshape fashion, was every evening +swung out into the middle of the river, for the sake of the greater +amount of air which circulated there. In addition to their daily +routine work of the ship, the three stokers, one sailor, and one carpenter—now +our complement—were encouraged to hunt for guinea-fowl, which +in June, when the water inland is dried up, come in large flocks to +the river’s banks, and roost on the trees at night. Everything +that can be done to keep mind and body employed tends to prevent fever.</p> +<p>While we were employed in these operations, some of the poor starved +people about had been in the habit of crossing the river, and reaping +the self-sown mapira, in the old gardens of their countrymen. +In the afternoon of the 9th, a canoe came floating down empty, and shortly +after a woman was seen swimming near the other side, which was about +two hundred yards distant from us. Our native crew manned the +boat, and rescued her; when brought on board, she was found to have +an arrow-head, eight or ten inches long, in her back, below the ribs, +and slanting up through the diaphragm and left lung, towards the heart—she +had been shot from behind when stooping. Air was coming out of +the wound, and, there being but an inch of the barbed arrow-head visible, +it was thought better not to run the risk of her dying under the operation +necessary for its removal; so we carried her up to her own hut. +One of her relatives was less scrupulous, for he cut out the arrow and +part of the lung. Mr. Young sent her occasionally portions of +native corn, and strange to say found that she not only became well, +but stout. The constitution of these people seems to have a wonderful +power of self-repair—and it could be no slight privation which +had cut off the many thousands that we saw dead around us.</p> +<p>We regretted that, in consequence of Dr. Meller having now sole medical +charge, we could not have his company in our projected trip; but he +found employment in botany and natural history, after the annual sickly +season of March, April, and May was over; and his constant presence +was not so much required at the ship. Later in the year, when +he could be well spared, he went down the river to take up an appointment +he had been offered in Madagascar; but unfortunately was so severely +tried by illness while detained at the coast, that for nearly two years +he was not able to turn his abilities as a naturalist to account by +proceeding to that island. We have no doubt but he will yet distinguish +himself in that untrodden field.</p> +<p>On the 16th of June we started for the Upper Cataracts, with a mule-cart, +our road lying a distance of a mile west from the river. We saw +many of the deserted dwellings of the people who formerly came to us; +and were very much struck by the extent of land under cultivation, though +that, compared with the whole country, is very small. Large patches +of mapira continued to grow,—as it is said it does from the roots +for three years. The mapira was mixed with tall bushes of the +Congo-bean, castor-oil plants, and cotton. The largest patch of +this kind we paced, and found it to be six hundred and thirty paces +on one side—the rest were from one acre to three, and many not +more than one-third of an acre. The cotton—of very superior +quality—was now dropping off the bushes, to be left to rot—there +was no one to gather what would have been of so much value in Lancashire. +The huts, in the different villages we entered, were standing quite +perfect. The mortars for pounding corn—the stones for grinding +it—the water and beer pots—the empty corn-safes and kitchen +utensils, were all untouched; and most of the doors were shut, as if +the starving owners had gone out to wander in search of roots or fruits +in the forest, and had never returned. When opened, several huts +revealed a ghastly sight of human skeletons. Some were seen in +such unnatural positions, as to give the idea that they had expired +in a faint, when trying to reach something to allay the gnawings of +hunger.</p> +<p>We took several of the men as far as the Mukuru-Madsé for +the sake of the change of air and for occupation, and also to secure +for the ships a supply of buffalo meat—as those animals were reported +to be in abundance on that stream. But though it was evident from +the tracks that the report was true, it was impossible to get a glimpse +of them. The grass being taller than we were, and pretty thickly +planted, they always knew of our approach before we saw them. +And the first intimation we had of their being near was the sound they +made in rushing over the stones, breaking the branches, and knocking +their horns against each other. Once, when seeking a ford for +the cart, at sunrise, we saw a herd slowly wending up the hill-side +from the water. Sending for a rifle, and stalking with intense +eagerness for a fat beefsteak, instead of our usual fare of salted provisions, +we got so near that we could hear the bulls uttering their hoarse deep +low, but could see nothing except the mass of yellow grass in front; +suddenly the buffalo-birds sounded their alarm-whistle, and away dashed +the troop, and we got sight of neither birds nor beasts. This +would be no country for a sportsman except when the grass is short. +The animals are wary, from the dread they have of the poisoned arrows. +Those of the natives who do hunt are deeply imbued with the hunting +spirit, and follow the game with a stealthy perseverance and cunning, +quite extraordinary. The arrow making no noise, the herd is followed +up until the poison takes effect, and the wounded animal falls out. +It is then patiently watched till it drops—a portion of meat round +the wound is cut away, and all the rest eaten.</p> +<p>Poisoned arrows are made in two pieces. An iron barb is firmly +fastened to one end of a small wand of wood, ten inches or a foot long, +the other end of which, fined down to a long point, is nicely fitted, +though not otherwise secured, in the hollow of the reed, which forms +the arrow shaft. The wood immediately below the iron head is smeared +with the poison. When the arrow is shot into an animal, the reed +either falls to the ground at once, or is very soon brushed off by the +bushes; but the iron barb and poisoned upper part of the wood remain +in the wound. If made in one piece, the arrow would often be torn +out, head and all, by the long shaft catching in the underwood, or striking +against trees. The poison used here, and called <i>kombi</i>, +is obtained from a species of <i>strophanthus</i>, and is very virulent. +Dr. Kirk found by an accidental experiment on himself that it acts by +lowering the pulse. In using his tooth-brush, which had been in +a pocket containing a little of the poison, he noticed a bitter taste, +but attributed it to his having sometimes used, the handle in taking +quinine. Though the quantity was small, it immediately showed +its power by lowering his pulse which at the time had been raised by +a cold, and next day he was perfectly restored. Not much can be +inferred from a single case of this kind, but it is possible that the +kombi may turn out a valuable remedy; and as Professor Sharpey has conducted +a series of experiments with this substance, we look with interest for +the results. An alkaloid has been obtained from it similar to +strychnine. There is no doubt that all kinds of wild animals die +from the effects of poisoned arrows, except the elephant and hippopotamus. +The amount of poison that this little weapon can convey into their systems +being too small to kill those huge beasts, the hunters resort to the +beam trap instead.</p> +<p>Another kind of poison was met with on Lake Nyassa, which was said +to be used exclusively for killing men. It was put on small wooden +arrow-heads, and carefully protected by a piece of maize-leaf tied round +it. It caused numbness of the tongue when the smallest particle +was tasted. The Bushmen of the northern part of the Kalahari were +seen applying the entrails of a small caterpillar which they termed +‘Ngã to their arrows. This venom was declared to +be so powerful in producing delirium, that a man in dying returned in +imagination to a state of infancy, and would call for his mother’s +breast. Lions when shot with it are said to perish in agonies. +The poisonous ingredient in this case may be derived from the plant +on which the caterpillar feeds. It is difficult to conceive by +what sort of experiments the properties of these poisons, known for +generations, were proved. Probably the animal instincts, which +have become so obtuse by civilization, that children in England eat +the berries of the deadly nightshade (<i>Atropa belladonna</i>) without +suspicion, were in the early uncivilized state much more keen. +In some points instinct is still retained among savages. It is +related that in the celebrated voyage of the French navigator, Bougainville, +a young lady, who had assumed the male attire, performed all the hard +duties incident to the calling of a common sailor; and, even as servant +to the geologist, carried a bag of stones and specimens over hills and +dales without a complaint, and without having her sex suspected by her +associates; but on landing among the savages of one of the South Sea +Islands, she was instantly recognized as a female. They began +to show their impressions in a way that compelled her to confess her +sex, and throw herself on the protection of the commander, which of +course was granted. In like manner, the earlier portions of the +human family may have had their instincts as to plants more highly developed +than any of their descendants—if indeed much more knowledge than +we usually suppose be not the effect of direct revelation from above.</p> +<p>The Mukuru-Madsé has a deep rocky bed. The water is +generally about four feet deep, and fifteen or twenty yards broad. +Before reaching it, we passed five or six gullies; but beyond it the +country, for two or three miles from the river, was comparatively smooth. +The long grass was overrunning all the native paths, and one species +(<i>sanu</i>), which has a sharp barbed seed a quarter of an inch in +length, enters every pore of woollen clothing and highly irritates the +skin. From its hard, sharp point a series of minute barbs are +laid back, and give the seed a hold wherever it enters: the slightest +touch gives it an entering motion, and the little hooks prevent its +working out. These seeds are so abundant in some spots, that the +inside of the stocking becomes worse than the roughest hair shirt. +It is, however, an excellent self-sower, and fine fodder; it rises to +the height of common meadow-grass in England, and would be a capital +plant for spreading over a new country not so abundantly supplied with +grasses as this is.</p> +<p>We have sometimes noticed two or three leaves together pierced through +by these seeds, and thus made, as it were, into wings to carry them +to any soil suited to their growth.</p> +<p>We always follow the native paths, though they are generally not +more than fifteen inches broad, and so often have deep little holes +in them, made for the purpose of setting traps for small animals, and +are so much obscured by the long grass, that one has to keep one’s +eyes on the ground more than is pleasant. In spite, however, of +all drawbacks, it is vastly more easy to travel on these tracks than +to go straight over uncultivated ground, or virgin forest. A path +usually leads to some village, though sometimes it turns out to be a +mere game track leading nowhere.</p> +<p>In going north, we came into a part called Mpemba where Chibisa was +owned as chief, but the people did not know that he had been assassinated +by the Portuguese Terera. A great deal of grain was lying round +the hut, where we spent the night. Very large numbers of turtledoves +feasted undisturbed on the tall stalked mapira ears, and we easily secured +plenty of fine fat guinea-fowls—now allowed to feed leisurely +in the deserted gardens. The reason assigned for all this listless +improvidence was “There are no women to grind the corn—all +are dead.”</p> +<p>The cotton patches in all cases seemed to have been so well cared +for, and kept so free of weeds formerly, that, though now untended, +but few weeds had sprung up; and the bushes were thus preserved in the +annual grass burnings. Many baobab-trees grow in different spots, +and the few people seen were using the white pulp found between the +seeds to make a pleasant subacid drink.</p> +<p>On passing Malango, near the uppermost cataract, not a soul was to +be seen; but, as we rested opposite a beautiful tree-covered island, +the merry voices of children at play fell on our ears—the parents +had fled thither for protection from the slave-hunting Ajawa, still +urged on by the occasional visits of the Portuguese agents from Tette. +The Ajawa, instead of passing below the Cataracts, now avoided us, and +crossed over to the east side near to the tree on which we had hung +the boat. Those of the Manganja, to whom we could make ourselves +known, readily came to us; but the majority had lost all confidence +in themselves, in each other, and in every one else. The boat +had been burned about three months previously, and the Manganja were +very anxious that we should believe that this had been the act of the +Ajawa; but on scanning the spot we saw that it was more likely to have +caught fire in the grass-burning of the country. Had we intended +to be so long in returning to it, we should have hoisted it bottom upwards; +for, as it was, it is probable that a quantity of dried leaves lay inside, +and a spark ignited the whole. All the trees within fifty yards +were scorched and killed, and the nails, iron, and copper sheathing, +all lay undisturbed beneath. Had the Ajawa done the deed, they +would have taken away the copper and iron.</p> +<p>Our hopes of rendering ourselves independent of the south for provisions, +by means of this boat, being thus disappointed, we turned back with +the intention of carrying another up to the same spot; and, in order +to find level ground for this, we passed across from the Shiré +at Malango to the upper part of the stream Lesungwé. A +fine, active, intelligent fellow, called Pekila, guided us, and was +remarkable as almost the only one of the population left with any spirit +in him. The depressing effect which the slave-hunting scourge +has upon the native mind, though little to be wondered at, is sad, very +sad to witness. Musical instruments, mats, pillows, mortars for +pounding meal, were lying about unused, and becoming the prey of the +white ants. With all their little comforts destroyed, the survivors +were thrown still further back into barbarism.</p> +<p>It is of little importance perhaps to any but travellers to notice +that in occupying one night a well-built hut, which had been shut up +for some time, the air inside at once gave us a chill, and an attack +of fever; both of which vanished when the place was well-ventilated +by means of a fire. We have frequently observed that lighting +a fire early in the mornings, even in the hottest time of the year, +gives freshness to the whole house, and removes that feeling of closeness +and langour, which a hot climate induces.</p> +<p>On the night of the 1st July, 1863, several loud peals of thunder +awoke us; the moon was shining brightly, and not a cloud to be seen. +All the natives remarked on the clearness of the sky at the time, and +next morning said, “We thought it was God” (Morungo).</p> +<p>On arriving at the ship on the 2nd July, we found a despatch from +Earl Russell, containing instructions for the withdrawal of the Expedition. +The devastation caused by slave-hunting and famine lay all around. +The labour had been as completely swept away from the Great Shiré +Valley, as it had been from the Zambesi, wherever Portuguese intrigue +or power extended. The continual forays of Mariano had spread +ruin and desolation on our south-east as far as Mount Clarendon.</p> +<p>While this was going on in our rear, the Tette slave-hunters from +the West had stimulated the Ajawa to sweep all the Manganja off the +hills on our East; and slaving parties for this purpose were still passing +the Shiré above the Cataracts. In addition to the confession +of the Governor of Tette, of an intention to go on with this slaving +in accordance with the counsel of his elder brother at Mosambique, we +had reason to believe that slavery went on under the eye of his Excellency, +the Governor-General himself; and this was subsequently corroborated +by our recognizing two women at Mosambique who had lived within a hundred +yards of the Mission-station at Magomero. They were well known +to our attendants, and had formed a part of a gang of several hundreds +taken to Mosambique by the Ajawa at the very time when his Excellency +was entertaining English officers with anti-slavery palavers. +To any one who understands how minute the information is, which Portuguese +governors possess by means of their own slaves, and through gossiping +traders who seek to curry their favour, it is idle to assert that all +this slaving goes on without their approval and connivance.</p> +<p>If more had been wanted to prove the hopelessness of producing any +change in the system which has prevailed ever since our allies, the +Portuguese, entered the country, we had it in the impunity with which +the freebooter, Terera, who had murdered Chibisa, was allowed to carry +on his forays. Belchoir, another marauder, had been checked, but +was still allowed to make war, as they term slave-hunting.</p> +<p>Mr. Horace Waller was living for some five months on Mount Morambala, +a position from which the whole process of the slave-trade, and depopulation +of the country around could be well noted. The mountain overlooks +the Shiré, the beautiful meanderings of which are distinctly +seen, on clear days, for thirty miles. This river was for some +time supposed to be closed against Mariano, who, as a mere matter of +form, was declared a rebel against the Portuguese flag. When, +however, it became no longer possible to keep up the sham, the river +was thrown open to him; and Mr. Waller has seen in a single day from +fifteen to twenty canoes of different sizes going down, laden with slaves, +to the Portuguese settlements from the so-called rebel camp. These +cargoes were composed entirely of women and children. For three +months this traffic was incessant, and at last, so completely was the +mask thrown off, that one of the officials came to pay a visit to Bishop +Tozer on another part of the same mountain, and, combining business +with pleasure, collected payment for some canoe work done for the Missionary +party, and with this purchased slaves from the rebels, who had only +to be hailed from the bank of the river. When he had concluded +the bargain he trotted the slaves out for inspection in Mr. Waller’s +presence. This official, Senhor Mesquita, was the only officer +who could be forced to live at the Kongoné. From certain +circumstances in his life, he had fallen under the power of the local +Government; all the other Custom-house officers refused to go to Kongoné, +so here poor Mesquita must live on a miserable pittance—must live, +and perhaps slave, sorely against his will. His name is not brought +forward with a view of throwing any odium on his character. The +disinterested kindness which he showed to Dr. Meller, and others, forbids +that he should be mentioned by us with anything like unkindness.</p> +<p>Under all these considerations, with the fact that we had not found +the Rovuma so favourable for navigation at the time of our visit as +we expected, it was impossible not to coincide in the wisdom of our +withdrawal; but we deeply regretted that we had ever given credit to +the Portuguese Government for any desire to ameliorate the condition +of the African race; for, with half the labour and expense anywhere +else, we should have made an indelible mark of improvement on a section +of the Continent. Viewing Portuguese statesmen in the light of +the laws they have passed for the suppression of slavery and the slave-trade, +and by the standard of the high character of our own public men, it +cannot be considered weakness to have believed in the sincerity of the +anxiety to aid our enterprise, professed by the Lisbon Ministry. +We hoped to benefit both Portuguese and Africans by introducing free-trade +and Christianity. Our allies, unfortunately, cannot see the slightest +benefit in any measure that does not imply raising themselves up by +thrusting others down. The official paper of the Lisbon Government +has since let us know “that their policy was directed to frustrating +the grasping designs of the British Government to the dominion of Eastern +Africa.” We, who were on the spot, and behind the scenes, +knew that feelings of private benevolence had the chief share in the +operations undertaken for introducing the reign of peace and good will +on the Lakes and central regions, which for ages have been the abodes +of violence and bloodshed. But that great change was not to be +accomplished. The narrow-minded would ascribe all that was attempted +to the grasping propensity of the English. But the motives that +actuate many in England, both in public and private life, are much more +noble than the world gives them credit for.</p> +<p>Seeing, then, that we were not yet arrived at “the good time +coming,” and that it was quite impossible to take the “Pioneer” +down to the sea till the floods of December, we made arrangements to +screw the “Lady Nyassa” together; and, in order to improve +the time intervening, we resolved to carry a boat past the Cataracts +a second time, sail along the eastern shore of the Lake, and round the +northern end, and also collect data by which to verify the information +collected by Colonel Rigby, that the 19,000 slaves, who go through the +Custom-house of Zanzibar annually, are chiefly drawn from Lake Nyassa +and the Valley of the Shiré.</p> +<p>Our party consisted of twenty natives, some of whom were Johanna +men, and were supposed to be capable of managing the six oxen which +drew the small wagon with a boat on it. A team of twelve Cape +oxen, with a Hottentot driver and leader, would have taken the wagon +over the country we had to pass through with the greatest ease; but +no sooner did we get beyond the part of the road already made, than +our drivers encountered obstructions in the way of trees and gullies, +which it would have been a waste of time to have overcome by felling +timber and hauling out the wagon by block and tackle purchases. +The Ajawa and Manganja settled at Chibisa’s were therefore sent +for, and they took the boat on their shoulders and carried it briskly, +in a few days, past all the Cataracts except one; then coming to a comparatively +still reach of the river, they took advantage of it to haul her up a +couple of miles. The Makololo had her then entirely in charge; +for, being accustomed to rapids in their own country, no better boatmen +could be desired. The river here is very narrow, and even in what +are called still places, the current is very strong, and often obliged +them to haul the boat along by the reeds on the banks, or to hand a +tow-rope ashore. The reeds are full of cowitch (<i>Dolichos pruriens</i>), +the pods of which are covered with what looks a fine velvety down, but +is in reality a multitude of fine prickles, which go in by the million, +and caused an itching and stinging in the naked bodies of those who +were pulling the tow-rope, that made them wriggle as if stung by a whole +bed of nettles. Those on board required to be men of ready resource +with oars and punting-poles, and such they were. But, nevertheless, +they found, after attempting to pass by a rock, round which the water +rushed in whirls, that the wiser plan would be to take the boat ashore, +and carry her past the last Cataract. When this was reported, +the carriers were called from the various shady trees under which they +had taken refuge from the sun. This was midwinter, but the sun +is always hot by day here, though the nights are cold. Five Zambesi +men, who had been all their lives accustomed to great heavy canoes,—the +chief recommendation of which is said to be, that they can be run against +a rock with the full force of the current without injury—were +very desirous to show how much better they could manage our boat than +the Makololo; three jumped into her when our backs were turned, and +two hauled her up a little way; the tide caught her bow, we heard a +shout of distress, the rope was out of their hands in a moment, and +there she was, bottom upwards; a turn or two in an eddy, and away she +went, like an arrow, down the Cataracts. One of the men in swimming +ashore saved a rifle. The whole party ran with all their might +along the bank, but never more did we see our boat.</p> +<p>The five performers in this catastrophe approached with penitential +looks. They had nothing to say, nor had we. They bent down +slowly, and touched our feet with both hands. “Ku kuata +moendo”—“to catch the foot”—is their way +of asking forgiveness. It was so like what we have seen a little +child do—try to bring a dish unbidden to its papa, and letting +it fall, burst into a cry of distress—that they were only sentenced +to go back to the ship, get provisions, and, in the ensuing journey +on foot, carry as much as they could, and thus make up for the loss +of the boat.</p> +<p>It was excessively annoying to lose all this property, and be deprived +of the means of doing the work proposed, on the east and north of the +Lake; but it would have been like crying over spilt milk to do otherwise +now than make the best use we could of our legs. The men were +sent back to the ship for provisions, cloth, and beads; and while they +are gone, we may say a little of the Cataracts which proved so fatal +to our boating plan.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XIII.</h3> +<p>Dr. Livingstone’s further explorations—Effects of slave-trade—Kirk’s +range—Ajawa migration—Native fishermen—Arab slave-crossing—Splendid +highlands.</p> +<p>The Murchison Cataracts of the Shiré river begin in 15 degrees +20 minutes S., and end in lat. 15 degrees 55 minutes S., the difference +of latitude is therefore 35 minutes. The river runs in this space +nearly north and south, till we pass Malango; so the entire distance +is under 40 miles. The principal Cataracts are five in number, +and are called Pamofunda or Pamozima, Morewa, Panoreba or Tedzané, +Pampatamanga, and Papekira. Besides these, three or four smaller +ones might be mentioned; as, for instance, Mamvira, where in our ascent +we first met the broken water, and heard that gushing sound which, from +the interminable windings of some 200 miles of river below, we had come +to believe the tranquil Shiré could never make. While these +lesser cataracts descend at an angle of scarcely 20 degrees, the greater +fall 100 feet in 100 yards, at an angle of about 45 degrees, and one +at an angle of 70 degrees. One part of Pamozima is perpendicular, +and, when the river is in flood, causes a cloud of vapour to ascend, +which, in our journey to Lake Shirwa, we saw at a distance of at least +eight miles. The entire descent from the Upper to the Lower Shiré +is 1200 feet. Only on one spot in all that distance is the current +moderate—namely, above Tedzané. The rest is all rapid, +and much of it being only fifty or eighty yards wide, and rushing like +a mill-race, it gives the impression of water-power, sufficient to drive +all the mills in Manchester, running to waste. Pamofunda, or Pamozima, +has a deep shady grove on its right bank. When we were walking +alone through its dark shade, we were startled by a shocking smell like +that of a dissecting-room; and on looking up saw dead bodies in mats +suspended from the branches of the trees, a mode of burial somewhat +similar to that which we subsequently saw practised by the Parsees in +their “towers of silence” at Poonah, near Bombay. +The name Pamozima means, “the departed spirits or gods”—a +fit name for a place over which, according to the popular belief, the +disembodied souls continually hover.</p> +<p>The rock lowest down in the series is dark reddish-grey syenite. +This seems to have been an upheaving agent, for the mica schists above +it are much disturbed. Dark trappean rocks full of hornblende +have in many places burst through these schists, and appear in nodules +on the surface. The highest rock seen is a fine sandstone of closer +grain than that at Tette, and quite metamorphosed where it comes into +contact with the igneous rocks below it. It sometimes gives place +to quartz and reddish clay schists, much baked by heat. This is +the usual geological condition on the right bank of the Cataracts. +On the other side we pass over masses of porphyritic trap, in contact +with the same mica schists, and these probably give to the soil the +great fertility we observed. The great body of the mountains is +syenite. So much mica is washed into the river, that on looking +attentively on the stream one sees myriads of particles floating and +glancing in the sun; and this, too, even at low water.</p> +<p>It was the 15th of August before the men returned from the ship, +accompanied by Mr. Rae and the steward of the “Pioneer.” +They brought two oxen, one of which was instantly slaughtered to put +courage into all hearts, and some bottles of wine, a present from Waller +and Alington. We never carried wine before, but this was precious +as an expression of kindheartedness on the part of the donors. +If one attempted to carry either wine or spirits, as a beverage, he +would require a whole troop of followers for nothing else. Our +greatest luxury in travelling was tea or coffee. We never once +carried sugar enough to last a journey, but coffee is always good, while +the sugarless tea is only bearable, because of the unbearable gnawing +feeling of want and sinking which ensues if we begin to travel in the +mornings without something warm in the stomach. Our drink generally +was water, and if cool, nothing can equal it in a hot climate. +We usually carried a bottle of brandy rolled up in our blankets, but +that was used only as a medicine; a spoonful in hot water before going +to bed, to fend off a chill and fever. Spirits always do harm, +if the fever has fairly begun; and it is probable that brandy-and-water +has to answer for a good many of the deaths in Africa.</p> +<p>Mr. Rae had made gratifying progress in screwing together the “Lady +Nyassa.” He had the zealous co-operation of three as fine +steady workmen as ever handled tools; and, as they were noble specimens +of English sailors, we would fain mention the names of men who are an +honour to the British navy—John Reid, John Pennell, and Richard +Wilson. The reader will excuse our doing so, but we desire to +record how much they were esteemed, and how thankful we felt for their +good behaviour. The weather was delightfully cool; and, with full +confidence in those left behind, it was with light hearts we turned +our faces north. Mr. Rae accompanied us a day in front; and, as +all our party had earnestly advised that at least two Europeans should +be associated together on the journey, the steward was at the last moment +taken. Mr. Rae returned to get the “Lady Nyassa” ready +for sea; and, as she drew less water than the “Pioneer,” +take her down to the ocean in October. One reason for taking the +steward is worth recording. Both he and a man named King, <a name="citation5"></a><a href="#footnote5">{5}</a> +who, though only a leading stoker in the Navy, had been a promising +student in the University of Aberdeen, had got into that weak bloodless-looking +state which residence in the lowlands without much to do or think about +often induces. The best thing for this is change and an active +life. A couple of days’ march only as far as the Mukuru-Madsé, +infused so much vigour into King that he was able to walk briskly back. +Consideration for the steward’s health led to his being selected +for this northern journey, and the measure was so completely successful +that it was often, in the hard march, a subject of regret that King +had not been taken too. A removal of only a hundred yards is sometimes +so beneficial that it ought in severe cases never to be omitted.</p> +<p>Our object now was to get away to the N.N.W., proceed parallel with +Lake Nyassa, but at a considerable distance west of it, and thus pass +by the Mazitu or Zulus near its northern end without contact—ascertain +whether any large river flowed into the Lake from the west—visit +Lake Moelo, if time permitted, and collect information about the trade +on the great slave route, which crosses the Lake at its southern end, +and at Tsenga and Kota-kota. The Makololo were eager to travel +fast, because they wanted to be back in time to hoe their fields before +the rains, and also because their wives needed looking after.</p> +<p>In going in the first instance N.E. from the uppermost Cataract, +we followed in a measure the great bend of the river towards the foot +of Mount Zomba. Here we had a view of its most imposing side, +the west, with the plateau some 3000 feet high, stretching away to its +south, and Mounts Chiradzuru and Mochiru towering aloft to the sky. +From that goodly highland station, it was once hoped by the noble Mackenzie, +who, for largeness of heart and loving disposition, really deserved +to be called the “Bishop of Central Africa,” that light +and liberty would spread to all the interior. We still think it +may be a centre for civilizing influences; for any one descending from +these cool heights, and stepping into a boat on the Upper Shiré, +can sail three hundred miles without a check into the heart of Africa.</p> +<p>We passed through a tract of country covered with mopane trees, where +the hard baked soil refused to let the usual thick crops of grass grow; +and here we came upon very many tracks of buffaloes, elephants, antelopes, +and the spoor of one lion. An ox we drove along with us, as provision +for the way, was sorely bitten by the tsetse. The effect of the +bite was, as usual, quite apparent two days afterwards, in the general +flaccidity of the muscles, the drooping ears, and looks of illness. +It always excited our wonder that we, who were frequently much bitten +too by the same insects, felt no harm from their attacks. Man +shares the immunity of the wild animals.</p> +<p>Finding a few people on the evening of the 20th of August, who were +supporting a wretched existence on tamarinds and mice, we ascertained +that there was no hope of our being able to buy food anywhere nearer +than the Lakelet Pamalombé, where the Ajawa chief, Kaiñka, +was now living; but that plenty could be found with the Maravi female +chief, Nyango. We turned away north-westwards, and struck the +stream Ribvé-ribvé, or Rivi-rivi, which rises in the Maravi +range, and flows into the Shiré.</p> +<p>As the Rivi-rivi came from the N.W. we continued to travel along +its banks, until we came to people who had successfully defended themselves +against the hordes of the Ajawa. By employing the men of one village +to go forward and explain who we were to the next, we managed to prevent +the frightened inhabitants from considering us a fresh party of Ajawa, +or of Portuguese slaving agents. Here they had cultivated maize, +and were willing to sell, but no persuasion could induce them to give +us guides to the chieftainess, Nyango. They evidently felt that +we were not to be trusted; though, as we had to certify to our own character, +our companions did not fail “to blow our own trumpet,” with +blasts in which modesty was quite out of the question. To allay +suspicion, we had at last to refrain from mentioning the lady’s +name.</p> +<p>It would be wearisome to repeat the names of the villages we passed +on our way to the north-west. One was the largest we ever saw +in Africa, and quite deserted, with the usual sad sight of many skeletons +lying about. Another was called Tette. We know three places +of this name, which fact shows it to be a native word; it seems to mean +a place where the water rushes over rocks. A third village was +called Chipanga (a great work), a name identical with the Shupanga of +the Portuguese. This repetition of names may indicate that the +same people first took these epithets in their traditional passage from +north to south.</p> +<p>At this season of the year the nights are still cold, and the people, +having no crops to occupy their attention, do not stir out till long +after the sun is up. At other times they are off to their fields +before the day dawns, and the first sound one hears is the loud talking +of men and women, in which they usually indulge in the dark to scare +off beasts by the sound of the human voice. When no work is to +be done, the first warning of approaching day is the hemp-smoker’s +loud ringing cough.</p> +<p>Having been delayed one morning by some negotiation about guides, +who were used chiefly to introduce us to other villages, we two whites +walked a little way ahead, taking the direction of the stream. +The men having been always able to find out our route by the prints +of our shoes, we went on for a number of miles. This time, however, +they lost our track, and failed to follow us. The path was well +marked by elephants, hyenas, pallahs, and zebras, but for many a day +no human foot had trod it. When the sun went down a deserted hamlet +was reached, where we made comfortable beds for ourselves of grass. +Firing muskets to attract the attention of those who have strayed is +the usual resource in these cases. On this occasion the sound +of firearms tended to mislead us; for, hearing shots next morning, a +long weary march led us only to some native hunters, who had been shooting +buffaloes. Returning to a small village, we met with some people +who remembered our passing up to the Lake in the boat; they were as +kind as they could be. The only food they possessed was tamarinds, +prepared with ashes, and a little cowitch meal. The cowitch, as +mentioned before, has a velvety brown covering of minute prickles, which, +if touched, enter the pores of the skin and cause a painful tingling. +The women in times of scarcity collect the pods, kindle a fire of grass +over them to destroy the prickles, then steep the beans till they begin +to sprout, wash them in pure water, and either boil them or pound them +into meal, which resembles our bean-meal. This plant climbs up +the long grass, and abounds in all reedy parts, and, though a plague +to the traveller who touches its pods, it performs good service in times +of famine by saving many a life from starvation. Its name here +is Kitedzi.</p> +<p>Having travelled at least twenty miles in search of our party that +day, our rest on a mat in the best hut of the village was very sweet. +We had dined the evening before on a pigeon each, and had eaten only +a handful of kitedzi porridge this afternoon. The good wife of +the village took a little corn which she had kept for seed, ground it +after dark, and made it into porridge. This, and a cup of wild +vegetables of a sweetish taste for a relish, a little boy brought in +and put down, with several vigorous claps of his hands, in the manner +which is esteemed polite, and which is strictly enjoined on all children.</p> +<p>On the third day of separation, Akosanjéré, the headman +of this village, conducted us forward to our party who had gone on to +Nsézé, a district to the westward. This incident +is mentioned, not for any interest it possesses, apart from the idea +of the people it conveys. We were completely separated from our +men for nearly three days, and had nothing wherewith to purchase food. +The people were sorely pressed by famine and war, and their hospitality, +poor as it was, did them great credit, and was most grateful to us. +Our own men had become confused and wandered, but had done their utmost +to find us; on our rejoining them, the ox was slain, and all, having +been on short commons, rejoiced in this “day of slaughter.” +Akosanjéré was, of course, rewarded to his heart’s +content.</p> +<p>As we pursued our way, we came close up to a range of mountains, +the most prominent peak of which is called Mvai. This is a great, +bare, rounded block of granite shooting up from the rest of the chain. +It and several other masses of rock are of a light grey colour, with +white patches, as if of lichens; the sides and summits are generally +thinly covered with rather scraggy trees. There are several other +prominent peaks—one, for instance, still further north, called +Chirobvé. Each has a name, but we could never ascertain +that there was an appellation which applied to the whole. This +fact, and our wish to commemorate the name of Dr. Kirk, induced us afterwards, +when we could not discover a particular peak mentioned to us formerly +as Molomo-ao-koku, or Cock’s-bill, to call the whole chain from +the west of the Cataracts up to the north end of the Lake, “Kirk’s +Range.” The part we slept at opposite Mvai was named Paudio, +and was evidently a continuation of the district of one of our stations +on the Shiré, at which observations for latitude were formerly +taken.</p> +<p>Leaving Paudio, we had Kirk’s Range close on our left and at +least 3000 feet above us, and probably not less than 5000 feet above +the sea. Far to our right extended a long green wooded country +rising gradually up to a ridge, ornamented with several detached mountains, +which bounded the Shiré Valley. In front, northwards, lay +a valley as rich and lovely as we ever saw anywhere, terminating at +the mountains, which, stretched away some thirty miles beyond our range +of vision and ended at Cape Maclear. The groups of trees had never +been subjected to the landscape gardener’s art; but had been cut +down mercilessly, just as suited the convenience of the cultivator; +yet the various combinations of open forest, sloping woodland, grassy +lawns, and massive clumps of dark green foliage along the running streams, +formed as beautiful a landscape as could be seen on the Thames. +This valley is named Gõa or Gova, and as we moved through it +we found that what was smooth to the eye was very much furrowed by running +streams winding round innumerable knolls. These little brooklets +came down from the range on our left, and the water was deliciously +cool.</p> +<p>When we came abreast of the peak Chirobvé, the people would +no longer give us guides. They were afraid of their enemies, whose +dwellings we now had on our east; and, proceeding without any one to +lead us, or to introduce us to the inhabitants, we were perplexed by +all the paths running zigzag across instead of along the valley. +They had been made by the villagers going from the hamlets on the slopes +to their gardens in the meadows below. To add to our difficulties, +the rivulets and mountain-torrents had worn gullies some thirty or forty +feet deep, with steep sides that could not be climbed except at certain +points. The remaining inhabitants on the flank of the range when +they saw strangers winding from side to side, and often attempting to +cross these torrent beds at impossible places, screamed out their shrill +war-alarm, and made the valley ring with their wild outcries. +It was war, and war alone, and we were too deep down in the valley to +make our voices heard in explanation. Fortunately, they had burned +off the long grass to a great extent. It only here and there hid +them from us. Selecting an open spot, we spent a night regarded +by all around us as slave-hunters, but were undisturbed, though the +usual way of treating an enemy in this part of the country is by night +attack.</p> +<p>The nights at the altitude of the valley were cool, the lowest temperature +shown being 37 degrees; at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. it was 58 degrees, about +the average temperature of the day; at mid-day 82 degrees, and sunset +70 degrees. Our march was very much hindered by the imperfectly +burned corn and grass stalks having fallen across the paths. To +a reader in England this will seem a very small obstacle. But +he must fancy the grass stems as thick as his little finger, and the +corn-stalks like so many walkingsticks lying in one direction, and so +supporting each other that one has to lift his feet up as when wading +through deep high heather. The stems of grass showed the causes +of certain explosions as loud as pistols, which are heard when the annual +fires come roaring over the land. The heated air inside expanding +bursts the stalk with a loud report, and strews the fragments on the +ground.</p> +<p>A very great deal of native corn had been cultivated here, and we +saw buffaloes feeding in the deserted gardens, and some women, who ran +away very much faster than the beasts did.</p> +<p>On the 29th, seeing some people standing under a tree by a village, +we sat down, and sent Masego, one of our party, to communicate. +The headman, Matunda, came back with him, bearing a calabash with water +for us. He said that all the people had fled from the Ajawa, who +had only just desisted from their career of pillage on being paid five +persons as a fine for some offence for which they had commenced the +invasion. Matunda had plenty of grain to sell, and all the women +were soon at work grinding it into meal. We secured an abundant +supply, and four milk goats. The Manganja goat is of a very superior +breed to the general African animal, being short in the legs and having +a finely-shaped broad body. By promising the Makololo that, when +we no longer needed the milk, they should have the goats to improve +the breed of their own at home, they were induced to take the greatest +possible care of both goats and kids in driving and pasturing.</p> +<p>After leaving Matunda, we came to the end of the highland valley; +and, before descending a steep declivity of a thousand feet towards +the part which may be called the heel of the Lake, we had the bold mountains +of Cape Maclear on our right, with the blue water at their base, the +hills of Tsenga in the distance in front, and Kirk’s Range on +our left, stretching away northwards, and apparently becoming lower. +As we came down into a fine rich undulating valley, many perennial streams +running to the east from the hills on our left were crossed, while all +those behind us on the higher ground seemed to unite in one named Leküé, +which flowed into the Lake.</p> +<p>After a long day’s march in the valley of the Lake, where the +temperature was very much higher than in that we had just left, we entered +the village of Katosa, which is situated on the bank of a stream among +gigantic timber trees, and found there a large party of Ajawa—Waiau, +they called themselves—all armed with muskets. We sat down +among them, and were soon called to the chiefs court, and presented +with an ample mess of porridge, buffalo meat, and beer. Katosa +was more frank than any Manganja chief we had met, and complimented +us by saying that “we must be his ‘Bazimo’ (good spirits +of his ancestors); for when he lived at Pamalombé, we lighted +upon him from above—men the like of whom he had never seen before, +and coming he knew not whence.” He gave us one of his own +large and clean huts to sleep in; and we may take this opportunity of +saying that the impression we received, from our first journey on the +hills among the villages of Chisunsé, of the excessive dirtiness +of the Manganja, was erroneous. This trait was confined to the +cool highlands. Here crowds of men and women were observed to +perform their ablutions daily in the stream that ran past their villages; +and this we have observed elsewhere to be a common custom with both +Manganja and Ajawa.</p> +<p>Before we started on the morning of the 1st September, Katosa sent +an enormous calabash of beer, containing at least three gallons, and +then came and wished us to “stop a day and eat with him.” +On explaining to him the reasons for our haste, he said that he was +in the way by which travellers usually passed, he never stopped them +in their journeys, but would like to look at us for a day. On +our promising to rest a little with him on our return, he gave us about +two pecks of rice, and three guides to conduct us to a subordinate female +chief, Nkwinda, living on the borders of the Lake in front.</p> +<p>The Ajawa, from having taken slaves down to Quillimane and Mosambique, +knew more of us than Katosa did. Their muskets were carefully +polished, and never out of these slaver’s hands for a moment, +though in the chiefs presence. We naturally felt apprehensive +that we should never see Katosa again. A migratory afflatus seems +to have come over the Ajawa tribes. Wars among themselves, for +the supply of the Coast slave-trade, are said to have first set them +in motion. The usual way in which they have advanced among the +Manganja has been by slave-trading in a friendly way. Then, professing +to wish to live as subjects, they have been welcomed as guests, and +the Manganja, being great agriculturists, have been able to support +considerable bodies of these visitors for a time. When the provisions +became scarce, the guests began to steal from the fields; quarrels arose +in consequence, and, the Ajawa having firearms, their hosts got the +worst of it, and were expelled from village after village, and out of +their own country. The Manganja were quite as bad in regard to +slave-trading as the Ajawa, but had less enterprise, and were much more +fond of the home pursuits of spinning, weaving, smelting iron, and cultivating +the soil, than of foreign travel. The Ajawa had little of a mechanical +turn, and not much love for agriculture, but were very keen traders +and travellers. This party seemed to us to be in the first or +friendly stage of intercourse with Katosa; and, as we afterwards found, +he was fully alive to the danger.</p> +<p>Our course was shaped towards the N.W., and we traversed a large +fertile tract of rich soil extensively cultivated, but dotted with many +gigantic thorny acacias which had proved too large for the little axes +of the cultivators. After leaving Nkwinda, the first village we +spent a night at in the district Ngabi was that of Chembi, and it had +a stockade around it. The Azitu or Mazitu were said to be ravaging +the country to the west of us, and no one was safe except in a stockade. +We have so often, in travelling, heard of war in front, that we paid +little attention to the assertion of Chembi, that the whole country +to the N.W. was in flight before these Mazitu, under a chief with the +rather formidable name of Mowhiriwhiri; we therefore resolved to go +on to Chinsamba’s, still further in the same direction, and hear +what he said about it.</p> +<p>The only instrument of husbandry here is the short-handled hoe; and +about Tette the labour of tilling the soil, as represented in the woodcut, +is performed entirely by female slaves. On the West Coast a double-handled +hoe is employed. Here the small hoe is seen in the hands of both +men and women. In other parts of Africa a hoe with a handle four +feet long is used, but the plough is quite unknown.</p> +<p>In illustration of the manner in which the native knowledge of agriculture +strikes an honest intelligent observer, it may be mentioned that the +first time good Bishop Mackenzie beheld how well the fields of the Manganja +were cultivated on the hills, he remarked to Dr. Livingstone, then his +fellow-traveller—“When telling the people in England what +were my objects in going out to Africa, I stated that, among other things, +I meant to teach these people agriculture; but I now see that they know +far more about it than I do.” This, we take it, was an honest +straightforward testimony, and we believe that every unprejudiced witness, +who has an opportunity of forming an opinion of Africans who have never +been debased by slavery, will rank them very much higher in the scale +of intelligence, industry, and manhood, than others who know them only +in a state of degradation.</p> +<p>On coming near Chinsamba’s two stockades, on the banks of the +Lintipe, we were told that the Mazitu had been repulsed there the day +before, and we had evidence of the truth of the report of the attack +in the sad sight of the bodies of the slain. The Zulus had taken +off large numbers of women laden with corn; and, when driven back, had +cut off the ears of a male prisoner, as a sort of credential that he +had been with the Mazitu, and with grim humour sent him to tell Chinsamba +“to take good care of the corn in the stockades, for they meant +to return for it in a month or two.”</p> +<p>Chinsamba’s people were drumming with might and main on our +arrival, to express their joy at their deliverance from the Mazitu. +The drum is the chief instrument of music among the Manganja, and with +it they express both their joy and grief. They excel in beating +time. Chinsamba called us into a very large hut, and presented +us with a huge basket of beer. The glare of sunlight from which +we had come enabled him, in diplomatic fashion, to have a good view +of us before our eyes became enough accustomed to the dark inside to +see him. He has a Jewish cast of countenance, or rather the ancient +Assyrian face, as seen in the monuments brought to the British Museum +by Mr. Layard. This form of face is very common in this country, +and leads to the belief that the true type of the negro is not that +met on the West Coast, from which most people have derived their ideas +of the African.</p> +<p>Chinsamba had many Abisa or Babisa in his stockade, and it was chiefly +by the help of their muskets that he had repulsed the Mazitu: these +Babisa are great travellers and traders.</p> +<p>We liked Chinsamba very well, and found that he was decidedly opposed +to our risking our lives by going further to the N.W. The Mazitu +were believed to occupy all the hills in that direction, so we spent +the 4th of September with him.</p> +<p>It is rather a minute thing to mention, and it will only be understood +by those who have children of their own, but the cries of the little +ones, in their infant sorrows, are the same in tone, at different ages, +here as all over the world. We have been perpetually reminded +of home and family by the wailings which were once familiar to parental +ears and heart, and felt thankful that to the sorrows of childhood our +children would never have superadded the heartrending woes of the slave-trade.</p> +<p>Taking Chinsamba’s advice to avoid the Mazitu in their marauding, +we started on the 5th September away to the N.E., and passed mile after +mile of native cornfields, with an occasional cotton-patch.</p> +<p>After a long march, we passed over a waterless plain about N.N.W. +of the hills of Tsenga to a village on the Lake, and thence up its shores +to Chitanda. The banks of the Lake were now crowded with fugitives, +who had collected there for the poor protection which the reeds afforded. +For miles along the water’s edge was one continuous village of +temporary huts. The people had brought a little corn with them; +but they said, “What shall we eat when that is done? When +we plant corn, the wild beasts (Zinyama, as they call the Mazitu) come +and take it. When we plant cassava, they do the same. How +are we to live?” A poor blind woman, thinking we were Mazitu, +rushed off in front of us with outspread arms, lifting the feet high, +in the manner peculiar to those who have lost their sight, and jumped +into the reeds of a stream for safety.</p> +<p>In our way along the shores we crossed several running rivulets of +clear cold water, which, from having reeds at their confluences, had +not been noticed in our previous exploration in the boat. One +of these was called Mokola, and another had a strong odour of sulphuretted +hydrogen. We reached Molamba on the 8th September, and found our +old acquaintance, Nkomo, there still. One of the advantages of +travelling along the shores of the Lake was, that we could bathe anywhere +in its clear fresh water. To us, who had been obliged so often +to restrain our inclination in the Zambesi and Shiré for fear +of crocodiles, this was pleasant beyond measure. The water now +was of the same temperature as it was on our former visit, or 72 degrees +Fahr. The immense depth of the Lake prevents the rays of the sun +from raising the temperature as high as that of the Shiré and +Zambesi; and the crocodiles, having always clear water in the Lake, +and abundance of fish, rarely attack man; many of these reptiles could +be seen basking on the rocks.</p> +<p>A day’s march beyond Molamba brought us to the lakelet Chia, +which lies parallel with the Lake. It is three or four miles long, +by from one to one and a half broad, and communicates with the Lake +by an arm of good depth, but with some rocks in it. As we passed +up between the Lake and the eastern shore of this lakelet, we did not +see any streams flowing into it. It is quite remarkable for the +abundance of fish; and we saw upwards of fifty large canoes engaged +in the fishery, which is carried on by means of hand-nets with side-frame +poles about seven feet long. These nets are nearly identical with +those now in use in Normandy—the difference being that the African +net has a piece of stick lashed across the handle-ends of the side poles +to keep them steady, which is a great improvement. The fish must +be very abundant to be scooped out of the water in such quantities as +we saw, and by so many canoes. There is quite a trade here in +dried fish.</p> +<p>The country around is elevated, undulating, and very extensively +planted with cassava. The hoe in use has a handle of four feet +in length, and the iron part is exactly of the same form as that in +the country of the Bechuanas. The baskets here, which are so closely +woven together as to hold beer, are the same with those employed to +hold milk in Kaffirland—a thousand miles distant.</p> +<p>Marching on foot is peculiarly conducive to meditation—one +is glad of any subject to occupy the mind, and relieve the monotony +of the weary treadmill-like trudge-trudging. This Chia net brought +to our mind that the smith’s bellows made here of a goatskin bag, +with sticks along the open ends, are the same as those in use in the +Bechuana country far to the south-west. These, with the long-handled +hoe, may only show that each successive horde from north to south took +inventions with it from the same original source. Where that source +may have been is probably indicated by another pair of bellows, which +we observed below the Victoria Falls, being found in Central India and +among the Gipsies of Europe.</p> +<p>Men in remote times may have had more highly-developed instincts, +which enabled them to avoid or use poisons; but the late Archbishop +Whately has proved, that wholly untaught savages never could invent +anything, or even subsist at all. Abundant corroboration of his +arguments is met with in this country, where the natives require but +little in the way of clothing, and have remarkably hardy stomachs. +Although possessing a knowledge of all the edible roots and fruits in +the country, having hoes to dig with, and spears, bows, and arrows to +kill the game,—we have seen that, notwithstanding all these appliances +and means to boot, they have perished of absolute starvation.</p> +<p>The art of making fire is the same in India as in Africa. The +smelting furnaces, for reducing iron and copper from the ores, are also +similar. Yellow hæmatite, which bears not the smallest resemblance +either in colour or weight to the metal, is employed near Kolobeng for +the production of iron. Malachite, the precious green stone used +in civilized life for vases, would never be suspected by the uninstructed +to be a rich ore of copper, and yet it is extensively smelted for rings +and other ornaments in the heart of Africa. A copper bar of native +manufacture four feet long was offered to us for sale at Chinsamba’s. +These arts are monuments attesting the fact, that some instruction from +above must at some time or other have been supplied to mankind; and, +as Archbishop Whately says, “the most probable conclusion is, +that man when first created, or very shortly afterwards, was advanced, +by the Creator Himself, to a state above that of a mere savage.”</p> +<p>The argument for an original revelation to man, though quite independent +of the Bible history, tends to confirm that history. It is of +the same nature with this, that man could not have <i>made</i> himself, +and therefore must have had a Divine <i>Creator</i>. Mankind could +not, in the first instance, have <i>civilized</i> themselves, and therefore +must have had a superhuman <i>Instructor</i>.</p> +<p>In connection with this subject, it is remarkable that throughout +successive generations no change has taken place in the form of the +various inventions. Hammers, tongs, hoes, axes, adzes, handles +to them; needles, bows and arrows, with the mode of feathering the latter; +spears, for killing game, with spear-heads having what is termed “dish” +on both sides to give them, when thrown, the rotatory motion of rifle-balls; +the arts of spinning and weaving, with that of pounding and steeping +the inner bark of a tree till it serves as clothing; millstones for +grinding corn into meal; the manufacture of the same kind of pots or +<i>chatties</i> as in India; the art of cooking, of brewing beer and +straining it as was done in ancient Egypt; fish-hooks, fishing and hunting +nets, fish-baskets, and weirs, the same as in the Highlands of Scotland; +traps for catching animals, etc., etc.,—have all been so very +permanent from age to age, and some of them of identical patterns are +so widely spread over the globe, as to render it probable that they +were all, at least in some degree, derived from one Source. The +African traditions, which seem possessed of the same unchangeability +as the arts to which they relate, like those of all other nations refer +their origin to a superior Being. And it is much more reasonable +to receive the hints given in Genesis, concerning direct instruction +from God to our first parents or their children in religious or moral +duty, and probably in the knowledge of the arts of life, <a name="citation6"></a><a href="#footnote6">{6}</a> +than to give credence to the theory that untaught savage man subsisted +in a state which would prove fatal to all his descendants, and that +in such helpless state he made many inventions which most of his progeny +retained, but never improved upon during some thirty centuries.</p> +<p>We crossed in canoes the arm of the Lake, which joins Chia to Nyassa, +and spent the night on its northern bank. The whole country adjacent +to the Lake, from this point up to Kota-kota Bay, is densely peopled +by thousands who have fled from the forays of the Mazitu in hopes of +protection from the Arabs who live there. In three running rivulets +we saw the <i>Shuaré</i> palm, and an oil palm which is much +inferior to that on the West Coast. Though somewhat similar in +appearance, the fruit is not much larger than hazel-nuts, and the people +do not use them, on account of the small quantity of oil which they +afford.</p> +<p>The idea of using oil for light never seems to have entered the African +mind. Here a bundle of split and dried bamboo, tied together with +creeping plants, as thick as a man’s body, and about twenty feet +in length, is employed in the canoes as a torch to attract the fish +at night. It would be considered a piece of the most wasteful +extravagance to burn the oil they obtain from the castor-oil bean and +other seeds, and also from certain fish, or in fact to do anything with +it but anoint their heads and bodies.</p> +<p>We arrived at Kota-kota Bay in the afternoon of the 10th September, +1863; and sat down under a magnificent wild fig-tree with leaves ten +inches long, by five broad, about a quarter of a mile from the village +of Juma ben Saidi, and Yakobe ben Arame, whom we had met on the River +Kaombé, a little north of this, in our first exploration of the +Lake. We had rested but a short time when Juma, who is evidently +the chief person here, followed by about fifty people, came to salute +us and to invite us to take up our quarters in his village. The +hut which, by mistake, was offered, was so small and dirty, that we +preferred sleeping in an open space a few hundred yards off.</p> +<p>Juma afterwards apologized for the mistake, and presented us with +rice, meal, sugar-cane, and a piece of malachite. We returned +his visit on the following day, and found him engaged in building a +dhow or Arab vessel, to replace one which he said had been wrecked. +This new one was fifty feet long, twelve feet broad, and five feet deep. +The planks were of a wood like teak, here called Timbati, and the timbers +of a closer grained wood called Msoro. The sight of this dhow +gave us a hint which, had we previously received it, would have prevented +our attempting to carry a vessel of iron past the Cataracts. The +trees around Katosa’s village were Timbati, and they would have +yielded planks fifty feet long and thirty inches broad. With a +few native carpenters a good vessel could be built on the Lake nearly +as quickly as one could be carried past the Cataracts, and at a vastly +less cost. Juma said that no money would induce him to part with +this dhow. He was very busy in transporting slaves across the +Lake by means of two boats, which we saw returning from a trip in the +afternoon. As he did not know of our intention to visit him, we +came upon several gangs of stout young men slaves, each secured by the +neck to one common chain, waiting for exportation, and several more +in slave-sticks. These were all civilly removed before our interview +was over, because Juma knew that we did not relish the sight.</p> +<p>When we met the same Arabs in 1861, they had but few attendants: +according to their own account, they had now, in the village and adjacent +country, 1500 souls. It is certain that tens of thousands had +flocked to them for protection, and all their power and influence must +be attributed to the possession of guns and gunpowder. This crowding +of refugees to any point where there is a hope for security for life +and property is very common in this region, and the knowledge of it +made our hopes beat high for the success of a peaceful Mission on the +shores of the Lake. The rate, however, in which the people here +will perish by the next famine, or be exported by Juma and others, will, +we fear, depopulate those parts which we have just described as crowded +with people. Hunger will ere long compel them to sell each other. +An intelligent man complained to us of the Arabs often seizing slaves, +to whom they took a fancy, without the formality of purchase; but the +price is so low—from two to four yards of calico—that one +can scarcely think this seizure and exportation without payment worth +their while. The boats were in constant employment, and, curiously +enough, Ben Habib, whom we met at Linyanti in 1855, had been taken across +the Lake, the day before our arrival at this Bay, on his way from Sesheké +to Kilwa, and we became acquainted with a native servant of the Arabs, +called Selelé Saidallah, who could speak the Makololo language +pretty fairly from having once spent some months in the Barotsé +Valley.</p> +<p>From boyhood upwards we have been accustomed, from time to time, +to read in books of travels about the great advances annually made by +Mohammedanism in Africa. The rate at which this religion spreads +was said to be so rapid, that in after days, in our own pretty extensive +travels, we have constantly been on the look out for the advancing wave +from North to South, which, it was prophesied, would soon reduce the +entire continent to the faith of the false prophet. The only foundation +that we can discover for the assertions referred to, and for others +of more recent date, is the fact that in a remote corner of North-Western +Africa the Fulahs, and Mandingoes, and some others in Northern Africa, +as mentioned by Dr. Barth, have made conquests of territory; but even +they care so very little for the extension of their faith, that after +the conquest no pains whatever are taken to indoctrinate the adults +of the tribe. This is in exact accordance with the impression +we have received from our intercourse with Mohammedans and Christians. +The followers of Christ alone are anxious to propagate their faith. +A <i>quasi</i> philanthropist would certainly never need to recommend +the followers of Islam, whom we have met, to restrain their benevolence +by preaching that “Charity should begin at home.”</p> +<p>Though Selelé and his companions were bound to their masters +by domestic ties, the only new idea they had imbibed from Mohammedanism +was, that it would be wrong to eat meat killed by other people. +They thought it would be “unlucky.” Just as the inhabitants +of Kolobeng, before being taught the requirements of Christianity, refrained +from hoeing their gardens on Sundays, lest they should reap an unlucky +crop. So far as we could learn, no efforts had been made to convert +the natives, though these two Arabs, and about a dozen half-castes, +had been in the country for many years; and judging from our experience +with a dozen Mohammedans in our employ at high wages for sixteen months, +the Africans would be the better men in proportion as they retained +their native faith. This may appear only a harsh judgment from +a mind imbued with Christian prejudices; but without any pretention +to that impartiality, which leaves it doubtful to which side the affections +lean, the truth may be fairly stated by one who viewed all Mohammedans +and Africans with the sincerest good will.</p> +<p>Our twelve Mohammedans from Johanna were the least open of any of +our party to impression from kindness. A marked difference in +general conduct was apparent. The Makololo, and other natives +of the country, whom we had with us, invariably shared with each other +the food they had cooked, but the Johanna men partook of their meals +at a distance. This, at first, we attributed to their Moslem prejudices; +but when they saw the cooking process of the others nearly complete, +they came, sat beside them, and ate the portion offered without ever +remembering to return the compliment when their own turn came to be +generous. The Makololo and the others grumbled at their greediness, +yet always followed the common custom of Africans of sharing their food +with all who sit around them. What vexed us most in the Johanna +men was their indifference to the welfare of each other. Once, +when they were all coming to the ship after sleeping ashore, one of +them walked into the water with the intention of swimming off to the +boat, and while yet hardly up to his knees was seized by a horrid crocodile +and dragged under; the poor fellow gave a shriek, and held up his hand +for aid, but none of his countrymen stirred to his assistance, and he +was never seen again. On asking his brother-in-law why he did +not help him, he replied, “Well, no one told him to go into the +water. It was his own fault that he was killed.” The +Makololo on the other hand rescued a woman at Senna by entering the +water, and taking her out of the crocodile’s mouth.</p> +<p>It is not assumed that their religion had much to do in the matter. +Many Mohammedans might contrast favourably with indifferent Christians; +but, so far as our experience in East Africa goes, the moral tone of +the follower of Mahomed is pitched at a lower key than that of the untutored +African. The ancient zeal for propagating the tenets of the Koran +has evaporated, and been replaced by the most intense selfishness and +grossest sensuality. The only known efforts made by Mohammedans, +namely, those in the North-West and North of the continent, are so linked +with the acquisition of power and plunder, as not to deserve the name +of religious propagandism; and the only religion that now makes proselytes +is that of Jesus Christ. To those who are capable of taking a +comprehensive view of this subject, nothing can be adduced of more telling +significance than the well-attested fact, that while the Mohammedans, +Fulahs, and others towards Central Africa, make a few proselytes by +a process which gratifies their own covetousness, three small sections +of the Christian converts, the Africans in the South, in the West Indies, +and on the West Coast of Africa actually contribute for the support +and spread of their religion upwards of £15,000 annually. <a name="citation7"></a><a href="#footnote7">{7}</a> +That religion which so far overcomes the selfishness of the human heart +must be Divine.</p> +<p>Leaving Kota-kota Bay, we turned away due West on the great slave +route to Katanga’s and Cazembé’s country in Londa. +Juma lent us his servant, Selelé, to lead us the first day’s +march. He said that the traders from Kilwa and Iboe cross the +Lake either at this bay, or at Tsenga, or at the southern end of the +Lake; and that wherever they may cross they all go by this path to the +interior. They have slaves with them to carry their goods, and +when they reach a spot where they can easily buy others, they settle +down and begin the traffic, and at once cultivate grain. So much +of the land lies waste, that no objection is ever made to any one taking +possession of as much as he needs; they can purchase a field of cassava +for their present wants for very little, and they continue trading in +the country for two or three years, and giving what weight their muskets +possess to the chief who is most liberal to them.</p> +<p>The first day’s march led us over a rich, well-cultivated plain. +This was succeeded by highlands, undulating, stony, and covered with +scraggy trees. Many banks of well rounded shingle appear. +The disintegration of the rocks, now going on, does not round off the +angles; they are split up by the heat and cold into angular fragments. +On these high downs we crossed the River Kaombé. Beyond +it we came among the upland vegetation—rhododendrons, proteas, +the masuko, and molompi. At the foot of the hill, Kasuko-suko, +we found the River Bua running north to join the Kaombé. +We had to go a mile out of our way for a ford; the stream is deep enough +in parts for hippopotami. The various streams not previously noticed, +crossed in this journey, had before this led us to the conclusion, independently +of the testimony of the natives, that no large river ran into the north +end of the Lake. No such affluent was needed to account for the +Shiré’s perennial flow.</p> +<p>On September 15th we reached the top of the ascent which, from its +many ups and downs, had often made us puff and blow as if broken-winded. +The water of the streams we crossed was deliciously cold, and now that +we had gained the summit at Ndonda, where the boiling-point of water +showed an altitude of 3440 feet above the sea, the air was delightful. +Looking back we had a magnificent view of the Lake, but the haze prevented +our seeing beyond the sea horizon. The scene was beautiful, but +it was impossible to dissociate the lovely landscape whose hills and +dales had so sorely tried our legs and lungs, from the sad fact that +this was part of the great slave route now actually in use. By +this road many “Ten thousands” have here seen “the +Sea,” “the Sea,” but with sinking hearts; for the +universal idea among the captive gangs is, that they are going to be +fattened and eaten by the whites. They cannot of course be so +much shocked as we should be—their sensibilities are far from +fine, their feelings are more obtuse than ours—in fact, “the +live eels are used to being skinned,” perhaps they rather like +it. We who are not philosophic, blessed the Providence which at +Thermopylæ in ancient days rolled back the tide of Eastern conquest +from the West, and so guided the course of events that light and liberty +and gospel truth spread to our distant isle, and emancipating our race +freed them from the fear of ever again having to climb fatiguing heights +and descend wearisome hollows in a slave-gang, as we suppose they did +when the fair English youths were exposed for sale at Rome.</p> +<p>Looking westwards we perceived that, what from below had the appearance +of mountains, was only the edge of a table-land which, though at first +undulating, soon became smooth, and sloped towards the centre of the +country. To the south a prominent mountain called Chipata, and +to the south-west another named Ngalla, by which the Bua is said to +rise, gave character to the landscape. In the north, masses of +hills prevented our seeing more than eight or ten miles.</p> +<p>The air which was so exhilarating to Europeans had an opposite effect +on five men who had been born and reared in the malaria of the Delta +of the Zambesi. No sooner did they reach the edge of the plateau +at Ndonda, than they lay down prostrate, and complained of pains all +over them. The temperature was not much lower than that on the +shores of the Lake below, 76 degrees being the mean temperature of the +day, 52 degrees the lowest, and 82 degrees the highest during the twenty-four +hours; at the Lake it was about l0 degrees higher. Of the symptoms +they complained of—pains everywhere—nothing could be made. +And yet it was evident that they had good reason for saying that they +were ill. They scarified almost every part of their bodies as +a remedial measure; medicines, administered on the supposition that +their malady was the effect of a sudden chill, had no effect, and in +two days one of them actually died in consequence of, as far as we could +judge, a change from a malarious to a purer and more rarefied atmosphere.</p> +<p>As we were on the slave route, we found the people more churlish +than usual. On being expostulated with about it, they replied, +“We have been made wary by those who come to buy slaves.” +The calamity of death having befallen our party, seemed, however, to +awaken their sympathies. They pointed out their usual burying-place, +lent us hoes, and helped to make the grave. When we offered to +pay all expenses, they showed that they had not done these friendly +offices without fully appreciating their value; for they enumerated +the use of the hut, the mat on which the deceased had lain, the hoes, +the labour, and the medicine which they had scattered over the place +to make him rest in peace.</p> +<p>The primitive African faith seems to be that there is one Almighty +Maker of heaven and earth; that he has given the various plants of earth +to man to be employed as mediators between him and the spirit world, +where all who have ever been born and died continue to live; that sin +consists in offences against their fellow-men, either here or among +the departed, and that death is often a punishment of guilt, such as +witchcraft. Their idea of moral evil differs in no respect from +ours, but they consider themselves amenable only to inferior beings, +not to the Supreme. Evil-speaking—lying—hatred—disobedience +to parents—neglect of them—are said by the intelligent to +have been all known to be sin, as well as theft, murder, or adultery, +before they knew aught of Europeans or their teaching. The only +new addition to their moral code is, that it is wrong to have more wives +than one. This, until the arrival of Europeans, never entered +into their minds even as a doubt.</p> +<p>Everything not to be accounted for by common causes, whether of good +or evil, is ascribed to the Deity. Men are inseparably connected +with the spirits of the departed, and when one dies he is believed to +have joined the hosts of his ancestors. All the Africans we have +met with are as firmly persuaded of their future existence as of their +present life. And we have found none in whom the belief in the +Supreme Being was not rooted. He is so invariably referred to +as the Author of everything supernatural, that, unless one is ignorant +of their language, he cannot fail to notice this prominent feature of +their faith. When they pass into the unseen world, they do not +seem to be possessed with the fear of punishment. The utensils +placed upon the grave are all broken as if to indicate that they will +never be used by the departed again. The body is put into the +grave in a sitting posture, and the hands are folded in front. +In some parts of the country there are tales which we could translate +into faint glimmerings of a resurrection; but whether these fables, +handed down from age to age, convey that meaning to the natives themselves +we cannot tell. The true tradition of faith is asserted to be +“though a man die he will live again;” the false that when +he dies he is dead for ever.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XIV.</h3> +<p>Important geographical discoveries in the Wabisa countries—Cruelty +of the slave-trade—The Mazitu—Serious illness of Dr. Livingstone—Return +to the ship.</p> +<p>In our course westwards, we at first passed over a gently undulating +country, with a reddish clayey soil, which, from the heavy crops, appeared +to be very fertile. Many rivulets were crossed, some running southwards +into the Bua, and others northwards into the Loangwa, a river which +we formerly saw flowing into the Lake. Further on, the water was +chiefly found in pools and wells. Then still further, in the same +direction, some watercourses were said to flow into that same “Loangwa +of the Lake,” and others into the Loangwa, which flows to the +south-west, and enters the Zambesi at Zumbo, and is here called the +“Loangwa of the Maravi.” The trees were in general +scraggy, and covered, exactly as they are in the damp climate of the +Coast, with lichens, resembling orchilla-weed. The maize, which +loves rather a damp soil, had been planted on ridges to allow the superfluous +moisture to run off. Everything indicated a very humid climate, +and the people warned us that, as the rains were near, we were likely +to be prevented from returning by the country becoming flooded and impassable.</p> +<p>Villages, as usual encircled by euphorbia hedges, were numerous, +and a great deal of grain had been cultivated around them. Domestic +fowls, in plenty, and pigeons with dovecots like those in Egypt were +seen. The people call themselves Matumboka, but the only difference +between them and the rest of the Manganja is in the mode of tattooing +the face. Their language is the same. Their distinctive +mark consists of four tattooed lines diverging from the point between +the eyebrows, which, in frowning, the muscles form into a furrow. +The other lines of tattooing, as in all Manganja, run in long seams, +which crossing each other at certain angles form a great number of triangular +spaces on the breast, back, arms, and thighs. The cuticle is divided +by a knife, and the edges of the incision are drawn apart till the true +skin appears. By a repetition of this process, lines of raised +cicatrices are formed, which are thought to give beauty, no matter how +much pain the fashion gives.</p> +<p>It would not be worth while to advert for a moment to the routine +of travelling, or the little difficulties that beset every one who attempts +to penetrate into a new country, were it not to show the great source +of the power here possessed by slave-traders. We needed help in +carrying our goods, while our men were ill, though still able to march. +When we had settled with others for hire, we were often told, that the +dealers in men had taken possession of some, and had taken them away +altogether. Other things led us to believe that the slave-traders +carry matters with a high hand; and no wonder, for the possession of +gunpowder gives them almost absolute power. The mode by which +tribes armed with bows and arrows carry on warfare, or defend themselves, +is by ambuscade. They never come out in open fight, but wait for +the enemy ensconced behind trees, or in the long grass of the country, +and shoot at him unawares. Consequently, if men come against them +with firearms, when, as is usually the case, the long grass is all burned +off, the tribe attacked are as helpless as a wooden ship, possessing +only signal guns, would be before an iron-clad steamer. The time +of year selected for this kind of warfare is nearly always that in which +the grass is actually burnt off, or is so dry as readily to take fire. +The dry grass in Africa looks more like ripe English wheat late in the +autumn, than anything else we can compare it to. Let us imagine +an English village standing in a field of this sort, bounded only by +the horizon, and enemies setting fire to a line of a mile or two, by +running along with bunches of burning straw in their hands, touching +here and there the inflammable material,—the wind blowing towards +the doomed village—the inhabitants with only one or two old muskets, +but ten to one no powder,—the long line of flames, leaping thirty +feet into the air with dense masses of black smoke—and pieces +of charred grass falling down in showers. Would not the stoutest +English villager, armed only with the bow and arrow against the enemy’s +musket, quail at the idea of breaking through that wall of fire? +When at a distance, we once saw a scene like this, and had the charred +grass, literally as thick as flakes of black snow, falling around us, +there was no difficulty in understanding the secret of the slave-trader’s +power.</p> +<p>On the 21st of September, we arrived at the village of the chief +Muasi, or Muazi; it is surrounded by a stockade, and embowered in very +tall euphorbia-trees; their height, thirty or forty feet, shows that +it has been inhabited for at least one generation. A visitation +of disease or death causes the headmen to change the site of their villages, +and plant new hedges; but, though Muazi has suffered from the attacks +of the Mazitu, he has evidently clung to his birthplace. The village +is situated about two miles south-west of a high hill called Kasungu, +which gives the name to a district extending to the Loangwa of the Maravi. +Several other detached granite hills have been shot up on the plain, +and many stockaded villages, all owing allegiance to Muazi, are scattered +over it.</p> +<p>On our arrival, the chief was sitting in the smooth shady place, +called Boalo, where all public business is transacted, with about two +hundred men and boys around him. We paid our guides with due ostentation. +Masiko, the tallest of our party, measured off the fathom of cloth agreed +upon, and made it appear as long as possible, by facing round to the +crowd, and cutting a few inches beyond what his outstretched arms could +reach, to show that there was no deception. This was by way of +advertisement. The people are mightily gratified at having a tall +fellow to measure the cloth for them. It pleases them even better +than cutting it by a tape-line—though very few men of six feet +high can measure off their own length with their outstretched arms. +Here, where Arab traders have been, the cubit called <i>mokono</i>, +or elbow, begins to take the place of the fathom in use further south. +The measure is taken from the point of the bent elbow to the end of +the middle finger.</p> +<p>We found, on visiting Muazi on the following day, that he was as +frank and straightforward as could reasonably be expected. He +did not wish us to go to the N.N.W., because he carries on a considerable +trade in ivory there. We were anxious to get off the slave route, +to people not visited before by traders; but Muazi naturally feared, +that if we went to what is said to be a well-watered country, abounding +in elephants, we might relieve him of the ivory which he now obtains +at a cheap rate, and sells to the slave-traders as they pass Kasungu +to the east; but at last he consented, warning us that “great +difficulty would be experienced in obtaining food—a district had +been depopulated by slave wars—and a night or two must be spent +in it; but he would give us good guides, who would go three days with +us, before turning, and then further progress must depend on ourselves.” +Some of our men having been ill ever since we mounted this highland +plain, we remained two days with Muazi.</p> +<p>A herd of fine cattle showed that no tsetse existed in the district. +They had the Indian hump, and were very fat, and very tame. The +boys rode on both cows and bulls without fear, and the animals were +so fat and lazy, that the old ones only made a feeble attempt to kick +their young tormentors. Muazi never milks the cows; he complained +that, but for the Mazitu having formerly captured some, he should now +have had very many. They wander over the country at large, and +certainly thrive.</p> +<p>After leaving Muazi’s, we passed over a flat country sparsely +covered with the scraggy upland trees, but brightened with many fine +flowers. The grass was short, reaching no higher than the knee, +and growing in tufts with bare spaces between, though the trees were +draped with many various lichens, and showed a moist climate. +A high and very sharp wind blew over the flats; its piercing keenness +was not caused by low temperature, for the thermometer stood at 80 degrees.</p> +<p>We were now on the sources of the Loangwa of the Maravi, which enters +the Zambesi at Zumbo, and were struck by the great resemblance which +the boggy and sedgy streams here presented to the sources of the Leeba, +an affluent of the Zambesi formerly observed in Londa, and of the Kasai, +which some believe to be the principal branch of the Congo or Zairé.</p> +<p>We had taken pains to ascertain from the travelled Babisa and Arabs +as much as possible about the country in front, which, from the lessening +time we had at our disposal, we feared we could scarcely reach, and +had heard a good deal of a small lake called Bemba. As we proceeded +west, we passed over the sources not only of the Loangwa, but of another +stream, called Moitawa or Moitala, which was represented to be the main +feeder of Lake Bemba. This would be of little importance, but +for the fact that the considerable river Luapula, or Loapula is said +to flow out of Bemba to the westward, and then to spread out into another +and much larger lake, named Moero, or Moelo. Flowing still further +in the same direction, the Loapula forms Lake Mofué, or Mofu, +and after this it is said to pass the town of Cazembé, bend to +the north, and enter Lake Tanganyika. Whither the water went after +it entered the last lake, no one would venture an assertion. But +that the course indicated is the true watershed of that part of the +country, we believe from the unvarying opinion of native travellers. +There could be no doubt that our informants had been in the country +beyond Cazembé’s, for they knew and described chiefs whom +we afterwards met about thirty-five or forty miles west of his town. +The Lualaba is said to flow into the Loapula—and when, for the +sake of testing the accuracy of the travelled, it was asserted that +all the water of the region round the town of Cazembé flowed +into the Luambadzi, or Luambezi (Zambesi), they remarked with a smile, +“He says, that the Loapula flows into the Zambesi—did you +ever hear such nonsense?” or words to that effect. We were +forced to admit, that according to native accounts, our previous impression +of the Zambesi’s draining the country about Cazembé’s +had been a mistake. Their geographical opinions are now only stated, +without any further comment than that the itinerary given by the Arabs +and others shows that the Loapula is twice crossed on the way to Cazembé’s; +and we may add that we have never found any difficulty from the alleged +incapacity of the negro to tell which way a river flows.</p> +<p>The boiling-point of water showed a descent, from the edge of the +plateau to our furthest point west, of 170 feet; but this can only be +considered as an approximation, and no dependence could have been placed +on it, had we not had the courses of the streams to confirm this rather +rough mode of ascertaining altitudes. The slope, as shown by the +watershed, was to the “Loangwa of the Maravi,” and towards +the Moitala, or south-west, west, and north-west. After we leave +the feeders of Lake Nyassa, the water drains towards the centre of the +continent. The course of the Kasai, a river seen during Dr. Livingstone’s +journey to the West Coast, and its feeders was to the north-east, or +somewhat in the same direction. Whether the water thus drained +off finds its way out by the Congo, or by the Nile, has not yet been +ascertained. Some parts of the continent have been said to resemble +an inverted dinner-plate. This portion seems more of the shape, +if shape it has, of a wide-awake hat, with the crown a little depressed. +The altitude of the brim in some parts is considerable; in others, as +at Tette and the bottom of Murchison’s Cataracts, it is so small +that it could be ascertained only by eliminating the daily variations +of the barometer, by simultaneous observations on the Coast, and at +points some two or three hundred miles inland. So long as African +rivers remain in what we may call the brim, they present no obstructions; +but no sooner do they emerge from the higher lands than their utility +is impaired by cataracts. The low lying belt is very irregular. +At times sloping up in the manner of the rim of an inverted dinner-plate—while +in other cases, a high ridge rises near the sea, to be succeeded by +a lower district inland before we reach the central plateau. The +breadth of the low lands is sometimes as much as three hundred miles, +and that breadth determines the limits of navigation from the seaward.</p> +<p>We made three long marches beyond Muazi’s in a north-westerly +direction; the people were civil enough, but refused to sell us any +food. We were travelling too fast, they said; in fact, they were +startled, and before they recovered their surprise, we were obliged +to depart. We suspected that Muazi had sent them orders to refuse +us food, that we might thus be prevented from going into the depopulated +district; but this may have been mere suspicion, the result of our own +uncharitable feelings.</p> +<p>We spent one night at Machambwé’s village, and another +at Chimbuzi’s. It is seldom that we can find the headman +on first entering a village. He gets out of the way till he has +heard all about the strangers, or he is actually out in the fields looking +after his farms. We once thought that when the headman came in +from a visit of inspection, with his spear, bow and arrows, they had +been all taken up for the occasion, and that he had all the while been +hidden in some hut slily watching till he heard that the strangers might +be trusted; but on listening to the details given by these men of the +appearances of the crops at different parts, and the astonishing minuteness +of the speakers’ topography, we were persuaded that in some cases +we were wrong, and felt rather humiliated. Every knoll, hill, +mountain, and every peak on a range has a name; and so has every watercourse, +dell, and plain. In fact, every feature and portion of the country +is so minutely distinguished by appropriate names, that it would take +a lifetime to decipher their meaning. It is not the want, but +the superabundance of names that misleads travellers, and the terms +used are so multifarious that good scholars will at times scarcely know +more than the subject of conversation. Though it is a little apart +from the topic of the attention which the headmen pay to agriculture, +yet it may be here mentioned, while speaking of the fulness of the language, +that we have heard about a score of words to indicate different varieties +of gait—one walks leaning forward, or backward, swaying from side +to side, loungingly, or smartly, swaggeringly, swinging the arms, or +only one arm, head down or up, or otherwise; each of these modes of +walking was expressed by a particular verb; and more words were used +to designate the different varieties of fools than we ever tried to +count.</p> +<p>Mr. Moffat has translated the whole Bible into the language of the +Bechuana, and has diligently studied this tongue for the last forty-four-years; +and, though knowing far more of the language than any of the natives +who have been reared on the Mission-station of Kuruman, he does not +pretend to have mastered it fully even yet. However copious it +may be in terms of which we do not feel the necessity, it is poor in +others, as in abstract terms, and words used to describe mental operations.</p> +<p>Our third day’s march ended in the afternoon of the 27th September, +1863, at the village of Chinanga on the banks of a branch of the Loangwa. +A large, rounded mass of granite, a thousand feet high, called <i>Ñombé +rumé</i>, stand on the plain a few miles off. It is quite +remarkable, because it has so little vegetation on it. Several +other granitic hills stand near it, ornamented with trees, like most +heights of this country, and a heap of blue mountains appears away in +the north.</p> +<p>The effect of the piercing winds upon the men had never been got +rid of. Several had been unable to carry a load ever since we +ascended to the highlands; we had lost one, and another poor lad was +so ill as to cause us great anxiety. By waiting in this village, +which was so old that it was full of vermin, all became worse. +Our European food was entirely expended, and native meal, though finely +ground, has so many sharp angular particles in it, that it brought back +dysentery, from which we had suffered so much in May. We could +scarcely obtain food for the men. The headman of this village +of Chinanga was off in a foray against some people further north to +supply slaves to the traders expected along the slave route we had just +left; and was said, after having expelled the inhabitants, to be living +in their stockade, and devouring their corn. The conquered tribe +had purchased what was called a peace by presenting the conqueror with +three women.</p> +<p>This state of matters afforded us but a poor prospect of finding +more provisions in that direction than we could with great difficulty +and at enormous prices obtain here. But neither want of food, +dysentery, nor slave wars would have prevented our working our way round +the Lake in some other direction, had we had time; but we had received +orders from the Foreign Office to take the “Pioneer” down +to the sea in the previous April. The salaries of all the men +in her were positively “in any case to cease by the 31st of December.”</p> +<p>We were said to be only ten days’ distant from Lake Bemba. +We might speculate on a late rise of the river. A month or six +weeks would secure a geographical feat, but the rains were near. +We had been warned by different people that the rains were close at +hand, and that we should then be bogged and unable to travel. +The flood in the river might be an early one, or so small in volume +as to give but one chance of the “Pioneer” descending to +the ocean. The Makololo too were becoming dispirited by sickness +and want of food, and were naturally anxious to be back to their fields +in time for sowing. But in addition to all this and more, it was +felt that it would not be dealing honestly with the Government, were +we, for the sake of a little éclat, to risk the detention of +the “Pioneer” up the river during another year; so we decided +to return; and though we had afterwards the mortification to find that +we were detained two full months at the ship waiting for the flood which +we expected immediately after our arrival there, the chagrin was lessened +by a consciousness of having acted in a fair, honest, above-board manner +throughout.</p> +<p>On the night of the 29th of September a thief came to the sleeping-place +of our men and stole a leg of a goat. On complaining to the deputy +headman, he said that the thief had fled, but would be caught. +He suggested a fine, and offered a fowl and her eggs; but wishing that +the thief alone should be punished, it was advised that <i>he</i> should +be found and fined. The Makololo thought it best to take the fowl +as a means of making the punishment certain. After settling this +matter on the last day of September, we commenced our return journey. +We had just the same time to go back to the ship, that we had spent +in coming to this point, and there is not much to interest one in marching +over the same ground a second time.</p> +<p>While on our journey north-west, a cheery old woman, who had once +been beautiful, but whose white hair now contrasted strongly with her +dark complexion, was working briskly in her garden as we passed. +She seemed to enjoy a hale, hearty old age. She saluted us with +what elsewhere would be called a good address; and, evidently conscious +that she deserved the epithet, “dark but comely,” answered +each of us with a frank “Yes, my child.” Another motherly-looking +woman, sitting by a well, began the conversation by “You are going +to visit Muazi, and you have come from afar, have you not?” +But in general women never speak to strangers unless spoken to, so anything +said by them attracts attention. Muazi once presented us with +a basket of corn. On hinting that we had no wife to grind our +corn, his buxom spouse struck in with roguish glee, and said, “I +will grind it for you; and leave Muazi, to accompany and cook for you +in the land of the setting sun.” As a rule the women are +modest and retiring in their demeanour, and, without being oppressed +with toil, show a great deal of industry. The crops need about +eight months’ attention. Then when the harvest is home, +much labour is required to convert it into food as porridge, or beer. +The corn is pounded in a large wooden mortar, like the ancient Egyptian +one, with a pestle six feet long and about four inches thick. +The pounding is performed by two or even three women at one mortar. +Each, before delivering a blow with her pestle, gives an upward jerk +of the body, so as to put strength into the stroke, and they keep exact +time, so that two pestles are never in the mortar at the same moment. +The measured thud, thud, thud, and the women standing at their vigorous +work, are associations inseparable from a prosperous African village. +By the operation of pounding, with the aid of a little water, the hard +outside scale or husk of the grain is removed, and the corn is made +fit for the millstone. The meal irritates the stomach unless cleared +from the husk; without considerable energy in the operator, the husk +sticks fast to the corn. Solomon thought that still more vigour +than is required to separate the hard husk or bran from wheat would +fail to separate “a fool from his folly.” “Though +thou shouldst bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, <i>yet</i> +will not his foolishness depart from him.” The rainbow, +in some parts, is called the “pestle of the Barimo,” or +gods. Boys and girls, by constant practice with the pestle, are +able to plant stakes in the ground by a somewhat similar action, in +erecting a hut, so deftly that they never miss the first hole made.</p> +<p>Let any one try by repeatedly jobbing a pole with all his force to +make a deep hole in the ground, and he will understand how difficult +it is always to strike it into the same spot.</p> +<p>As we were sleeping one night outside a hut, but near enough to hear +what was going on within, an anxious mother began to grind her corn +about two o’clock in the morning. “Ma,” inquired +a little girl, “why grind in the dark?” Mamma advised +sleep, and administered material for a sweet dream to her darling, by +saying, “I grind meal to buy a cloth from the strangers, which +will make you look a little lady.” An observer of these +primitive races is struck continually with such little trivial touches +of genuine human nature.</p> +<p>The mill consists of a block of granite, syenite, or even mica schist, +fifteen or eighteen inches square and five or six thick, with a piece +of quartz or other hard rock about the size of a half brick, one side +of which has a convex surface, and fits into a concave hollow in the +larger and stationary stone. The workwoman kneeling, grasps this +upper millstone with both hands, and works it backwards and forwards +in the hollow of the lower millstone, in the same way that a baker works +his dough, when pressing it and pushing from him. The weight of +the person is brought to bear on the movable stone, and while it is +pressed and pushed forwards and backwards, one hand supplies every now +and then a little grain to be thus at first bruised and then ground +on the lower stone, which is placed on the slope so that the meal when +ground falls on to a skin or mat spread for the purpose. This +is perhaps the most primitive form of mill, and anterior to that in +oriental countries, where two women grind at one mill, and may have +been that used by Sarah of old when she entertained the Angels.</p> +<p>On 2nd October we applied to Muazi for guides to take us straight +down to Chinsamba’s at Mosapo, and thus cut off an angle, which +we should otherwise make, by going back to Kota-kota Bay. He replied +that his people knew the short way to Chinsamba’s that we desired +to go, but that they all were afraid to venture there, on account of +the Zulus, or Mazitu. We therefore started back on our old route, +and, after three hours’ march, found some Babisa in a village +who promised to lead us to Chinsamba.</p> +<p>We meet with these keen traders everywhere. They are easily +known by a line of horizontal cicatrices, each half an inch long, down +the middle of the forehead and chin. They often wear the hair +collected in a mass on the upper and back part of the head, while it +is all shaven off the forehead and temples. The Babisa and Waiau +or Ajawa heads have more of the round bullet-shape than those of the +Manganja, indicating a marked difference in character; the former people +being great traders and travellers, the latter being attached to home +and agriculture. The Manganja usually intrust their ivory to the +Babisa to be sold at the Coast, and complain that the returns made never +come up to the high prices which they hear so much about before it is +sent. In fact, by the time the Babisa return, the expenses of +the journey, in which they often spend a month or two at a place where +food abounds, usually eat up all the profits.</p> +<p>Our new companions were trading in tobacco, and had collected quantities +of the round balls, about the size of nine pounder shot, into which +it is formed. One of them owned a woman, whose child had been +sold that morning for tobacco. The mother followed him, weeping +silently, for hours along the way we went; she seemed to be well known, +for at several hamlets, the women spoke to her with evident sympathy; +we could do nothing to alleviate her sorrow—the child would be +kept until some slave-trader passed, and then sold for calico. +The different cases of slave-trading observed by us are mentioned, in +order to give a fair idea of its details.</p> +<p>We spent the first night, after leaving the slave route, at the village +of Nkoma, among a section of Manganja, called Machewa, or Macheba, whose +district extends to the Bua.</p> +<p>The next village at which we slept was also that of a Manganja smith. +It was a beautiful spot, shaded with tall euphorbia-trees. The +people at first fled, but after a short time returned, and ordered us +off to a stockade of Babisa, about a mile distant. We preferred +to remain in the smooth shady spot outside the hamlet, to being pent +up in a treeless stockade. Twenty or thirty men came dropping +in, all fully armed with bows and arrows, some of them were at least +six feet four in height, yet these giants were not ashamed to say, “We +thought that you were Mazitu, and, being afraid, ran away.” +Their orders to us were evidently inspired by terror, and so must the +refusal of the headman to receive a cloth, or lend us a hut have been; +but as we never had the opportunity of realizing what feelings a successful +invasion would produce, we did not know whether to blame them or not. +The headman, a tall old smith, with an enormous, well-made knife of +his own workmanship, came quietly round, and, inspecting the shelter, +which, from there being abundance of long grass and bushes near, our +men put up for us in half an hour, gradually changed his tactics, and, +in the evening, presented us with a huge pot of porridge and a deliciously +well-cooked fowl, and made an apology for having been so rude to strangers, +and a lamentation that he had been so foolish as to refuse the fine +cloth we had offered. Another cloth was of course presented, and +we had the pleasure of parting good friends next day.</p> +<p>Our guide, who belonged to the stockade near to which we had slept, +declined to risk himself further than his home. While waiting +to hire another, Masiko attempted to purchase a goat, and had nearly +concluded the bargain, when the wife of the would-be seller came forward, +and said to her husband, “You appear as if you were unmarried; +selling a goat without consulting your wife; what an insult to a woman! +What sort of man are you?” Masiko urged the man, saying, +“Let us conclude the bargain, and never mind her;” but he +being better instructed, replied, “No, I have raised a host against +myself already,” and refused.</p> +<p>We now pushed on to the east, so as to get down to the shores of +the Lake, and into the parts where we were known. The country +was beautiful, well wooded, and undulating, but the villages were all +deserted; and the flight of the people seemed to have been quite recent, +for the grain was standing in the corn-safes untouched. The tobacco, +though ripe, remained uncut in the gardens, and the whole country was +painfully quiet: the oppressive stillness quite unbroken by the singing +of birds, or the shrill calls of women watching their corn.</p> +<p>On passing a beautiful village, called Bangwé, surrounded +by shady trees, and placed in a valley among mountains, we were admiring +the beauty of the situation, when some of the much dreaded Mazitu, with +their shields, ran out of the hamlet, from which we were a mile distant. +They began to scream to their companions to give us chase. Without +quickening our pace we walked on, and soon were in a wood, through which +the footpath we were following led. The first intimation we had +of the approaching Mazitu was given by the Johanna man, Zachariah, who +always lagged behind, running up, screaming as if for his life. +The bundles were all put in one place to be defended; and Masiko and +Dr. Livingstone walked a few paces back to meet the coming foe. +Masiko knelt down anxious to fire, but was ordered not to do so. +For a second or two dusky forms appeared among the trees, and the Mazitu +were asked, in their own tongue, “What do you want?” Masiko +adding, “What do you say?” No answer was given, but +the dark shade in the forest vanished. They had evidently taken +us for natives, and the sight of a white man was sufficient to put them +to flight. Had we been nearer the Coast, where the people are +accustomed to the slave-trade, we should have found this affair a more +difficult one to deal with; but, as a rule, the people of the interior +are much more mild in character than those on the confines of civilization.</p> +<p>The above very small adventure was all the danger we were aware of +in this journey; but a report was spread from the Portuguese villages +on the Zambesi, similar to several rumours that had been raised before, +that Dr. Livingstone had been murdered by the Makololo; and very unfortunately +the report reached England before it could be contradicted.</p> +<p>One benefit arose from the Mazitu adventure. Zachariah, and +others who had too often to be reproved for lagging behind, now took +their places in the front rank; and we had no difficulty in making very +long marches for several days, for all believed that the Mazitu would +follow our footsteps, and attack us while we slept.</p> +<p>A party of Babisa tobacco-traders came from the N.W. to Molamba, +while we were there; and one of them asserted several times that the +Loapula, after emerging from Moelo, received the Lulua, and then flowed +into Lake Mofu, and thence into Tanganyika; and from the last-named +Lake into the sea. This is the native idea of the geography of +the interior; and, to test the general knowledge of our informant, we +asked him about our acquaintances in Londa; as Moené, Katema, +Shindé or Shinté, who live south-west of the rivers mentioned, +and found that our friends there were perfectly well-known to him and +to others of these travelled natives. In the evening two of the +Babisa came in, and reported that the Mazitu had followed us to the +village called Chigaragara, at which we slept at the bottom of the descent. +The whole party of traders set off at once, though the sun had set. +We ourselves had given rise to the report, for the women of Chigaragara, +supposing us in the distance to be Mazitu, fled, with all their household +utensils on their heads, and had no opportunity afterwards of finding +out their mistake. We spent the night where we were, and next +morning, declining Nkomo’s entreaty to go and kill elephants, +took our course along the shores of the Lake southwards.</p> +<p>We have only been at the Lake at one season of the year: then the +wind blows strongly from the east, and indeed this is its prevailing +direction hence to the Orange River; a north or a south wind is rare, +and seldom lasts more than three days. As the breeze now blew +over a large body of water, towards us, it was delightful; but when +facing it on the table-land it was so strong as materially to impede +our progress, and added considerably to the labour of travelling. +Here it brought large quantities of the plant (<i>Vallisneriæ</i>), +from which the natives extract salt by burning, and which, if chewed, +at once shows its saline properties by the taste. Clouds of the +kungo, or edible midges, floated on the Lake, and many rested on the +bushes on land.</p> +<p>The reeds along the shores of the Lake were still crowded with fugitives, +and a great loss of life must since have taken place; for, after the +corn they had brought with them was expended, famine would ensue. +Even now we passed many women and children digging up the roots, about +the size of peas, of an aromatic grass; and their wasted forms showed +that this poor hard fare was to allay, if possible, the pangs of hunger. +The babies at the breast crowed to us as we passed, their mothers kneeling +and grubbing for the roots; the poor little things still drawing nourishment +from the natural fountain were unconscious of that sinking of heart +which their parents must have felt in knowing that the supply for the +little ones must soon fail. No one would sell a bit of food to +us: fishermen, even, would not part with the produce of their nets, +except in exchange for some other kind of food. Numbers of newly-made +graves showed that many had already perished, and hundreds were so emaciated +that they had the appearance of human skeletons swathed in brown and +wrinkled leather. In passing mile after mile, marked with these +sad proofs that “man’s inhumanity to man makes countless +thousands mourn,” one experiences an overpowering sense of helplessness +to alleviate human woe, and breathes a silent prayer to the Almighty +to hasten the good time coming when “man and man the world o’er, +shall brothers be for all that.” One small redeeming consideration +in all this misery could not but be felt; these ills were inflicted +by heathen Mazitu, and not by, or for, those who say to Him who is higher +than the highest, “We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge.”</p> +<p>We crossed the Mokolé, rested at Chitanda, and then left the +Lake, and struck away N.W. to Chinsamba’s. Our companions, +who were so much oppressed by the rarefied air of the plateau, still +showed signs of exhaustion, though now only 1300 feet above the sea, +and did not recover flesh and spirits till we again entered the Lower +Shiré Valley, which is of so small an altitude, that, without +simultaneous observations with the barometer there and on the sea-coast, +the difference would not be appreciable.</p> +<p>On a large plain on which we spent one night, we had the company +of eighty tobacco traders on their way from Kasungu to Chinsamba’s. +The Mazitu had attacked and killed two of them, near the spot where +the Zulus fled from us without answering our questions. The traders +were now so frightened that, instead of making a straight course with +us, they set off by night to follow the shores of the Lake to Tsenga, +and then turn west. It is the sight of shields, or guns that inspires +terror. The bowmen feel perfectly helpless when the enemy comes +with even the small protection the skin shield affords, or attacks them +in the open field with guns. They may shoot a few arrows, but +they are such poor shots that ten to one if they hit. The only +thing that makes the arrow formidable is the poison; for if the poisoned +barb goes in nothing can save the wounded. A bow is in use in +the lower end of Lake Nyassa, but is more common in the Maravi country, +from six to eight inches broad, which is intended to be used as a shield +as well as a bow; but we never saw one with the mark on it of an enemy’s +arrow. It certainly is no match for the Zulu shield, which is +between four and five feet long, of an oval shape, and about two feet +broad. So great is the terror this shield inspires that we sometimes +doubted whether the Mazitu here were Zulus at all, and suspected that +the people of the country took advantage of that fear, and, assuming +shields, pretended to belong to that nation.</p> +<p>On the 11th October we arrived at the stockade of Chinsamba in Mosapo, +and had reason to be very well satisfied with his kindness. A +paraffin candle was in his eyes the height of luxury, and the ability +to make a light instantaneously by a lucifer match, a marvel that struck +him with wonder. He brought all his relatives in different groups +to see the strange sights,—instantaneous fire-making, and a light, +without the annoyance of having fire and smoke in the middle of the +floor. When they wish to look for anything in the dark, a wisp +of dried grass is lighted.</p> +<p>Chinsamba gave us a great deal of his company during our visits. +As we have often remarked in other cases, a chief has a great deal to +attend to in guiding the affairs of his people. He is consulted +on all occasions, and gives his advice in a stream of words, which show +a very intimate acquaintance with the topography of his district; he +knows every rood cultivated, every weir put in the river, every hunting-net, +loom, gorge, and every child of his tribe. Any addition made to +the number of these latter is notified to him; and he sends thanks and +compliments to the parents.</p> +<p>The presents which, following the custom of the country, we gave +to every headman, where we either spent a night or a longer period, +varied from four to eight yards of calico. We had some Manchester +cloths made in imitation of the native manufactured robes of the West +Coast, each worth five or six shillings. To the more important +of the chiefs, for calico we substituted one of these strong gaudy dresses, +iron spoons, a knife, needles, a tin dish, or pannikin, and found these +presents to be valued more than three times their value in cloth would +have been. Eight or ten shillings’ worth gave abundant satisfaction +to the greediest; but this is to be understood as the prime cost of +the articles, and a trader would sometimes have estimated similar generosity +as equal to from £30 to £50. In some cases the presents +we gave exceeded the value of what was received in return; in others +the excess of generosity was on the native side.</p> +<p>We never asked for leave to pass through the country; we simply told +where we were going, and asked for guides; if they were refused, or +if they demanded payment beforehand, we requested to be put into the +beginning of the path, and said that we were sorry we could not agree +about the guides, and usually they and we started together. Greater +care would be required on entering the Mazitu or Zulu country, for there +the Government extends over very large districts, while among the Manganja +each little district is independent of every other. The people +here have not adopted the exacting system of the Banyai, or of the people +whose country was traversed by Speke and Grant.</p> +<p>In our way back from Chinsamba’s to Chembi’s and from +his village to Nkwinda’s, and thence to Katosa’s, we only +saw the people working in their gardens, near to the stockades. +These strongholds were strengthened with branches of acacias, covered +with strong hooked thorns; and were all crowded with people. The +air was now clearer than when we went north, and we could see the hills +of Kirk’s Range five or six miles to the west of our path. +The sun struck very hot, and the men felt it most in their feet. +Every one who could get a bit of goatskin made it into a pair of sandals.</p> +<p>While sitting at Nkwinda’s, a man behind the court hedge-wall +said, with great apparent glee, that an Arab slaving party on the other +side of the confluence of the Shiré and Lake were “giving +readily two fathoms of calico for a boy, and two and a half for a girl; +never saw trade so brisk, no haggling at all.” This party +was purchasing for the supply of the ocean slave-trade. One of +the evils of this traffic is that it profits by every calamity that +happens in a country. The slave-trader naturally reaps advantage +from every disorder, and though in the present case some lives may have +been saved that otherwise would have perished, as a rule he intensifies +hatreds, and aggravates wars between the tribes, because the more they +fight and vanquish each other the richer his harvest becomes. +Where slaving and cattle are unknown the people live in peace. +As we sat leaning against that hedge, and listened to the harangue of +the slave-trader’s agent, it glanced across our mind that this +was a terrible world; the best in it unable, from conscious imperfections, +to say to the worst “Stand by! for I am holier than thou.” +The slave-trader, imbued no doubt with certain kindly feelings, yet +pursuing a calling which makes him a fair specimen of a human fiend, +stands grouped with those by whom the slave-traders are employed, and +with all the workers of sin and misery in more highly-favoured lands, +an awful picture to the All-seing Eye.</p> +<p>We arrived at Katosa’s village on the 15th October, and found +about thirty young men and boys in slave-sticks. They had been +bought by other agents of the Arab slavers, still on the east side of +the Shiré. They were resting in the village, and their +owners soon removed them. The weight of the goree seemed very +annoying when they tried to sleep. This taming instrument is kept +on, until the party has crossed several rivers and all hope of escape +has vanished from the captive’s mind.</p> +<p>On explaining to Katosa the injury he was doing in selling his people +as slaves, he assured us that those whom we had seen belonged to the +Arabs, and added that he had far too few people already. He said +he had been living in peace at the lakelet Pamalombé; that the +Ajawa, or Machinga, under Kaiñka and Karamba, and a body of Babisa, +under Maonga, had induced him to ferry them over the Shiré; that +they had lived for a considerable time at his expense, and at last stole +his sheep, which induced him to make his escape to the place where he +now dwelt, and in this flight he had lost many of his people. +His account of the usual conduct of the Ajawa quite agrees with what +these people have narrated themselves, and gives but a low idea of their +moral tone. They have repeatedly broken all the laws of hospitality +by living for months on the bounty of the Manganja, and then, by a sudden +uprising, overcoming their hosts, and killing or chasing them out of +their inheritances. The secret of their success is the possession +of firearms. There were several of these Ajawa here again, and +on our arrival they proposed to Katosa that they should leave; but he +replied that they need not be afraid of us. They had red beads +strung so thickly on their hair that at a little distance they appeared +to have on red caps. It is curious that the taste for red hair +should be so general among the Africans here and further north; in the +south black mica, called <i>Sebilo</i>, and even soot are used to deepen +the colour of the hair; here many smear the head with red-ochre, others +plait the inner bark of a tree stained red into it; and a red powder +called <i>Mukuru</i> is employed, which some say is obtained from the +ground, and others from the roots of a tree.</p> +<p>It having been doubted whether sugar-cane is indigenous to this country +or not, we employed Katosa to procure the two varieties commonly cultivated, +with the intention of conveying them to Johanna. One is yellow, +and the other, like what we observed in the Barotsé Valley, is +variegated with dark red and yellow patches, or all red. We have +seen it “arrow,” or blossom. Bamboos also run to seed, +and the people are said to use the seed as food. The sugar-cane +has native names, which would lead us to believe it to be indigenous. +Here it is called <i>Zimbi</i>, further south <i>Mesari</i>, and in +the centre of the country <i>Meshuati</i>. Anything introduced +in recent times, as maize, superior cotton, or cassava, has a name implying +its foreign origin.</p> +<p>Katosa’s village was embowered among gigantic trees of fine +timber: several caffiaceous bushes, with berries closely resembling +those of the common coffee, grew near, but no use had ever been made +of them. There are several cinchonaceous trees also in the country; +and some of the wild fruits are so good as to cause a feeling of regret +that they have not been improved by cultivation, or whatever else brought +ours to their present perfection. Katosa lamented that this locality +was so inferior to his former place at Pamalombé; there he had +maize at the different stages of growth throughout the year. To +us, however, he seemed, by digging holes, and taking advantage of the +moisture beneath, to have succeeded pretty well in raising crops at +this the driest time. The Makololo remarked that “here the +maize had no season,”—meaning that the whole year was proper +for its growth and ripening. By irrigation a succession of crops +of grain might be raised anywhere within the south intertropical region +of Africa.</p> +<p>When we were with Motunda, on the 20th October, he told us frankly +that all the native provisions were hidden in Kirk’s Range, and +his village being the last place where a supply of grain could be purchased +before we reached the ship, we waited till he had sent to his hidden +stores. The upland country, beyond the mountains now on our right, +is called Deza, and is inhabited by Maravi, who are only another tribe +of Manganja. The paramount chief is called Kabambé, and +he, having never been visited by war, lives in peace and plenty. +Goats and sheep thrive; and Nyango, the chieftainess further to the +south, has herds of horned cattle. The country being elevated +is said to be cold, and there are large grassy plains on it which are +destitute of trees. The Maravi are reported to be brave, and good +marksmen with the bow; but, throughout all the country we have traversed, +guns are enabling the trading tribes to overcome the agricultural and +manufacturing classes.</p> +<p>On the ascent at the end of the valley just opposite Mount Mvai, +we looked back for a moment to impress the beauties of the grand vale +on our memory. The heat of the sun was now excessive, and Masiko, +thinking that it was overpowering, proposed to send forward to the ship +and get a hammock, in which to carry any one who might knock up. +He was truly kind and considerate. Dr. Livingstone having fallen +asleep after a fatiguing march, a hole in the roof of the hut he was +in allowed the sun to beat on his head, and caused a splitting headache +and deafness: while he was nearly insensible, he felt Masiko repeatedly +lift him back to the bed off which he had rolled, and cover him up.</p> +<p>On the 24th we were again in Banda, at the village of Chasundu, and +could now see clearly the hot valley in which the Shiré flows, +and the mountains of the Manganja beyond to our south-east. Instead +of following the road by which we had come, we resolved to go south +along the Lesungwé, which rises at Zunjé, a peak on the +same ridge as Mvai, and a part of Kirk’s Range, which bounds the +country of the Maravi on our west. This is about the limit of +the beat of the Portuguese native traders, and it is but recently that, +following our footsteps, they have come so far. It is not likely +that their enterprise will lead them further north, for Chasundu informed +us that the Babisa under-sell the agents from Tette. He had tried +to deal with the latter when they first came; but they offered only +ten fathoms of calico for a tusk, for which the Babisa gave him twenty +fathoms and a little powder. Ivory was brought to us for sale +again and again, and, as far as we could judge, the price expected would +be about one yard of calico per pound, or possibly more, for there is +no scale of prices known. The rule seems to be that buyer and +seller shall spend a good deal of time in trying to cheat each other +before coming to any conclusion over a bargain.</p> +<p>We found the Lesungwé a fine stream near its source, and about +forty feet wide and knee-deep, when joined by the Lekudzi, which comes +down from the Maravi country.</p> +<p>Guinea-fowl abounded, but no grain could be purchased, for the people +had cultivated only the holmes along the banks with maize and pumpkins. +Time enough had not elapsed since the slave-trader’s invasion, +and destruction of their stores, for them to raise crops of grain on +the adjacent lands. To deal with them for a few heads of maize +was the hungry bargaining with the famished, so we hastened on southwards +as fast as the excessive heat would allow us. It was impossible +to march in the middle of the day, the heat was so intolerable; and +we could not go on at night, because, if we had chanced to meet any +of the inhabitants, we should have been taken for marauders.</p> +<p>We had now thunder every afternoon; but while occasional showers +seemed to fall at different parts, none fell on us. The air was +deliciously clear, and revealed all the landscape covered everywhere +with forest, and bounded by beautiful mountains. On the 31st October +we reached the Mukuru-Madsé, after having travelled 660 geographical +miles, or 760 English miles in a straight line. This was accomplished +in fifty-five travelling days, twelve miles per diem on an average. +If the numerous bendings and windings, and ups and downs of the paths +could have been measured too, the distance would have been found at +least fifteen miles a day.</p> +<p>The night we slept at the Mukuru-Madsé it thundered heavily, +but, as this had been the case every afternoon, and no rain had followed, +we erected no shelter, but during this night a pouring rain came on. +When very tired a man feels determined to sleep in spite of everything, +and the sound of dropping water is said to be conducive to slumber, +but that does not refer to an African storm. If, when half asleep +in spite of a heavy shower on the back of the head, he unconsciously +turns on his side, the drops from the branches make such capital shots +into his ear, that the brain rings again.</p> +<p>We were off next morning, the 1st of November, as soon as the day +dawned. In walking about seven miles to the ship, our clothes +were thoroughly dried by the hot sun, and an attack of fever followed. +We relate this little incident to point out the almost certain consequence +of getting wet in this climate, and allowing the clothes to dry on the +person. Even if we walk in the mornings when the dew is on the +grass, and only get our feet and legs wet, a very uneasy feeling and +partial fever with pains in the limbs ensue, and continue till the march +onwards bathes them in perspiration. Had Bishop Mackenzie been +aware of this, which, before experience alone had taught us, entailed +many a severe lesson, we know no earthly reason why his valuable life +might not have been spared. The difference between getting the +clothes soaked in England and in Africa is this: in the cold climate +the patient is compelled, or, at any rate, warned, by discomfort to +resort at once to a change of raiment; while in Africa it is cooling +and rather pleasant to allow the clothes to dry on the person. +A Missionary in proportion as he possesses an athletic frame, hardened +by manly exercises, in addition to his other qualifications, will excel +him who is not favoured with such bodily endowments; but in a hot climate +efficiency mainly depends on husbanding the resources. He must +never forget that, in the tropics, he is an exotic plant.</p> +<h3>CHAPTER XV.</h3> +<p>Confidence of natives—Bishop Tozer—Withdrawal of the +Mission party—The English leave—Hazardous voyage to Mosambique—Dr. +Livingstone’s voyage to Bombay—Return to England.</p> +<p>We were delighted and thankful to find all those left at the ship +in good health, and that from the employments in which they had been +occupied they had suffered less from fever than usual during our absence. +My companion, Thomas Ward, the steward, after having performed his part +in the march right bravely, rejoined his comrades stronger than he had +ever been before.</p> +<p>An Ajawa chief, named Kapeni, had so much confidence in the English +name that he, with most of his people, visited the ship; and asserted +that nothing would give his countrymen greater pleasure than to receive +the associates of Bishop Mackenzie as their teachers. This declaration, +coupled with the subsequent conduct of the Ajawa, was very gratifying, +inasmuch as it was clear that no umbrage had been taken at the check +which the Bishop had given to their slaving; their consciences had told +them that the course he had pursued was right.</p> +<p>When we returned, the contrast between the vegetation about Muazi’s +and that near the ship was very striking. We had come so quickly +down, that while on the plateau in latitude 12 degrees S., the young +leaves had in many cases passed from the pink or other colour they have +on first coming out to the light fresh green which succeeds it, here, +on the borders of 16 degrees S., or from 150 to 180 miles distant, the +trees were still bare, the grey colour of the bark predominating over +every other hue. The trees in the tropics here have a very well-marked +annual rest. On the Rovuma even, which is only about ten degrees +from the equator, in September the slopes up from the river some sixty +miles inland were of a light ashy-grey colour; and on ascending them, +we found that the majority of the trees were without leaves; those of +the bamboo even lay crisp and crumpled on the ground. As the sun +is usually hot by day, even in the winter, this withering process may +be owing to the cool nights; Africa differing so much from Central India +in the fact that, in Africa, however hot the day may be, the air generally +cools down sufficiently by the early morning watches to render a covering +or even a blanket agreeable.</p> +<p>The first fortnight after our return to the ship was employed in +the delightful process of resting, to appreciate which a man must have +gone through great exertions. In our case the muscles of the limbs +were as hard as boards, and not an ounce of fat existed on any part +of the body. We now had frequent showers; but, these being only +the earlier rains, the result on the rise of the river was but a few +inches. The effect of these rains on the surrounding scenery was +beautiful in the extreme. All trace of the dry season was soon +obliterated, and hills and mountains from base to summit were covered +with a mantle of living green. The sun passed us on his way south +without causing a flood, so all our hopes of a release were centred +on his return towards the Equator, when, as a rule, the waters of inundation +are made to flow. Up to this time the rains descended simply to +water the earth, fill the pools, and make ready for the grand overflow +for which we had still to wait six weeks. It is of no use to conceal +that we waited with much chagrin; for had we not been forced to return +from the highlands west of Nyassa we might have visited Lake Bemba; +but unavailing regrets are poor employment for the mind; so we banished +them to the best of our power.</p> +<p>About the middle of December, 1863, we were informed that Bishop +Mackenzie’s successor, after spending a few months on the top +of a mountain about as high as Ben Nevis in Scotland, at the mouth of +the Shiré, where there were few or no people to be taught, had +determined to leave the country. This unfortunate decision was +communicated to us at the same time that six of the boys reared by Bishop +Mackenzie were sent back into heathenism. The boys were taken +to a place about seven miles from the ship, but immediately found their +way up to us. We told them that if they wished to remain in the +country they had better so arrange at once, for we were soon to leave. +The sequel will show their choice.</p> +<p>As soon as the death of Bishop Mackenzie was known at the Cape, Dr. +Gray, the excellent Bishop there, proceeded at once to England, with +a view of securing an early appointment of another head to the Mission, +which in its origin owed so much to his zeal for the spread of the gospel +among the heathen, and whose interests he had continually at heart. +About the middle of 1862 we heard that Dr. Gray’s efforts had +been successful, and that another clergyman would soon take the place +of our departed friend. This pleasing intelligence was exceedingly +cheering to the Missionaries, and gratifying also to the members of +the Expedition. About the beginning of 1863 the new Bishop arrived +at the mouth of the river in a man-of-war, and after some delay proceeded +inland. The Bishop of the Cape had taken a voyage home at considerable +inconvenience to himself, for the sole object of promoting this Mission +to the heathen; and it was somehow expected that the man he would secure +would be an image of himself; and we must say, that whatever others, +from the representations that have gone abroad, may think of his character, +we invariably found Dr. Gray to be a true, warm-hearted promoter of +the welfare of his fellow-men; a man whose courage and zeal have provoked +very many to good works.</p> +<p>It was hoped that the presence of a new head to the Mission would +infuse new energy and life into the small band of Missionaries, whose +ranks had been thinned by death; and who, though discouraged by the +disasters which the slave war and famine had induced, and also dispirited +by the depressing influences of a low and unhealthy position in the +swampy Shiré Valley, were yet bravely holding out till the much-needed +moral and material aid should arrive.</p> +<p>We believe that we are uttering the sentiments of many devout members +of different sections of Christians, when we say, it was a pity that +the Mission of the Universities was abandoned. The ground had +been consecrated in the truest sense by the lives of those brave men +who first occupied it. In bare justice to Bishop Mackenzie, who +was the first to fall, it must be said, that the repudiation of all +he had done, and the sudden abandonment of all that had cost so much +life and money to secure, was a serious line of conduct for one so unversed +in Missionary operations as his successor, to inaugurate. It would +have been no more than fair that Bishop Tozer, before winding up the +affairs of the Mission, should actually have examined the highlands +of the Upper Shiré; he would thus have gratified the associates +of his predecessor, who believed that the highlands had never had a +fair trial, and he would have gained from personal observation a more +accurate knowledge of the country and the people than he could possibly +have become possessed of by information gathered chiefly on the coast. +With this examination, rather than with a stay of a few months on the +humid, dripping top of misty Morambala, we should have felt much more +satisfied.</p> +<p>In January, 1864, the natives all confidently asserted that at next +full moon the river would have its great and permanent flood. +It had several times risen as much as a foot, but fell again as suddenly. +It was curious that their observation coincided exactly with ours, that +the flood of inundation happens when the sun comes overhead on his way +back to the Equator. We mention this more minutely because, from +the observation of several years, we believe that in this way the inundation +of the Nile is to be explained. On the 19th the Shiré suddenly +rose several feet, and we started at once; and stopping only for a short +time at Chibisa’s to bid adieu to the Ajawa and Makololo, who +had been extremely useful to us of late in supplying maize and fresh +provisions, we hastened on our way to the ocean. In order to keep +a steerage way on the “Pioneer,” we had to go quicker than +the stream, and unfortunately carried away her rudder in passing suddenly +round a bank. The delay required for the repairs prevented our +reaching Morambala till the 2nd of February.</p> +<p>The flood-water ran into a marsh some miles above the mountain, and +became as black as ink; and when it returned again to the river emitted +so strong an effluvium of sulphuretted hydrogen, that one could not +forget for an instant that the air was most offensive. The natives +said this stench did not produce disease. We spent one night in +it, and suffered no ill effects, though we fully expected an attack +of fever. Next morning every particle of white paint on both ships +was so deeply blackened, that it could not be cleaned by scrubbing with +soap and water. The brass was all turned to a bronze colour, and +even the iron and ropes had taken a new tint. This is an additional +proof that malaria and offensive effluvia are not always companions. +We did not suffer more from fever in the mangrove swamps, where we inhaled +so much of the heavy mousey smell that it was distinguishable in the +odour of our shirts and flannels, than we did elsewhere.</p> +<p>We tarried in the foul and blackening emanations from the marsh because +we had agreed to receive on board about thirty poor orphan boys and +girls, and a few helpless widows whom Bishop Mackenzie had attached +to his Mission. All who were able to support themselves had been +encouraged by the Missionaries to do so by cultivating the ground, and +they now formed a little free community. But the boys and girls +who were only from seven to twelve years of age, and orphans without +any one to help them, could not be abandoned without bringing odium +on the English name. The effect of an outcry by some persons in +England, who knew nothing of the circumstances in which Bishop Mackenzie +was placed, and who certainly had not given up their own right of appeal +to the sword of the magistrate, was, that the new head of the Mission +had gone to extremes in the opposite direction from his predecessor; +not even protesting against the one monstrous evil of the country, the +slave-trade. We believed that we ought to leave the English name +in the same good repute among the natives that we had found it; and +in removing the poor creatures, who had lived with Mackenzie as children +with a father, to a land where the education he began would be completed, +we had the aid and sympathy of the best of the Portuguese, and of the +whole population. The difference between shipping slaves and receiving +these free orphans struck us as they came on board. As soon as +permission to embark was given, the rush into the boat nearly swamped +her—their eagerness to be safe on the “Pioneer’s” +deck had to be repressed.</p> +<p>Bishop Tozer had already left for Quillimane when we took these people +and the last of the Universities’ Missionaries on board and proceeded +to the Zambesi. It was in high flood. We have always spoken +of this river as if at its lowest, for fear lest we should convey an +exaggerated impression of its capabilities for navigation. Instead +of from five to fifteen feet, it was now from fifteen to thirty feet, +or more, deep. All the sandbanks and many of the islands had disappeared, +and before us rolled a river capable, as one of our naval friends thought, +of carrying a gunboat. Some of the sandy islands are annually +swept away, and the quantities of sand carried down are prodigious.</p> +<p>The process by which a delta, extending eighty or one hundred miles +from the sea, has been formed may be seen going on at the present day—the +coarser particles of sand are driven out into the ocean, just in the +same way as we see they are over banks in the beds of torrents. +The finer portions are caught by the returning tide, and, accumulating +by successive ebbs and flows, become, with the decaying vegetation, +arrested by the mangrove roots. The influence of the tide in bringing +back the finer particles gives the sea near the mouth of the Zambesi +a clean and sandy bottom. This process has been going on for ages, +and as the delta has enlarged eastwards, the river has always kept a +channel for itself behind. Wherever we see an island all sand, +or with only one layer of mud in it, we know it is one of recent formation, +and that it may be swept away at any time by a flood; while those islands +which are all of mud are the more ancient, having in fact existed ever +since the time when the ebbing and flowing tides originally formed them +as parts of the delta. This mud resists the action of the river +wonderfully. It is a kind of clay on which the eroding power of +water has little effect. Were maps made, showing which banks and +which islands are liable to erosion, it would go far to settle where +the annual change of the channel would take place; and, were a few stakes +driven in year by year to guide the water in its course, the river might +be made of considerable commercial value in the hands of any energetic +European nation. No canal or railway would ever be thought of +for this part of Africa. A few improvements would make the Zambesi +a ready means of transit for all the trade that, with a population thinned +by Portuguese slaving, will ever be developed in our day. Here +there is no instance on record of the natives flocking in thousands +to the colony, as they did at Natal, and even to the Arabs on Lake Nyassa. +This keeping aloof renders it unlikely that in Portuguese hands the +Zambesi will ever be of any more value to the world than it has been.</p> +<p>After a hurried visit to Senna, in order to settle with Major Sicard +and Senhor Ferrão for supplies we had drawn thence after the +depopulation of the Shiré, we proceeded down to the Zambesi’s +mouth, and were fortunate in meeting, on the 13th February, with H.M.S. +“Orestes.” She was joined next day by H.M.S. “Ariel.” +The “Orestes” took the “Pioneer,” and the “Ariel” +the “Lady Nyassa” in tow, for Mosambique. On the 16th +a circular storm proved the sea-going qualities of the “Lady of +the Lake;” for on this day a hurricane struck the “Ariel,” +and drove her nearly backwards at a rate of six knots. The towing +hawser wound round her screw and stopped her engines. No sooner +had she recovered from this shock than she was again taken aback on +the other tack, and driven stem on towards the “Lady Nyassa’s” +broadside. We who were on board the little vessel saw no chance +of escape unless the crew of the “Ariel” should think of +heaving ropes when the big ship went over us; but she glided past our +bow, and we breathed freely again. We had now an opportunity of +witnessing man-of-war seamanship. Captain Chapman, though his +engines were disabled, did not think of abandoning us in the heavy gale, +but crossed the bows of the “Lady Nyassa” again and again, +dropping a cask with a line by which to give us another hawser. +We might never have picked it up, had not a Krooman jumped overboard +and fastened a second line to the cask; and then we drew the hawser +on board, and were again in tow. During the whole time of the +hurricane the little vessel behaved admirably, and never shipped a single +green sea. When the “Ariel” pitched forwards we could +see a large part of her bottom, and when her stern went down we could +see all her deck. A boat, hung at her stern davits, was stove +in by the waves. The officers on board the “Ariel” +thought that it was all over with us: we imagined that they were suffering +more than we were. Nautical men may suppose that this was a serious +storm only to landsmen; but the “Orestes,” which was once +in sight, and at another time forty miles off during the same gale, +split eighteen sails; and the “Pioneer” had to be lightened +of parts of a sugar-mill she was carrying; her round-house was washed +away, and the cabin was frequently knee-deep in water. When the +“Orestes” came into Mosambique harbour nine days after our +arrival there, our vessel, not being anchored close to the “Ariel,” +for we had run in under the lee of the fort, led to the surmise on board +the “Orestes” that we had gone to the bottom. Captain +Chapman and his officers pronounced the “Lady Nyassa” to +be the finest little sea-boat they had ever seen. She certainly +was a contrast to the “Ma-Robert,” and did great credit +to her builders, Ted and Macgregor of Glasgow. We can but regret +that she was not employed on the Lake after which she was named, and +for which she was intended and was so well adapted.</p> +<p>What struck us most, during the trip from the Zambesi to Mosambique, +was the admirable way in which Captain Chapman handled the “Ariel” +in the heavy sea of the hurricane; the promptitude and skill with which, +when we had broken three hawsers, others were passed to us by the rapid +evolutions of a big ship round a little one; and the ready appliance +of means shown in cutting the hawser off the screw nine feet under water +with long chisels made for the occasion; a task which it took three +days to accomplish. Captain Chapman very kindly invited us on +board the “Ariel,” and we accepted his hospitality after +the weather had moderated.</p> +<p>The little vessel was hauled through and against the huge seas with +such force that two hawsers measuring eleven inches each in circumference +parted. Many of the blows we received from the billows made every +plate quiver from stem to stern, and the motion was so quick that we +had to hold on continually to avoid being tossed from one side to the +other or into the sea. Ten of the late Bishop’s flock whom +we had on board became so sick and helpless that do what we could to +aid them they were so very much in the way that the idea broke in upon +us, that the close packing resorted to by slavers is one of the necessities +of the traffic. If this is so, it would account for the fact that +even when the trade was legal the same injurious custom was common, +if not universal. If, instead of ten such passengers, we had been +carrying two hundred, with the wind driving the rain and spray, as by +night it did, nearly as hard as hail against our faces, and nothing +whatever to be seen to windward but the occasional gleam of the crest +of a wave, and no sound heard save the whistling of the storm through +the rigging, it would have been absolutely necessary for the working +of the ship and safety of the whole that the live cargo should all have +been stowed down below, whatever might have been the consequences.</p> +<p>Having delivered the “Pioneer” over to the Navy, she +was towed down to the Cape by Captain Forsyth of the “Valorous,” +and after examination it was declared that with repairs to the amount +of £300 she would be as serviceable as ever. Those of the +Bishop’s flock whom we had on board were kindly allowed a passage +to the Cape. The boys went in the “Orestes,” and we +are glad of the opportunity to record our heartfelt thanks to Captains +Forsyth, Gardner, and Chapman for rendering us, at various times, every +aid in their power. Mr. Waller went in the “Pioneer,” +and continued his generous services to all connected with the Mission, +whether white or black, till they were no longer needed; and we must +say that his conduct to them throughout was truly noble, and worthy +of the highest praise.</p> +<p>After beaching the “Lady Nyassa” at Caboçeira, +opposite the house of a Portuguese gentleman well known to all Englishmen, +João da Costa Soares, we put in brine cocks, and cleaned and +painted her bottom. Mr. Soares appeared to us to have been very +much vilified in a publication in England a few years ago; our experience +proved him to be extremely kind and obliging. All the members +of the Expedition who passed Mosambique were unanimous in extolling +his generosity and, from the general testimony of English visitors in +his favour, we very much regret that his character was so grievously +misrepresented. To the authorities at Mosambique our thanks are +also due for obliging accommodation; and though we differ entirely from +the Portuguese officials as to the light in which we regard the slave-trade, +we trust our exposure of the system, in which unfortunately they are +engaged, will not be understood as indicating any want of kindly feeling +and good will to them personally. Senhor Canto e Castro, who arrived +at Mosambique two days after our departure to take the office of Governor-General, +was well known to us in Angola. We lived two months in his house +when he was Commandant of Golungo Alto; and, knowing him thoroughly, +believe that no better man could have been selected for the office. +We trust that his good principles may enable him to withstand the temptations +of his position; but we should be sorry to have ours tried in a den +of slave-traders with the miserable pittance he receives for his support.</p> +<p>While at Mosambique, a species of Pedalia called by Mr. Soares Dadeleira, +and by the natives—from its resemblance to Gerzilin, or sesamum—“wild +sesamum,” was shown to us, and is said to be well known among +native nurses as a very gentle and tasteless aperient for children. +A few leaves of it are stirred in a cup of cold water for eight or nine +seconds, and a couple of teaspoonfuls of the liquid given as a dose. +The leaves form a sort of mucilage in the water by longer stirring, +which is said to have diuretic properties besides.</p> +<p>On the 16th April we steamed out from Mosambique; and, the currents +being in our favour, in a week reached Zanzibar. Here we experienced +much hospitality from our countrymen, and especially from Dr. Seward, +then acting consul and political agent for Colonel Playfair.</p> +<p>Dr. Seward was very doubtful if we could reach Bombay before what +is called the break of the monsoon took place. This break occurs +usually between the end of May and the 12th of June. The wind +still blows from Africa to India, but with so much violence, and with +such a murky atmosphere, that few or no observations for position can +be taken. We were, however, at the time very anxious to dispose +of the “Lady Nyassa,” and, the only market we could reach +being Bombay, we resolved to run the risk of getting there before the +stormy period commenced; and, after taking fourteen tons of coal on +board, we started on the 30th April from Zanzibar.</p> +<p>Our complement consisted of seven native Zambesians, two boys, and +four Europeans; namely, one stoker, one sailor, one carpenter, whose +names have been already mentioned, and Dr. Livingstone, as navigator. +The “Lady Nyassa” had shown herself to be a good sea-boat. +The natives had proved themselves capital sailors, though before volunteering +not one of them had ever seen the sea. They were not picked men, +but, on paying a dozen whom we had in our employment for fifteen months, +they were taken at random from several hundreds who offered to accompany +us. Their wages were ten shillings per mensem, and it was curious +to observe, that so eager were they to do their duty, that only one +of them lay down from sea-sickness during the whole voyage. They +took in and set sail very cleverly in a short time, and would climb +out along a boom, reeve a rope through the block, and come back with +the rope in their teeth, though at each lurch the performer was dipped +in the sea. The sailor and carpenter, though anxious to do their +utmost, had a week’s severe illness each, and were unfit for duty.</p> +<p>It is pleasant enough to take the wheel for an hour or two, or even +for a watch, but when it comes to be for every alternate four hours, +it is utterly wearisome. We set our black men to steer, showing +them which arm of the compass needle was to be kept towards the vessel’s +head, and soon three of them could manage very well, and they only needed +watching. In going up the East Coast to take advantage of the +current of one hundred miles a day, we would fain have gone into the +Juba or Webbe River, the mouth of which is only 15 minutes south of +the line, but we were too shorthanded. We passed up to about ten +degrees north of the Equator, and then steamed out from the coast. +Here Maury’s wind chart showed that the calm-belt had long been +passed, but we were in it still; and, instead of a current carrying +us north, we had a contrary current which bore us every day four miles +to the south. We steamed as long as we dared, knowing as we did +that we must use the engines on the coast of India.</p> +<p>After losing many days tossing on the silent sea, with innumerable +dolphins, flying-fish, and sharks around us, we had six days of strong +breezes, then calms again tried our patience; and the near approach +of that period, “the break of the monsoon,” in which it +was believed no boat could live, made us sometimes think our epitaph +would be “Left Zanzibar on 30th April, 1864, and never more heard +of.” At last, in the beginning of June, the chronometers +showed that we were near the Indian coast. The black men believed +it was true because we told them it was so, but only began to dance +with joy when they saw sea-weed and serpents floating past. These +serpents are peculiar to these parts, and are mentioned as poisonous +in the sailing directions. We ventured to predict that we should +see land next morning, and at midday the high coast hove in sight, wonderfully +like Africa before the rains begin. Then a haze covered all the +land, and a heavy swell beat towards it. A rock was seen, and +a latitude showed it to be the Choule rock. Making that a fresh +starting-point, we soon found the light-ship, and then the forest of +masts loomed through the haze in Bombay harbour. We had sailed +over 2500 miles.</p> +<h3>FOOTNOTES</h3> +<p><a name="footnote1"></a><a href="#citation1">{1}</a> A remedy +composed of from six to eight grains of resin of jalap, the same of +rhubarb, and three each of calomel and quinine, made up into four pills, +with tincture of cardamoms, usually relieved all the symptoms in five +or six hours. Four pills are a full dose for a man—one will +suffice for a woman. They received from our men the name of “rousers,” +from their efficacy in rousing up even those most prostrated. +When their operation is delayed, a dessert-spoonful of Epsom salts should +be given. Quinine after or during the operation of the pills, +in large doses every two or three hours, until deafness or cinchonism +ensued, completed the cure. The only cases in which, we found +ourselves completely helpless, were those in which obstinate vomiting +ensued.</p> +<p><a name="footnote2"></a><a href="#citation2">{2}</a> The late +Mr. Robson.</p> +<p><a name="footnote3"></a><a href="#citation3">{3}</a> In 1865, +four years after these forebodings were penned, we received intelligence +that they had all come to pass. Sekeletu died in the beginning +of 1864—a civil war broke out about the succession to the chieftainship; +a large body of those opposed to the late chief’s uncle, Impololo, +being regent, departed with their cattle to Lake Ngami; an insurrection +by the black tribes followed; Impololo was slain, and the kingdom, of +which, under an able sagacious mission, a vast deal might have been +made, has suffered the usual fate of African conquests. That fate +we deeply deplore; for, whatever other faults the Makololo might justly +be charged with, they did not belong to the class who buy and sell each +other, and the tribes who have succeeded them do.</p> +<p><a name="footnote4"></a><a href="#citation4">{4}</a> It was +with sorrow that we learned by a letter from Mr. Moffat, in 1864, that +poor Sekeletu was dead. As will be mentioned further on, men were +sent with us to bring up more medicine. They preferred to remain +on the Shiré, and, as they were free men, we could do no more +than try and persuade them to hasten back to their chief with iodine +and other remedies. They took the parcel, but there being only +two real Makololo among them, these could neither return themselves +alone or force their attendants to leave a part of the country where +they were independent, and could support themselves with ease. +Sekeletu, however, lived long enough to receive and acknowledge goods +to the value of £50, sent, in lieu of those which remained in +Tette, by Robert Moffat, jun., since dead.</p> +<p><a name="footnote5"></a><a href="#citation5">{5}</a> A brother, we +believe, of one who accompanied Burke and Willis in the famous but unfortunate +Australian Expedition.</p> +<p><a name="footnote6"></a><a href="#citation6">{6}</a> Genesis, +chap. iii., verses 21 and 23, “make coats of skins, and clothed +them”—“sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till +the ground” imply teaching. Vide Archbishop Whately’s +“History of Religious Worship.” John W. Parker, West +Strand, London, 1849.</p> +<p><a name="footnote7"></a><a href="#citation7">{7}</a> “In +1854 the native church at Sierra-Leone undertook to pay for their primary +schools, and thereby effected a saving to the Church Missionary Society +of £800 per annum. In 1861 the contributions of this one +section of native Christians had amounted to upwards of £10,000.”—“Manual +of Church Missionary Society’s African Missions.”</p> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A POPULAR ACCOUNT OF DR.</p> +<pre> +LIVINGSTONE'S EXPEDITION TO THE ZAMBESI AND ITS TRIBUTARIES*** + + +***** This file should be named 2519-h.htm or 2519-h.zip****** + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/5/1/2519 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries + And of the Discovery of the Lakes Shirwa and Nyassa (1858-1864) + + +Author: David Livingstone + +Release Date: May 13, 2005 [eBook #2519] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A POPULAR ACCOUNT OF DR. +LIVINGSTONE'S EXPEDITION TO THE ZAMBESI AND ITS TRIBUTARIES*** + + + + + + +Transcribed from the 1894 John Murray edition by David Price, email +ccx074@coventry.ac.uk + + + + + +A POPULAR ACCOUNT OF +DR. LIVINGSTONE'S EXPEDITION TO THE ZAMBESI AND ITS TRIBUTARIES: +AND THE DISCOVERY OF LAKES SHIRWA AND NYASSA +1858-1864 + + +TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD PALMERSTON, +K.G., G.C.B. + +My Lord, + +I beg leave to dedicate this Volume to your Lordship, as a tribute justly +due to the great Statesman who has ever had at heart the amelioration of +the African race; and as a token of admiration of the beneficial effects +of that policy which he has so long laboured to establish on the West +Coast of Africa; and which, in improving that region, has most forcibly +shown the need of some similar system on the opposite side of the +Continent. + +DAVID LIVINGSTONE. + + + + +NOTICE TO THIS WORK. + + +The name of the late Mr. Charles Livingstone takes a prominent place +amongst those who acted under the leadership of Dr. Livingstone during +the adventurous sojourn of the "Zambesi Expedition" in East Africa. In +laying the result of their discoveries before the public, it was arranged +that Mr. Charles Livingstone should place his voluminous notes at the +disposal of his brother: they are incorporated in the present work, but +in a necessarily abridged form. + + + + +PREFACE. + + +It has been my object in this work to give as clear an account as I was +able of tracts of country previously unexplored, with their river +systems, natural productions, and capabilities; and to bring before my +countrymen, and all others interested in the cause of humanity, the +misery entailed by the slave-trade in its inland phases; a subject on +which I and my companions are the first who have had any opportunities of +forming a judgment. The eight years spent in Africa, since my last work +was published, have not, I fear, improved my power of writing English; +but I hope that, whatever my descriptions want in clearness, or literary +skill, may in a measure be compensated by the novelty of the scenes +described, and the additional information afforded on that curse of +Africa, and that shame, even now, in the 19th century, of an European +nation,--the slave-trade. + +I took the "Lady Nyassa" to Bombay for the express purpose of selling +her, and might without any difficulty have done so; but with the thought +of parting with her arose, more strongly than ever, the feeling of +disinclination to abandon the East Coast of Africa to the Portuguese and +slave-trading, and I determined to run home and consult my friends before +I allowed the little vessel to pass from my hands. After, therefore, +having put two Ajawa lads, Chuma and Wakatani, to school under the +eminent missionary the Rev. Dr. Wilson, and having provided +satisfactorily for the native crew, I started homewards with the three +white sailors, and reached London July 20th, 1864. Mr. and Mrs. Webb, my +much-loved friends, wrote to Bombay inviting me, in the event of my +coming to England, to make Newstead Abbey my headquarters, and on my +arrival renewed their invitation: and though, when I accepted it, I had +no intention of remaining so long with my kind-hearted generous friends, +I stayed with them until April, 1865, and under their roof transcribed +from my own and my brother's journal the whole of this present book. It +is with heartfelt gratitude I would record their unwearied kindness. My +acquaintance with Mr. Webb began in Africa, where he was a daring and +successful hunter, and his continued friendship is most valuable because +he has seen missionary work, and he would not accord his respect and +esteem to me had he not believed that I, and my brethren also, were to be +looked on as honest men earnestly trying to do our duty. + +The Government have supported the proposal of the Royal Geographical +Society made by my friend Sir Roderick Murchison, and have united with +that body to aid me in another attempt to open Africa to civilizing +influences, and a valued private friend has given a thousand pounds for +the same object. I propose to go inland, north of the territory which +the Portuguese in Europe claim, and endeavour to commence that system on +the East which has been so eminently successful on the West Coast; a +system combining the repressive efforts of H.M. cruisers with lawful +trade and Christian Missions--the moral and material results of which +have been so gratifying. I hope to ascend the Rovuma, or some other +river North of Cape Delgado, and, in addition to my other work, shall +strive, by passing along the Northern end of Lake Nyassa and round the +Southern end of Lake Tanganyika, to ascertain the watershed of that part +of Africa. In so doing, I have no wish to unsettle what with so much +toil and danger was accomplished by Speke and Grant, but rather to +confirm their illustrious discoveries. + +I have to acknowledge the obliging readiness of Lord Russell in lending +me the drawings taken by the artist who was in the first instance +attached to the Expedition. These sketches, with photographs by Charles +Livingstone and Dr. Kirk, have materially assisted in the illustrations. +I would also very sincerely thank my friends Professor Owen and Mr. +Oswell for many valuable hints and other aid in the preparation of this +volume. + +Newstead Abbey, + +April 16, 1865. + + + + +THE ZAMBESI AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. + + +INTRODUCTION. + + +Objects of the Expedition--Personal Interest shown by Naval +Authorities--Members of the Zambesi Expedition. + +When first I determined on publishing the narrative of my "Missionary +Travels," I had a great misgiving as to whether the criticism my +endeavours might provoke would be friendly or the reverse, more +particularly as I felt that I had then been so long a sojourner in the +wilderness, as to be quite a stranger to the British public. But I am +now in this, my second essay at authorship, cheered by the conviction +that very many readers, who are personally unknown to me, will receive +this narrative with the kindly consideration and allowances of friends; +and that many more, under the genial influences of an innate love of +liberty, and of a desire to see the same social and religious blessings +they themselves enjoy, disseminated throughout the world, will sympathize +with me in the efforts by which I have striven, however imperfectly, to +elevate the position and character of our fellow-men in Africa. This +knowledge makes me doubly anxious to render my narrative acceptable to +all my readers; but, in the absence of any excellence in literary +composition, the natural consequence of my pursuits, I have to offer only +a simple account of a mission which, with respect to the objects proposed +to be thereby accomplished, formed a noble contrast to some of the +earlier expeditions to Eastern Africa. I believe that the information it +will give, respecting the people visited and the countries traversed, +will not be materially gainsaid by any future commonplace traveller like +myself, who may be blest with fair health and a gleam of sunshine in his +breast. This account is written in the earnest hope that it may +contribute to that information which will yet cause the great and fertile +continent of Africa to be no longer kept wantonly sealed, but made +available as the scene of European enterprise, and will enable its people +to take a place among the nations of the earth, thus securing the +happiness and prosperity of tribes now sunk in barbarism or debased by +slavery; and, above all, I cherish the hope that it may lead to the +introduction of the blessings of the Gospel. + +In order that the following narrative may be clearly understood, it is +necessary to call to mind some things which took place previous to the +Zambesi Expedition being sent out. Most geographers are aware that, +before the discovery of Lake Ngami and the well-watered country in which +the Makololo dwell, the idea prevailed that a large part of the interior +of Africa consisted of sandy deserts, into which rivers ran and were +lost. During my journey in 1852-6, from sea to sea, across the south +intertropical part of the continent, it was found to be a well-watered +country, with large tracts of fine fertile soil covered with forest, and +beautiful grassy valleys, occupied by a considerable population; and one +of the most wonderful waterfalls in the world was brought to light. The +peculiar form of the continent was then ascertained to be an elevated +plateau, somewhat depressed in the centre, and with fissures in the sides +by which the rivers escaped to the sea; and this great fact in physical +geography can never be referred to without calling to mind the remarkable +hypothesis by which the distinguished President of the Royal Geographical +Society (Sir Roderick I. Murchison) clearly indicated this peculiarity, +before it was verified by actual observation of the altitudes of the +country and by the courses of the rivers. New light was thrown on other +portions of the continent by the famous travels of Dr. Barth, by the +researches of the Church of England missionaries Krapf, Erkhardt, and +Rebman, by the persevering efforts of Dr. Baikie, the last martyr to the +climate and English enterprise, by the journey of Francis Galton, and by +the most interesting discoveries of Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria Nyanza +by Captain Burton, and by Captain Speke, whose untimely end we all so +deeply deplore. Then followed the researches of Van der Decken, +Thornton, and others; and last of all the grand discovery of the main +source of the Nile, which every Englishman must feel an honest pride in +knowing was accomplished by our gallant countrymen, Speke and Grant. The +fabulous torrid zone, of parched and burning sand, was now proved to be a +well-watered region resembling North America in its fresh-water lakes, +and India in its hot humid lowlands, jungles, ghauts, and cool highland +plains. + +The main object of this Zambesi Expedition, as our instructions from Her +Majesty's Government explicitly stated, was to extend the knowledge +already attained of the geography and mineral and agricultural resources +of Eastern and Central Africa--to improve our acquaintance with the +inhabitants, and to endeavour to engage them to apply themselves to +industrial pursuits and to the cultivation of their lands, with a view to +the production of raw material to be exported to England in return for +British manufactures; and it was hoped that, by encouraging the natives +to occupy themselves in the development of the resources of the country, +a considerable advance might be made towards the extinction of the slave- +trade, as they would not be long in discovering that the former would +eventually be a more certain source of profit than the latter. The +Expedition was sent in accordance with the settled policy of the English +Government; and the Earl of Clarendon, being then at the head of the +Foreign Office, the Mission was organized under his immediate care. When +a change of Government ensued, we experienced the same generous +countenance and sympathy from the Earl of Malmesbury, as we had +previously received from Lord Clarendon; and, on the accession of Earl +Russell to the high office he has so long filled, we were always favoured +with equally ready attention and the same prompt assistance. Thus the +conviction was produced that our work embodied the principles, not of any +one party, but of the hearts of the statesmen and of the people of +England generally. The Expedition owes great obligations to the Lords of +the Admiralty for their unvarying readiness to render us every assistance +in their power; and to the warm-hearted and ever-obliging hydrographer to +the Admiralty, the late Admiral Washington, as a subordinate, but most +effective agent, our heartfelt gratitude is also due; and we must ever +thankfully acknowledge that our efficiency was mainly due to the kind +services of Admirals Sir Frederick Grey, Sir Baldwin Walker, and all the +naval officers serving under them on the East Coast. Nor must I omit to +record our obligations to Mr. Skead, R.N. The Luawe was carefully +sounded and surveyed by this officer, whose skilful and zealous labours, +both on that river, and afterwards on the Lower Zambesi, were deserving +of all praise. + +In speaking of what has been done by the Expedition, it should always be +understood that Dr. Kirk, Mr. Charles Livingstone, Mr. R. Thornton, and +others composed it. In using the plural number they are meant, and I +wish to bear testimony to the untiring zeal, energy, courage, and +perseverance with which my companions laboured; undaunted by +difficulties, dangers, or hard fare. It is my firm belief that, were +their services required in any other capacity, they might be implicitly +relied on to perform their duty like men. The reason why Dr. Kirk's name +does not appear on the title-page of this narrative is, because it is +hoped that he may give an account of the botany and natural history of +the Expedition in a separate work from his own pen. He collected above +four thousand species of plants, specimens of most of the valuable woods, +of the different native manufactures, of the articles of food, and of the +different kinds of cotton from every spot we visited, and a great variety +of birds and insects; besides making meteorological observations, and +affording, as our instructions required, medical assistance to the +natives in every case where he could be of any use. + +Charles Livingstone was also fully occupied in his duties in following +out the general objects of our mission, in encouraging the culture of +cotton, in making many magnetic and meteorological observations, in +photographing so long as the materials would serve, and in collecting a +large number of birds, insects, and other objects of interest. The +collections, being Government property, have been forwarded to the +British Museum, and to the Royal Botanic, Gardens at Kew; and should Dr. +Kirk undertake their description, three or four years will be required +for the purpose. + +Though collections were made, it was always distinctly understood that, +however desirable these and our explorations might be, "Her Majesty's +Government attached more importance to the moral influence that might be +exerted on the minds of the natives by a well-regulated and orderly +household of Europeans setting an example of consistent moral conduct to +all who might witness it; treating the people with kindness, and +relieving their wants, teaching them to make experiments in agriculture, +explaining to them the more simple arts, imparting to them religious +instruction as far as they are capable of receiving it, and inculcating +peace and good will to each other." + +It would be tiresome to enumerate in detail all the little acts which +were performed by us while following out our instructions. As a rule, +whenever the steamer stopped to take in wood, or for any other purpose, +Dr. Kirk and Charles Livingstone went ashore to their duties: one of our +party, who it was intended should navigate the vessel and lay down the +geographical positions, having failed to answer the expectations formed +of him, these duties fell chiefly to my share. They involved a +considerable amount of night work, in which I was always cheerfully aided +by my companions, and the results were regularly communicated to our warm +and ever-ready friend, Sir Thomas Maclear of the Royal Observatory, Cape +of Good Hope. While this work was going through the press, we were +favoured with the longitudes of several stations determined from observed +occultations of stars by the moon, and from eclipses and reappearances of +Jupiter's satellites, by Mr. Mann, the able Assistant to the Cape +Astronomer Royal; the lunars are still in the hands of Mr. G. W. H. +Maclear of the same Observatory. In addition to these, the altitudes, +variations of the compass, latitudes and longitudes, as calculated on the +spot, appear in the map by Mr. Arrowsmith, and it is hoped may not differ +much from the results of the same data in abler bands. The office of +"skipper," which, rather than let the Expedition come to a stand, I +undertook, required no great ability in one "not too old to learn:" it +saved a salary, and, what was much more valuable than gold, saved the +Expedition from the drawback of any one thinking that he was +indispensable to its further progress. The office required attention to +the vessel both at rest and in motion. It also involved considerable +exposure to the sun; and to my regret kept me from much anticipated +intercourse with the natives, and the formation of full vocabularies of +their dialects. + +I may add that all wearisome repetitions are as much as possible avoided +in the narrative; and, our movements and operations having previously +been given in a series of despatches, the attempt is now made to give as +fairly as possible just what would most strike any person of ordinary +intelligence in passing through the country. For the sake of the +freshness which usually attaches to first impressions, the Journal of +Charles Livingstone has been incorporated in the narrative; and many +remarks made by the natives, which ho put down at the moment of +translation, will convey to others the same ideas as they did to +ourselves. Some are no doubt trivial; but it is by the little acts and +words of every-day life that character is truly and best known. And +doubtless many will prefer to draw their own conclusions from them rather +than to be schooled by us. + + + +CHAPTER I. + + +Arrival at the Zambesi--Rebel Warfare--Wild Animals--Shupanga--Hippopotamus +Hunters--The Makololo--Crocodiles. + +The Expedition left England on the 10th of March, 1858, in Her Majesty's +Colonial Steamer "Pearl," commanded by Captain Duncan; and, after +enjoying the generous hospitality of our friends at Cape Town, with the +obliging attentions of Sir George Grey, and receiving on board Mr. +Francis Skead, R.N., as surveyor, we reached the East Coast in the +following May. + +Our first object was to explore the Zambesi, its mouths and tributaries, +with a view to their being used as highways for commerce and Christianity +to pass into the vast interior of Africa. When we came within five or +six miles of the land, the yellowish-green tinge of the sea in soundings +was suddenly succeeded by muddy water with wrack, as of a river in flood. +The two colours did not intermingle, but the line of contact was as +sharply defined as when the ocean meets the land. It was observed that +under the wrack--consisting of reeds, sticks, and leaves,--and even under +floating cuttlefish bones and Portuguese "men-of-war" (Physalia), numbers +of small fish screen themselves from the eyes of birds of prey, and from +the rays of the torrid sun. + +We entered the river Luawe first, because its entrance is so smooth and +deep, that the "Pearl," drawing 9 feet 7 inches, went in without a boat +sounding ahead. A small steam launch having been brought out from +England in three sections on the deck of the "Pearl" was hoisted out and +screwed together at the anchorage, and with her aid the exploration was +commenced. She was called the "Ma Robert," after Mrs. Livingstone, to +whom the natives, according to their custom, gave the name Ma (mother) of +her eldest son. The harbour is deep, but shut in by mangrove swamps; and +though the water a few miles up is fresh, it is only a tidal river; for, +after ascending some seventy miles, it was found to end in marshes +blocked up with reeds and succulent aquatic plants. As the Luawe had +been called "West Luabo," it was supposed to be a branch of the Zambesi, +the main stream of which is called "Luabo," or "East Luabo." The "Ma +Robert" and "Pearl" then went to what proved to be a real mouth of the +river we sought. + +The Zambesi pours its waters into the ocean by four mouths, namely, the +Milambe, which is the most westerly, the Kongone, the Luabo, and the +Timbwe (or Muselo). When the river is in flood, a natural canal running +parallel with the coast, and winding very much among the swamps, forms a +secret way for conveying slaves from Quillimane to the bays Massangano +and Nameara, or to the Zambesi itself. The Kwakwa, or river of +Quillimane, some sixty miles distant from the mouth of the Zambesi, has +long been represented as the principal entrance to the Zambesi, in order, +as the Portuguese now maintain, that the English cruisers might be +induced to watch the false mouth, while slaves were quietly shipped from +the true one; and, strange to say, this error has lately been propagated +by a map issued by the colonial minister of Portugal. + +After the examination of three branches by the able and energetic +surveyor, Francis Skead, R.N., the Kongone was found to be the best +entrance. The immense amount of sand brought down by the Zambesi has in +the course of ages formed a sort of promontory, against which the long +swell of the Indian Ocean, beating during the prevailing winds, has +formed bars, which, acting against the waters of the delta, may have led +to their exit sideways. The Kongone is one of those lateral branches, +and the safest; inasmuch as the bar has nearly two fathoms on it at low +water, and the rise at spring tides is from twelve to fourteen feet. The +bar is narrow, the passage nearly straight, and, were it buoyed and a +beacon placed on Pearl Island, would always be safe to a steamer. When +the wind is from the east or north, the bar is smooth; if from the south +and south-east, it has a heavy break on it, and is not to be attempted in +boats. A strong current setting to the east when the tide is flowing, +and to the west when ebbing, may drag a boat or ship into the breakers. +If one is doubtful of his longitude and runs east, he will soon see the +land at Timbwe disappear away to the north; and coming west again, he can +easily make out East Luabo from its great size; and Kongone follows +several miles west. East Luabo has a good but long bar, and not to be +attempted unless the wind be north-east or east. It has sometimes been +called "Barra Catrina," and was used in the embarkations of slaves. This +may have been the "River of Good Signs," of Vasco da Gama, as the mouth +is more easily seen from the seaward than any other; but the absence of +the pillar dedicated by that navigator to "St. Raphael," leaves the +matter in doubt. No Portuguese live within eighty miles of any mouth of +the Zambesi. + +The Kongone is five miles east of the Milambe, or western branch, and +seven miles west from East Luabo, which again is five miles from the +Timbwe. We saw but few natives, and these, by escaping from their canoes +into the mangrove thickets the moment they caught sight of us, gave +unmistakeable indications that they had no very favourable opinion of +white men. They were probably fugitives from Portuguese slavery. In the +grassy glades buffaloes, wart-hogs, and three kinds of antelope were +abundant, and the latter easily obtained. A few hours' hunting usually +provided venison enough for a score of men for several days. + +On proceeding up the Kongone branch it was found that, by keeping well in +the bends, which the current had worn deep, shoals were easily avoided. +The first twenty miles are straight and deep; then a small and rather +tortuous natural canal leads off to the right, and, after about five +miles, during which the paddles almost touch the floating grass of the +sides, ends in the broad Zambesi. The rest of the Kongone branch comes +out of the main stream considerably higher up as the outgoing branch +called Doto. + +The first twenty miles of the Kongone are enclosed in mangrove jungle; +some of the trees are ornamented with orchilla weed, which appears never +to have been gathered. Huge ferns, palm bushes, and occasionally wild +date-palms peer out in the forest, which consists of different species of +mangroves; the bunches of bright yellow, though scarcely edible fruit, +contrasting prettily with the graceful green leaves. In some spots the +Milola, an umbrageous hibiscus, with large yellowish flowers, grows in +masses along the bank. Its bark is made into cordage, and is especially +valuable for the manufacture of ropes attached to harpoons for killing +the hippopotamus. The Pandanus or screw-palm, from which sugar bags are +made in the Mauritius, also appears, and on coming out of the canal into +the Zambesi many are so tall as in the distance to remind us of the +steeples of our native land, and make us relish the remark of an old +sailor, "that but one thing was wanting to complete the picture, and that +was a 'grog-shop near the church.'" We find also a few guava and lime- +trees growing wild, but the natives claim the crops. The dark woods +resound with the lively and exultant song of the kinghunter (_Halcyon +striolata_), as he sits perched on high among the trees. As the steamer +moves on through the winding channel, a pretty little heron or bright +kingfisher darts out in alarm from the edge of the bank, flies on ahead a +short distance, and settles quietly down to be again frightened off in a +few seconds as we approach. The magnificent fishhawk (_Halietus +vocifer_) sits on the top of a mangrove-tree, digesting his morning meal +of fresh fish, and is clearly unwilling to stir until the imminence of +the danger compels him at last to spread his great wings for flight. The +glossy ibis, acute of ear to a remarkable degree, hears from afar the +unwonted sound of the paddles, and, springing from the mud where his +family has been quietly feasting, is off, screaming out his loud, harsh, +and defiant Ha! ha! ha! long before the danger is near. + +Several native huts now peep out from the bananas and cocoa-palms on the +right bank; they stand on piles a few feet above the low damp ground, and +their owners enter them by means of ladders. The soil is wonderfully +rich, and the gardens are really excellent. Rice is cultivated largely; +sweet potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, cabbages, onions (shalots), peas, a +little cotton, and sugar-cane are also raised. It is said that English +potatoes, when planted at Quillimane on soil resembling this, in the +course of two years become in taste like sweet potatoes (_Convolvulus +batatas_), and are like our potato frosted. The whole of the fertile +region extending from the Kongone canal to beyond Mazaro, some eighty +miles in length, and fifty in breadth, is admirably adapted for the +growth of sugar-cane; and were it in the hands of our friends at the +Cape, would supply all Europe with sugar. The remarkably few people seen +appear to be tolerably well fed, but there was a dearth of clothing among +them; all were blacks, and nearly all Portuguese "colonos" or serfs. They +manifested no fear of white men, and stood in groups on the bank gazing +in astonishment at the steamers, especially at the "Pearl," which +accompanied us thus far up the river. One old man who came on board +remarked that never before had he seen any vessel so large as the +"Pearl," it was like a village, "Was it made out of one tree?" All were +eager traders, and soon came off to the ship in light swift canoes with +every kind of fruit and food they possessed; a few brought honey and +beeswax, which are found in quantities in the mangrove forests. As the +ships steamed off, many anxious sellers ran along the bank, holding up +fowls, baskets of rice and meal, and shouting "Malonda, Malonda," "things +for sale," while others followed in canoes, which they sent through the +water with great velocity by means of short broad-bladed paddles. + +Finding the "Pearl's" draught too great for that part of the river near +the island of Simbo, where the branch called the Doto is given off to the +Kongone on the right bank, and another named Chinde departs to the secret +canal already mentioned on the left, the goods belonging to the +expedition were taken out of her, and placed on one of the grassy islands +about forty miles from the bar. The "Pearl" then left us, and we had to +part with our good friends Duncan and Skead; the former for Ceylon, the +latter to return to his duties as Government Surveyor at the Cape. + +Of those who eventually did the work of the expedition the majority took +a sober common-sense view of the enterprise in which we were engaged. +Some remained on Expedition Island from the 18th June until the 13th +August, while the launch and pinnace were carrying the goods up to +Shupanga and Senna. The country was in a state of war, our luggage was +in danger, and several of our party were exposed to disease from +inactivity in the malaria of the delta. Here some had their first +introduction to African life, and African fever. Those alone were safe +who were actively employed with the vessels, and of course, remembering +the perilous position of their fellows, they strained every nerve to +finish the work and take them away. + +Large columns of smoke rose daily from different points of the horizon, +showing that the natives were burning off the immense crops of tall +grass, here a nuisance, however valuable elsewhere. A white cloud was +often observed to rest on the head of the column, as if a current of hot +damp air was sent up by the heat of the flames and its moisture was +condensed at the top. Rain did not follow, though theorists have +imagined that in such cases it ought. + +Large game, buffaloes, and zebras, were abundant abreast the island, but +no men could be seen. On the mainland, over on the right bank of the +river, we were amused by the eccentric gyrations and evolutions of flocks +of small seed-eating birds, who in their flight wheeled into compact +columns with such military precision as to give us the impression that +they must be guided by a leader, and all directed by the same signal. +Several other kinds of small birds now go in flocks, and among others the +large Senegal swallow. The presence of this bird, being clearly in a +state of migration from the north, while the common swallow of the +country, and the brown kite are away beyond the equator, leads to the +conjecture that there may be a double migration, namely, of birds from +torrid climates to the more temperate, as this now is, as well as from +severe winters to sunny regions; but this could not be verified by such +birds of passage as ourselves. + +On reaching Mazaro, the mouth of a narrow creek which in floods +communicates with the Quillimane river, we found that the Portuguese were +at war with a half-caste named Mariano _alias_ Matakenya, from whom they +had generally fled, and who, having built a stockade near the mouth of +the Shire, owned all the country between that river and Mazaro. Mariano +was best known by his native name Matakenya, which in their tongue means +"trembling," or quivering as trees do in a storm. He was a keen slave- +hunter, and kept a large number of men, well armed with muskets. It is +an entire mistake to suppose that the slave trade is one of buying and +selling alone; or that engagements can be made with labourers in Africa +as they are in India; Mariano, like other Portuguese, had no labour to +spare. He had been in the habit of sending out armed parties on slave- +hunting forays among the helpless tribes to the north-east, and carrying +down the kidnapped victims in chains to Quillimane, where they were sold +by his brother-in-law Cruz Coimbra, and shipped as "Free emigrants" to +the French island of Bourbon. So long as his robberies and murders were +restricted to the natives at a distance, the authorities did not +interfere; but his men, trained to deeds of violence and bloodshed in +their slave forays, naturally began to practise on the people nearer at +hand, though belonging to the Portuguese, and even in the village of +Senna, under the guns of the fort. A gentleman of the highest standing +told us that, while at dinner with his family, it was no uncommon event +for a slave to rush into the room pursued by one of Mariano's men with +spear in hand to murder him. + +The atrocities of this villain, aptly termed by the late governor of +Quillimane a "notorious robber and murderer," became at length +intolerable. All the Portuguese spoke of him as a rare monster of +inhumanity. It is unaccountable why half-castes, such as he, are so much +more cruel than the Portuguese, but such is undoubtedly the case. + +It was asserted that one of his favourite modes of creating an impression +in the country, and making his name dreaded, was to spear his captives +with his own hands. On one occasion he is reported to have thus killed +forty poor wretches placed in a row before him. We did not at first +credit these statements, and thought that they were merely exaggerations +of the incensed Portuguese, who naturally enough were exasperated with +him for stopping their trade, and harbouring their runaway slaves; but we +learned afterwards from the natives, that the accounts given us by the +Portuguese had not exceeded the truth; and that Mariano was quite as +great a ruffian as they had described him. One expects slave-owners to +treat their human chattels as well as men do other animals of value, but +the slave-trade seems always to engender an unreasoning ferocity, if not +blood-thirstiness. + +War was declared against Mariano, and a force sent to take him; he +resisted for a time; but seeing that he was likely to get the worst of +it, and knowing that the Portuguese governors have small salaries, and +are therefore "disposed to be reasonable," he went down to Quillimane to +"arrange" with the Governor, as it is termed here; but Colonel da Silva +put him in prison, and then sent him for trial to Mozambique. When we +came into the country, his people were fighting under his brother Bonga. +The war had lasted six months and stopped all trade on the river during +that period. On the 15th June we first came into contact with the +"rebels." They appeared as a crowd of well-armed and +fantastically-dressed people under the trees at Mazaro. On explaining +that we were English, some at once came on board and called to those on +shore to lay aside their arms. On landing among them we saw that many +had the branded marks of slaves on their chests, but they warmly approved +our objects, and knew well the distinctive character of our nation on the +slave question. The shout at our departure contrasted strongly with the +suspicious questioning on our approach. Hence-forward we were recognized +as friends by both parties. + +At a later period we were taking in wood within a mile of the scene of +action, but a dense fog prevented our hearing the noise of a battle at +Mazaro; and on arriving there, immediately after, many natives and +Portuguese appeared on the bank. + +Dr. Livingstone, landing to salute some of his old friends among the +latter, found himself in the sickening smell, and among the mutilated +bodies of the slain; he was requested to take the Governor, who was very +ill of fever, across to Shupanga, and just as he gave his assent, the +rebels renewed the fight, and the balls began to whistle about in all +directions. After trying in vain to get some one to assist the Governor +down to the steamer, and unwilling to leave him in such danger, as the +officer sent to bring our Kroomen did not appear, he went into the hut, +and dragged along his Excellency to the ship. He was a very tall man, +and as he swayed hither and thither from weakness, weighing down Dr. +Livingstone, it must have appeared like one drunken man helping another. +Some of the Portuguese white soldiers stood fighting with great bravery +against the enemy in front, while a few were coolly shooting at their own +slaves for fleeing into the river behind. The rebels soon retired, and +the Portuguese escaped to a sandbank in the Zambesi, and thence to an +island opposite Shupanga, where they lay for some weeks, looking at the +rebels on the mainland opposite. This state of inactivity on the part of +the Portuguese could not well be helped, as they had expended all their +ammunition and were waiting anxiously for supplies; hoping, no doubt +sincerely, that the enemy might not hear that their powder had failed. +Luckily their hopes were not disappointed; the rebels waited until a +supply came, and were then repulsed after three-and-a-half hours' hard +fighting. Two months afterwards Mariano's stockade was burned, the +garrison having fled in a panic; and as Bonga declared that he did not +wish to fight with this Governor, with whom he had no quarrel, the war +soon came to an end. His Excellency meanwhile, being a disciple of +Raspail, had taken nothing for the fever but a little camphor, and after +he was taken to Shupanga became comatose. More potent remedies were +administered to him, to his intense disgust, and he soon recovered. The +Colonel in attendance, whom he never afterwards forgave, encouraged the +treatment. "Give what is right; never mind him; he is very (_muito_) +impertinent:" and all night long, with every draught of water the Colonel +gave a quantity of quinine: the consequence was, next morning the patient +was cinchonized and better. + +For sixty or seventy miles before reaching Mazaro, the scenery is tame +and uninteresting. On either hand is a dreary uninhabited expanse, of +the same level grassy plains, with merely a few trees to relieve the +painful monotony. The round green top of the stately palm-tree looks at +a distance, when its grey trunk cannot be seen, as though hung in mid- +air. Many flocks of busy sand-martins, which here, and as far south as +the Orange River, do not migrate, have perforated the banks two or three +feet horizontally, in order to place their nests at the ends, and are now +chasing on restless wing the myriads of tropical insects. The broad +river has many low islands, on which are seen various kinds of waterfowl, +such as geese, spoonbills, herons, and flamingoes. Repulsive crocodiles, +as with open jaws they sleep and bask in the sun on the low banks, soon +catch the sound of the revolving paddles and glide quietly into the +stream. The hippopotamus, having selected some still reach of the river +to spend the day, rises out of the bottom, where he has been enjoying his +morning bath after the labours of the night on shore, blows a puff of +spray from his nostrils, shakes the water out of his ears, puts his +enormous snout up straight and yawns, sounding a loud alarm to the rest +of the herd, with notes as of a monster bassoon. + +As we approach Mazaro the scenery improves. We see the well-wooded +Shupanga ridge stretching to the left, and in front blue hills rise dimly +far in the distance. There is no trade whatever on the Zambesi below +Mazaro. All the merchandise of Senna and Tette is brought to that point +in large canoes, and thence carried six miles across the country on men's +heads to be reshipped on a small stream that flows into the Kwakwa, or +Quillimane river, which is entirely distinct from the Zambesi. Only on +rare occasions and during the highest floods can canoes pass from the +Zambesi to the Quillimane river through the narrow natural canal _Mutu_. +The natives of Maruru, or the country around Mazaro, the word Mazaro +meaning the "mouth of the creek" Mutu, have a bad name among the +Portuguese; they are said to be expert thieves, and the merchants +sometimes suffer from their adroitness while the goods are in transit +from one river to the other. In general they are trained canoe-men, and +man many of the canoes that ply thence to Senna and Tette; their pay is +small, and, not trusting the traders, they must always have it before +they start. Africans being prone to assign plausible reasons for their +conduct, like white men in more enlightened lands, it is possible they +may be good-humouredly giving their reason for insisting on being +invariably paid in advance in the words of their favourite canoe-song, +"Uachingere, Uachingere Kale," "You cheated me of old;" or, "Thou art +slippery slippery truly." + +The Landeens or Zulus are lords of the right bank of the Zambesi; and the +Portuguese, by paying this fighting tribe a pretty heavy annual tribute, +practically admit this. Regularly every year come the Zulus in force to +Senna and Shupanga for the accustomed tribute. The few wealthy merchants +of Senna groan under the burden, for it falls chiefly on them. They +submit to pay annually 200 pieces of cloth, of sixteen yards each, +besides beads and brass wire, knowing that refusal involves war, which +might end in the loss of all they possess. The Zulus appear to keep as +sharp a look out on the Senna and Shupanga people as ever landlord did on +tenant; the more they cultivate, the more tribute they have to pay. On +asking some of them why they did not endeavour to raise certain highly +profitable products, we were answered, "What's the use of our cultivating +any more than we do? the Landeens would only come down on us for more +tribute." + +In the forests of Shupanga the Mokundu-kundu tree abounds; its bright +yellow wood makes good boat-masts, and yields a strong bitter medicine +for fever; the Gunda-tree attains to an immense size; its timber is hard, +rather cross-grained, with masses of silica deposited in its substance; +the large canoes, capable of carrying three or four tons, are made of its +wood. For permission to cut these trees, a Portuguese gentleman of +Quillimane was paying the Zulus, in 1858, two hundred dollars a year, and +his successor now pays three hundred. + +At Shupanga, a one-storied stone house stands on the prettiest site on +the river. In front a sloping lawn, with a fine mango orchard at its +southern end, leads down to the broad Zambesi, whose green islands repose +on the sunny bosom of the tranquil waters. Beyond, northwards, lie vast +fields and forests of palm and tropical trees, with the massive mountain +of Morambala towering amidst the white clouds; and further away more +distant hills appear in the blue horizon. This beautifully situated +house possesses a melancholy interest from having been associated in a +most mournful manner with the history of two English expeditions. Here, +in 1826, poor Kirkpatrick, of Captain Owen's Surveying Expedition, died +of fever; and here, in 1862, died, of the same fatal disease, the beloved +wife of Dr. Livingstone. A hundred yards east of the house, under a +large Baobab-tree, far from their native land, both are buried. + +The Shupanga-house was the head-quarters of the Governor during the +Mariano war. He told us that the province of Mosambique costs the Home +Government between 5000_l_. and 6000_l_. annually, and East Africa yields +no reward in return to the mother country. We met there several other +influential Portuguese. All seemed friendly, and expressed their +willingness to assist the expedition in every way in their power; and +better still, Colonel Nunes and Major Sicard put their good-will into +action, by cutting wood for the steamer and sending men to help in +unloading. It was observable that not one of them knew anything about +the Kongone Mouth; all thought that we had come in by the "Barra +Catrina," or East Luabo. Dr. Kirk remained here a few weeks; and, +besides exploring a small lake twenty miles to the south-west, had the +sole medical care of the sick and wounded soldiers, for which valuable +services he received the thanks of the Portuguese Government. We wooded +up at this place with African ebony or black wood, and lignum vitae; the +latter tree attains an immense size, sometimes as much as four feet in +diameter; our engineer, knowing what ebony and lignum vitae cost at home, +said it made his heart sore to burn wood so valuable. Though botanically +different, they are extremely alike; the black wood as grown in some +districts is superior, and the lignum vitae inferior in quality, to these +timbers brought from other countries. Caoutchouc, or India-rubber, is +found in abundance inland from Shupanga-house, and calumba-root is +plentiful in the district; indigo, in quantities, propagates itself close +to the banks of the Aver, and was probably at some time cultivated, for +manufactured indigo was once exported. The India-rubber is made into +balls for a game resembling "fives," and calumba-root is said to be used +as a mordant for certain colours, but not as a dye itself. + +We started for Tette on the 17th August, 1858; the navigation was rather +difficult, the Zambesi from Shupanga to Senna being wide and full of +islands; our black pilot, John Scisssors, a serf, sometimes took the +wrong channel and ran us aground. Nothing abashed, he would exclaim in +an aggrieved tone, "This is not the path, it is back yonder." "Then why +didn't you go yonder at first?" growled out our Kroomen, who had the work +of getting the vessel off. When they spoke roughly to poor Scissors, the +weak cringing slave-spirit came forth in, "Those men scold me so, I am +ready to run away." This mode of finishing up an engagement is not at +all uncommon on the Zambesi; several cases occurred, when we were on the +river, of hired crews decamping with most of the goods in their charge. +If the trader cannot redress his own wrongs, he has to endure them. The +Landeens will not surrender a fugitive slave, even to his master. One +belonging to Mr. Azevedo fled, and was, as a great favour only, returned +after a present of much more than his value. + +We landed to wood at Shamoara, just below the confluence of the Shire. +Its quartz hills are covered with trees and gigantic grasses; the buaze, +a small forest-tree, grows abundantly; it is a species of polygala; its +beautiful clusters of sweet-scented pinkish flowers perfume the air with +a rich fragrance; its seeds produce a fine drying oil, and the bark of +the smaller branches yields a fibre finer and stronger than flax; with +which the natives make their nets for fishing. Bonga, the brother of the +rebel Mariano, and now at the head of the revolted natives, with some of +his principal men came to see us, and were perfectly friendly, though +told of our having carried the sick Governor across to Shupanga, and of +our having cured him of fever. On our acquainting Bonga with the object +of the expedition, he remarked that we should suffer no hindrance from +his people in our good work. He sent us a present of rice, two sheep, +and a quantity of firewood. He never tried to make any use of us in the +strife; the other side showed less confidence, by carefully +cross-questioning our pilot whether we had sold any powder to the enemy. +We managed, however, to keep on good terms with both rebels and +Portuguese. + +Senna is built on a low plain, on the right bank of the Zambesi, with +some pretty detached hills in the background; it is surrounded by a +stockade of living trees to protect its inhabitants from their +troublesome and rebellious neighbours. It contains a few large houses, +some ruins of others, and a weather-beaten cross, where once stood a +church; a mound shows the site of an ancient monastery, and a mud fort by +the river is so dilapidated, that cows were grazing peacefully over its +prostrate walls. + +The few Senna merchants, having little or no trade in the village, send +parties of trusted slaves into the interior to hunt for and purchase +ivory. It is a dull place, and very conducive to sleep. One is sure to +take fever in Senna on the second day, if by chance one escapes it on the +first day of a sojourn there; but no place is entirely bad. Senna has +one redeeming feature: it is the native village of the large-hearted and +hospitable Senhor H. A. Ferrao. The benevolence of this gentleman is +unbounded. The poor black stranger passing through the town goes to him +almost as a matter of course for food, and is never sent away hungry. In +times of famine the starving natives are fed by his generosity; hundreds +of his own people he never sees except on these occasions; and the only +benefit derived from being their master is, that they lean on him as a +patriarchal chief, and he has the satisfaction of settling their +differences, and of saving their lives in seasons of drought and +scarcity. + +Senhor Ferrao received us with his usual kindness, and gave us a +bountiful breakfast. During the day the principal men of the place +called, and were unanimously of opinion that the free natives would +willingly cultivate large quantities of cotton, could they find +purchasers. They had in former times exported largely both cotton and +cloth to Manica and even to Brazil. "On their own soil," they declared, +"the natives are willing to labour and trade, provided only they can do +so to advantage: when it is for their interest, blacks work very hard." +We often remarked subsequently that this was the opinion of men of +energy; and that all settlers of activity, enterprise, and sober habits +had become rich, while those who were much addicted to lying on their +backs smoking, invariably complained of the laziness of the negroes, and +were poor, proud, and despicable. + +Beyond Pita lies the little island Nyamotobsi, where we met a small +fugitive tribe of hippopotamus hunters, who had been driven by war from +their own island in front. All were busy at work; some were making +gigantic baskets for grain, the men plaiting from the inside. With the +civility so common among them the chief ordered a mat to be spread for us +under a shed, and then showed us the weapon with which they kill the +hippopotamus; it is a short iron harpoon inserted in the end of a long +pole, but being intended to unship, it is made fast to a strong cord of +milola, or hibiscus, bark, which is wound closely round the entire length +of the shaft, and secured at its opposite end. Two men in a swift canoe +steal quietly down on the sleeping animal. The bowman dashes the harpoon +into the unconscious victim, while the quick steersman sweeps the light +craft back with his broad paddle; the force of the blow separates the +harpoon from its corded handle, which, appearing on the surface, +sometimes with an inflated bladder attached, guides the hunters to where +the wounded beast hides below until they despatch it. + +These hippopotamus hunters form a separate people, called Akombwi, or +Mapodzo, and rarely--the women it is said never--intermarry with any +other tribe. The reason for their keeping aloof from certain of the +natives on the Zambesi is obvious enough, some having as great an +abhorrence of hippopotamus meat as Mahomedans have of swine's flesh. Our +pilot, Scissors, was one of this class; he would not even cook his food +in a pot which had contained hippopotamus meat, preferring to go hungry +till he could find another; and yet he traded eagerly in the animal's +tusks, and ate with great relish the flesh of the foul-feeding marabout. +These hunters go out frequently on long expeditions, taking in their +canoes their wives and children, cooking-pots, and sleeping-mats. When +they reach a good game district, they erect temporary huts on the bank, +and there dry the meat they have killed. They are rather a +comely-looking race, with very black smooth skins, and never disfigure +themselves with the frightful ornaments of some of the other tribes. The +chief declined to sell a harpoon, because they could not now get the +milola bark from the coast on account of Mariano's war. He expressed +some doubts about our being children of the same Almighty Father, +remarking that "they could not become white, let them wash ever so much." +We made him a present of a bit of cloth, and he very generously gave us +in return some fine fresh fish and Indian corn. + +The heat of the weather steadily increases during this month (August), +and foggy mornings are now rare. A strong breeze ending in a gale blows +up stream every night. It came in the afternoon a few weeks ago, then +later, and at present its arrival is near midnight; it makes our frail +cabin-doors fly open before it, but continues only for a short time, and +is succeeded by a dead calm. Game becomes more abundant; near our +wooding-places we see herds of zebras, both Burchell's and the mountain +variety, pallahs (_Antelope melampus_), waterbuck, and wild hogs, with +the spoor of buffaloes and elephants. + +Shiramba Dembe, on the right bank, is deserted; a few old iron guns show +where a rebel stockade once stood; near the river above this, stands a +magnificent Baobab hollowed out into a good-sized hut, with bark inside +as well as without. The old oaks in Sherwood Forest, when hollow, have +the inside dead or rotten; but the Baobab, though stripped of its bark +outside, and hollowed to a cavity inside, has the power of exuding new +bark from its substance to both the outer and inner surfaces; so, a hut +made like that in the oak called the "Forest Queen," in Sherwood, would +soon all be lined with bark. + +The portions of the river called Shigogo and Shipanga are bordered by a +low level expanse of marshy country, with occasional clumps of palm-trees +and a few thorny acacias. The river itself spreads out to a width of +from three to four miles, with many islands, among which it is difficult +to navigate, except when the river is in flood. In front, a range of +high hills from the north-east crosses and compresses it into a deep +narrow channel, called the Lupata Gorge. The Portuguese thought the +steamer would not stem the current here; but as it was not more than +about three knots, and as there was a strong breeze in our favour, steam +and sails got her through with ease. Heavy-laden canoes take two days to +go up this pass. A current sweeps round the little rocky promontories +Chifura and Kangomba, forming whirlpools and eddies dangerous for the +clumsy craft, which are dragged past with long ropes. + +The paddlers place meal on these rocks as an offering to the turbulent +deities, which they believe preside over spots fatal to many a large +canoe. We were slily told that native Portuguese take off their hats to +these river gods, and pass in solemn silence; when safely beyond the +promontories, they fire muskets, and, as we ought to do, give the canoe- +men grog. From the spoor of buffaloes and elephants it appears that +these animals frequent Lupata in considerable numbers, and--we have often +observed the association--the tsetse fly is common. A horse for the +Governor of Tette was sent in a canoe from Quillimane; and, lest it +should be wrecked on the Chifura and Kangomba rocks, it was put on shore +and sent in the daytime through the pass. It was of course bitten by the +tsetse, and died soon after; it was thought that the _air_ of Tette had +not agreed with it. The currents above Lupata are stronger than those +below; the country becomes more picturesque and hilly, and there is a +larger population. + +The ship anchored in the stream, off Tette, on the 8th September, 1858, +and Dr. Livingstone went ashore in the boat. No sooner did the Makololo +recognize him, than they rushed to the water's edge, and manifested great +joy at seeing him again. Some were hastening to embrace him, but others +cried out, "Don't touch him, you will spoil his new clothes." The five +headmen came on board and listened in quiet sadness to the story of poor +Sekwebu, who died at the Mauritius on his way to England. "Men die in +any country," they observed, and then told us that thirty of their own +number had died of smallpox, having been bewitched by the people of +Tette, who envied them because, during the first year, none of their +party had died. Six of their young men, becoming tired of cutting +firewood for a meagre pittance, proposed to go and dance for gain before +some of the neighbouring chiefs. "Don't go," said the others, "we don't +know the people of this country;" but the young men set out and visited +an independent half-caste chief, a few miles to the north, named Chisaka, +who some years ago burned all the Portuguese villas on the north bank of +the river; afterwards the young men went to Bonga, son of another half- +caste chief, who bade defiance to the Tette authorities, and had a +stockade at the confluence of the Zambesi and Luenya, a few miles below +that village. Asking the Makololo whence they came, Bonga rejoined, "Why +do you come from my enemy to me? You have brought witchcraft medicine to +kill me." In vain they protested that they did not belong to the +country; they were strangers, and had come from afar with an Englishman. +The superstitious savage put them all to death. "We do not grieve," said +their companions, "for the thirty victims of the smallpox, who were taken +away by Morimo (God); but our hearts are sore for the six youths who were +murdered by Bonga." Any hope of obtaining justice on the murderer was +out of the question. Bonga once caught a captain of the Portuguese army, +and forced him to perform the menial labour of pounding maize in a wooden +mortar. No punishment followed on this outrage. The Government of +Lisbon has since given Bonga the honorary title of Captain, by way of +coaxing him to own their authority; but he still holds his stockade. + +Tette stands on a succession of low sandstone ridges on the right bank of +the Zambesi, which is here nearly a thousand yards wide (960 yards). +Shallow ravines, running parallel with the river, form the streets, the +houses being built on the ridges. The whole surface of the streets, +except narrow footpaths, were overrun with self-sown indigo, and tons of +it might have been collected. In fact indigo, senna, and stramonium, +with a species of cassia, form the weeds of the place, which are annually +hoed off and burned. A wall of stone and mud surrounds the village, and +the native population live in huts outside. The fort and the church, +near the river, are the strongholds; the natives having a salutary dread +of the guns of the one, and a superstitious fear of the unknown power of +the other. The number of white inhabitants is small, and rather select, +many of them having been considerately sent out of Portugal "for their +country's good." The military element preponderates in society; the +convict and "incorrigible" class of soldiers, receiving very little pay, +depend in great measure on the produce of the gardens of their black +wives; the moral condition of the resulting population may be imagined. + +Droughts are of frequent occurrence at Tette, and the crops suffer +severely. This may arise partly from the position of the town between +the ranges of hills north and south, which appear to have a strong +attraction for the rain-clouds. It is often seen to rain on these hills +when not a drop falls at Tette. Our first season was one of drought. +Thrice had the women planted their gardens in vain, the seed, after just +vegetating, was killed by the intense dry heat. A fourth planting shared +the same hard fate, and then some of the knowing ones discovered the +cause of the clouds being frightened away: our unlucky rain-gauge in the +garden. We got a bad name through that same rain-gauge, and were +regarded by many as a species of evil omen. The Makololo in turn blamed +the people of Tette for drought: "A number of witches live here, who +won't let it rain." Africans in general are sufficiently superstitious, +but those of Tette are in this particular pre-eminent above their +fellows. Coming from many different tribes, all the rays of the separate +superstitions converge into a focus at Tette, and burn out common sense +from the minds of the mixed breed. They believe that many evil spirits +live in the air, the earth, and the water. These invisible malicious +beings are thought to inflict much suffering on the human race; but, as +they have a weakness for beer and a craving for food, they may be +propitiated from time to time by offerings of meat and drink. The +serpent is an object of worship, and hideous little images are hung in +the huts of the sick and dying. The uncontaminated Africans believe that +Morungo, the Great Spirit who formed all things, lives above the stars; +but they never pray to him, and know nothing of their relation to him, or +of his interest in them. The spirits of their departed ancestors are all +good, according to their ideas, and on special occasions aid them in +their enterprises. When a man has his hair cut, he is careful to burn +it, or bury it secretly, lest, falling into the hands of one who has an +evil eye, or is a witch, it should be used as a charm to afflict him with +headache. They believe, too, that they will live after the death of the +body, but do not know anything of the state of the Barimo (gods, or +departed spirits). + +The mango-tree grows luxuriantly above Lupata, and furnishes a grateful +shade. Its delicious fruit is superior to that on the coast. For weeks +the natives who have charge of the mangoes live entirely on the fruit, +and, as some trees bear in November and some in March, while the main +crop comes between, fruit in abundance may easily be obtained during four +months of the year; but no native can be induced to plant a mango. A +wide-spread superstition has become riveted in the native mind, that if +any one plants this tree he will soon die. The Makololo, like other +natives, were very fond of the fruit; but when told to take up some mango- +stones, on their return, and plant them in their own country--they too +having become deeply imbued with the belief that it was a suicidal act to +do so--replied "they did not wish to die too soon." There is also a +superstition even among the native Portuguese of Tette, that if a man +plants coffee he will never afterwards be happy: they drink it, however, +and seem the happier for it. + +The Portuguese of Tette have many slaves, with all the usual vices of +their class, as theft, lying, and impurity. As a general rule the real +Portuguese are tolerably humane masters and rarely treat a slave cruelly; +this may be due as much to natural kindness of heart as to a fear of +losing the slaves by their running away. When they purchase an adult +slave they buy at the same time, if possible, all his relations along +with him. They thus contrive to secure him to his new home by domestic +ties. Running away then would be to forsake all who hold a place in his +heart, for the mere chance of acquiring a freedom, which would probably +be forfeited on his entrance into the first native village, for the chief +might, without compunction, again sell him into slavery. + +A rather singular case of voluntary slavery came to our knowledge: a free +black, an intelligent active young fellow, called Chibanti, who had been +our pilot on the river, told us that he had sold himself into slavery. On +asking why he had done this, he replied that he was all alone in the +world, had neither father nor mother, nor any one else to give him water +when sick, or food when hungry; so he sold himself to Major Sicard, a +notoriously kind master, whose slaves had little to do, and plenty to +eat. "And how much did you get for yourself?" we asked. "Three thirty- +yard pieces of cotton cloth," he replied; "and I forthwith bought a man, +a woman, and child, who cost me two of the pieces, and I had one piece +left." This, at all events, showed a cool and calculating spirit; he +afterwards bought more slaves, and in two years owned a sufficient number +to man one of the large canoes. His master subsequently employed him in +carrying ivory to Quillimane, and gave him cloth to hire mariners for the +voyage; he took his own slaves, of course, and thus drove a thriving +business; and was fully convinced that he had made a good speculation by +the sale of himself, for had he been sick his master must have supported +him. Occasionally some of the free blacks become slaves voluntarily by +going through the simple but significant ceremony of breaking a spear in +the presence of their future master. A Portuguese officer, since dead, +persuaded one of the Makololo to remain in Tette, instead of returning to +his own country, and tried also to induce him to break a spear before +him, and thus acknowledge himself his slave, but the man was too shrewd +for this; he was a great elephant doctor, who accompanied the hunters, +told them when to attack the huge beast, and gave them medicine to ensure +success. Unlike the real Portuguese, many of the half-castes are +merciless slave-holders; their brutal treatment of the wretched slaves is +notorious. What a humane native of Portugal once said of them is +appropriate if not true: "God made white men, and God made black men, but +the devil made half-castes." + +The officers and merchants send parties of slaves under faithful headmen +to hunt elephants and to trade in ivory, providing them with a certain +quantity of cloth, beads, etc., and requiring so much ivory in return. +These slaves think that they have made a good thing of it, when they kill +an elephant near a village, as the natives give them beer and meal in +exchange for some of the elephant's meat, and over every tusk that is +brought there is expended a vast amount of time, talk, and beer. Most of +the Africans are natural-born traders, they love trade more for the sake +of trading than for what they make by it. An intelligent gentleman of +Tette told us that native traders often come to him with a tusk for sale, +consider the price he offers, demand more, talk over it, retire to +consult about it, and at length go away without selling it; next day they +try another merchant, talk, consider, get puzzled and go off as on the +previous day, and continue this course daily until they have perhaps seen +every merchant in the village, and then at last end by selling the +precious tusk to some one for even less than the first merchant had +offered. Their love of dawdling in the transaction arises from the self- +importance conferred on them by their being the object of the wheedling +and coaxing of eager merchants, a feeling to which even the love of gain +is subordinate. + +The native medical profession is reasonably well represented. In +addition to the regular practitioners, who are a really useful class, and +know something of their profession, and the nature and power of certain +medicines, there are others who devote their talents to some speciality. +The elephant doctor prepares a medicine which is considered indispensable +to the hunters when attacking that noble and sagacious beast; no hunter +is willing to venture out before investing in this precious nostrum. The +crocodile doctor sells a charm which is believed to possess the singular +virtue of protecting its owner from crocodiles. Unwittingly we offended +the crocodile school of medicine while at Tette, by shooting one of these +huge reptiles as it lay basking in the sun on a sandbank; the doctors +came to the Makololo in wrath, clamouring to know why the white man had +shot their crocodile. + +A shark's hook was baited one evening with a dog, of which the crocodile +is said to be particularly fond; but the doctors removed the bait, on the +principle that the more crocodiles the more demand for medicine, or +perhaps because they preferred to eat the dog themselves. Many of the +natives of this quarter are known, as in the South Seas, to eat the dog +without paying any attention to its feeding. The dice doctor or diviner +is an important member of the community, being consulted by Portuguese +and natives alike. Part of his business is that of a detective, it being +his duty to discover thieves. When goods are stolen, he goes and looks +at the place, casts his dice, and waits a few days, and then, for a +consideration, tells who is the thief: he is generally correct, for he +trusts not to his dice alone; he has confidential agents all over the +village, by whose inquiries and information he is enabled to detect the +culprit. Since the introduction of muskets, gun doctors have sprung up, +and they sell the medicine which professes to make good marksmen; others +are rain doctors, etc., etc. The various schools deal in little charms, +which are hung round the purchaser's neck to avert evil: some of them +contain the medicine, others increase its power. + +Indigo, about three or four feet high, grows in great luxuriance in the +streets of Tette, and so does the senna plant. The leaves are +undistinguishable from those imported in England. A small amount of +first-rate cotton is cultivated by the native population for the +manufacture of a coarse cloth. A neighbouring tribe raises the sugar- +cane, and makes a little sugar; but they use most primitive wooden +rollers, and having no skill in mixing lime with the extracted juice, the +product is of course of very inferior quality. Plenty of magnetic iron +ore is found near Tette, and coal also to any amount; a single cliff-seam +measuring twenty-five feet in thickness. It was found to burn well in +the steamer on the first trial. Gold is washed for in the beds of +rivers, within a couple of days of Tette. The natives are fully aware of +its value, but seldom search for it, and never dig deeper than four or +five feet. They dread lest the falling in of the sand of the river's bed +should bury them. In former times, when traders went with hundreds of +slaves to the washings, the produce was considerable. It is now +insignificant. The gold-producing lands have always been in the hands of +independent tribes. Deep cuttings near the sources of the gold-yielding +streams seem never to have been tried here, as in California and +Australia, nor has any machinery been used save common wooden basins for +washing. + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +Kebrabasa Rapids--Tette--African fever--Exploration of the +Shire--Discovery of Lake Shirwa. + +Our curiosity had been so much excited by the reports we had heard of the +Kebrabasa rapids, that we resolved to make a short examination of them, +and seized the opportunity of the Zambesi being unusually low, to +endeavour to ascertain their character while uncovered by the water. We +reached them on the 9th of November. The country between Tette and Panda +Mokua, where navigation ends, is well wooded and hilly on both banks. +Panda Mokua is a hill two miles below the rapids, capped with dolomite +containing copper ore. + +Conspicuous among the trees, for its gigantic size, and bark coloured +exactly like Egyptian syenite, is the burly Baobab. It often makes the +other trees of the forest look like mere bushes in comparison. A hollow +one, already mentioned, is 74 feet in circumference, another was 84, and +some have been found on the West Coast which measure 100 feet. The lofty +range of Kebrabasa, consisting chiefly of conical hills, covered with +scraggy trees, crosses the Zambesi, and confines it within a narrow, +rough, and rocky dell of about a quarter of a mile in breadth; over this, +which may be called the flood-bed of the river, large masses of rock are +huddled in indescribable confusion. The drawing, for the use of which, +and of others, our thanks are due to Lord Russell, conveys but a faint +idea of the scene, inasmuch as the hills which confine the river do not +appear in the sketch. The chief rock is syenite, some portions of which +have a beautiful blue tinge like _lapis lazuli_ diffused through them; +others are grey. Blocks of granite also abound, of a pinkish tinge; and +these with metamorphic rocks, contorted, twisted, and thrown into every +conceivable position, afford a picture of dislocation or unconformability +which would gladden a geological lecturer's heart; but at high flood this +rough channel is all smoothed over, and it then conforms well with the +river below it, which is half a mile wide. In the dry season the stream +runs at the bottom of a narrow and deep groove, whose sides are polished +and fluted by the boiling action of the water in flood, like the rims of +ancient Eastern wells by the draw-ropes. The breadth of the groove is +often not more than from forty to sixty yards, and it has some sharp +turnings, double channels, and little cataracts in it. As we steamed up, +the masts of the "Ma Robert," though some thirty feet high, did not reach +the level of the flood-channel above, and the man in the chains sung out, +"No bottom at ten fathoms." Huge pot-holes, as large as draw-wells, had +been worn in the sides, and were so deep that in some instances, when +protected from the sun by overhanging boulders, the water in them was +quite cool. Some of these holes had been worn right through, and only +the side next the rock remained; while the sides of the groove of the +flood-channel were polished as smooth as if they had gone through the +granite-mills of Aberdeen. The pressure of the water must be enormous to +produce this polish. It had wedged round pebbles into chinks and +crannies of the rocks so firmly that, though they looked quite loose, +they could not be moved except with a hammer. The mighty power of the +water here seen gave us an idea of what is going on in thousands of +cataracts in the world. All the information we had been able to obtain +from our Portuguese friends amounted to this, that some three or four +detached rocks jutted out of the river in Kebrabasa, which, though +dangerous to the cumbersome native canoes, could be easily passed by a +steamer, and that if one or two of these obstructions were blasted away +with gunpowder, no difficulty would hereafter be experienced. After we +had painfully explored seven or eight miles of the rapid, we returned to +the vessel satisfied that much greater labour was requisite for the mere +examination of the cataracts than our friends supposed necessary to +remove them; we therefore went down the river for fresh supplies, and +made preparation for a more serious survey of this region. + +The steamer having returned from the bar, we set out on the 22nd of +November to examine the rapids of Kebrabasa. We reached the foot of the +hills again, late in the afternoon of the 24th, and anchored in the +stream. Canoe-men never sleep on the river, but always spend the night +on shore. The natives on the right bank, in the country called Shidima, +who are Banyai, and even at this short distance from Tette, independent, +and accustomed to lord it over Portuguese traders, wondered what could be +our object in remaining afloat, and were naturally suspicious at our +departing from the universal custom. + +They hailed us from the bank in the evening with "Why don't you come and +sleep onshore like other people?" + +The answer they received from our Makololo, who now felt as independent +as the Banyai, was, "We are held to the bottom with iron; you may see we +are not like your Bazungu." + +This hint, a little amplified, saved us from the usual exactions. It is +pleasant to give a present, but that pleasure the Banyai usually deny to +strangers by making it a fine, and demanding it in such a supercilious +way, that only a sorely cowed trader could bear it. They often refuse to +touch what is offered--throw it down and leave it--sneer at the trader's +slaves, and refuse a passage until the tribute is raised to the utmost +extent of his means. + +Leaving the steamer next morning, we proceeded on foot, accompanied by a +native Portuguese and his men and a dozen Makololo, who carried our +baggage. The morning was pleasant, the hills on our right furnished for +a time a delightful shade; but before long the path grew frightfully +rough, and the hills no longer shielded us from the blazing sun. Scarcely +a vestige of a track was now visible; and, indeed, had not our guide +assured us to the contrary, we should have been innocent of even the +suspicion of a way along the patches of soft yielding sand, and on the +great rocks over which we so painfully clambered. These rocks have a +singular appearance, from being dislocated and twisted in every +direction, and covered with a thin black glaze, as if highly polished and +coated with lamp-black varnish. This seems to have been deposited while +the river was in flood, for it covers only those rocks which lie between +the highest water-mark and a line about four feet above the lowest. +Travellers who have visited the rapids of the Orinoco and the Congo say +that the rocks there have a similar appearance, and it is attributed to +some deposit from the water, formed only when the current is strong. This +may account for it in part here, as it prevails only where the narrow +river is confined between masses of rock, backed by high hills, and where +the current in floods is known to be the strongest; and it does not exist +where the rocks are only on one side, with a sandy beach opposite, and a +broad expanse of river between. The hot rocks burnt the thick soles of +our men's feet, and sorely fatigued ourselves. Our first day's march did +not exceed four miles in a straight line, and that we found more than +enough to be pleasant. + +The state of insecurity in which the Badema tribe live is indicated by +the habit of hiding their provisions in the hills, and keeping only a +small quantity in their huts; they strip a particular species of tree of +its bitter bark, to which both mice and monkeys are known to have an +antipathy, and, turning the bark inside out, sew it into cylindrical +vessels for their grain, and bury them in holes and in crags on the +wooded hill-sides. By this means, should a marauding party plunder their +huts, they save a supply of corn. They "could give us no information, +and they had no food; Chisaka's men had robbed them a few weeks before." + +"Never mind," said our native Portuguese, "they will sell you plenty when +you return, they are afraid of you now, as yet they do not know who you +are." We slept under trees in the open air, and suffered no +inconvenience from either mosquitoes or dew: and no prowling wild beast +troubled us; though one evening, while we were here, a native sitting +with some others on the opposite bank was killed by a leopard. + +One of the Tette slaves, who wished to be considered a great traveller, +gave us, as we sat by our evening fire, an interesting account of a +strange race of men whom he had seen in the interior; they were only +three feet high, and had horns growing out of their heads; they lived in +a large town and had plenty of food. The Makololo pooh-poohed this +story, and roundly told the narrator that he was telling a downright lie. +"_We_ come from the interior," cried out a tall fellow, measuring some +six feet four, "are _we_ dwarfs? have _we_ horns on our heads?" and thus +they laughed the fellow to scorn. But he still stoutly maintained that +he had seen these little people, and had actually been in their town; +thus making himself the hero of the traditional story, which before and +since the time of Herodotus has, with curious persistency, clung to the +native mind. The mere fact that such absurd notions are permanent, even +in the entire absence of literature, invests the religious ideas of these +people also with importance, as fragments of the wreck of the primitive +faith floating down the stream of time. + +We waded across the rapid Luia, which took us up to the waist, and was +about forty yards wide. The water was discoloured at the time, and we +were not without apprehension that a crocodile might chance to fancy a +white man for dinner. Next day one of the men crawled over the black +rocks to within ten yards of a sleeping hippopotamus, and shot him +through the brain. The weather being warm, the body floated in a few +hours, and some of us had our first trial of hippopotamus flesh. It is a +cross-grained meat, something between pork and beef,--pretty good food +when one is hungry and can get nothing better. When we reached the foot +of the mountain named Chipereziwa, whose perpendicular rocky sides are +clothed with many-coloured lichens, our Portuguese companion informed us +there were no more obstructions to navigation, the river being all smooth +above; he had hunted there and knew it well. Supposing that the object +of our trip was accomplished we turned back; but two natives, who came to +our camp at night, assured us that a cataract, called Morumbwa, did still +exist in front. Drs. Livingstone and Kirk then decided to go forward +with three Makololo and settle the question for themselves. It was as +tough a bit of travel as they ever had in Africa, and after some painful +marching the Badema guides refused to go further; "the Banyai," they +said, "would be angry if they showed white men the country; and there was +besides no practicable approach to the spot, neither elephant, nor +hippopotamus, nor even a crocodile could reach the cataract." The slopes +of the mountains on each side of the river, now not 300 yards wide, and +without the flattish flood-channel and groove, were more than 3000 feet +from the sky-line down, and were covered either with dense thornbush or +huge black boulders; this deep trough-like shape caused the sun's rays to +converge as into a focus, making the surface so hot that the soles of the +feet of the Makololo became blistered. Around, and up and down, the +party clambered among these heated blocks, at a pace not exceeding a mile +an hour; the strain upon the muscles in jumping from crag to boulder, and +wriggling round projections, took an enormous deal out of them, and they +were often glad to cower in the shadow formed by one rock overhanging and +resting on another; the shelter induced the peculiarly strong and +overpowering inclination to sleep, which too much sun sometimes causes. +This sleep is curative of what may be incipient sunstroke: in its first +gentle touches, it caused the dream to flit over the boiling brain, that +they had become lunatics and had been sworn in as members of the Alpine +club; and then it became so heavy that it made them feel as if a portion +of existence had been cut out from their lives. The sun is excessively +hot, and feels sharp in Africa; but, probably from the greater dryness of +the atmosphere, we never heard of a single case of sunstroke, so common +in India. The Makololo told Dr. Livingstone they "always thought he had +a heart, but now they believed he had none," and tried to persuade Dr. +Kirk to return, on the ground that it must be evident that, in attempting +to go where no living foot could tread, his leader had given +unmistakeable signs of having gone mad. All their efforts of persuasion, +however, were lost upon Dr. Kirk, as he had not yet learned their +language, and his leader, knowing his companion to be equally anxious +with himself to solve the problem of the navigableness of Kebrabasa, was +not at pains to enlighten him. At one part a bare mountain spur barred +the way, and had to be surmounted by a perilous and circuitous route, +along which the crags were so hot that it was scarcely possible for the +hand to hold on long enough to ensure safety in the passage; and had the +foremost of the party lost his hold, he would have hurled all behind him +into the river at the foot of the promontory; yet in this wild hot +region, as they descended again to the river, they met a fisherman +casting his hand-net into the boiling eddies, and he pointed out the +cataract of Morumbwa; within an hour they were trying to measure it from +an overhanging rock, at a height of about one hundred feet. When you +stand facing the cataract, on the north bank, you see that it is situated +in a sudden bend of the river, which is flowing in a short curve; the +river above it is jammed between two mountains in a channel with +perpendicular sides, and less than fifty yards wide; one or two masses of +rock jut out, and then there is a sloping fall of perhaps twenty feet in +a distance of thirty yards. It would stop all navigation, except during +the highest floods; the rocks showed that the water then rises upwards of +eighty feet perpendicularly. + +Still keeping the position facing the cataract, on its right side rises +Mount Morumbwa from 2000 to 3000 feet high, which gives the name to the +spot. On the left of the cataract stands a noticeable mountain which may +be called onion-shaped, for it is partly conical and a large concave +flake has peeled off, as granite often does, and left a broad, smooth +convex face as if it were an enormous bulb. These two mountains extend +their bases northwards about half a mile, and the river in that distance, +still very narrow, is smooth, with a few detached rocks standing out from +its bed. They climbed as high up the base of Mount Morumbwa, which +touches the cataract, as they required. The rocks were all water-worn +and smooth, with huge potholes, even at 100 feet above low water. When +at a later period they climbed up the north-western base of this same +mountain, the familiar face of the onion-shaped one opposite was at once +recognised; one point of view on the talus of Mount Morumbwa was not more +than 700 or 800 yards distant from the other, and they then completed the +survey of Kebrabasa from end to end. + +They did not attempt to return by the way they came, but scaled the slope +of the mountain on the north. It took them three hours' hard labour in +cutting their way up through the dense thornbush which covered the +ascent. The face of the slope was often about an angle of 70 degrees, +yet their guide Shokumbenla, whose hard, horny soles, resembling those of +elephants, showed that he was accustomed to this rough and hot work, +carried a pot of water for them nearly all the way up. They slept that +night at a well in a tufaceous rock on the N.W. of Chipereziwa, and never +was sleep more sweet. + +A band of native musicians came to our camp one evening, on our own way +down, and treated us with their wild and not unpleasant music on the +Marimba, an instrument formed of bars of hard wood of varying breadth and +thickness, laid on different-sized hollow calabashes, and tuned to give +the notes; a few pieces of cloth pleased them, and they passed on. + +The rainy season of Tette differs a little from that of some of the other +intertropical regions; the quantity of rain-fall being considerably less. +It begins in November and ends in April. During our first season in that +place, only a little over nineteen inches of rain fell. In an average +year, and when the crops are good, the fall amounts to about thirty-five +inches. On many days it does not rain at all, and rarely is it wet all +day; some days have merely a passing shower, preceded and followed by hot +sunshine; occasionally an interval of a week, or even a fortnight, passes +without a drop of rain, and then the crops suffer from the sun. These +partial droughts happen in December and January. The heat appears to +increase to a certain point in the different latitudes so as to +necessitate a change, by some law similar to that which regulates the +intense cold in other countries. After several days of progressive heat +here, on the hottest of which the thermometer probably reaches 103 +degrees in the shade, a break occurs in the weather, and a thunderstorm +cools the air for a time. At Kuruman, when the thermometer stood above +84 degrees, rain might be expected; at Kolobeng, the point at which we +looked for a storm was 96 degrees. The Zambesi is in flood twice in the +course of the year; the first flood, a partial one, attains its greatest +height about the end of December or beginning of January; the second, and +greatest, occurs after the river inundates the interior, in a manner +similar to the overflow of the Nile, this rise not taking place at Tette +until March. The Portuguese say that the greatest height which the March +floods attain is thirty feet at Tette, and this happens only about every +fourth year; their observations, however, have never been very accurate +on anything but ivory, and they have in this case trusted to memory +alone. The only fluviometer at Tette, or anywhere else on the river, was +set up at our suggestion; and the first flood was at its greatest height +of thirteen feet six inches on the 17th January, 1859, and then gradually +fell a few feet, until succeeded by the greater flood of March. The +river rises suddenly, the water is highly discoloured and impure, and +there is a four-knot current in many places; but in a day or two after +the first rush of waters is passed, the current becomes more equally +spread over the whole bed of the river, and resumes its usual rate in the +channel, although continuing in flood. The Zambesi water at other times +is almost chemically pure, and the photographer would find that it is +nearly as good as distilled water for the nitrate of silver bath. + +A third visit to Kebrabasa was made for the purpose of ascertaining +whether it might be navigable when the Zambesi was in flood, the chief +point of interest being of course Morumbwa; it was found that the rapids +observed in our first trip had disappeared, and that while they were +smoothed over, in a few places the current had increased in strength. As +the river fell rapidly while we were on the journey, the cataract of +Morumbwa did not differ materially from what it was when discovered. Some +fishermen assured us that it was not visible when the river was at its +fullest, and that the current was then not very strong. On this occasion +we travelled on the right bank, and found it, with the additional +inconvenience of rain, as rough and fatiguing as the left had been. Our +progress was impeded by the tall wet grass and dripping boughs, and +consequent fever. During the earlier part of the journey we came upon a +few deserted hamlets only; but at last in a pleasant valley we met some +of the people of the country, who were miserably poor and hungry. The +women were gathering wild fruits in the woods. A young man having +consented for two yards of cotton cloth to show us a short path to the +cataract led us up a steep hill to a village perched on the edge of one +of its precipices; a thunderstorm coming on at the time, the headman +invited us to take shelter in a hut until it had passed. Our guide +having informed him of what he knew and conceived to be our object, was +favoured in return with a long reply in well-sounding blank verse; at the +end of every line the guide, who listened with deep attention, responded +with a grunt, which soon became so ludicrous that our men burst into a +loud laugh. Neither the poet nor the responsive guide took the slightest +notice of their rudeness, but kept on as energetically as ever to the +end. The speech, or more probably our bad manners, made some impression +on our guide, for he declined, although offered double pay, to go any +further. + +A great deal of fever comes in with March and April; in March, if +considerable intervals take place between the rainy days, and in April +always, for then large surfaces of mud and decaying vegetation are +exposed to the hot sun. In general an attack does not continue long, but +it pulls one down quickly; though when the fever is checked the strength +is as quickly restored. It had long been observed that those who were +stationed for any length of time in one spot, and lived sedentary lives, +suffered more from fever than others who moved about and had both mind +and body occupied; but we could not all go in the small vessel when she +made her trips, during which the change of place and scenery proved so +conducive to health; and some of us were obliged to remain in charge of +the expedition's property, making occasional branch trips to examine +objects of interest in the vicinity. Whatever may be the cause of the +fever, we observed that all were often affected at the same time, as if +from malaria. This was particularly the case during a north wind: it was +at first commonly believed that a daily dose of quinine would prevent the +attack. For a number of months all our men, except two, took quinine +regularly every morning. The fever some times attacked the believers in +quinine, while the unbelievers in its prophylactic powers escaped. +Whether we took it daily, or omitted it altogether for months, made no +difference; the fever was impartial, and seized us on the days of quinine +as regularly and as severely as when it remained undisturbed in the +medicine chest, and we finally abandoned the use of it as a prophylactic +altogether. The best preventive against fever is plenty of interesting +work to do, and abundance of wholesome food to eat. To a man well housed +and clothed, who enjoys these advantages, the fever at Tette will not +prove a more formidable enemy than a common cold; but let one of these be +wanting--let him be indolent, or guilty of excesses in eating or +drinking, or have poor, scanty fare,--and the fever will probably become +a more serious matter. It is of a milder type at Tette than at +Quillimane or on the low sea-coast; and, as in this part of Africa one is +as liable to fever as to colds in England, it would be advisable for +strangers always to hasten from the coast to the high lands, in order +that when the seizure does take place, it may be of the mildest type. +Although quinine was not found to be a preventive, except possibly in the +way of acting as a tonic, and rendering the system more able to resist +the influence of malaria, it was found invaluable in the cure of the +complaint, as soon as pains in the back, sore bones, headache, yawning, +quick and sometimes intermittent pulse, noticeable pulsations of the +jugulars, with suffused eyes, hot skin, and foul tongue, began. {1} + +Very curious are the effects of African fever on certain minds. +Cheerfulness vanishes, and the whole mental horizon is overcast with +black clouds of gloom and sadness. The liveliest joke cannot provoke +even the semblance of a smile. The countenance is grave, the eyes +suffused, and the few utterances are made in the piping voice of a +wailing infant. An irritable temper is often the first symptom of +approaching fever. At such times a man feels very much like a fool, if +he does not act like one. Nothing is right, nothing pleases the fever- +stricken victim. He is peevish, prone to find fault and to contradict, +and think himself insulted, and is exactly what an Irish naval surgeon +before a court-martial defined a drunken man to be: "a man unfit for +society." + +Finding that it was impossible to take our steamer of only ten-horse +power through Kebrabasa, and convinced that, in order to force a passage +when the river was in flood, much greater power was required, due +information was forwarded to Her Majesty's Government, and application +made for a more suitable vessel. Our attention was in the mean time +turned to the exploration of the river Shire, a northern tributary of the +Zambesi, which joins it about a hundred miles from the sea. We could +learn nothing satisfactory from the Portuguese regarding this affluent; +no one, they said, had ever been up it, nor could they tell whence it +came. Years ago a Portuguese expedition is said, however, to have +attempted the ascent, but to have abandoned it on account of the +impenetrable duckweed (_Pistia stratiotes_.) We could not learn from any +record that the Shire had ever been ascended by Europeans. As far, +therefore, as we were concerned, the exploration was absolutely new. All +the Portuguese believed the Manganja to be brave but bloodthirsty +savages; and on our return we found that soon after our departure a +report was widely spread that our temerity had been followed by fatal +results, Dr. Livingstone having been shot, and Dr. Kirk mortally wounded +by poisoned arrows. + +Our first trip to the Shire was in January, 1859. A considerable +quantity of weed floated down the river for the first twenty-five miles, +but not sufficient to interrupt navigation with canoes or with any other +craft. Nearly the whole of this aquatic plant proceeds from a marsh on +the west, and comes into the river a little beyond a lofty hill called +Mount Morambala. Above that there is hardly any. As we approached the +villages, the natives collected in large numbers, armed with bows and +poisoned arrows; and some, dodging behind trees, were observed taking aim +as if on the point of shooting. All the women had been sent out of the +way, and the men were evidently prepared to resist aggression. At the +village of a chief named Tingane, at least five hundred natives collected +and ordered us to stop. Dr. Livingstone went ashore; and on his +explaining that we were English and had come neither to take slaves nor +to fight, but only to open a path by which our countrymen might follow to +purchase cotton, or whatever else they might have to sell, except slaves, +Tingane became at once quite friendly. The presence of the steamer, +which showed that they had an entirely new people to deal with, probably +contributed to this result; for Tingane was notorious for being the +barrier to all intercourse between the Portuguese black traders and the +natives further inland; none were allowed to pass him either way. He was +an elderly, well-made man, grey-headed, and over six feet high. Though +somewhat excited by our presence, he readily complied with the request to +call his people together, in order that all might know what our objects +were. + +In commencing intercourse with any people we almost always referred to +the English detestation of slavery. Most of them already possess some +information respecting the efforts made by the English at sea to suppress +the slave-trade; and our work being to induce them to raise and sell +cotton, instead of capturing and selling their fellow-men, our errand +appears quite natural; and as they all have clear ideas of their own self- +interest, and are keen traders, the reasonableness of the proposal is at +once admitted; and as a belief in a Supreme Being, the Maker and Ruler of +all things, and in the continued existence of departed spirits, is +universal, it becomes quite appropriate to explain that we possess a Book +containing a Revelation of the will of Him to whom in their natural state +they recognise no relationship. The fact that His Son appeared among +men, and left His words in His Book, always awakens attention; but the +great difficulty is to make them feel that they have any relationship to +Him, and that He feels any interest in them. The numbness of moral +perception exhibited, is often discouraging; but the mode of +communication, either by interpreters, or by the imperfect knowledge of +the language, which not even missionaries of talent can overcome save by +the labour of many years, may, in part, account for the phenomenon. +However, the idea of the Father of all being displeased with His +children, for selling or killing each other, at once gains their ready +assent: it harmonizes so exactly with their own ideas of right and wrong. +But, as in our own case at home, nothing less than the instruction and +example of many years will secure their moral elevation. + +The dialect spoken here closely resembles that used at Senna and Tette. +We understood it at first only enough to know whether our interpreter was +saying what we bade him, or was indulging in his own version. After +stating pretty nearly what he was told, he had an inveterate tendency to +wind up with "The Book says you are to grow cotton, and the English are +to come and buy it," or with some joke of his own, which might have been +ludicrous, had it not been seriously distressing. + +In the first ascent of the Shire our attention was chiefly directed to +the river itself. The delight of threading out the meanderings of +upwards of 200 miles of a hitherto unexplored river must be felt to be +appreciated. All the lower part of the river was found to be at least +two fathoms in depth. It became shallower higher up, where many +departing and re-entering branches diminished the volume of water, but +the absence of sandbanks made it easy of navigation. We had to exercise +the greatest care lest anything we did should be misconstrued by the +crowds who watched us. After having made, in a straight line, one +hundred miles, although the windings of the river had fully doubled the +distance, we found further progress with the steamer arrested, in 15 +degrees 55 minutes south, by magnificent cataracts, which we called, "The +Murchison," after one whose name has already a world-wide fame, and whose +generous kindness we can never repay. The native name of that figured in +the woodcut is Mamvira. It is that at which the progress of the steamer +was first stopped. The angle of descent is much smaller than that of the +five cataracts above it; indeed, so small as compared with them, that +after they were discovered this was not included in the number. + +A few days were spent here in the hope that there might be an opportunity +of taking observations for longitude, but it rained most of the time, or +the sky was overcast. It was deemed imprudent to risk a land journey +whilst the natives were so very suspicious as to have a strong guard on +the banks of the river night and day; the weather also was unfavourable. +After sending presents and messages to two of the chiefs, we returned to +Tette. In going down stream our progress was rapid, as we were aided by +the current. The hippopotami never made a mistake, but got out of our +way. The crocodiles, not so wise, sometimes rushed with great velocity +at us, thinking that we were some huge animal swimming. They kept about +a foot from the surface, but made three well-defined ripples from the +feet and body, which marked their rapid progress; raising the head out of +the water when only a few yards from the expected feast, down they went +to the bottom like a stone, without touching the boat. + +In the middle of March of the same year (1859), we started again for a +second trip on the Shire. The natives were now friendly, and readily +sold us rice, fowls, and corn. We entered into amicable relations with +the chief, Chibisa, whose village was about ten miles below the cataract. +He had sent two men on our first visit to invite us to drink beer; but +the steamer was such a terrible apparition to them, that, after shouting +the invitation, they jumped ashore, and left their canoe to drift down +the stream. Chibisa was a remarkably shrewd man, the very image, save +his dark hue, of one of our most celebrated London actors, {2} and the +most intelligent chief, by far, in this quarter. A great deal of +fighting had fallen to his lot, he said; but it was always others who +began; he was invariably in the right, and they alone were to blame. He +was moreover a firm believer in the divine right of kings. He was an +ordinary man, he said, when his father died, and left him the +chieftainship; but directly he succeeded to the high office, he was +conscious of power passing into his head, and down his back; he felt it +enter, and knew that he was a chief, clothed with authority, and +possessed of wisdom; and people then began to fear and reverence him. He +mentioned this, as one would a fact of natural history, any doubt being +quite out of the question. His people, too, believed in him, for they +bathed in the river without the slightest fear of crocodiles, the chief +having placed a powerful medicine there, which protected them from the +bite of these terrible reptiles. + +Leaving the vessel opposite Chibisa's village, Drs. Livingstone and Kirk +and a number of the Makololo started on foot for Lake Shirwa. They +travelled in a northerly direction over a mountainous country. The +people were far from being well-disposed to them, and some of their +guides tried to mislead them, and could not be trusted. Masakasa, a +Makololo headman, overheard some remarks which satisfied him that the +guide was leading them into trouble. He was quiet till they reached a +lonely spot, when he came up to Dr. Livingstone, and said, "That fellow +is bad, he is taking us into mischief; my spear is sharp, and there is no +one here; shall I cast him into the long grass?" Had the Doctor given +the slightest token of assent, or even kept silence, never more would any +one have been led by that guide, for in a twinkling he would have been +where "the wicked cease from troubling." It was afterwards found that in +this case there was no treachery at all, but a want of knowledge on their +part of the language and of the country. They asked to be led to "Nyanja +Mukulu," or Great Lake, meaning, by this, Lake Shirwa; and the guide took +them round a terribly rough piece of mountainous country, gradually +edging away towards a long marsh, which from the numbers of those animals +we had seen there we had called the Elephant Marsh, but which was really +the place known to him by the name "Nyanja Mukulu," or Great Lake. Nyanja +or Nyanza means, generally, a marsh, lake, river, or even a mere rivulet. + +The party pushed on at last without guides, or only with crazy ones; for, +oddly enough, they were often under great obligations to the madmen of +the different villages: one of these honoured them, as they slept in the +open air, by dancing and singing at their feet the whole night. These +poor fellows sympathized with the explorers, probably in the belief that +they belonged to their own class; and, uninfluenced by the general +opinion of their countrymen, they really pitied, and took kindly to the +strangers, and often guided them faithfully from place to place, when no +sane man could be hired for love or money. + +The bearing of the Manganja at this time was very independent; a striking +contrast to the cringing attitude they afterwards assumed, when the cruel +scourge of slave-hunting passed over their country. Signals were given +from the different villages by means of drums, and notes of defiance and +intimidation were sounded in the travellers' ears by day; and +occasionally they were kept awake the whole night, in expectation of an +instant attack. Drs. Livingstone and Kirk were desirous that nothing +should occur to make the natives regard them as enemies; Masakasa, on the +other hand, was anxious to show what he could do in the way of fighting +them. + +The perseverance of the party was finally crowned with success; for on +the 18th of April they discovered Lake Shirwa, a considerable body of +bitter water, containing leeches, fish, crocodiles, and hippopotami. From +having probably no outlet, the water is slightly brackish, and it appears +to be deep, with islands like hills rising out of it. Their point of +view was at the base of Mount Pirimiti or Mopeu-peu, on its S.S.W. side. +Thence the prospect northwards ended in a sea horizon with two small +islands in the distance--a larger one, resembling a hill-top and covered +with trees, rose more in the foreground. Ranges of hills appeared on the +east; and on the west stood Mount Chikala, which seems to be connected +with the great mountain-mass called Zomba. + +The shore, near which they spent two nights, was covered with reeds and +papyrus. Wishing to obtain the latitude by the natural horizon, they +waded into the water some distance towards what was reported to be a +sandbank, but were so assaulted by leeches, they were fain to retreat; +and a woman told them that in enticing them into the water the men only +wanted to kill them. The information gathered was that this lake was +nothing in size compared to another in the north, from which it is +separated by only a tongue of land. The northern end of Shirwa has not +been seen, though it has been passed; the length of the lake may probably +be 60 or 80 miles, and about 20 broad. The height above the sea is 1800 +feet, and the taste of the water is like a weak solution of Epsom salts. +The country around is very beautiful, and clothed with rich vegetation; +and the waves, at the time they were there breaking and foaming over a +rock on the south-eastern side, added to the beauty of the picture. +Exceedingly lofty mountains, perhaps 8000 feet above the sea-level, stand +near the eastern shore. When their lofty steep-sided summits appear, +some above, some below the clouds, the scene is grand. This range is +called Milanje; on the west stands Mount Zomba, 7000 feet in height, and +some twenty miles long. + +Their object being rather to gain the confidence of the people by degrees +than to explore, they considered that they had advanced far enough into +the country for one trip; and believing that they could secure their end +by a repetition of their visit, as they had done on the Shire, they +decided to return to the vessel at Dakanamoio island; but, instead of +returning by the way they came, they passed down southwards close by +Mount Chiradzuru, among the relatives of Chibisa, and thence by the pass +Zedi, down to the Shire. The Kroomen had, while we were away, cut a good +supply of wood for steaming, and we soon proceeded down the river. + +The steamer reached Tette on the 23rd of June, and, after undergoing +repairs, proceeded to the Kongone to receive provisions from one of H.M. +cruisers. We had been very abundantly supplied with first-rate stores, +but were unfortunate enough to lose a considerable portion of them, and +had now to bear the privation as best we could. On the way down, we +purchased a few gigantic cabbages and pumpkins at a native village below +Mazaro. Our dinners had usually consisted of but a single course; but we +were surprised the next day by our black cook from Sierra Leone bearing +in a second course. "What have you got there?" was asked in wonder. "A +tart, sir." "A tart! of what is it made?" "Of cabbage, sir." As we had +no sugar, and could not "make believe," as in the days of boyhood, we did +not enjoy the feast that Tom's genius had prepared. Her Majesty's brig +"Persian," Lieutenant Saumarez commanding, called on her way to the Cape; +and, though somewhat short of provisions herself, generously gave us all +she could spare. We now parted with our Kroomen, as, from their +inability to march, we could not use them in our land journeys. A crew +was picked out from the Makololo, who, besides being good travellers, +could cut wood, work the ship, and required only native food. + +While at the Kongone it was found necessary to beach the steamer for +repairs. She was built of a newly invented sort of steel plates, only a +sixteenth of an inch in thickness, patented, but unfortunately never +tried before. To build an exploring ship of untried material was a +mistake. Some chemical action on this preparation of steel caused a +minute hole; from this point, branches like lichens, or the little ragged +stars we sometimes see in thawing ice, radiated in all directions. Small +holes went through wherever a bend occurred in these branches. The +bottom very soon became like a sieve, completely full of minute holes, +which leaked perpetually. The engineer stopped the larger ones, but the +vessel was no sooner afloat, than new ones broke out. The first news of +a morning was commonly the unpleasant announcement of another leak in the +forward compartment, or in the middle, which was worse still. + +Frequent showers fell on our way up the Zambesi, in the beginning of +August. On the 8th we had upwards of three inches of rain, which large +quantity, more than falls in any single rainy day during the season at +Tette, we owed to being near the sea. Sometimes the cabin was nearly +flooded; for, in addition to the leakage from below, rain poured through +the roof, and an umbrella had to be used whenever we wished to write: the +mode of coupling the compartments, too, was a new one, and the action of +the hinder compartment on the middle one pumped up the water of the +river, and sent it in streams over the floor and lockers, where lay the +cushions which did double duty as chairs and beds. In trying to form an +opinion of the climate, it must be recollected that much of the fever, +from which we suffered, was caused by sleeping on these wet cushions. +Many of the botanical specimens, laboriously collected and carefully +prepared by Dr. Kirk, were destroyed, or double work imposed, by their +accidentally falling into wet places in the cabin. + +About the middle of August, after cutting wood at Shamoara, we again +steamed up the Shire, with the intention of becoming better acquainted +with the people, and making another and longer journey on foot to the +north of Lake Shirwa, in search of Lake Nyassa, of which we had already +received some information, under the name Nyinyesi (the stars). The +Shire is much narrower than the Zambesi, but deeper, and more easily +navigated. It drains a low and exceedingly fertile valley of from +fifteen to twenty miles in breadth. Ranges of wooded hills bound this +valley on both sides. For the first twenty miles the hills on the left +bank are close to the river; then comes Morambala, a detached mountain +500 yards from the river's brink, which rises, with steep sides on the +west, to 4000 feet in height, and is about seven miles in length. It is +wooded up to the very top, and very beautiful. The southern end, seen +from a distance, has a fine gradual slope, and looks as if it might be of +easy ascent; but the side which faces the Shire is steep and rocky, +especially in the upper half. A small village peeps out about halfway up +the mountain; it has a pure and bracing atmosphere; and is perched above +mosquito range. The people on the summit have a very different climate +and vegetation from those of the plains; but they have to spend a great +portion of their existence amidst white fleecy clouds, which, in the +rainy season, rest daily on the top of their favourite mountain. We were +kindly treated by these mountaineers on our first ascent; before our +second they were nearly all swept away by Mariano. Dr. Kirk found +upwards of thirty species of ferns on this and other mountains, and even +good-sized tree-ferns; though scarcely a single kind is to be met with on +the plains. Lemon and orange trees grew wild, and pineapples had been +planted by the people. Many large hornbills, hawks, monkeys, antelopes, +and rhinoceroses found a home and food among the great trees round its +base. A hot fountain boils up on the plain near the north end. It +bubbles out of the earth, clear as crystal, at two points, or eyes, a few +yards apart from each other, and sends off a fine flowing stream of hot +water. The temperature was found to be 174 degrees Fahr., and it boiled +an egg in about the usual time. Our guide threw in a small branch to +show us how speedily the Madse-awira (boiling water) could kill the +leaves. Unlucky lizards and insects did not seem to understand the +nature of a hot-spring, as many of their remains were lying at the +bottom. A large beetle had alighted on the water, and been killed before +it had time to fold its wings. An incrustation, smelling of sulphur, has +been deposited by the water on the stones. About a hundred feet from the +eye of the fountain the mud is as hot as can be borne by the body. In +taking a bath there, it makes the skin perfectly clean, and none of the +mud adheres: it is strange that the Portuguese do not resort to it for +the numerous cutaneous diseases with which they are so often afflicted. + +A few clumps of the palm and acacia trees appear west of Morambala, on +the rich plain forming the tongue of land between the rivers Shire and +Zambesi. This is a good place for all sorts of game. The Zambesi canoe- +men were afraid to sleep on it from the idea of lions being there; they +preferred to pass the night on an island. Some black men, who +accompanied us as volunteer workmen from Shupanga, called out one evening +that a lion stood on the bank. It was very dark, and we could only see +two sparkling lights, said to be the lion's eyes looking at us; for here, +as elsewhere, they have a theory that the lion's eyes always flash fire +at night. Not being fireflies--as they did not move when a shot was +fired in their direction--they were probably glowworms. + +Beyond Morambala the Shire comes winding through an extensive marsh. For +many miles to the north a broad sea of fresh green grass extends, and is +so level, that it might be used for taking the meridian altitude of the +sun. Ten or fifteen miles north of Morambala, stands the dome-shaped +mountain Makanga, or Chi-kanda; several others with granitic-looking +peaks stretch away to the north, and form the eastern boundary of the +valley; another range, but of metamorphic rocks, commencing opposite +Senna, bounds the valley on the west. After streaming through a portion +of this marsh, we came to a broad belt of palm and other trees, crossing +the fine plain on the right bank. Marks of large game were abundant. +Elephants had been feeding on the palm nuts, which have a pleasant fruity +taste, and are used as food by man. Two pythons were observed coiled +together among the branches of a large tree, and were both shot. The +larger of the two, a female, was ten feet long. They are harmless, and +said to be good eating. The Makololo having set fire to the grass where +they were cutting wood, a solitary buffalo rushed out of the +conflagration, and made a furious charge at an active young fellow named +Mantlanyane. Never did his fleet limbs serve him better than during the +few seconds of his fearful flight before the maddened animal. When he +reached the bank, and sprang into the river, the infuriated beast was +scarcely six feet behind him. Towards evening, after the day's labour in +wood-cutting was over, some of the men went fishing. They followed the +common African custom of agitating the water, by giving it a few sharp +strokes with the top of the fishing-rod, immediately after throwing in +the line, to attract the attention of the fish to the bait. Having +caught nothing, the reason assigned was the same as would have been given +in England under like circumstances, namely, that "the wind made the fish +cold, and they would not bite." Many gardens of maize, pumpkins, and +tobacco, fringed the marshy banks as we went on. They belong to natives +of the hills, who come down in the dry season, and raise a crop on parts +at other times flooded. While the crops are growing, large quantities of +fish are caught, chiefly _Clarias capensis_, and _Mugil Africanus_; they +are dried for sale or future consumption. + +As we ascended, we passed a deep stream about thirty yards wide, flowing +in from a body of open water several miles broad. Numbers of men were +busy at different parts of it, filling their canoes with the lotus root, +called _Nyika_, which, when boiled or roasted, resembles our chestnuts, +and is extensively used in Africa as food. Out of this lagoon, and by +this stream, the chief part of the duckweed of the Shire flows. The +lagoon itself is called Nyanja ea Motope (Lake of Mud). It is also named +Nyanja Pangono (Little Lake), while the elephant marsh goes by the name +of Nyanja Mukulu (Great Lake). It is evident from the shore line still +to be observed on the adjacent hills, that in ancient times these were +really lakes, and the traditional names thus preserved are only another +evidence of the general desiccation which Africa has undergone. + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +The Steamer in difficulties--Elephant hunting--Arrival at +Chibisa's--Search for Lake Nyassa--The Manganja country--Weavers and +smelters--Lake Pamalombe. + +Late in the afternoon of the first day's steaming, after we left the +wooding-place, we called at the village of Chikanda-Kadze, a female +chief, to purchase rice for our men; but we were now in the blissful +region where time is absolutely of no account, and where men may sit down +and rest themselves when tired; so they requested us to wait till next +day, and they would then sell us some food. As our forty black men, +however, had nothing to cook for supper, we were obliged to steam on to +reach a village a few miles above. When we meet those who care not +whether we purchase or let it alone, or who think men ought only to be in +a hurry when fleeing from an enemy, our ideas about time being money, and +the power of the purse, receives a shock. The state of eager +competition, which in England wears out both mind and body, and makes +life bitter, is here happily unknown. The cultivated spots are mere dots +compared to the broad fields of rich soil which is never either grazed or +tilled. Pity that the plenty in store for all, from our Father's +bountiful hands, is not enjoyed by more. + +The wretched little steamer could not carry all the hands we needed; so, +to lighten her, we put some into the boats and towed them astern. In the +dark, one of the boats was capsized; but all in it, except one poor +fellow who could not swim, were picked up. His loss threw a gloom over +us all, and added to the chagrin we often felt at having been so +ill-served in our sorry craft. + +Next day we arrived at the village of Mboma (16 degrees 56 minutes 30 +seconds S.), where the people raised large quantities of rice, and were +eager traders; the rice was sold at wonderfully low rates, and we could +not purchase a tithe of the food brought for sale. + +A native minstrel serenaded us in the evening, playing several quaint +tunes on a species of one stringed fiddle, accompanied by wild, but not +unmusical songs. He told the Makololo that he intended to play all night +to induce us to give him a present. The nights being cold, the +thermometer falling to 47 degrees, with occasional fogs, he was asked if +he was not afraid of perishing from cold; but, with the genuine spirit of +an Italian organ-grinder, he replied, "Oh, no; I shall spend the night +with my white comrades in the big canoe; I have often heard of the white +men, but have never seen them till now, and I must sing and play well to +them." A small piece of cloth, however, bought him off, and he moved +away in good humour. The water of the river was 70 degrees at sunrise, +which was 23 degrees warmer than the air at the same time, and this +caused fogs, which rose like steam off the river. When this is the case +cold bathing in the mornings at this time of the year is improper, for, +instead of a glow on coming out, one is apt to get a chill; the air being +so much colder than the water. + +A range of hills, commencing opposite Senna, comes to within two or three +miles of Mboma village, and then runs in a north-westerly direction; the +principal hill is named Malawe; a number of villages stand on its tree- +covered sides, and coal is found cropping out in the rocks. The country +improves as we ascend, the rich valley becoming less swampy, and adorned +with a number of trees. + +Both banks are dotted with hippopotamus traps, over every track which +these animals have made in going up out of the water to graze. The +hippopotamus feeds on grass alone, and, where there is any danger, only +at night. Its enormous lips act like a mowing-machine, and form a path +of short-cropped grass as it feeds. We never saw it eat aquatic plants +or reeds. The tusks seem weapons of both offence and defence. The +hippopotamus trap consists of a beam five or six feet long, armed with a +spear-head or hard-wood spike, covered with poison, and suspended to a +forked pole by a cord, which, coming down to the path, is held by a +catch, to be set free when the beast treads on it. Being wary brutes, +they are still very numerous. One got frightened by the ship, as she was +steaming close to the bank. In its eager hurry to escape it rushed on +shore, and ran directly under a trap, when down came the heavy beam on +its back, driving the poisoned spear-head a foot deep into its flesh. In +its agony it plunged back into the river, to die in a few hours, and +afterwards furnished a feast for the natives. The poison on the spear- +head does not affect the meat, except the part around the wound, and that +is thrown away. In some places the descending beam is weighted with +heavy stones, but here the hard heavy wood is sufficient. + +"She is leaking worse than ever forward, sir, and there is a foot of +water in the hold," was our first salutation on the morning of the 20th. +But we have become accustomed to these things now; the cabin-floor is +always wet, and one is obliged to mop up the water many times a day, +giving some countenance to the native idea that Englishmen live in or on +the water, and have no houses but ships. The cabin is now a favourite +breeding-place for mosquitoes, and we have to support both the ship-bred +and shore-bred bloodsuckers, of which several species show us their +irritating attentions. A large brown sort, called by the Portuguese +_mansos_ (tame), flies straight to its victim, and goes to work at once, +as though it were an invited guest. Some of the small kinds carry +uncommonly sharp lancets, and very potent poison. "What would these +insects eat, if we did not pass this way?" becomes a natural question. + +The juices of plants, and decaying vegetable matter in the mud, probably +form the natural food of mosquitoes, and blood is not necessary for their +existence. They appear so commonly at malarious spots, that their +presence may be taken as a hint to man to be off to more healthy +localities. None appear on the high lands. On the low lands they swarm +in myriads. The females alone are furnished with the biting apparatus, +and their number appears to be out of all proportion in excess of the +males. At anchor, on a still evening, they were excessively annoying; +and the sooner we took refuge under our mosquito curtains, the better. +The miserable and sleepless night that only one mosquito inside the +curtain can cause, is so well known, and has been so often described, +that it is needless to describe it here. One soon learns, from +experience, that to beat out the curtains thoroughly before entering +them, so that not one of these pests can possibly be harboured within, is +the only safeguard against such severe trials to one's tranquillity and +temper. + +A few miles above Mboma we came again to the village (16 degrees 44 +minutes 30 seconds S.) of the chief Tingane, the beat of whose war-drums +can speedily muster some hundreds of armed men. The bows and poisoned +arrows here are of superior workmanship to those below. Mariano's slave- +hunting parties stood in great awe of these barbed arrows, and long kept +aloof from Tingane's villages. His people were friendly enough with us +now, and covered the banks with a variety of articles for sale. The +majestic mountain, Chipirone, to which we have given the name of Mount +Clarendon, now looms in sight, and further to the N.W. the southern end +of the grand Milanje range rises in the form of an unfinished sphinx +looking down on Lake Shirwa. The Ruo (16 degrees 31 minutes 0 seconds +S.) is said to have its source in the Milanje mountains, and flows to the +S.W., to join the Shire some distance above Tingane's. A short way +beyond the Ruo lies the Elephant marsh, or Nyanja Mukulu, which is +frequented by vast herds of these animals. We believe that we counted +eight hundred elephants in sight at once. In the choice of such a strong +hold, they have shown their usual sagacity, for no hunter can get near +them through the swamps. They now keep far from the steamer; but, when +she first came up, we steamed into the midst of a herd, and some were +shot from the ship's deck. A single lesson was sufficient to teach them +that the steamer was a thing to be avoided; and at the first glimpse they +are now off two or three miles to the midst of the marsh, which is +furrowed in every direction by wandering branches of the Shire. A fine +young elephant was here caught alive, as he was climbing up the bank to +follow his retreating dam. When laid hold of, he screamed with so much +energy that, to escape a visit from the enraged mother, we steamed off, +and dragged him through the water by the proboscis. As the men were +holding his trunk over the gunwale, Monga, a brave Makololo +elephant-hunter, rushed aft, and drew his knife across it in a sort of +frenzy peculiar to the chase. The wound was skilfully sewn up, and the +young animal soon became quite tame, but, unfortunately the breathing +prevented the cut from healing, and he died in a few days from loss of +blood. Had he lived, and had we been able to bring him home, he would +have been the first _African_ elephant ever seen in England. The African +male elephant is from ten to a little over eleven feet in height, and +differs from the Asiatic species more particularly in the convex shape of +his forehead, and the enormous size of his ears. In Asia many of the +males, and all the females, are without tusks, but in Africa both sexes +are provided with these weapons. The enamel in the molar teeth is +arranged differently in the two species. By an admirable provision, new +teeth constantly come up at the part where in man the wisdom teeth +appear, and these push the others along, and out at the front end of the +jaws, thus keeping the molars sound by renewal, till the animal attains a +very great age. The tusks of animals from dry rocky countries are very +munch more dense and heavier than those from wet and marshy districts, +but the latter attain much the larger size. + +The Shire marshes support prodigious numbers of many kinds of water-fowl. +An hour at the mast-head unfolds novel views of life in an African marsh. +Near the edge, and on the branches of some favourite tree, rest scores of +plotuses and cormorants, which stretch their snake-like necks, and in +mute amazement turn one eye and then another towards the approaching +monster. By and-by the timid ones begin to fly off, or take "headers" +into the stream; but a few of the bolder, or more composed, remain, only +taking the precaution to spread their wings ready for instant flight. The +pretty ardetta (_Herodias bubulcus_), of a light yellow colour when at +rest, but seemingly of a pure white when flying, takes wing, and sweeps +across the green grass in large numbers, often showing us where buffaloes +and elephants are, by perching on their backs. Flocks of ducks, of which +the kind called "Soriri" (_Dendrocygna personata_) is most abundant, +being night feeders, meditate quietly by the small lagoons, until +startled by the noise of the steam machinery. Pelicans glide over the +water, catching fish, while the Scopus (_Scopus umbretta_) and large +herons peer intently into pools. The large black and white spur-winged +goose (a constant marauder of native gardens) springs up, and circles +round to find out what the disturbance can be, and then settles down +again with a splash. Hundreds of Linongolos (_Anastomus lamelligerus_) +rise on the wing from the clumps of reeds, or low trees (the +_Eschinomena_, from which pith hats are made), on which they build in +colonies, and are speedily high in mid-air. Charming little red and +yellow weavers (_Ploceidae_) remind one of butterflies, as they fly in +and out of the tall grass, or hang to the mouths of their pendent nests, +chattering briskly to their mates within. These weavers seem to have +"cock nests," built with only a roof, and a perch beneath, with a doorway +on each side. The natives say they are made to protect the bird from the +rain. Though her husband is very attentive, we have seen the hen bird +tearing her mate's nest to pieces, but why we cannot tell. Kites and +vultures are busy overhead, beating the ground for their repast of +carrion; and the solemn-looking, stately-stepping Marabout, with a taste +for dead fish, or men, stalks slowly along the almost stagnant channels. +Groups of men and boys are searching diligently in various places for +lotus and other roots. Some are standing in canoes, on the weed-covered +ponds, spearing fish, while others are punting over the small +intersecting streams, to examine their sunken fish-baskets. + +Towards evening, hundreds of pretty little hawks (_Erythropus +vespertinus_) are seen flying in a southerly direction, and feeding on +dragon-flies and locusts. They come, apparently, from resting on the +palm-trees during the heat of the day. Flocks of scissor-bills +(_Rhyncops_) are then also on the wing, and in search of food, ploughing +the water with their lower mandibles, which are nearly half an inch +longer than the upper ones. + +At the north-eastern end of the marsh, and about three miles from the +river, commences a great forest of palm-trees (_Borassus AEthiopium_). It +extends many miles, and at one point comes close to the river. The grey +trunks and green tops of this immense mass of trees give a pleasing tone +of colour to the view. The mountain-range, which rises close behind the +palms, is generally of a cheerful green, and has many trees, with patches +of a lighter tint among them, as if spots of land had once been +cultivated. The sharp angular rocks and dells on its sides have the +appearance of a huge crystal broken; and this is so often the case in +Africa, that one can guess pretty nearly at sight whether a range is of +the old crystalline rocks or not. The Borassus, though not an +oil-bearing palm, is a useful tree. The fibrous pulp round the large +nuts is of a sweet fruity taste, and is eaten by men and elephants. The +natives bury the nuts until the kernels begin to sprout; when dug up and +broken, the inside resembles coarse potatoes, and is prized in times of +scarcity as nutritious food. During several months of the year, palm- +wine, or sura, is obtained in large quantities; when fresh, it is a +pleasant drink, somewhat like champagne, and not at all intoxicating; +though, after standing a few hours, it becomes highly so. Sticks, a foot +long, are driven into notches in the hard outside of the tree--the inside +being soft or hollow--to serve as a ladder; the top of the fruit-shoot is +cut off, and the sap, pouring out at the fresh wound, is caught in an +earthen pot, which is hung at the point. A thin slice is taken off the +end, to open the pores, and make the juice flow every time the owner +ascends to empty the pot. Temporary huts are erected in the forest, and +men and boys remain by their respective trees day and night; the nuts, +fish, and wine, being their sole food. The Portuguese use the palm-wine +as yeast, and it makes bread so light, that it melts in the mouth like +froth. + +Beyond the marsh the country is higher, and has a much larger population. +We passed a long line of temporary huts, on a plain on the right bank, +with crowds of men and women hard at work making salt. They obtain it by +mixing the earth, which is here highly saline, with water, in a pot with +a small hole in it, and then evaporating the liquid, which runs through, +in the sun. From the number of women we saw carrying it off in bags, we +concluded that vast quantities must be made at these works. It is worth +observing that on soils like this, containing salt, the cotton is of +larger and finer staple than elsewhere. We saw large tracts of this rich +brackish soil both in the Shire and Zambesi valleys, and hence, probably, +sea-island cotton would do well; a single plant of it, reared by Major +Sicard, flourished and produced the long staple and peculiar tinge of +this celebrated variety, though planted only in the street at Tette; and +there also a salt efflorescence appears, probably from decomposition of +the rock, off which the people scrape it for use. + +The large village of the chief, Mankokwe, occupies a site on the right +bank; he owns a number of fertile islands, and is said to be the Rundo, +or paramount chief, of a large district. Being of an unhappy suspicious +disposition, he would not see us; so we thought it best to move on, +rather than spend time in seeking his favour. + +On the 25th August we reached Dakanamoio island, opposite the +perpendicular bluff on which Chibisa's village stands; he had gone, with +most of his people, to live near the Zambesi, but his headman was civil, +and promised us guides and whatever else we needed. A few of the men +were busy cleaning, sorting, spinning, and weaving cotton. This is a +common sight in nearly every village, and each family appears to have its +patch of cotton, as our own ancestors in Scotland had each his patch of +flax. Near sunset an immense flock of the large species of horn-bill +(_Buceros cristatus_) came here to roost on the great trees which skirt +the edge of the cliff. They leave early in the morning, often before +sunrise, for their feeding-places, coming and going in pairs. They are +evidently of a loving disposition, and strongly attached to each other, +the male always nestling close beside his mate. A fine male fell to the +ground, from fear, at the report of Dr. Kirk's gun; it was caught and +kept on board; the female did not go off in the mornings to feed with the +others, but flew round the ship, anxiously trying, by her plaintive +calls, to induce her beloved one to follow her: she came again in the +evenings to repeat the invitations. The poor disconsolate captive soon +refused to eat, and in five days died of grief, because he could not have +her company. No internal injury could be detected after death. + +Chibisa and his wife, with a natural show of parental feeling, had told +the Doctor, on his previous visit, that a few years before some of +Chisaka's men had kidnapped and sold their little daughter, and that she +was now a slave to the padre at Tette. On his return to Tette, the +Doctor tried hard to ransom and restore the girl to her parents, and +offered twice the value of a slave; the padre seemed willing, but she +could not be found. This padre was better than the average men of the +country; and, being always civil and obliging, would probably have +restored her gratuitously, but she had been sold, it might be to the +distant tribe Bazizulu, or he could not tell where. Custom had rendered +his feelings callous, and Chibisa had to be told that his child would +never return. It is this callous state of mind which leads some of our +own blood to quote Scripture in support of slavery. If we could afford +to take a backward step in civilization, we might find men among +ourselves who would in like manner prove Mormonism or any other enormity +to be divine. + +We left the ship on the 28th of August, 1859, for the discovery of Lake +Nyassa. Our party numbered forty-two in all--four whites, thirty-six +Makololo, and two guides. We did not actually need so many, either for +carriage or defence; but took them because we believed that, human nature +being everywhere the same, blacks are as ready as whites to take +advantage of the weak, and are as civil and respectful to the powerful. +We armed our men with muskets, which gave us influence, although it did +not add much to our strength, as most of the men had never drawn a +trigger, and in any conflict would in all probability have been more +dangerous to us than the enemy. + +Our path crossed the valley, in a north-easterly direction, up the course +of a beautiful flowing stream. Many of the gardens had excellent cotton +growing in them. An hour's march brought us to the foot of the Manganja +hills, up which lay the toilsome road. The vegetation soon changed; as +we rose bamboos appeared, and new trees and plants were met with, which +gave such incessant employment to Dr. Kirk, that he travelled the +distance three times over. Remarkably fine trees, one of which has oil- +yielding seeds, and belongs to the mahogany family, grow well in the +hollows along the rivulet courses. The ascent became very fatiguing, and +we were glad of a rest. Looking back from an elevation of a thousand +feet, we beheld a lovely prospect. The eye takes in at a glance the +valley beneath, and the many windings of its silver stream Makubula, or +Kubvula, from the shady hill-side, where it emerges in foaming haste, to +where it slowly glides into the tranquil Shire; then the Shire itself is +seen for many a mile above and below Chibisa's, and the great level +country beyond, with its numerous green woods; until the prospect, west +and north-west, is bounded far away by masses of peaked and dome-shaped +blue mountains, that fringe the highlands of the Maravi country. + +After a weary march we halted at Makolongwi, the village of Chitimba. It +stands in a woody hollow on the first of the three terraces of the +Manganja hills, and, like all other Manganja villages, is surrounded by +an impenetrable hedge of poisonous euphorbia. This tree casts a deep +shade, which would render it difficult for bowmen to take aim at the +villagers inside. The grass does not grow beneath it, and this may be +the reason why it is so universally used, for when dry the grass would +readily convey fire to the huts inside; moreover, the hedge acts as a +fender to all flying sparks. As strangers are wont to do, we sat down +under some fine trees near the entrance of the village. A couple of +mats, made of split reeds, were spread for the white men to sit on; and +the headman brought a seguati, or present, of a small goat and a basket +of meal. The full value in beads and cotton cloth was handed to him in +return. He measured the cloth, doubled it, and then measured that again. +The beads were scrutinized; he had never seen beads of that colour +before, and should like to consult with his comrades before accepting +them, and this, after repeated examinations and much anxious talk, he +concluded to do. Meal and peas were then brought for sale. A fathom of +blue cotton cloth, a full dress for man or woman, was produced. Our +Makololo headman, Sininyane, thinking a part of it was enough for the +meal, was proceeding to tear it, when Chitimba remarked that it was a +pity to cut such a nice dress for his wife, he would rather bring more +meal. "All right," said Sininyane; "but look, the cloth is very wide, so +see that the basket which carries the meal be wide too, and add a cock to +make the meal taste nicely." A brisk trade sprang up at once, each being +eager to obtain as fine things as his neighbour,--and all were in good +humour. Women and girls began to pound and grind meal, and men and boys +chased the screaming fowls over the village, until they ran them down. In +a few hours the market was completely glutted with every sort of native +food; the prices, however, rarely fell, as they could easily eat what was +not sold. + +We slept under the trees, the air being pheasant, and no mosquitoes on +the hills. According to our usual plan of marching, by early dawn our +camp was in motion. After a cup of coffee and a bit of biscuit we were +on the way. The air was deliciously cool, and the path a little easier +than that of yesterday. We passed a number of villages, occupying very +picturesque spots among the hills, and in a few hours gained the upper +terrace, 3000 feet above the level of the sea. The plateau lies west of +the Milanje mountains, and its north-eastern border slopes down to Lake +Shirwa. We were all charmed with the splendid country, and looked with +never-failing delight on its fertile plains, its numerous hills, and +majestic mountains. In some of the passes we saw bramble-berries +growing; and the many other flowers, though of great beauty, did not +remind us of youth and of home like the ungainly thorny bramble-bushes. +We were a week in crossing the highlands in a northerly direction; then +we descended into the Upper Shire Valley, which is nearly 1200 feet above +the level of the sea. This valley is wonderfully fertile, and supports a +large population. After leaving the somewhat flat-topped southern +portion, the most prominent mountain of the Zomba range is Njongone, +which has a fine stream running past its northern base. We were detained +at the end of the chain some days by one of our companions being laid up +with fever. One night we were suddenly aroused by buffaloes rushing +close by the sick-bed. We were encamped by a wood on the border of a +marsh, but our patient soon recovered, notwithstanding the unfavourable +situation, and the poor accommodation. + +The Manganja country is delightfully well watered. The clear, cool, +gushing streams are very numerous. Once we passed seven fine brooks and +a spring in a single hour, and this, too, near the close of the dry +season. Mount Zomba, which is twenty miles long, and from 7000 to 8000 +feet high, has a beautiful stream flowing through a verdant valley on its +summit, and running away down into Lake Shirwa. The highlands are well +wooded, and many trees, admirable for their height and timber, grow on +the various watercourses. "Is this country good for cattle?" we inquired +of a Makololo herdsman, whose occupation had given him skill in +pasturage. "Truly," he replied, "do you not see abundance of those +grasses which the cattle love, and get fat upon?" Yet the people have +but few goats, and fewer sheep. With the exception of an occasional +leopard, there are no beasts of prey to disturb domestic animals. Wool- +sheep would, without doubt, thrive on these highlands. Part of the Upper +Shire valley has a lady paramount, named Nyango; and in her dominions +women rank higher and receive more respectful treatment than their +sisters on the hills. + +The hill chief, Mongazi, called his wife to take charge of a present we +had given him. She dropped down on her knees, clapping her hands in +reverence, before and after receiving our presents from his lordly hands. +It was painful to see the abject manner in which the women of the hill +tribes knelt beside the path as we passed; but a great difference took +place when we got into Nyango's country. + +On entering a village, we proceeded, as all strangers do, at once to the +Boalo: mats of split reeds or bamboo were usually spread for us to sit +on. Our guides then told the men who might be there, who we were, whence +we had come, whither we wanted to go, and what were our objects. This +information was duly carried to the chief, who, if a sensible man, came +at once; but, if he happened to be timid and suspicious, waited until he +had used divination, and his warriors had time to come in from outlying +hamlets. When he makes his appearance, all the people begin to clap +their hands in unison, and continue doing so till he sits down opposite +to us. His counsellors take their places beside him. He makes a remark +or two, and is then silent for a few seconds. Our guides then sit down +in front of the chief and his counsellors, and both parties lean forward, +looking earnestly at each other; the chief repeats a word, such as +"Ambuiatu" (our Father, or master)--or "moio" (life), and all clap their +hands. Another word is followed by two claps, a third by still more +clapping, when each touches the ground with both hands placed together. +Then all rise and lean forward with measured clap, and sit down again +with clap, clap, clap, fainter, and still fainter, till the last dies +away, or is brought to an end by a smart loud clap from the chief. They +keep perfect time in this species of court etiquette. Our guides now +tell the chief, often in blank verse, all they have already told his +people, with the addition perhaps of their own suspicions of the +visitors. He asks some questions, and then converses with us through the +guides. Direct communication between the chief and the head of the +stranger party is not customary. In approaching they often ask who is +the spokesman, and the spokesman of the chief addresses the person +indicated exclusively. There is no lack of punctilious good manners. The +accustomed presents are exchanged with civil ceremoniousness; until our +men, wearied and hungry, call out, "English do not buy slaves, they buy +food," and then the people bring meal, maize, fowls, batatas, yams, +beans, beer, for sale. + +The Manganja are an industrious race; and in addition to working in iron, +cotton, and basket-making, they cultivate the soil extensively. All the +people of a village turn out to labour in the fields. It is no uncommon +thing to see men, women, and children hard at work, with the baby lying +close by beneath a shady bush. When a new piece of woodland is to be +cleared, they proceed exactly as farmers do in America. The trees are +cut down with their little axes of soft native iron; trunks and branches +are piled up and burnt, and the ashes spread on the soil. The corn is +planted among the standing stumps which are left to rot. If grass land +is to be brought under cultivation, as much tall grass as the labourer +can conveniently lay hold of is collected together and tied into a knot. +He then strikes his hoe round the tufts to sever the roots, and leaving +all standing, proceeds until the whole ground assumes the appearance of a +field covered with little shocks of corn in harvest. A short time before +the rains begin, these grass shocks are collected in small heaps, covered +with earth, and burnt, the ashes and burnt soil being used to fertilize +the ground. Large crops of the mapira, or Egyptian dura (_Holcus +sorghum_), are raised, with millet, beans, and ground-nuts; also patches +of yams, rice, pumpkins, cucumbers, cassava, sweet potatoes, tobacco, and +hemp, or bang (_Cannabis setiva_). Maize is grown all the year round. +Cotton is cultivated at almost every village. Three varieties of cotton +have been found in the country, namely, two foreign and one native. The +"tonje manga," or foreign cotton, the name showing that it has been +introduced, is of excellent quality, and considered at Manchester to be +nearly equal to the best New Orleans. It is perennial, but requires +replanting once in three years. A considerable amount of this variety is +grown in the Upper and Lower Shire valleys. Every family of any +importance owns a cotton patch which, from the entire absence of weeds, +seemed to be carefully cultivated. Most were small, none seen on this +journey exceeding half an acre; but on the former trip some were observed +of more than twice that size. + +The "tonje cadja," or indigenous cotton, is of shorter staple, and feels +in the hand like wool. This kind has to be planted every season in the +highlands; yet, because it makes stronger cloth, many of the people +prefer it to the foreign cotton; the third variety is not found here. It +was remarked to a number of men near the Shire Lakelet, a little further +on towards Nyassa, "You should plant plenty of cotton, and probably the +English will come and buy it." "Truly," replied a far-travelled Babisa +trader to his fellows, "the country is full of cotton, and if these +people come to buy they will enrich us." Our own observation on the +cotton cultivated convinced us that this was no empty flourish, but a +fact. Everywhere we met with it, and scarcely ever entered a village +without finding a number of men cleaning, spinning, and weaving. It is +first carefully separated from the seed by the fingers, or by an iron +roller, on a little block of wood, and rove out into long soft bands +without twist. Then it receives its first twist on the spindle, and +becomes about the thickness of coarse candlewick; after being taken off +and wound into a large ball, it is given the final hard twist, and spun +into a firm cop on the spindle again: all the processes being painfully +slow. + +Iron ore is dug out of the hills, and its manufacture is the staple trade +of the southern highlands. Each village has its smelting-house, its +charcoal-burners, and blacksmiths. They make good axes, spears, needles, +arrowheads, bracelets and anklets, which, considering the entire absence +of machinery, are sold at surprisingly low rates; a hoe over two pounds +in weight is exchanged for calico of about the value of fourpence. In +villages near Lake Shirwa and elsewhere, the inhabitants enter pretty +largely into the manufacture of crockery, or pottery, making by hand all +sorts of cooking, water, and grain pots, which they ornament with +plumbago found in the hills. Some find employment in weaving neat +baskets from split bamboos, and others collect the fibre of the buaze, +which grows abundantly on the hills, and make it into fish-nets. These +they either use themselves, or exchange with the fishermen on the river +or lakes for dried fish and salt. A great deal of native trade is +carried on between the villages, by means of barter in tobacco, salt, +dried fish, skins, and iron. Many of the men are intelligent-looking, +with well-shaped heads, agreeable faces, and high foreheads. We soon +learned to forget colour, and we frequently saw countenances resembling +those of white people we had known in England, which brought back the +looks of forgotten ones vividly before the mind. The men take a good +deal of pride in the arrangement of their hair; the varieties of style +are endless. One trains his long locks till they take the admired form +of the buffalo's horns; others prefer to let their hair hang in a thick +coil down their backs, like that animal's tail; while another wears it in +twisted cords, which, stiffened by fillets of the inner bark of a tree +wound spirally round each curl, radiate from the head in all directions. +Some have it hanging all round the shoulders in large masses; others +shave it off altogether. Many shave part of it into ornamental figures, +in which the fancy of the barber crops out conspicuously. About as many +dandies run to seed among the blacks as among the whites. The Man ganja +adorn their bodies extravagantly, wearing rings on their fingers and +thumbs, besides throatlets, bracelets, and anklets of brass, copper, or +iron. But the most wonderful of ornaments, if such it may be called, is +the pelele, or upper-lip ring of the women. The middle of the upper lip +of the girls is pierced close to the septum of the nose, and a small pin +inserted to prevent the puncture closing up. After it has healed, the +pin is taken out and a larger one is pressed into its place, and so on +successively for weeks, and months, and years. The process of increasing +the size of the lip goes on till its capacity becomes so great that a +ring of two inches diameter can be introduced with ease. All the +highland women wear the pelele, and it is common on the Upper and Lower +Shire. The poorer classes make them of hollow or of solid bamboo, but +the wealthier of ivory or tin. The tin pelele is often made in the form +of a small dish. The ivory one is not unlike a napkin-ring. No woman +ever appears in public without the pelele, except in times of mourning +for the dead. It is frightfully ugly to see the upper lip projecting two +inches beyond the tip of the nose. When an old wearer of a hollow bamboo +ring smiles, by the action of the muscles of the cheeks, the ring and lip +outside it are dragged back and thrown above the eyebrows. The nose is +seen through the middle of the ring, amid the exposed teeth show how +carefully they have been chipped to look like those of a cat or +crocodile. The pelele of an old lady, Chikanda Kadze, a chieftainess, +about twenty miles north of Morambala, hung down below her chin, with, of +course, a piece of the upper lip around its border. The labial letters +cannot be properly pronounced, but the under lip has to do its best for +them, against the upper teeth and gum. Tell them it makes them ugly; +they had better throw it away; they reply, "Kodi! Really! it is the +fashion." How this hideous fashion originated is an enigma. Can thick +lips ever have been thought beautiful, and this mode of artificial +enlargement resorted to in consequence? The constant twiddling of the +pelele with the tongue by the younger women suggested the irreverent idea +that it might have been invented to give safe employment to that little +member. "Why do the women wear these things?" we inquired of the old +chief, Chinsunse. Evidently surprised at such a stupid question, he +replied, "For beauty, to be sure! Men have beards and whiskers; women +have none; and what kind of creature would a woman be without whiskers, +and without the pelele? She would have a mouth like a man, and no beard; +ha! ha! ha!" Afterwards on the Rovuma, we found men wearing the pelele, +as well as women. An idea suggested itself on seeing the effects of the +slight but constant pressure exerted on the upper gum and front teeth, of +which our medical brethren will judge the value. In many cases the upper +front teeth, instead of the natural curve outwards, which the row +presents, had been pressed so as to appear as if the line of alveoli in +which they were planted had an inward curve. As this was produced by the +slight pressure of the pelele backwards, persons with too prominent teeth +might by slight, but long-continued pressure, by some appliance only as +elastic as the lip, have the upper gum and teeth depressed, especially in +youth, more easily than is usually imagined. The pressure should be +applied to the upper gum more than to the teeth. + +The Manganja are not a sober people: they brew large quantities of beer, +and like it well. Having no hops, or other means of checking +fermentation, they are obliged to drink the whole brew in a few days, or +it becomes unfit for use. Great merry-makings take place on these +occasions, and drinking, drumming, and dancing continue day and night, +till the beer is gone. In crossing the hills we sometimes found whole +villages enjoying this kind of mirth. The veteran traveller of the party +remarked, that he had not seen so much drunkenness during all the sixteen +years he had spent in Africa. As we entered a village one afternoon, not +a man was to be seen; but some women were drinking beer under a tree. In +a few moments the native doctor, one of the innocents, "nobody's enemy +but his own," staggered out of a hut, with his cupping-horn dangling from +his neck, and began to scold us for a breach of etiquette. "Is this the +way to come into a man's village, without sending him word that you are +coming?" Our men soon pacified the fuddled but good-humoured medico, +who, entering his beer-cellar, called on two of them to help him to carry +out a huge pot of beer, which he generously presented to us. While the +"medical practitioner" was thus hospitably employed, the chief awoke in a +fright, and shouted to the women to run away, or they would all be +killed. The ladies laughed at the idea of their being able to run away, +and remained beside the beer-pots. We selected a spot for our camp, our +men cooked the dinner as usual, and we were quietly eating it, when +scores of armed men, streaming with perspiration, came pouring into the +village. They looked at us, then at each other, and turning to the chief +upbraided him for so needlessly sending for them. "These people are +peaceable; they do not hurt you; you are killed with beer:" so saying, +they returned to their homes. + +Native beer has a pinkish colour, and the consistency of gruel. The +grain is made to vegetate, dried in the sun, pounded into meal, and +gently boiled. When only a day or two old, the beer is sweet, with a +slight degree of acidity, which renders it a most grateful beverage in a +hot climate, or when fever begets a sore craving for acid drinks. A +single draught of it satisfies this craving at once. Only by deep and +long-continued potations can intoxication be produced: the grain being in +a minutely divided state, it is a good way of consuming it, and the +decoction is very nutritious. At Tette a measure of beer is exchanged +for an equal-sized pot full of grain. A present of this beer, so +refreshing to our dark comrades, was brought to us in nearly every +village. Beer-drinking does not appear to produce any disease, or to +shorten life on the hills. Never before did we see so many old, grey- +headed men and women; leaning on their staves they came with the others +to see the white men. The aged chief, Muata Manga, could hardly have +been less than ninety years of age; his venerable appearance struck the +Makololo. "He is an old man," said they, "a very old man; his skin hangs +in wrinkles, just like that on elephants' hips." "Did you never," he was +asked, "have a fit of travelling come over you; a desire to see other +lands and people?" No, he had never felt that, and had never been far +from home in his life. For long life they are not indebted to frequent +ablutions. An old man told us that he remembered to have washed once in +his life, but it was so long since that he had forgotten how it felt. +"Why do you wash?" asked Chinsunse's women of the Makololo; "our men +never do." + +The superstitious ordeal, by drinking the poisonous muave, obtains credit +here; and when a person is suspected of crime, this ordeal is resorted +to. If the stomach rejects the poison, the accused is pronounced +innocent; but if it is retained, guilt is believed to be demonstrated. +Their faith is so firm in its discriminating power, that the supposed +criminal offers of his own accord to drink it, and even chiefs are not +exempted. Chibisa, relying on its efficacy, drank it several times, in +order to vindicate his character. When asserting that all his wars had +been just, it was hinted that, as every chief had the same tale of +innocence to tell, we ought to suspend our judgment. "If you doubt my +word," said he, "give me the muave to drink." A chief at the foot of +Mount Zomba successfully went through the ordeal the day we reached his +village; and his people manifested their joy at his deliverance by +drinking beer, dancing, and drumming for two days and nights. It is +possible that the native doctor, who mixes the ingredients of the +poisoned bowl, may be able to save those whom he considers innocent; but +it is difficult to get the natives to speak about the matter, and no one +is willing to tell what the muave poison consists of. We have been shown +trees said to be used, but had always reason to doubt the accuracy of our +informants. We once found a tree in a village, with many pieces of the +bark chipped off, closely allied to the Tangena or Tanghina, the ordeal +poison tree of Madagascar; but we could not ascertain any particulars +about it. Death is inflicted on those found guilty of witchcraft, by the +muave. + +The women wail for the dead two days. Seated on the ground they chant a +few plaintive words, and end each verse with the prolonged sound of a--a, +or o--o, or ea-ea-ea--a. Whatever beer is in the house of the deceased, +is poured out on the ground with the meal, and all cooking and water pots +are broken, as being of no further use. Both men and women wear signs of +mourning for their dead relatives. These consist of narrow strips of the +palm-leaf wound round the head, the arms, legs, neck, and breasts, and +worn till they drop off from decay. They believe in the existence of a +supreme being, called Mpambe, and also Morungo, and in a future state. +"We live only a few days here," said old Chinsunse, "but we live again +after death: we do not know where, or in what condition, or with what +companions, for the dead never return to tell us. Sometimes the dead do +come back, and appear to us in dreams; but they never speak nor tell us +where they have gone, nor how they fare." + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +The Upper Shire--Discovery of Lake Nyassa--Distressing exploration--Return +to Zambesi--Unpleasant visitors--Start for Sekeletu's Country in the +interior. + +Our path followed the Shire above the cataracts, which is now a broad +deep river, with but little current. It expands in one place into a +lakelet, called Pamalombe, full of fine fish, and ten or twelve miles +long by five or six in breadth. Its banks are low, and a dense wall of +papyrus encircles it. On its western shore rises a range of hills +running north. On reaching the village of the chief Muana-Moesi, and +about a day's march distant from Nyassa, we were told that no lake had +ever been heard of there; that the River Shire stretched on as we saw it +now to a distance of "two months," and then came out from between +perpendicular rocks, which towered almost to the skies. Our men looked +blank at this piece of news, and said, "Let us go back to the ship, it is +of no use trying to find the lake." "We shall go and see those wonderful +rocks at any rate," said the Doctor. "And when you see them," replied +Masakasa, "you will just want to see something else. But there _is_ a +lake," rejoined Masakasa, "for all their denying it, for it is down in a +book." Masakasa, having unbounded faith in whatever was in a book, went +and scolded the natives for telling him an untruth. "There is a lake," +said he, "for how could the white men know about it in a book if it did +not exist?" They then admitted that there was a lake a few miles off. +Subsequent inquiries make it probable that the story of the +"perpendicular rocks" may have had reference to a fissure, known to both +natives and Arabs, in the north-eastern portion of the lake. The walls +rise so high that the path along the bottom is said to be underground. It +is probably a crack similar to that which made the Victoria Falls, and +formed the Shire Valley. + +The chief brought a small present of meal in the evening, and sat with us +for a few minutes. On leaving us he said that he wished we might sleep +well. Scarce had he gone, when a wild sad cry arose from the river, +followed by the shrieking of women. A crocodile had carried off his +principal wife, as she was bathing. The Makololo snatched up their arms, +and rushed to the bank, but it was too late, she was gone. The wailing +of the women continued all night, and next morning we met others coming +to the village to join in the general mourning. Their grief was +evidently heartfelt, as we saw the tears coursing down their cheeks. In +reporting this misfortune to his neighbours, Muana-Moesi said, "that +white men came to his village; washed themselves at the place where his +wife drew water and bathed; rubbed themselves with a white medicine +(soap); and his wife, having gone to bathe afterwards, was taken by a +crocodile; he did not know whether in consequence of the medicine used or +not." This we could not find fault with. On our return we were viewed +with awe, and all the men fled at our approach; the women remained; and +this elicited the remark from our men, "The women have the advantage of +men, in not needing to dread the spear." The practice of bathing, which +our first contact with Chinsunse's people led us to believe was unknown +to the natives, we afterwards found to be common in other parts of the +Manganja country. + +We discovered Lake Nyassa a little before noon of the 16th September, +1859. Its southern end is in 14 degrees 25 minutes S. Lat., and 35 +degrees 30 minutes E. Long. At this point the valley is about twelve +miles wide. There are hills on both sides of the lake, but the haze from +burning grass prevented us at the time from seeing far. A long time +after our return from Nyassa, we received a letter from Captain R. B. +Oldfield, R.N., then commanding H.M.S. "Lyra," with the information that +Dr. Roscher, an enterprising German who unfortunately lost his life in +his zeal for exploration, had also reached the Lake, but on the 19th +November following our discovery; and on his arrival had been informed by +the natives that a party of white men were at the southern extremity. On +comparing dates (16th September and 19th November) we were about two +months before Dr. Roscher. + +It is not known where Dr. Roscher first saw its waters; as the exact +position of Nusseewa on the borders of the Lake, where he lived some +time, is unknown. He was three days north-east of Nusseewa, and on the +Arab road back to the usual crossing-place of the Rovuma, when he was +murdered. The murderers were seized by one of the chiefs, sent to +Zanzibar, and executed. He is said to have kept his discoveries to +himself, with the intention of publishing in Europe the whole at once, in +a splendid book of travels. + +The chief of the village near the confluence of the Lake and River Shire, +an old man, called Mosauka, hearing that we were sitting under a tree, +came and kindly invited us to his village. He took us to a magnificent +banyan-tree, of which he seemed proud. The roots had been trained down +to the ground into the form of a gigantic arm-chair, without the seat. +Four of us slept in the space betwixt its arms. Mosauka brought us a +present of a goat and basket of meal "to comfort our hearts." He told us +that a large slave party, led by Arabs, were encamped close by. They had +been up to Cazembe's country the past year, and were on their way back, +with plenty of slaves, ivory, and malachite. In a few minutes half a +dozen of the leaders came over to see us. They were armed with long +muskets, and, to our mind, were a villanous-looking lot. They evidently +thought the same of us, for they offered several young children for sale, +but, when told that we were English, showed signs of fear, and decamped +during the night. On our return to the Kongone, we found that H.M.S. +"Lynx" had caught some of these very slaves in a dhow; for a woman told +us she first saw us at Mosauka's, and that the Arabs had fled for fear of +an _uncanny_ sort of Basungu. + +This is one of the great slave-paths from the interior, others cross the +Shire a little below, and some on the lake itself. We might have +released these slaves but did not know what to do with them afterwards. +On meeting men, led in slave-sticks, the Doctor had to bear the +reproaches of the Makololo, who never slave, "Ay, you call us bad, but +are we yellow-hearted, like these fellows--why won't you let us choke +them?" To liberate and leave them, would have done but little good, as +the people of the surrounding villages would soon have seized them, and +have sold them again into slavery. The Manganja chiefs sell their own +people, for we met Ajawa and slave-dealers in several highland villages, +who had certainly been encouraged to come among them for slaves. The +chiefs always seemed ashamed of the traffic, and tried to excuse +themselves. "We do not sell many, and only those who have committed +crimes." As a rule the regular trade is supplied by the low and criminal +classes, and hence the ugliness of slaves. Others are probably sold +besides criminals, as on the accusation of witchcraft. Friendless +orphans also sometimes disappear suddenly, and no one inquires what has +become of them. The temptation to sell their people is peculiarly great, +as there is but little ivory on the hills, and often the chief has +nothing but human flesh with which to buy foreign goods. The Ajawa offer +cloth, brass rings, pottery, and sometimes handsome young women, and +agree to take the trouble of carrying off by night all those whom the +chief may point out to them. They give four yards of cotton cloth for a +man, three for a woman, and two for a boy or girl, to be taken to the +Portuguese at Mozambique, Iboe, and Quillimane. + +The Manganja were more suspicious and less hospitable than the tribes on +the Zambesi. They were slow to believe that our object in coming into +their country was really what we professed it to be. They naturally +judge us by the motives which govern themselves. A chief in the Upper +Shire Valley, whose scared looks led our men to christen him Kitlabolawa +(I shall be killed), remarked that parties had come before, with as +plausible a story as ours, and, after a few days, had jumped up and +carried off a number of his people as slaves. We were not allowed to +enter some of the villages in the valley, nor would the inhabitants even +sell us food; Zimika's men, for instance, stood at the entrance of the +euphorbia hedge, and declared we should not pass in. We sat down under a +tree close by. A young fellow made an angry oration, dancing from side +to side with his bow and poisoned arrows, and gesticulating fiercely in +our faces. He was stopped in the middle of his harangue by an old man, +who ordered him to sit down, and not talk to strangers in that way; he +obeyed reluctantly, scowling defiance, and thrusting out his large lips +very significantly. The women were observed leaving the village; and, +suspecting that mischief might ensue, we proceeded on our journey, to the +great disgust of our men. They were very angry with the natives for +their want of hospitality to strangers, and with us, because we would not +allow them to give "the things a thrashing." "This is what comes of +going with white men," they growled out; "had we been with our own chief, +we should have eaten their goats to-night, and had some of themselves to +carry the bundles for us to-morrow." On our return by a path which left +his village on our right, Zimika sent to apologize, saying that "he was +ill, and in another village at the time; it was not by his orders we were +sent away; his men did not know that we were a party wishing the land to +dwell in peace." + +We were not able, when hastening back to the men left in the ship, to +remain in the villages belonging to this chief; but the people came after +us with things for sale, and invited us to stop, and spend the night with +them, urging, "Are we to have it said that white people passed through +our country and we did not see them?" We rested by a rivulet to gratify +these sight-seers. We appear to them to be red rather than white; and, +though light colour is admired among themselves, our clothing renders us +uncouth in aspect. Blue eyes appear savage, and a red beard hideous. +From the numbers of aged persons we saw on the highlands, and the +increase of mental and physical vigour we experienced on our ascent from +the lowlands, we inferred that the climate was salubrious, and that our +countrymen might there enjoy good health, and also be of signal benefit, +by leading the multitude of industrious inhabitants to cultivate cotton, +buaze, sugar, and other valuable produce, to exchange for goods of +European manufacture; at the same time teaching them, by precept and +example, the great truths of our Holy Religion. + +Our stay at the Lake was necessarily short. We had found that the best +plan for allaying any suspicions, that might arise in the minds of a +people accustomed only to slave-traders, was to pay a hasty visit, and +then leave for a while, and allow the conviction to form among the people +that, though our course of action was so different from that of others, +we were not dangerous, but rather disposed to be friendly. We had also a +party at the vessel, and any indiscretion on their part might have proved +fatal to the character of the Expedition. + +The trade of Cazembe and Katanga's country, and of other parts of the +interior, crosses Nyassa and the Shire, on its way to the Arab port, +Kilwa, and the Portuguese ports of Iboe and Mozambique. At present, +slaves, ivory, malachite, and copper ornaments, are the only articles of +commerce. According to information collected by Colonel Rigby at +Zanzibar, and from other sources, nearly all the slaves shipped from the +above-mentioned ports come from the Nyassa district. By means of a small +steamer, purchasing the ivory of the Lake and River above the cataracts, +which together have a shore-line of at least 600 miles, the slave-trade +in this quarter would be rendered unprofitable,--for it is only by the +ivory being carried by the slaves, that the latter do not eat up all the +profits of a trip. An influence would be exerted over an enormous area +of country, for the Mazitu about the north end of the Lake will not allow +slave-traders to pass round that way through their country. They would +be most efficient allies to the English, and might themselves be +benefited by more intercourse. As things are now, the native traders in +ivory and malachite have to submit to heavy exactions; and if we could +give them the same prices which they at present get after carrying their +merchandise 300 miles beyond this to the Coast, it might induce them to +return without going further. It is only by cutting off the supplies in +the interior, that we can crush the slave-trade on the Coast. The plan +proposed would stop the slave-trade from the Zambesi on one side and +Kilwa on the other; and would leave, beyond this tract, only the +Portuguese port of Inhambane on the south, and a portion of the Sultan of +Zanzibar's dominion on the north, for our cruisers to look after. The +Lake people grow abundance of cotton for their own consumption, and can +sell it for a penny a pound or even less. Water-carriage exists by the +Shire and Zambesi all the way to England, with the single exception of a +portage of about thirty-five miles past the Murchison Cataracts, along +which a road of less than forty miles could be made at a trifling +expense; and it seems feasible that a legitimate and thriving trade +might, in a short time, take the place of the present unlawful traffic. + +Colonel Rigby, Captains Wilson, Oldfield, and Chapman, and all the most +intelligent officers on the Coast, were unanimous in the belief, that one +small vessel on the Lake would have decidedly more influence, and do more +good in suppressing the slave-trade, than half a dozen men-of-war on the +ocean. By judicious operations, therefore, on a small scale inland, +little expense would be incurred, and the English slave-trade policy on +the East would have the same fair chance of success, as on the West +Coast. + +After a land-journey of forty days, we returned to the ship on the 6th of +October, 1859, in a somewhat exhausted condition, arising more from a +sort of poisoning, than from the usual fatigue of travel. We had taken a +little mulligatawney paste, for making soup, in case of want of time to +cook other food. Late one afternoon, at the end of an unusually long +march, we reached Mikena, near the base of Mount Njongone to the north of +Zomba, and the cook was directed to use a couple of spoonfuls of the +paste; but, instead of doing so, he put in the whole potful. The soup +tasted rather hot, but we added boiled rice to it, and, being very +hungry, partook freely of it; and, in consequence of the overdose, we +were delayed several days in severe suffering, and some of the party did +not recover till after our return to the ship. Our illness may partly +have arisen from another cause. One kind of cassava (_Jatropha maligna_) +is known to be, in its raw state, poisonous, but by boiling it carefully +in two waters, which must be thrown off, the poison is extracted and the +cassava rendered fit for food. The poisonous sort is easily known by +raising a bit of the bark of the root, and putting the tongue to it. A +bitter taste shows poison, but it is probable that even the sweet kind +contains an injurious principle. The sap, which, like that of our +potatoes, is injurious as an article of food, is used in the "Pepper-pot" +of the West Indies, under the name of "Cassereep," as a perfect +preservative of meat. This juice put into an earthen vessel with a +little water and Chili pepper is said to keep meat, that is immersed in +it, good for a great length of time; even for years. No iron or steel +must touch the mixture, or it will become sour. This "Pepper-pot," of +which we first heard from the late Archbishop Whately, is a most +economical meat-safe in a hot climate; any beef, mutton, pork, or fowl +that may be left at dinner, if put into the mixture and a little fresh +cassereep added, keeps perfectly, though otherwise the heat of the +climate or flies would spoil it. Our cook, however, boiled the cassava +root as he was in the habit of cooking meat, namely, by filling the pot +with it, and then pouring in water, which he allowed to stand on the fire +until it had become absorbed and boiled away. This method did not expel +the poisonous properties of the root, or render it wholesome; for, +notwithstanding our systematic caution in purchasing only the harmless +sort, we suffered daily from its effects, and it was only just before the +end of our trip that this pernicious mode of boiling it was discovered by +us. + +In ascending 3000 feet from the lowlands to the highlands, or on reaching +the low valley of the Shire from the higher grounds, the change of +climate was very marked. The heat was oppressive below, the thermometer +standing at from 84 degrees to 103 degrees in the shade; and our spirits +were as dull and languid as they had been exhilarated on the heights in a +temperature cooler by some 20 degrees. The water of the river was +sometimes 84 degrees or higher, whilst that we had been drinking in the +hill streams was only 65 degrees. + +It was found necessary to send two of our number across from the Shire to +Tette; and Dr. Kirk, with guides from Chibisa, and accompanied by Mr. +Rae, the engineer, accomplished the journey. We had found the country to +the north and east so very well watered, that no difficulty was +anticipated in this respect in a march of less than a hundred miles; but +on this occasion our friends suffered severely. The little water to be +had at this time of the year, by digging in the beds of dry watercourses, +was so brackish as to increase thirst--some of the natives indeed were +making salt from it; and when at long intervals a less brackish supply +was found, it was nauseous and muddy from the frequent visits of large +game. The tsetse abounded. The country was level, and large tracts of +it covered with mopane forest, the leaves of which afford but scanty +shade to the baked earth, so that scarcely any grass grows upon it. The +sun was so hot, that the men frequently jumped from the path, in the vain +hope of cooling, for a moment, their scorched feet under the almost +shadeless bushes; and the native who carried the provision of salt pork +got lost, and came into Tette two days after the rest of the party, with +nothing but the fibre of the meat left, the fat, melted by the blazing +sun, having all run down his back. This path was soon made a highway for +slaving parties by Captain Raposo, the Commandant. The journey nearly +killed our two active young friends; and what the slaves must have since +suffered on it no one can conceive; but slaving probably can never be +conducted without enormous suffering and loss of life. + +Mankokwe now sent a message to say that he wished us to stop at his +village on our way down. He came on board on our arrival there with a +handsome present, and said that his young people had dissuaded him from +visiting us before; but now he was determined to see what every one else +was seeing. A bald square-headed man, who had been his Prime Minister +when we came up, was now out of office, and another old man, who had +taken his place accompanied the chief. In passing the Elephant Marsh, we +saw nine large herds of elephants; they sometimes formed a line two miles +long. + +On the 2nd of November we anchored off Shamoara, and sent the boat to +Senna for biscuit and other provisions. Senhor Ferrao, with his wonted +generosity, gave us a present of a bullock, which he sent to us in a +canoe. Wishing to know if a second bullock would be acceptable to us, he +consulted his Portuguese and English dictionary, and asked the sailor in +charge if he would take _another_; but Jack, mistaking the Portuguese +pronunciation of the letter h, replied, "Oh no, sir, thank you, I don't +want an _otter_ in the boat, they are such terrible biters!" + +We had to ground the vessel on a shallow sandbank every night; she leaked +so fast, that in deep water she would have sunk, and the pump had to be +worked all day to keep her afloat. Heavy rains fell daily, producing the +usual injurious effects in the cabin; and, unable to wait any longer for +our associates, who had gone overland from the Shire to Tette, we ran +down the Kongone and beached her for repairs. Her Majesty's ship "Lynx," +Lieut. Berkeley commanding, called shortly afterwards with supplies; the +bar, which had been perfectly smooth for some time before, became rather +rough just before her arrival, so that it was two or three days before +she could communicate with us. Two of her boats tried to come in on the +second day, and one of them, mistaking the passage, capsized in the heavy +breakers abreast of the island. Mr. Hunt, gunner, the officer in charge +of the second boat, behaved nobly, and by his skilful and gallant conduct +succeeded in rescuing every one of the first boat's crew. Of course the +things that they were bringing to us were lost, but we were thankful that +all the men were saved. The loss of the mail-bags, containing Government +despatches and our friends' letters for the past year, was felt severely, +as we were on the point of starting on an expedition into the interior, +which might require eight or nine months; and twenty months is a weary +time to be without news of friends and family. In the repairing of our +crazy craft, we received kind and efficient aid from Lieutenant Berkeley, +and we were enabled to leave for Tette on December 16th. + +We had now frequent rains, and the river rose considerably; our progress +up the stream was distressingly slow, and it was not until the 2nd of +February, 1860, that we reached Tette. Mr. Thornton returned on the same +day from a geological tour, by which some Portuguese expected that a +fabulous silver-mine would be rediscovered. The tradition in the country +is, that the Jesuits formerly knew and worked a precious lode at Chicova. +Mr. Thornton had gone beyond Zumbo, in company with a trader of colour; +he soon after this left the Zambesi and, joining the expedition of the +Baron van der Decken, explored the snow mountain Kilimanjaro, north-west +of Zanzibar. Mr. Thornton's companion, the trader, brought back much +ivory, having found it both abundant and cheap. He was obliged, however, +to pay heavy fines to the Banyai and other tribes, in the country which +is coolly claimed in Europe as Portuguese. During this trip of six +mouths 200 pieces of cotton cloth of sixteen yards each, besides beads +and brass wire, were paid to the different chiefs, for leave to pass +through their country. In addition to these sufficiently weighty +exactions, the natives of _this dominion_ have got into the habit of +imposing fines for alleged milandos, or crimes, which the traders' men +may have unwittingly committed. The merchants, however, submit rather +than run the risk of fighting. + +The general monotony of existence at Tette is sometimes relieved by an +occasional death or wedding. When the deceased is a person of +consequence, the quantity of gunpowder his slaves are allowed to expend +is enormous. The expense may, in proportion to their means, resemble +that incurred by foolishly gaudy funerals in England. When at Tette, we +always joined with sympathizing hearts in aiding, by our presence at the +last rites, to soothe the sorrows of the surviving relatives. We are +sure that they would have done the same to us had we been the mourners. +We never had to complain of want of hospitality. Indeed, the great +kindness shown by many of whom we have often spoken, will never be +effaced from our memory till our dying day. When we speak of their +failings it is in sorrow, not in anger. Their trading in slaves is an +enormous mistake. Their Government places them in a false position by +cutting them off from the rest of the world; and of this they always +speak with a bitterness which, were it heard, might alter the tone of the +statesmen of Lisbon. But here there is no press, no booksellers' shops, +and scarcely a schoolmaster. Had we been born in similar untoward +circumstances--we tremble to think of it! + +The weddings are celebrated with as much jollity as weddings are +anywhere. We witnessed one in the house of our friend the Padre. It +being the marriage of his goddaughter, he kindly invited us to be +partakers in his joy; and we there became acquainted with old Donna +Engenia, who was a married wife and had children, when the slaves came +from Cassange, before any of us were born. The whole merry-making was +marked by good taste amid propriety. + +About the only interesting object in the vicinity of Tette is the coal a +few miles to the north. There, in the feeders of the stream Revubue, it +crops out in cliff sections. The seams are from four to seven feet in +thickness; one measured was found to be twenty-five feet thick. + +Learning that it would be difficult for our party to obtain food beyond +Kebrabasa before the new crop came in and knowing the difficulty of +hunting for so many men in the wet season, we decided on deferring our +departure for the interior until May, and in the mean time to run down +once more to the Kongone, in the hopes of receiving letters and +despatches from the man-of-war that was to call in March. We left Tette +on the 10th, and at Senna heard that our lost mail had been picked up on +the beach by natives, west of the Milambe; carried to Quillimane, sent +thence to Senna, and, passing us somewhere on the river, on to Tette. At +Shupanga the governor informed us that it was a very large mail; no great +comfort, seeing it was away up the river. + +Mosquitoes were excessively troublesome at the harbour, and especially +when a light breeze blew from the north over the mangroves. We lived for +several weeks in small huts, built by our men. Those who did the hunting +for the party always got wet, and were attacked by fever, but generally +recovered in time to be out again before the meat was all consumed. No +ship appearing, we started off on the 15th of March, and stopped to wood +on the Luabo, near an encampment of hippopotamus hunters; our men heard +again, through them, of the canoe path from this place to Quillimane, but +they declined to point it out. + +We found our friend Major Sicard at Mazaro with picks, shovels, hurdles, +and slaves, having come to build a fort and custom-house at the Kongone. +As we had no good reason to hide the harbour, but many for its being made +known, we supplied him with a chart of the tortuous branches, which, +running among the mangroves, perplex the search; and with such directions +as would enable him to find his way down to the river. He had brought +the relics of our fugitive mail, and it was a disappointment to find that +all had been lost, with the exception of a bundle of old newspapers, two +photographs, and three letters, which had been written before we left +England. + +The distance from Mazaro, on the Zambesi side, to the Kwakwa at Nterra, +is about six miles, over a surprisingly rich dark soil. We passed the +night in the long shed, erected at Nterra, on the banks of this river, +for the use of travellers, who have often to wait several days for +canoes; we tried to sleep, but the mosquitoes and rats were so +troublesome as to render sleep impossible. The rats, or rather large +mice, closely resembling _Mus pumilio_ (Smith), of this region, are quite +facetious, and, having a great deal of fun in them, often laugh heartily. +Again and again they woke us up by scampering over our faces, and then +bursting into a loud laugh of He! he! he! at having performed the feat. +Their sense of the ludicrous appears to be exquisite; they screamed with +laughter at the attempts which disturbed and angry human nature made in +the dark to bring their ill-timed merriment to a close. Unlike their +prudent European cousins, which are said to leave a sinking ship, a party +of these took up their quarters in our leaky and sinking vessel. Quiet +and invisible by day, they emerged at night, and cut their funny pranks. +No sooner were we all asleep, than they made a sudden dash over the +lockers and across our faces for the cabin door, where all broke out into +a loud He! he! he! he! he! he! showing how keenly they enjoyed the joke. +They next went forward with as much delight, and scampered over the men. +Every night they went fore and aft, rousing with impartial feet every +sleeper, and laughing to scorn the aimless blows, growls, and deadly +rushes of outraged humanity. We observed elsewhere a species of large +mouse, nearly allied to _Euryotis unisulcatus_ (F. Cuvier), escaping up a +rough and not very upright wall, with six young ones firmly attached to +the perineum. They were old enough to be well covered with hair, and +some were not detached by a blow which disabled the dam. We could not +decide whether any involuntary muscles were brought into play in helping +the young to adhere. Their weight seemed to require a sort of cataleptic +state of the muscles of the jaw, to enable them to hold on. + +Scorpions, centipedes, and poisonous spiders also were not unfrequently +brought into the ship with the wood, and occasionally found their way +into our beds; but in every instance we were fortunate enough to discover +and destroy them before they did any harm. Naval officers on this coast +report that, when scorpions and centipedes remain a few weeks after being +taken on board in a similar manner, their poison loses nearly all its +virulence; but this we did not verify. Snakes sometimes came in with the +wood, but oftener floated down the river to us, climbing on board with +ease by the chain-cable, and some poisonous ones were caught in the +cabin. A green snake lived with us several weeks, concealing himself +behind the casing of the deckhouse in the daytime. To be aroused in the +dark by five feet of cold green snake gliding over one's face is rather +unpleasant, however rapid the movement may be. Myriads of two varieties +of cockroaches infested the vessel; they not only ate round the roots of +our nails, but even devoured and defiled our food, flannels, and boots. +Vain were all our efforts to extirpate these destructive pests; if you +kill one, say the sailors, a hundred come down to his funeral! In the +work of Commodore Owen it is stated that cockroaches, pounded into a +paste, form a powerful carminative; this has not been confirmed, but when +monkeys are fed on them they are sure to become lean. + +On coming to Senna, we found that the Zulus had arrived in force for +their annual tribute. These men are under good discipline, and never +steal from the people. The tax is claimed on the ground of conquest, the +Zulus having formerly completely overcome the Senna people, and chased +them on to the islands in the Zambesi. Fifty-four of the Portuguese were +slain on the occasion, and, notwithstanding the mud fort, the village has +never recovered its former power. Fever was now very prevalent, and most +of the Portuguese were down with it. + +For a good view of the adjacent scenery, the hill, Baramuana, behind the +village, was ascended. A caution was given about the probability of an +attack of fever from a plant that grows near the summit. Dr. Kirk +discovered it to be the _Paedevia foetida_, which, when smelt, actually +does give headache and fever. It has a nasty fetor, as its name +indicates. This is one instance in which fever and a foul smell +coincide. In a number of instances offensive effluvia and fever seems to +have no connection. Owing to the abundant rains, the crops in the Senna +district were plentiful; this was fortunate, after the partial failure of +the past two years. It was the 25th of April, 1860, before we reached +Tette; here also the crops were luxuriant, and the people said that they +had not had such abundance since 1856, the year when Dr. Livingstone came +down the river. It is astonishing to any one who has seen the works for +irrigation in other countries, as at the Cape and in Egypt, that no +attempt has ever been made to lead out the water either of the Zambesi or +any of its tributaries; no machinery has ever been used to raise it even +from the stream, but droughts and starvations are endured, as if they +were inevitable dispensations of Providence, incapable of being +mitigated. + +Feeling in honour bound to return with those who had been the faithful +companions of Dr. Livingstone, in 1856, and to whose guardianship and +services was due the accomplishment of a journey which all the Portuguese +at Tette had previously pronounced impossible, the requisite steps were +taken to convey them to their homes. + +We laid the ship alongside of the island Kanyimbe, opposite Tette; and, +before starting for the country of the Makololo, obtained a small plot of +land, to form a garden for the two English sailors who were to remain in +charge during our absence. We furnished them with a supply of seeds, and +they set to work with such zeal, that they certainly merited success. +Their first attempt at African horticulture met with failure from a most +unexpected source; every seed was dug up and the inside of it eaten by +mice. "Yes," said an old native, next morning, on seeing the husks, +"that is what happens this month; for it is the mouse month, and the seed +should have been sown last mouth, when I sowed mine." The sailors, +however, sowed more next day; and, being determined to outwit the mice, +they this time covered the beds over with grass. The onions, with other +seeds of plants cultivated by the Portuguese, are usually planted in the +beginning of April, in order to have the advantage of the cold season; +the wheat a little later, for the same reason. If sown at the beginning +of the rainy season in November, it runs, as before remarked, entirely to +straw; but as the rains are nearly over in May, advantage is taken of low- +lying patches, which have been flooded by the river. A hole is made in +the mud with a hoe, a few seeds dropped in, and the earth shoved back +with the foot. If not favoured with certain misty showers, which, lower +down the river, are simply fogs, water is borne from the river to the +roots of the wheat in earthern pots; and in about four months the crop is +ready for the sickle. The wheat of Tette is exported, as the best grown +in the country; but a hollow spot at Maruru, close by Mazaro, yielded +very good crops, though just at the level of the sea, as a few inches +rise of tide shows. + +A number of days were spent in busy preparation for our journey; the +cloth, beads, and brass wire, for the trip were sewn up in old canvas, +and each package had the bearer's name printed on it. The Makololo, who +had worked for the Expedition, were paid for their services, and every +one who had come down with the Doctor from the interior received a +present of cloth and ornaments, in order to protect them from the greater +cold of their own country, and to show that they had not come in vain. +Though called Makololo by courtesy, as they were proud of the name, +Kanyata, the principal headman, was the only real Makololo of the party; +and he, in virtue of his birth, had succeeded to the chief place on the +death of Sekwebu. The others belonged to the conquered tribes of the +Batoka, Bashubia, Ba-Selea, and Barotse. Some of these men had only +added to their own vices those of the Tette slaves; others, by toiling +during the first two years in navigating canoes, and hunting elephants, +had often managed to save a little, to take back to their own country, +but had to part with it all for food to support the rest in times of +hunger, and, latterly, had fallen into the improvident habits of slaves, +and spent their surplus earnings in beer and agua ardiente. + +Everything being ready on the 15th of May, we started at 2 p.m. from the +village where the Makololo had dwelt. A number of the men did not leave +with the goodwill which their talk for months before had led us to +anticipate; but some proceeded upon being told that they were not +compelled to go unless they liked, though others altogether declined +moving. Many had taken up with slave-women, whom they assisted in +hoeing, and in consuming the produce of their gardens. Some fourteen +children had been born to them; and in consequence of now having no chief +to order them, or to claim their services, they thought that they were +about as well off as they had been in their own country. They knew and +regretted that they could call neither wives nor children their own; the +slave-owners claimed the whole; but their natural affections had been so +enchained, that they clave to the domestic ties. By a law of Portugal +the baptized children of slave women are all free; by the custom of the +Zambesi that law is void. When it is referred to, the officers laugh and +say, "These Lisbon-born laws are very stringent, but somehow, possibly +from the heat of the climate, here they lose all their force." Only one +woman joined our party--the wife of a Batoka man: she had been given to +him, in consideration of his skilful dancing, by the chief, Chisaka. A +merchant sent three of his men along with us, with a present for +Sekeletu, and Major Sicard also lent us three more to assist us on our +return, and two Portuguese gentleman kindly gave us the loan of a couple +of donkeys. We slept four miles above Tette, and hearing that the +Banyai, who levy heavy fines on the Portuguese traders, lived chiefly on +the right bank, we crossed over to the left, as we could not fully trust +our men. If the Banyai had come in a threatening manner, our followers +might, perhaps, from having homes behind them, have even put down their +bundles and run. Indeed, two of them at this point made up their minds +to go no further, and turned back to Tette. Another, Monga, a Batoka, +was much perplexed, and could not make out what course to pursue, as he +had, three years previously, wounded Kanyata, the headman, with a spear. +This is a capital offence among the Makololo, and he was afraid of being +put to death for it on his return. He tried, in vain, to console himself +with the facts that he had neither father, mother, sisters, nor brothers +to mourn for him, and that he could die but once. He was good, and would +go up to the stars to Yesu, and therefore did not care for death. In +spite, however, of these reflections, he was much cast down, until +Kanyata assured him that he would never mention his misdeed to the chief; +indeed, he had never even mentioned it to the Doctor, which he would +assuredly have done had it lain heavy on his heart. We were right glad +of Monga's company, for he was a merry good-tempered fellow, and his +lithe manly figure had always been in the front in danger; and, from +being left-handed, had been easily recognized in the fight with +elephants. + +We commenced, for a certain number of days, with short marches, walking +gently until broken in to travel. This is of so much importance, that it +occurs to us that more might be made out of soldiers if the first few +days' marches were easy, and gradually increased in length and quickness. +The nights were cold, with heavy dews and occasional showers, and we had +several cases of fever. Some of the men deserted every night, and we +fully expected that all who had children would prefer to return to Tette, +for little ones are well known to prove the strongest ties, even to +slaves. It was useless informing them, that if they wanted to return +they had only to come and tell us so; we should not be angry with them +for preferring Tette to their own country. Contact with slaves had +destroyed their sense of honour; they would not go in daylight, but +decamped in the night, only in one instance, however, taking our goods, +though, in two more, they carried off their comrades' property. By the +time we had got well into the Kebrabasa hills thirty men, nearly a third +of the party, had turned back, and it became evident that, if many more +left us, Sekeletu's goods could not be carried up. At last, when the +refuse had fallen away, no more desertions took place. + +Stopping one afternoon at a Kebrabasa village, a man, who pretended to be +able to change himself into a lion, came to salute us. Smelling the +gunpowder from a gun which had been discharged, he went on one side to +get out of the wind of the piece, trembling in a most artistic manner, +but quite overacting his part. The Makololo explained to us that he was +a Pondoro, or a man who can change his form at will, and added that he +trembles when he smells gunpowder. "Do you not see how he is trembling +now?" We told them to ask him to change himself at once into a lion, and +we would give him a cloth for the performance. "Oh no," replied they; +"if we tell him so, he may change himself and come when we are asleep and +kill us." Having similar superstitions at home, they readily became as +firm believers in the Pondoro as the natives of the village. We were +told that he assumes the form of a lion and remains in the woods for +days, and is sometimes absent for a whole month. His considerate wife +had built him a hut or den, in which she places food and beer for her +transformed lord, whose metamorphosis does not impair his human appetite. +No one ever enters this hut except the Pondoro and his wife, and no +stranger is allowed even to rest his gun against the baobab-tree beside +it: the Mfumo, or petty chief, of another small village wished to fine +our men for placing their muskets against an old tumble-down hut, it +being that of the Pondoro. At times the Pondoro employs his acquired +powers in hunting for the benefit of the village; and after an absence of +a day or two, his wife smells the lion, takes a certain medicine, places +it in the forest, and there quickly leaves it, lest the lion should kill +even her. This medicine enables the Pondoro to change himself back into +a man, return to the village, and say, "Go and get the game that I have +killed for you." Advantage is of course taken of what a lion has done, +and they go and bring home the buffalo or antelope killed when he was a +lion, or rather found when he was patiently pursuing his course of +deception in the forest. We saw the Pondoro of another village dressed +in a fantastic style, with numerous charms hung round him, and followed +by a troop of boys who were honouring him with rounds of shrill cheering. + +It is believed also that the souls of departed chiefs enter into lions, +and render them sacred. On one occasion, when we had shot a buffalo in +the path beyond the Kafue, a hungry lion, attracted probably by the smell +of the meat, came close to our camp, and roused up all hands by his +roaring. Tuba Mokoro, imbued with the popular belief that the beast was +a chief in disguise, scolded him roundly during his brief intervals of +silence. "You a chief, eh? You call yourself a chief, do you? What +kind of chief are you to come sneaking about in the dark, trying to steal +our buffalo meat! Are you not ashamed of yourself? A pretty chief +truly; you are like the scavenger beetle, and think of yourself only. You +have not the heart of a chief; why don't you kill your own beef? You +must have a stone in your chest, and no heart at all, indeed!" Tuba +Mokoro producing no impression on the transformed chief, one of the men, +the most sedate of the party, who seldom spoke, took up the matter, and +tried the lion in another strain. In his slow quiet way he expostulated +with him on the impropriety of such conduct to strangers, who had never +injured him. "We were travelling peaceably through the country back to +our own chief. We never killed people, nor stole anything. The buffalo +meat was ours, not his, and it did not become a great chief like him to +be prowling round in the dark, trying, like a hyena, to steal the meat of +strangers. He might go and hunt for himself, as there was plenty of game +in the forest." The Pondoro, being deaf to reason, and only roaring the +louder, the men became angry, and threatened to send a ball through him +if he did not go away. They snatched up their guns to shoot him, but he +prudently kept in the dark, outside the luminous circle made by our camp +fires, and there they did not like to venture. A little strychnine was +put into a piece of meat, and thrown to him, when he soon departed, and +we heard no more of the majestic sneaker. + +The Kebrabasa people were now plumper and in better condition than on our +former visits; the harvest had been abundant; they had plenty to eat and +drink, and they were enjoying life as much as ever they could. At +Defwe's village, near where the ship lay on her first ascent, we found +two Mfumos or headmen, the son and son-in-law of the former chief. A +sister's son has much more chance of succeeding to a chieftainship than +the chief's own offspring, it being unquestionable that the sister's +child has the family blood. The men are all marked across the nose and +up the middle of the forehead with short horizontal bars or cicatrices; +and a single brass earring of two or three inches diameter, like the +ancient Egyptian, is worn by the men. Some wear the hair long like the +ancient Assyrians and Egyptians, and a few have eyes with the downward +and inward slant of the Chinese. + +After fording the rapid Luia, we left our former path on the banks of the +Zambesi, and struck off in a N.W. direction behind one of the hill +ranges, the eastern end of which is called Mongwa, the name of an acacia, +having a peculiarly strong fetor, found on it. Our route wound up a +valley along a small mountain-stream which was nearly dry, and then +crossed the rocky spurs of some of the lofty hills. The country was all +very dry at the time, and no water was found except in an occasional +spring and a few wells dug in the beds of watercourses. The people were +poor, and always anxious to convince travellers of the fact. The men, +unlike those on the plains, spend a good deal of their time in hunting; +this may be because they have but little ground on the hill-sides +suitable for gardens, and but little certainty of reaping what may be +sown in the valleys. No women came forward in the hamlet, east of +Chiperiziwa, where we halted for the night. Two shots had been fired at +guinea-fowl a little way off in the valley; the women fled into the +woods, and the men came to know if war was meant, and a few of the old +folks only returned after hearing that we were for peace. The headman, +Kambira, apologized for not having a present ready, and afterwards +brought us some meal, a roasted coney (_Hyrax capensis_), and a pot of +beer; he wished to be thought poor. The beer had come to him from a +distance; he had none of his own. Like the Manganja, these people salute +by clapping their hands. When a man comes to a place where others are +seated, before sitting down he claps his hands to each in succession, and +they do the same to him. If he has anything to tell, both speaker and +hearer clap their hands at the close of every paragraph, and then again +vigorously at the end of the speech. The guide, whom the headman gave +us, thus saluted each of his comrades before he started off with us. +There is so little difference in the language, that all the tribes of +this region are virtually of one family. + +We proceeded still in the same direction, and passed only two small +hamlets during the day. Except the noise our men made on the march, +everything was still around us: few birds were seen. The appearance of a +whydahbird showed that he had not yet parted with his fine long plumes. +We passed immense quantities of ebony and lignum-vitae, and the tree from +whose smooth and bitter bark granaries are made for corn. The country +generally is clothed with a forest of ordinary-sized trees. We slept in +the little village near Sindabwe, where our men contrived to purchase +plenty of beer, and were uncommonly boisterous all the evening. We +breakfasted next morning under green wild date-palms, beside the fine +flowery stream, which runs through the charming valley of Zibah. We now +had Mount Chiperiziwa between us, and part of the river near Morumbwa, +having in fact come north about in order to avoid the difficulties of our +former path. The last of the deserters, a reputed thief, took French +leave of us here. He left the bundle of cloth he was carrying in the +path a hundred yards in front of where we halted, but made off with the +musket and most of the brass rings and beads of his comrade Shirimba, who +had unsuspectingly intrusted them to his care. + +Proceeding S.W. up this lovely valley, in about an hour's time we reached +Sandia's village. The chief was said to be absent hunting, and they did +not know when he would return. This is such a common answer to the +inquiry after a headman, that one is inclined to think that it only means +that they wish to know the stranger's object before exposing their +superior to danger. As some of our men were ill, a halt was made here. + +As we were unable to march next morning, six of our young men, anxious to +try their muskets, went off to hunt elephants. For several hours they +saw nothing, and some of them, getting tired, proposed to go to a village +and buy food. "No!" said Mantlanyane, "we came to hunt, so let us go +on." In a short time they fell in with a herd of cow elephants and +calves. As soon as the first cow caught sight of the hunters on the +rocks above her, she, with true motherly instinct, placed her young one +between her fore-legs for protection. The men were for scattering, and +firing into the herd indiscriminately. "That won't do," cried +Mantlanyane, "let us all fire at this one." The poor beast received a +volley, and ran down into the plain, where another shot killed her; the +young one escaped with the herd. The men were wild with excitement, and +danced round the fallen queen of the forest, with loud shouts and +exultant songs. They returned, bearing as trophies the tail and part of +the trunk, and marched into camp as erect as soldiers, and evidently +feeling that their stature had increased considerably since the morning. + +Sandia's wife was duly informed of their success, as here a law decrees +that half the elephant belongs to the chief on whose ground it has been +killed. The Portuguese traders always submit to this tax, and, were it +of native origin, it could hardly be considered unjust. A chief must +have some source of revenue; and, as many chiefs can raise none except +from ivory or slaves, this tax is more free from objections than any +other that a black Chancellor of the Exchequer could devise. It seems, +however, to have originated with the Portuguese themselves, and then to +have spread among the adjacent tribes. The Governors look sharply after +any elephant that may be slain on the Crown lands, and demand one of the +tusks from their vassals. We did not find the law in operation in any +tribe beyond the range of Portuguese traders, or further than the sphere +of travel of those Arabs who imitated Portuguese customs in trade. At +the Kafue in 1855 the chiefs bought the meat we killed, and demanded +nothing as their due; and so it was up the Shire during our visits. The +slaves of the Portuguese, who are sent by their masters to shoot +elephants, probably connive at the extension of this law, for they strive +to get the good will of the chiefs to whose country they come, by +advising them to make a demand of half of each elephant killed, and for +this advice they are well paid in beer. When we found that the +Portuguese argued in favour of this law, we told the natives that they +might exact tusks from _them_, but that the English, being different, +preferred the pure native custom. It was this which made Sandia, as +afterwards mentioned, hesitate; but we did not care to insist on +exemption in our favour, where the prevalence of the custom might have +been held to justify the exaction. + +The cutting up of an elephant is quite a unique spectacle. The men stand +remind the animal in dead silence, while the chief of the travelling +party declares that, according to ancient law, the head and right hind- +leg belong to him who killed the beast, that is, to him who inflicted the +first wound; the left leg to bins who delivered the second, or first +touched the animal after it fell. The meat around the eye to the +English, or chief of the travellers, and different parts to the headmen +of the different fires, or groups, of which the camp is composed; not +forgetting to enjoin the preservation of the fat and bowels for a second +distribution. This oration finished, the natives soon become excited, +and scream wildly as they cut away at the carcass with a score of spears, +whose long handles quiver in the air above their heads. Their excitement +becomes momentarily more and more intense, and reaches the culminating +point when, as denoted by a roar of gas, the huge mass is laid fairly +open. Some jump inside, and roll about there in their eagerness to seize +the precious fat, while others run off, screaming, with pieces of the +bloody meat, throw it on the grass, and run back for more: all keep +talking and shouting at the utmost pitch of their voices. Sometimes two +or three, regardless of all laws, seize the same piece of meat, and have +a brief fight of words over it. Occasionally an agonized yell bursts +forth, and a native emerges out of the moving mass of dead elephant and +wriggling humanity, with his hand badly cut by the spear of his excited +friend and neighbour: this requires a rag and some soothing words to +prevent bad blood. In an incredibly short time tons of meat are cut up, +and placed in separate heaps around. + +Sandia arrived soon after the beast was divided: he is an elderly man, +and wears a wig made of "ife" fibre (_sanseviera_) dyed black, and of a +fine glossy appearance. This plant is allied to the aloes, and its thick +fleshy leaves, in shape somewhat like our sedges, when bruised yield much +fine strong fibre, which is made into ropes, nets, and wigs. It takes +dyes readily, and the fibre might form a good article of commerce. "Ife" +wigs, as we afterwards saw, are not uncommon in this country, though +perhaps not so common as hair wigs at home. Sandia's mosamela, or small +carved wooden pillow, exactly resembling the ancient Egyptian one, was +hung from the back of his neck; this pillow and a sleeping mat are +usually carried by natives when on hunting excursions. + +We had the elephant's fore-foot cooked for ourselves, in native fashion. +A large hole was dug in the ground, in which a fire was made; and, when +the inside was thoroughly heated, the entire foot was placed in it, and +covered over with the hot ashes and soil; another fire was made above the +whole, and kept burning all night. We had the foot thus cooked for +breakfast next morning, and found it delicious. It is a whitish mass, +slightly gelatinous, and sweet, like marrow. A long march, to prevent +biliousness, is a wise precaution after a meal of elephant's foot. +Elephant's trunk and tongue are also good, and, after long simmering, +much resemble the hump of a buffalo and the tongue of an ox; but all the +other meat is tough, and, from its peculiar flavour, only to be eaten by +a hungry man. The quantities of meat our men devour is quite astounding. +They boil as much as their pots will hold, and eat till it becomes +physically impossible for them to stow away any more. An uproarious +dance follows, accompanied with stentorian song; and as soon as they have +shaken their first course down, and washed off the sweat and dust of the +after performance, they go to work to roast more: a short snatch of sleep +succeeds, and they are up and at it again; all night long it is boil and +eat, roast and devour, with a few brief interludes of sleep. Like other +carnivora, these men can endure hunger for a much longer period than the +mere porridge-eating tribes. Our men can cook meat as well as any +reasonable traveller could desire; and, boiled in earthen pots, like +Indian chatties, it tastes much better than when cooked in iron ones. + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +Magnificent scenery--Method of marching--Hippopotamus killed--Lions and +buffalo--Sequasha the ivory-trader. + +Sandia gave us two guides; and on the 4th of June we left the Elephant +valley, taking a westerly course; and, after crossing a few ridges, +entered the Chingerere or Paguruguru valley, through which, in the rainy +season, runs the streamlet Pajodze. The mountains on our left, between +us and the Zambesi, our guides told us have the same name as the valley, +but that at the confluence of the Pajodze is called Morumbwa. We struck +the river at less than half a mile to the north of the cataract Morumbwa. +On climbing up the base of this mountain at Pajodze, we found that we +were distant only the diameter of the mountain from the cataract. In +measuring the cataract we formerly stood on its southern flank; now we +were perched on its northern flank, and at once recognized the +onion-shaped mountain, here called Zakavuma, whose smooth convex surface +overlooks the broken water. Its bearing by compass was l80 degrees from +the spot to which we had climbed, and 700 or 800 yards distant. We now, +from this standing-point, therefore, completed our inspection of all +Kebrabasa, and saw what, as a whole, was never before seen by Europeans +so far as any records show. + +The remainder of the Kebrabasa path, on to Chicova, was close to the +compressed and rocky river. Ranges of lofty tree-covered mountains, with +deep narrow valleys, in which are dry watercourses, or flowing rivulets, +stretch from the north-west, and are prolonged on the opposite side of +the river in a south-easterly direction. Looking back, the mountain +scenery in Kebrabasa was magnificent; conspicuous from their form and +steep sides, are the two gigantic portals of the cataract; the vast +forests still wore their many brilliant autumnal-coloured tints of green, +yellow, red, purple, and brown, thrown into relief by the grey bark of +the trunks in the background. Among these variegated trees were some +conspicuous for their new livery of fresh light-green leaves, as though +the winter of others was their spring. The bright sunshine in these +mountain forests, and the ever-changing forms of the cloud shadows, +gliding over portions of the surface, added fresh charms to scenes +already surpassingly beautiful. + +From what we have seen of the Kebrabasa rocks and rapids, it appears too +evident that they must always form a barrier to navigation at the +ordinary low water of the river; but the rise of the water in this gorge +being as much as eighty feet perpendicularly, it is probable that a +steamer might be taken up at high flood, when all the rapids are smoothed +over, to run on the Upper Zambesi. The most formidable cataract in it, +Morumbwa, has only about twenty feet of fall, in a distance of thirty +yards, and it must entirely disappear when the water stands eighty feet +higher. Those of the Makololo who worked on board the ship were not +sorry at the steamer being left below, as they had become heartily tired +of cutting the wood that the insatiable furnace of the "Asthmatic" +required. Mbia, who was a bit of a wag, laughingly exclaimed in broken +English, "Oh, Kebrabasa good, very good; no let shippee up to Sekeletu, +too muchee work, cuttee woodyee, cuttee woodyee: Kebrabasa good." It is +currently reported, and commonly believed, that once upon a time a +Portuguese named Jose Pedra,--by the natives called Nyamatimbira,--chief, +or capitao mor, of Zumbo, a man of large enterprise and small +humanity,--being anxious to ascertain if Kebrabasa could be navigated, +made two slaves fast to a canoe, and launched it from Chicova into +Kebrabasa, in order to see if it would come out at the other end. As +neither slaves nor canoe ever appeared again, his Excellency concluded +that Kebrabasa was unnavigable. A trader had a large canoe swept away by +a sudden rise of the river, and it was found without damage below; but +the most satisfactory information was that of old Sandia, who asserted +that in flood all Kebrabasa became quite smooth, and he had often seen it +so. + +We emerged from the thirty-five or forty miles of Kebrabasa hills into +the Chicova plains on the 7th of June, 1860, having made short marches +all the way. The cold nights caused some of our men to cough badly, and +colds in this country almost invariably become fever. The Zambesi +suddenly expands at Chicova, and assumes the size and appearance it has +at Tette. Near this point we found a large seam of coal exposed in the +left bank. + +We met with native travellers occasionally. Those on a long journey +carry with them a sleeping-mat and wooden pillow, cooking-pot and bag of +meal, pipe and tobacco-pouch, a knife, bow, and arrows, and two small +sticks, of from two to three feet in length, for making fire, when +obliged to sleep away from human habitations. Dry wood is always +abundant, and they get fire by the following method. A notch is cut in +one of the sticks, which, with a close-grained outside, has a small core +of pith, and this notched stick is laid horizontally on a knife-blade on +the ground; the operator squatting, places his great toes on each end to +keep all steady, and taking the other wand which is of very hard wood cut +to a blunt point, fits it into the notch at right angles; the upright +wand is made to spin rapidly backwards and forwards between the palms of +the hands, drill fashion, and at the same time is pressed downwards; the +friction, in the course of a minute or so, ignites portions of the pith +of the notched stick, which, rolling over like live charcoal on to the +knife-blade, are lifted into a handful of fine dry grass, and carefully +blown, by waving backwards and forwards in the air. It is hard work for +the hands to procure fire by this process, as the vigorous drilling and +downward pressure requisite soon blister soft palms. + +Having now entered a country where lions were numerous, our men began to +pay greater attention to the arrangements of the camp at night. As they +are accustomed to do with their chiefs, they place the white men in the +centre; Kanyata, his men, and the two donkeys, camp on our right; Tuba +Mokoro's party of Bashubia are in front; Masakasa, and Sininyane's body +of Batoka, on the left; and in the rear six Tette men have their fires. +In placing their fires they are careful to put them where the smoke will +not blow in our faces. Soon after we halt, the spot for the English is +selected, and all regulate their places accordingly, and deposit their +burdens. The men take it by turns to cut some of the tall dry grass, and +spread it for our beds on a spot, either naturally level, or smoothed by +the hoe; some, appointed to carry our bedding, then bring our rugs and +karosses, and place the three rugs in a row on the grass; Dr. +Livingstone's being in the middle, Dr. Kirk's on the right, and Charles +Livingstone's on the left. Our bags, rifles, and revolvers are carefully +placed at our heads, and a fire made near our feet. We have no tent nor +covering of any kind except the branches of the tree under which we may +happen to lie; and it is a pretty sight to look up and see every branch, +leaf, and twig of the tree stand out, reflected against the clear star- +spangled and moonlit sky. The stars of the first magnitude have names +which convey the same meaning over very wide tracts of country. Here +when Venus comes out in the evenings, she is called Ntanda, the eldest or +first-born, and Manjika, the first-born of morning, at other times: she +has so much radiance when shining alone, that she casts a shadow. Sirius +is named Kuewa usiko, "drawer of night," because supposed to draw the +whole night after it. The moon has no evil influence in this country, so +far as we know. We have lain and looked up at her, till sweet sleep +closed our eyes, unharmed. Four or five of our men were affected with +moon-blindness at Tette; though they had not slept out of doors there, +they became so blind that their comrades had to guide their hands to the +general dish of food; the affection is unknown in their own country. When +our posterity shall have discovered what it is which, distinct from foul +smells, causes fever, and what, apart from the moon, causes men to be +moon-struck, they will pity our dulness of perception. + +The men cut a very small quantity of grass for themselves, and sleep in +fumbas or sleeping-bags, which are double mats of palm-leaf, six feet +long by four wide, and sewn together round three parts of the square, and +left open only on one side. They are used as a protection from the cold, +wet, and mosquitoes, and are entered as we should get into our beds, were +the blankets nailed to the top, bottom, and one side of the bedstead. + +A dozen fires are nightly kindled in the camp; and these, being +replenished from time to time by the men who are awakened by the cold, +are kept burning until daylight. Abundance of dry hard wood is obtained +with little trouble; and burns beautifully. After the great business of +cooking and eating is over, all sit round the camp-fires, and engage in +talking or singing. Every evening one of the Batoka plays his "sansa," +and continues at it until far into the night; he accompanies it with an +extempore song, in which he rehearses their deeds ever since they left +their own country. At times animated political discussions spring up, +and the amount of eloquence expended on these occasions is amazing. The +whole camp is aroused, and the men shout to one another from the +different fires; whilst some, whose tongues are never heard on any other +subject, burst forth into impassioned speech. + +As a specimen of our mode of marching, we rise about five, or as soon as +dawn appears, take a cup of tea and a bit of biscuit; the servants fold +up the blankets and stow them away in the bags they carry; the others tie +their fumbas and cooking-pots to each end of their carrying-sticks, which +are borne on the shoulder; the cook secures the dishes, and all are on +the path by sunrise. If a convenient spot can be found we halt for +breakfast about nine a.m. To save time, this meal is generally cooked +the night before, and has only to be warmed. We continue the march after +breakfast, rest a little in the middle of the day, and break off early in +the afternoon. We average from two to two-and-a-half miles an hour in a +straight line, or as the crow flies, and seldom have more than five or +six hours a day of actual travel. This in a hot climate is as much as a +man can accomplish without being oppressed; and we always tried to make +our progress more a pleasure than a toil. To hurry over the ground, +abuse, and look ferocious at one's native companions, merely for the +foolish vanity of boasting how quickly a distance was accomplished, is a +combination of silliness with absurdity quite odious; while kindly +consideration for the feelings of even blacks, the pleasure of observing +scenery and everything new as one moves on at an ordinary pace, and the +participation in the most delicious rest with our fellows, render +travelling delightful. Though not given to over haste, we were a little +surprised to find that we could tire our men out; and even the headman, +who carried but little more than we did, and never, as we often had to +do, hunted in the afternoon, was no better than his comrades. Our +experience tends to prove that the European constitution has a power of +endurance, even in the tropics, greater than that of the hardiest of the +meat-eating Africans. + +After pitching our camp, one or two of us usually go off to hunt, more as +a matter of necessity than of pleasure, for the men, as well as +ourselves, must have meat. We prefer to take a man with us to carry home +the game, or lead the others to where it lies; but as they frequently +grumble and complain of being tired, we do not particularly object to +going alone, except that it involves the extra labour of our making a +second trip to show the men where the animal that has been shot is to be +found. When it is a couple of miles off it is rather fatiguing to have +to go twice; more especially on the days when it is solely to supply +their wants that, instead of resting ourselves, we go at all. Like those +who perform benevolent deeds at home, the tired hunter, though trying +hard to live in charity with all men, is strongly tempted to give it up +by bringing only sufficient meat for the three whites and leaving the +rest; thus sending the "idle ungrateful poor" supperless to bed. And yet +it is only by continuance in well-doing, even to the length of what the +worldly-wise call weakness, that the conviction is produced anywhere, +that our motives are high enough to secure sincere respect. + +A jungle of mimosa, ebony, and "wait-a-bit" thorn lies between the +Chicova flats and the cultivated plain, on which stand the villages of +the chief, Chitora. He brought us a present of food and drink, because, +as he, with the innate politeness of an African, said, he "did not wish +us to sleep hungry: he had heard of the Doctor when he passed down, and +had a great desire to see and converse with him; but he was a child then, +and could not speak in the presence of great men. He was glad that he +had seen the English now, and was sorry that his people were away, or he +should have made them cook for us." All his subsequent conduct showed +him to be sincere. + +Many of the African women are particular about the water they use for +drinking and cooking, and prefer that which is filtered through sand. To +secure this, they scrape holes in the sandbanks beside the stream, and +scoop up the water, which slowly filters through, rather than take it +from the equally clear and limpid river. This practice is common in the +Zambesi, the Rovuma, and Lake Nyassa; and some of the Portuguese at Tette +have adopted the native custom, and send canoes to a low island in the +middle of the river for water. Chitora's people also obtained their +supply from shallow wells in the sandy bed of a small rivulet close to +the village. The habit may have arisen from observing the unhealthiness +of the main stream at certain seasons. During nearly nine months in the +year, ordure is deposited around countless villages along the thousands +of miles drained by the Zambesi. When the heavy rains come down, and +sweep the vast fetid accumulation into the torrents, the water is +polluted with filth; and, but for the precaution mentioned, the natives +would prove themselves as little fastidious as those in London who drink +the abomination poured into the Thames by Reading and Oxford. It is no +wonder that sailors suffered so much from fever after drinking African +river water, before the present admirable system of condensing it was +adopted in our navy. + +The scent of man is excessively terrible to game of all kinds, much more +so, probably, than the sight of him. A herd of antelopes, a hundred +yards off, gazed at us as we moved along the winding path, and timidly +stood their ground until half our line had passed, but darted off the +instant they "got the wind," or caught the flavour of those who had gone +by. The sport is all up with the hunter who gets to the windward of the +African beast, as it cannot stand even the distant aroma of the human +race, so much dreaded by all wild animals. Is this the fear and the +dread of man, which the Almighty said to Noah was to be upon every beast +of the field? A lion may, while lying in wait for his prey, leap on a +human being as he would on any other animal, save a rhinoceros or an +elephant, that happened to pass; or a lioness, when she has cubs, might +attack a man, who, passing "up the wind of her," had unconsciously, by +his scent, alarmed her for the safety of her whelps; or buffaloes, amid +other animals, might rush at a line of travellers, in apprehension of +being surrounded by them; but neither beast nor snake will, as a general +rule, turn on man except when wounded, or by mistake. If gorillas, +unwounded, advance to do battle with him, and beat their breasts in +defiance, they are an exception to all wild beasts known to us. From the +way an elephant runs at the first glance of man, it is inferred that this +huge brute, though really king of beasts, would run even from a child. + +Our two donkeys caused as much admiration as the three white men. Great +was the astonishment when one of the donkeys began to bray. The timid +jumped more than if a lion had roared beside them. All were startled, +and stared in mute amazement at the harsh-voiced one, till the last +broken note was uttered; then, on being assured that nothing in +particular was meant, they looked at each other, and burst into a loud +laugh at their common surprise. When one donkey stimulated the other to +try his vocal powers, the interest felt by the startled visitors, must +have equalled that of the Londoners, when they first crowded to see the +famous hippopotamus. + +We were now, when we crossed the boundary rivulet Nyamatarara, out of +Chicova and amongst sandstone rocks, similar to those which prevail +between Lupata and Kebrabasa. In the latter gorge, as already mentioned, +igneous and syenitic masses have been acted on by some great fiery +convulsion of nature; the strata are thrown into a huddled heap of +confusion. The coal has of course disappeared in Kebrabasa, but is found +again in Chicova. Tette grey sandstone is common about Sinjere, and +wherever it is seen with fossil wood upon it, coal lies beneath; and +here, as at Chicova, some seams crop out on the banks of the Zambesi. +Looking southwards, the country is open plain and woodland, with detached +hills and mountains in the distance; but the latter are too far off, the +natives say, for them to know their names. The principal hills on our +right, as we look up stream, are from six to twelve miles away, and +occasionally they send down spurs to the river, with brooks flowing +through their narrow valleys. The banks of the Zambesi show two well- +defined terraces; the first, or lowest, being usually narrow, and of +great fertility, while the upper one is a dry grassy plain, a thorny +jungle, or a mopane (_Bauhinia_) forest. One of these plains, near the +Kafue, is covered with the large stumps and trunks of a petrified forest. +We halted a couple of days by the fine stream Sinjere, which comes from +the Chiroby-roby hills, about eight miles to the north. Many lumps of +coal, brought down by the rapid current, lie in its channel. The natives +never seem to have discovered that coal would burn, and, when informed of +the fact, shook their heads, smiled incredulously, and said "_Kodi_" +(really), evidently regarding it as a mere traveller's tale. They were +astounded to see it burning freely on our fire of wood. They told us +that plenty of it was seen among the hills; but, being long ago aware +that we were now in an immense coalfield, we did not care to examine it +further. + +A dyke of black basaltic rock, called Kakolole, crosses the river near +the mouth of the Sinjere; but it has two open gateways in it of from +sixty to eighty yards in breadth, and the channel is very deep. + +On a shallow sandbank, under the dyke, lay a herd of hippopotami in +fancied security. The young ones were playing with each other like young +puppies, climbing on the backs of their dams, trying to take hold of one +another by the jaws and tumbling over into the water. Mbia, one of the +Makololo, waded across to within a dozen yards of the drowsy beasts, and +shot the father of the herd; who, being very fat, soon floated, and was +secured at the village below. The headman of the village visited us +while we were at breakfast. He wore a black "ife" wig and a printed +shirt. After a short silence he said to Masakasa, "You are with the +white people, so why do you not tell them to give me a cloth?" "We are +strangers," answered Masakasa, "why do you not bring us some food?" He +took the plain hint, and brought us two fowls, in order that we should +not report that in passing him we got nothing to eat; and, as usual, we +gave a cloth in return. In reference to the hippopotamus he would make +no demand, but said he would take what we chose to give him. The men +gorged themselves with meat for two days, and cut large quantities into +long narrow strips, which they half-dried and half-roasted on wooden +frames over the fire. Much game is taken in this neighbourhood in +pitfalls. Sharp-pointed stakes are set in the bottom, on which the game +tumbles and gets impaled. The natives are careful to warn strangers of +these traps, and also of the poisoned beams suspended on the tall trees +for the purpose of killing elephants and hippopotami. It is not +difficult to detect the pitfalls after one's attention has been called to +them; but in places where they are careful to carry the earth off to a +distance, and a person is not thinking of such things, a sudden descent +of nine feet is an experience not easily forgotten by the traveller. The +sensations of one thus instantaneously swallowed up by the earth are +peculiar. A momentary suspension of consciousness is followed by the +rustling sound of a shower of sand and dry grass, and the half-bewildered +thought of where he is, and how he came into darkness. Reason awakes to +assure him that he must have come down through that small opening of +daylight overhead, and that he is now where a hippopotamus ought to have +been. The descent of a hippopotamus pitfall is easy, but to get out +again into the upper air is a work of labour. The sides are smooth and +treacherous, and the cross reeds, which support the covering, break in +the attempt to get out by clutching them. A cry from the depths is +unheard by those around, and it is only by repeated and most desperate +efforts that the buried alive can regain the upper world. At Tette we +are told of a white hunter, of unusually small stature, who plumped into +a pit while stalking a guinea-fowl on a tree. It was the labour of an +entire forenoon to get out; and he was congratulating himself on his +escape, and brushing off the clay from his clothes, when down he went +into a second pit, which happened, as is often the case, to be close +beside the first, and it was evening before he could work himself out of +_that_. + +Elephants and buffaloes seldom return to the river by the same path on +two successive nights, they become so apprehensive of danger from this +human art. An old elephant will walk in advance of the herd, and uncover +the pits with his trunk, that the others may see the openings and tread +on firm ground. Female elephants are generally the victims: more timid +by nature than the males, and very motherly in their anxiety for their +calves, they carry their trunks up, trying every breeze for fancied +danger, which often in reality lies at their feet. The tusker, fearing +less, keeps his trunk down, and, warned in time by that exquisitely +sensitive organ, takes heed to his ways. + +Our camp on the Sinjere stood under a wide-spreading wild fig-tree. From +the numbers of this family, of large size, dotted over the country, the +fig or banyan species would seem to have been held sacred in Africa from +the remotest times. The soil teemed with white ants, whose clay tunnels, +formed to screen them from the eyes of birds, thread over the ground, up +the trunks of trees, and along the branches, from which the little +architects clear away all rotten or dead wood. Very often the exact +shape of branches is left in tunnels on the ground and not a bit of the +wood inside. The first night we passed here these destructive insects +ate through our grass-beds, and attacked our blankets, and certain large +red-headed ones even bit our flesh. + +On some days not a single white ant is to be seen abroad; and on others, +and during certain hours, they appear out of doors in myriads, and work +with extraordinary zeal and energy in carrying bits of dried grass down +into their nests. During these busy reaping-fits the lizards and birds +have a good time of it, and enjoy a rich feast at the expense of +thousands of hapless workmen; and when they swarm they are caught in +countless numbers by the natives, and their roasted bodies are spoken of +in an unctuous manner as resembling grains of soft rice fried in +delicious fresh oil. + +A strong marauding party of large black ants attacked a nest of white +ones near the camp: as the contest took place beneath the surface, we +could not see the order of the battle; but it soon became apparent that +the blacks had gained the day, and sacked the white town, for they +returned in triumph, bearing off the eggs, and choice bits of the bodies +of the vanquished. A gift, analogous to that of language, has not been +withheld from ants: if part of their building is destroyed, an official +is seen coming out to examine the damage; and, after a careful survey of +the ruins, he chirrups a few clear and distinct notes, and a crowd of +workers begin at once to repair the breach. When the work is completed, +another order is given, and the workmen retire, as will appear on +removing the soft freshly-built portion. We tried to sleep one rainy +might in a native hut, but could not because of attacks by the fighting +battalions of a very small species of formica, not more than +one-sixteenth of an inch in length. It soon became obvious that they +were under regular discipline, and even attempting to carry out the +skilful plans and stratagems of some eminent leader. Our hands and necks +were the first objects of attack. Large bodies of these little pests +were massed in silence round the point to be assaulted. We could hear +the sharp shrill word of command two or three times repeated, though +until then we had not believed in the vocal power of an ant; the instant +after we felt the storming hosts range over head and neck, biting the +tender skin, clinging with a death-grip to the hair, and parting with +their jaws rather than quit their hold. On our lying down again in the +hope of their having been driven off, no sooner was the light out, and +all still, than the manoeuvre was repeated. Clear and audible orders +were issued, and the assault renewed. It was as hard to sleep in that +hut as in the trenches before Sebastopol. The white ant, being a +vegetable feeder, devours articles of vegetable origin only, and leather, +which, by tanning, is imbued with a vegetable flavour. "A man may be +rich to-day and poor to-morrow, from the ravages of white ants," said a +Portuguese merchant. "If he gets sick, and unable to look after his +goods, his slaves neglect them, and they are soon destroyed by these +insects." The reddish ant, in the west called drivers, crossed our path +daily, in solid columns an inch wide, and never did the pugnacity of +either man or beast exceed theirs. It is a sufficient cause of war if +you only approach them, even by accident. Some turn out of the ranks and +stand with open mandibles, or, charging with extended jaws, bite with +savage ferocity. When hunting, we lighted among them too often; while we +were intent on the game, and without a thought of ants, they quietly +covered us from head to foot, then all began to bite at the same instant; +seizing a piece of the skin with their powerful pincers, they twisted +themselves round with it, as if determined to tear it out. Their bites +are so terribly sharp that the bravest must run, and then strip to pick +off those that still cling with their hooked jaws, as with steel forceps. +This kind abounds in damp places, and is usually met with on the banks of +streams. We have not heard of their actually killing any animal except +the Python, and that only when gorged and quite lethargic, but they soon +clear away any dead animal matter; this appears to be their principal +food, and their use in the economy of nature is clearly in the scavenger +line. + +We started from the Sinjere on the 12th of June, our men carrying with +them bundles of hippopotamus meat for sale, and for future use. We +rested for breakfast opposite the Kakolole dyke, which confines the +channel, west of the Manyerere mountain. A rogue monkey, the largest by +far that we ever saw, and very fat and tame, walked off leisurely from a +garden as we approached. The monkey is a sacred animal in this region, +and is never molested or killed, because the people believe devoutly that +the souls of their ancestors now occupy these degraded forms, and +anticipate that they themselves must, sooner or later, be transformed in +like manner; a future as cheerless for the black as the spirit-rapper's +heaven is for the whites. The gardens are separated from each other by a +single row of small stones, a few handfuls of grass, or a slight furrow +made by the hoe. Some are enclosed by a reed fence of the flimsiest +construction, yet sufficient to keep out the ever wary hippopotamus, who +dreads a trap. His extreme caution is taken advantage of by the women, +who hang, as a miniature trap-beam, a kigelia fruit with a bit of stick +in the end. This protects the maize, of which he is excessively fond. + +The quantity of hippopotamus meat eaten by our men made some of them ill, +and our marches were necessarily short. After three hours' travel on the +13th, we spent the remainder of the day at the village of Chasiribera, on +a rivulet flowing through a beautiful valley to the north, which is +bounded by magnificent mountain-ranges. Pinkwe, or Mbingwe, otherwise +Moeu, forms the south-eastern angle of the range. On the 16th June we +were at the flourishing village of Senga, under the headman Manyame, +which lies at the foot of the mount Motemwa. Nearly all the mountains in +this country are covered with open forest and grass, in colour, according +to the season, green or yellow. Many are between 2000 and 3000 feet +high, with the sky line fringed with trees; the rocks show just +sufficiently for one to observe their stratification, or their granitic +form, and though not covered with dense masses of climbing plants, like +those in moister eastern climates, there is still the idea conveyed that +most of the steep sides are fertile, and none give the impression of that +barrenness which, in northern mountains, suggests the idea that the bones +of the world are sticking through its skin. + +The villagers reported that we were on the footsteps of a Portuguese half- +caste, who, at Senga, lately tried to purchase ivory, but, in consequence +of his having murdered a chief near Zumbo and twenty of his men, the +people declined to trade with him. He threatened to take the ivory by +force, if they would not sell it; but that same night the ivory and the +women were spirited out of the village, and only a large body of armed +men remained. The trader, fearing that he might come off second best if +it came to blows, immediately departed. Chikwanitsela, or Sekuanangila, +is the paramount chief of some fifty miles of the northern bank of the +Zambesi in this locality. He lives on the opposite, or southern side, +and there his territory is still more extensive. We sent him a present +from Senga, and were informed by a messenger next morning that he had a +cough and could not come over to see us. "And has his present a cough +too," remarked one of our party, "that it does not come to us? Is this +the way your chief treats strangers, receives their present, and sends +them no food in return?" Our men thought Chikwanitsela an uncommonly +stingy fellow; but, as it was possible that some of them might yet wish +to return this way, they did not like to scold him more than this, which +was sufficiently to the point. + +Men and women were busily engaged in preparing the ground for the +November planting. Large game was abundant; herds of elephants and +buffaloes came down to the river in the night, but were a long way off by +daylight. They soon adopt this habit in places where they are hunted. + +The plains we travel over are constantly varying in breadth, according as +the furrowed and wooded hills approach or recede from the river. On the +southern side we see the hill Bungwe, and the long, level, wooded ridge +Nyangombe, the first of a series bending from the S.E. to the N.W. past +the Zambesi. We shot an old pallah on the 16th, and found that the poor +animal had been visited with more than the usual share of animal +afflictions. He was stone-blind in both eyes, had several tumours, and a +broken leg, which showed no symptoms of ever having begun to heal. Wild +animals sometimes suffer a great deal from disease, and wearily drag on a +miserable existence before relieved of it by some ravenous beast. Once +we drove off a maneless lion and lioness from a dead buffalo, which had +been in the last stage of a decline. They had watched him staggering to +the river to quench his thirst, and sprang on him as he was crawling up +the bank. One had caught him by the throat, and the other by his high +projecting backbone, which was broken by the lion's powerful fangs. The +struggle, if any, must have been short. They had only eaten the +intestines when we frightened them off. It is curious that this is the +part that wild animals always begin with, and that it is also the first +choice of our men. Were it not a wise arrangement that only the +strongest males should continue the breed, one could hardly help pitying +the solitary buffalo expelled from the herd for some physical blemish, or +on account of the weakness of approaching old age. Banished from female +society, he naturally becomes morose and savage; the necessary +watchfulness against enemies is now never shared by others; disgusted, he +passes into a state of chronic war with all who enjoy life, and the +sooner after his expulsion that he fills the lion's or the wild-dog's +maw, the better for himself and for the peace of the country. + +We encamped on the 20th of June at a spot where Dr. Livingstone, on his +journey from the West to the East Coast, was formerly menaced by a chief +named Mpende. No offence had been committed against him, but he had +firearms, and, with the express object of showing his power, he +threatened to attack the strangers. Mpende's counsellors having, +however, found out that Dr. Livingstone belonged to a tribe of whom they +had heard that "they loved the black man and did not make slaves," his +conduct at once changed from enmity to kindness, and, as the place was +one well selected for defence, it was perhaps quite as well for Mpende +that he decided as he did. Three of his counsellors now visited us, and +we gave them a handsome present for their chief, who came himself next +morning and made us a present of a goat, a basket of boiled maize, and +another of vetches. A few miles above this the headman, Chilondo of +Nyamasusa, apologized for not formerly lending us canoes. "He was +absent, and his children were to blame for not telling him when the +Doctor passed; he did not refuse the canoes." The sight of our men, now +armed with muskets, had a great effect. Without any bullying, firearms +command respect, and lead men to be reasonable who might otherwise feel +disposed to be troublesome. Nothing, however, our fracas with Mpende +excepted, could be more peaceful than our passage through this tract of +country in 1856. We then had nothing to excite the cupidity of the +people, and the men maintained themselves, either by selling elephant's +meat, or by exhibiting feats of foreign dancing. Most of the people were +very generous and friendly; but the Banyai, nearer to Tette than this, +stopped our march with a threatening war-dance. One of our party, +terrified at this, ran away, as we thought, insane, and could not, after +a painful search of three days, be found. The Banyai, evidently touched +by our distress, allowed us to proceed. Through a man we left on an +island a little below Mpende's, we subsequently learned that poor +Monaheng had fled thither, and had been murdered by the headman for no +reason except that he was defenceless. This headman had since become +odious to his countrymen, and had been put to death by them. + +On the 23rd of June we entered Pangola's principal village, which is +upwards of a mile from the river. The ruins of a mud wall showed that a +rude attempt had been made to imitate the Portuguese style of building. +We established ourselves under a stately wild fig-tree, round whose trunk +witchcraft medicine had been tied, to protect from thieves the honey of +the wild bees, which had their hive in one of the limbs. This is a +common device. The charm, or the medicine, is purchased of the dice +doctors, and consists of a strip of palm-leaf smeared with something, and +adorned with a few bits of grass, wood, or roots. It is tied round the +tree, and is believed to have the power of inflicting disease and death +on the thief who climbs over it. Superstition is thus not without its +uses in certain states of society; it prevents many crimes and +misdemeanours, which would occur but for the salutary fear that it +produces. + +Pangola arrived, tipsy and talkative.--"We are friends, we are great +friends; I have brought you a basket of green maize--here it is!" We +thanked him, and handed him two fathoms of cotton cloth, four times the +market-value of his present. No, he would not take so small a present; +he wanted a double-barrelled rifle--one of Dixon's best. "We are +friends, you know; we are all friends together." But although we were +willing to admit that, we could not give him our best rifle, so he went +off in high dudgeon. Early next morning, as we were commencing Divine +service, Pangola returned, sober. We explained to him that we wished to +worship God, and invited him to remain; he seemed frightened, and +retired: but after service he again importuned us for the rifle. It was +of no use telling him that we had a long journey before us, and needed it +to kill game for ourselves.--"He too must obtain meat for himself and +people, for they sometimes suffered from hunger." He then got sulky, and +his people refused to sell food except at extravagant prices. Knowing +that we had nothing to eat, they felt sure of starving us into +compliance. But two of our young men, having gone off at sunrise, shot a +fine waterbuck, and down came the provision market to the lower figure; +they even became eager to sell, but our men were angry with them for +trying compulsion, and would not buy. Black greed had outwitted itself, +as happens often with white cupidity; and not only here did the traits of +Africans remind us of Anglo-Saxons elsewhere: the notoriously ready world- +wide disposition to take an unfair advantage of a man's necessities shows +that the same mean motives are pretty widely diffused among all races. It +may not be granted that the same blood flows in all veins, or that all +have descended from the same stock; but the traveller has no doubt that, +practically, the white rogue and black are men and brothers. + +Pangola is the child or vassal of Mpende. Sandia and Mpende are the only +independent chiefs from Kebrabasa to Zumbo, and belong to the tribe +Manganja. The country north of the mountains here in sight from the +Zambesi is called Senga, and its inhabitants Asenga, or Basenga, but all +appear to be of the same family as the rest of the Manganja and Maravi. +Formerly all the Manganja were united under the government of their great +chief, Undi, whose empire extended from Lake Shirwa to the River Loangwa; +but after Undi's death it fell to pieces, and a large portion of it on +the Zambesi was absorbed by their powerful southern neighbours the +Banyai. This has been the inevitable fate of every African empire from +time immemorial. A chief of more than ordinary ability arises and, +subduing all his less powerful neighbours, founds a kingdom, which he +governs more or less wisely till he dies. His successor not having the +talents of the conqueror cannot retain the dominion, and some of the +abler under-chiefs set up for themselves, and, in a few years, the +remembrance only of the empire remains. This, which may be considered as +the normal state of African society, gives rise to frequent and +desolating wars, and the people long in vain for a power able to make all +dwell in peace. In this light, a European colony would be considered by +the natives as an inestimable boon to intertropical Africa. Thousands of +industrious natives would gladly settle round it, and engage in that +peaceful pursuit of agriculture and trade of which they are so fond, and, +undistracted by wars or rumours of wars, might listen to the purifying +and ennobling truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Manganja on the +Zambesi, like their countrymen on the Shire, are fond of agriculture; +and, in addition to the usual varieties of food, cultivate tobacco and +cotton in quantities more than equal to their wants. To the question, +"Would they work for Europeans?" an affirmative answer may be given, if +the Europeans belong to the class which can pay a reasonable price for +labour, and not to that of adventurers who want employment for +themselves. All were particularly well clothed from Sandia's to +Pangola's; and it was noticed that all the cloth was of native +manufacture, the product of their own looms. In Senga a great deal of +iron is obtained from the ore and manufactured very cleverly. + +As is customary when a party of armed strangers visits the village, +Pangola took the precaution of sleeping in one of the outlying hamlets. +No one ever knows, or at any rate will tell, where the chief sleeps. He +came not next morning, so we went our way; but in a few moments we saw +the rifle-loving chief approaching with some armed men. Before meeting +us, he left the path and drew up his "following" under a tree, expecting +us to halt, and give him a chance of bothering us again; but, having +already had enough of that, we held right on: he seemed dumbfoundered, +and could hardly believe his own eyes. For a few seconds he was +speechless, but at last recovered so far as to be able to say, "You are +passing Pangola. Do you not see Pangola?" Mbia was just going by at the +time with the donkey, and, proud of every opportunity of airing his small +stock of English, shouted in reply, "All right! then get on." "Click, +click, click." + +On the 26th June we breakfasted at Zumbo, on the left bank of the +Loangwa, near the ruins of some ancient Portuguese houses. The Loangwa +was too deep to be forded, and there were no canoes on our side. Seeing +two small ones on the opposite shore, near a few recently erected huts of +two half-castes from Tette, we halted for the ferry-men to come over. +From their movements it was evident that they were in a state of +rollicking drunkenness. Having a waterproof cloak, which could be +inflated into a tiny boat, we sent Mantlanyane across in it. Three half- +intoxicated slaves then brought us the shaky canoes, which we lashed +together and manned with our own canoe-men. Five men were all that we +could carry over at a time; and after four trips had been made the slaves +began to clamour for drink; not receiving any, as we had none to give, +they grew more insolent, and declared that not another man should cross +that day. Sininyane was remonstrating with them, when a loaded musket +was presented at him by one of the trio. In an instant the gun was out +of the rascal's hands, a rattling shower of blows fell on his back, and +he took an involuntary header into the river. He crawled up the bank a +sad and sober man, and all three at once tumbled from the height of saucy +swagger to a low depth of slavish abjectness. The musket was found to +have an enormous charge, and might have blown our man to pieces, but for +the promptitude with which his companions administered justice in a +lawless land. We were all ferried safely across by 8 o'clock in the +evening. + +In illustration of what takes place where no government, or law exists, +the two half-castes, to whom these men belonged, left Tette, with four +hundred slaves, armed with the old Sepoy Brown Bess, to hunt elephants +and trade in ivory. On our way up, we heard from natives of their +lawless deeds, and again, on our way down, from several, who had been +eyewitnesses of the principal crime, and all reports substantially +agreed. The story is a sad one. After the traders reached Zumbo, one of +them, called by the natives Sequasha, entered into a plot with the +disaffected headman, Namakusuru, to kill his chief, Mpangwe, in order +that Namakusuru might seize upon the chieftainship; and for the murder of +Mpangwe the trader agreed to receive ten large tusks of ivory. Sequasha, +with a picked party of armed slaves, went to visit Mpangwe who received +him kindly, and treated him with all the honour and hospitality usually +shown to distinguished strangers, and the women busied themselves in +cooking the best of their provisions for the repast to be set before him. +Of this, and also of the beer, the half-caste partook heartily. Mpangwe +was then asked by Sequasha to allow his men to fire their guns in +amusement. Innocent of any suspicion of treachery, and anxious to hear +the report of firearms, Mpangwe at once gave his consent; and the slaves +rose and poured a murderous volley into the merry group of unsuspecting +spectators, instantly killing the chief and twenty of his people. The +survivors fled in horror. The children and young women were seized as +slaves, and the village sacked. Sequasha sent the message to Namakusuru: +"I have killed the lion that troubled you; come and let us talk over the +matter." He came and brought the ivory. "No," said the half-caste, "let +us divide the land:" and he took the larger share for himself, and +compelled the would-be usurper to deliver up his bracelets, in token of +subjection on becoming the child or vassal of Sequasha. These were sent +in triumph to the authorities at Tette. The governor of Quillimane had +told us that he had received orders from Lisbon to take advantage of our +passing to re-establish Zumbo; and accordingly these traders had built a +small stockade on the rich plain of the right bank of Loangwa, a mile +above the site of the ancient mission church of Zumbo, as part of the +royal policy. The bloodshed was quite unnecessary, because, the land at +Zumbo having of old been purchased, the natives would have always of +their own accord acknowledged the right thus acquired; they pointed it +out to Dr. Livingstone in 1856 that, though they were cultivating it, is +was not theirs, but white man's land. Sequasha and his mate had left +their ivory in charge of some of their slaves, who, in the absence of +their masters, were now having a gay time of it, and getting drunk every +day with the produce of the sacked villages. The head slave came and +begged for the musket of the delinquent ferryman, which was returned. He +thought his master did perfectly right to kill Mpangwe, when asked to do +it for the fee of ten tusks, and he even justified it thus: "If a man +invites you to eat, will you not partake?" + +We continued our journey on the 28th of June. Game was extremely +abundant, and there were many lions. Mbia drove one off from his feast +on a wild pig, and appropriated what remained of the pork to his own use. +Lions are particularly fond of the flesh of wild pigs and zebras, and +contrive to kill a large number of these animals. In the afternoon we +arrived at the village of the female chief, Ma-mburuma, but she herself +was now living on the opposite side of the river. Some of her people +called, and said she had been frightened by seeing her son and other +children killed by Sequasha, and had fled to the other bank; but when her +heart was healed, she would return and live in her own village, and among +her own people. She constantly inquired of the black traders, who came +up the river, if they had any news of the white man who passed with the +oxen. "He has gone down into the sea," was their reply, "but we belong +to the same people." "Oh no; you need not tell me that; he takes no +slaves, but wishes peace: you are not of his tribe." This antislavery +character excites such universal attention, that any missionary who +winked at the gigantic evils involved in the slave-trade would certainly +fail to produce any good impression on the native mind. + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + +Illness--The Honey-guide--Abundance of game--The Baenda pezi--The Batoka. + +We left the river here, and proceeded up the valley which leads to the +Mburuma or Mohango pass. The nights were cold, and on the 30th of June +the thermometer was as low as 39 degrees at sunrise. We passed through a +village of twenty large huts, which Sequasha had attacked on his return +from the murder of the chief, Mpangwe. He caught the women and children +for slaves, and carried off all the food, except a huge basket of bran, +which the natives are wont to save against a time of famine. His slaves +had broken all the water-pots and the millstones for grinding meal. + +The buaze-trees and bamboos are now seen on the hills; but the jujube or +zisyphus, which has evidently been introduced from India, extends no +further up the river. We had been eating this fruit, which, having +somewhat the taste of apples, the Portuguese call Macaas, all the way +from Tette; and here they were larger than usual, though immediately +beyond they ceased to be found. No mango-tree either is to be met with +beyond this point, because the Portuguese traders never established +themselves anywhere beyond Zumbo. Tsetse flies are more numerous and +troublesome than we have ever before found them. They accompany us on +the march, often buzzing round our heads like a swarm of bees. They are +very cunning, and when intending to bite, alight so gently that their +presence is not perceived till they thrust in their lance-like proboscis. +The bite is acute, but the pain is over in a moment; it is followed by a +little of the disagreeable itching of the mosquito's bite. This fly +invariably kills all domestic animals except goats and donkeys; man and +the wild animals escape. We ourselves were severely bitten on this pass, +and so were our donkeys, but neither suffered from any after effects. + +Water is scarce in the Mburuma pass, except during the rainy season. We +however halted beside some fine springs in the bed of the now dry +rivulet, Podebode, which is continued down to the end of the pass, and +yields water at intervals in pools. Here we remained a couple of days in +consequence of the severe illness of Dr. Kirk. He had several times been +attacked by fever; and observed that when we were on the cool heights he +was comfortable, but when we happened to descend from a high to a lower +altitude, he felt chilly, though the temperature in the latter case was +25 degrees higher than it was above; he had been trying different +medicines of reputed efficacy with a view to ascertain whether other +combinations might not be superior to the preparation we generally used; +in halting by this water he suddenly became blind, and unable to stand +from faintness. The men, with great alacrity, prepared a grassy bed, on +which we laid our companion, with the sad forebodings which only those +who have tended the sick in a wild country can realize. We feared that +in experimenting he had over-drugged himself; but we gave him a dose of +our fever pills; on the third day he rode the one of the two donkeys that +would allow itself to be mounted, and on the sixth he marched as well as +any of us. This case is mentioned in order to illustrate what we have +often observed, that moving the patient from place to place is most +conducive to the cure; and the more pluck a man has--the less he gives in +to the disease--the less likely he is to die. + +Supplied with water by the pools in the Podebode, we again joined the +Zambesi at the confluence of the rivulet. When passing through a dry +district the native hunter knows where to expect water by the animals he +sees. The presence of the gemsbuck, duiker or diver, springbucks, or +elephants, is no proof that water is near; for these animals roam over +vast tracts of country, and may be met scores of miles from it. Not so, +however, the zebra, pallah, buffalo, and rhinoceros; their spoor gives +assurance that water is not far off, as they never stray any distance +from its neighbourhood. But when amidst the solemn stillness of the +woods, the singing of joyous birds falls upon the ear, it is certain that +water is close at hand. + +Our men in hunting came on an immense herd of buffaloes, quietly resting +in the long dry grass, and began to blaze away furiously at the +astonished animals. In the wild excitement of the hunt, which heretofore +had been conducted with spears, some forgot to load with ball, and, +firing away vigorously with powder only, wondered for the moment that the +buffaloes did not fall. The slayer of the young elephant, having buried +his four bullets in as many buffaloes, fired three charges of No. 1 shot +he had for killing guinea-fowl. The quaint remarks and merriment after +these little adventures seemed to the listener like the pleasant prattle +of children. Mbia and Mantlanyane, however, killed one buffalo each; +both the beasts were in prime condition; the meat was like really +excellent beef, with a smack of venison. A troop of hungry, howling +hyenas also thought the savour tempting, as they hung round the camp at +night, anxious to partake of the feast. They are, fortunately, arrant +cowards, and never attack either men or beasts except they can catch them +asleep, sick, or at some other disadvantage. With a bright fire at our +feet their presence excites no uneasiness. A piece of meat hung on a +tree, high enough to make him jump to reach it, and a short spear, with +its handle firmly planted in the ground beneath, are used as a device to +induce the hyena to commit suicide by impalement. + +The honey-guide is an extraordinary bird; how is it that every member of +its family has learned that all men, white or black, are fond of honey? +The instant the little fellow gets a glimpse of a man, he hastens to +greet him with the hearty invitation to come, as Mbia translated it, to a +bees' hive, and take some honey. He flies on in the proper direction, +perches on a tree, and looks back to see if you are following; then on to +another and another, until he guides you to the spot. If you do not +accept his first invitation he follows you with pressing importunities, +quite as anxious to lure the stranger to the bees' hive as other birds +are to draw him away from their own nest. Except while on the march, our +men were sure to accept the invitation, and manifested the same by a +peculiar responsive whistle, meaning, as they said, "All right, go ahead; +we are coming." The bird never deceived them, but always guided them to +a hive of bees, though some had but little honey in store. Has this +peculiar habit of the honey-guide its origin, as the attachment of dogs, +in friendship for man, or in love for the sweet pickings of the plunder +left on the ground? Self-interest aiding in preservation from danger +seems to be the rule in most cases, as, for instance, in the bird that +guards the buffalo and rhinoceros. The grass is often so tall and dense +that one could go close up to these animals quite unperceived; but the +guardian bird, sitting on the beast, sees the approach of danger, flaps +its wings and screams, which causes its bulky charge to rush off from a +foe he has neither seen nor heard; for his reward the vigilant little +watcher has the pick of the parasites on his fat friend. In other cases +a chance of escape must be given even by the animal itself to its prey; +as in the rattle-snake, which, when excited to strike, cannot avoid using +his rattle, any more than the cat can resist curling its tail when +excited in the chase of a mouse, or the cobra can refrain from inflating +the loose skin of the neck and extending it laterally, before striking +its poison fangs into its victim. There are many snakes in parts of this +pass; they basked in the warm sunshine, but rustled off through the +leaves as we approached. We observed one morning a small one of a deadly +poisonous species, named Kakone, on a bush by the wayside, quietly +resting in a horizontal position, digesting a lizard for breakfast. +Though openly in view, its colours and curves so closely resembled a +small branch that some failed to see it, even after being asked if they +perceived anything on the bush. Here also one of our number had a glance +at another species, rarely seen, and whose swift lightning-like motion +has given rise to the native proverb, that when a man sees this snake he +will forthwith become a rich man. + +We slept near the ruined village of the murdered chief, Mpangwe, a lovely +spot, with the Zambesi in front, and extensive gardens behind, backed by +a semicircle of hills receding up to lofty mountains. Our path kept +these mountains on our right, and crossed several streamlets, which +seemed to be perennial, and among others the Selole, which apparently +flows past the prominent peak Chiarapela. These rivulets have often +human dwellings on their banks; but the land can scarcely be said to be +occupied. The number of all sorts of game increases wonderfully every +day. As a specimen of what may be met with where there are no human +habitations, and where no firearms have been introduced, we may mention +what at times has actually been seen by us. On the morning of July 3rd a +herd of elephants passed within fifty yards of our sleeping-place, going +down to the river along the dry bed of a rivulet. Starting a few minutes +before the main body, we come upon large flocks of guinea-fowl, shoot +what may be wanted for dinner, or next morning's breakfast, and leave +them in the path to be picked up by the cook and his mates behind. As we +proceed, francolins of three varieties run across the path, and hundreds +of turtle-doves rise, with great blatter of wing, and fly off to the +trees. Guinea-fowls, francolins, turtle-doves, ducks, and geese are the +game birds of this region. At sunrise a herd of pallahs, standing like a +flock of sheep, allow the first man of our long Indian file to approach +within about fifty yards; but having meat, we let them trot off leisurely +and unmolested. Soon afterwards we come upon a herd of waterbucks, which +here are very much darker in colour, and drier in flesh, than the same +species near the sea. They look at us and we at them; and we pass on to +see a herd of doe koodoos, with a magnificently horned buck or two, +hurrying off to the dry hill-sides. We have ceased shooting antelopes, +as our men have been so often gorged with meat that they have become fat +and dainty. They say that they do not want more venison, it is so dry +and tasteless, and ask why we do not give them shot to shoot the more +savoury guinea-fowl. + +About eight o'clock the tsetse commence to buzz about us, and bite our +hands and necks sharply. Just as we are thinking of breakfast, we meet +some buffaloes grazing by the path; but they make off in a heavy gallop +at the sight of man. We fire, and the foremost, badly wounded, separates +from the herd, and is seen to stop amongst the trees; but, as it is a +matter of great danger to follow a wounded buffalo, we hold on our way. +It is this losing of wounded animals which makes firearms so annihilating +to these beasts of the field, and will in time sweep them all away. The +small Enfield bullet is worse than the old round one for this. It often +goes through an animal without killing him, and he afterwards perishes, +when he is of no value to man. After breakfast we draw near a pond of +water; a couple of elephants stand on its bank, and, at a respectful +distance behind these monarchs of the wilderness, is seen a herd of +zebras, and another of waterbucks. On getting our wind the royal beasts +make off at once; but the zebras remain till the foremost man is within +eighty yards of them, when old and young canter gracefully away. The +zebra has a great deal of curiosity; and this is often fatal to him, for +he has the habit of stopping to look at the hunter. In this particular +he is the exact opposite of the diver antelope, which rushes off like the +wind, and never for a moment stops to look behind, after having once seen +or smelt danger. The finest zebra of the herd is sometimes shot, our men +having taken a sudden fancy to the flesh, which all declare to be the +"king of good meat." On the plains of short grass between us and the +river many antelopes of different species are calmly grazing, or +reposing. Wild pigs are common, and walk abroad during the day; but are +so shy as seldom to allow a close approach. On taking alarm they erect +their slender tails in the air, and trot off swiftly in a straight line, +keeping their bodies as steady as a locomotive on a railroad. A mile +beyond the pool three cow buffaloes with their calves come from the +woods, and move out into the plain. A troop of monkeys, on the edge of +the forest, scamper back to its depths on hearing the loud song of +Singeleka, and old surly fellows, catching sight of the human party, +insult it with a loud and angry bark. Early in the afternoon we may see +buffaloes again, or other animals. We camp on the dry higher ground, +after, as has happened, driving off a solitary elephant. The nights are +warmer now, and possess nearly as much of interest and novelty as the +days. A new world awakes and comes forth, more numerous, if we may judge +by the noise it makes, than that which is abroad by sunlight. Lions and +hyenas roar around us, and sometimes come disagreeably near, though they +have never ventured into our midst. Strange birds sing their agreeable +songs, while others scream and call harshly as if in fear or anger. +Marvellous insect-sounds fall upon the ear; one, said by natives to +proceed from a large beetle, resembles a succession of measured musical +blows upon an anvil, while many others are perfectly indescribable. A +little lemur was once seen to leap about from branch to branch with the +agility of a frog; it chirruped like a bird, and is not larger than a +robin red-breast. Reptiles, though numerous, seldom troubled us; only +two men suffered from stings, and that very slightly, during the entire +journey, the one supposed that he was bitten by a snake, and the other +was stung by a scorpion. + +Grass-burning has begun, and is producing the blue hazy atmosphere of the +American Indian summer, which in Western Africa is called the "smokes." +Miles of fire burn on the mountain-sides in the evenings, but go out +during the night. From their height they resemble a broad zigzag line of +fire in the heavens. + +We slept on the night of the 6th of July on the left bank of the Chongwe, +which comes through a gap in the hills on our right, and is twenty yards +wide. A small tribe of the Bazizulu, from the south, under Dadanga, have +recently settled here and built a village. Some of their houses are +square, and they seem to be on friendly terms with the Bakoa, who own the +country. They, like the other natives, cultivate cotton, but of a +different species from any we have yet seen in Africa, the staple being +very long, and the boll larger than what is usually met with; the seeds +cohere as in the Pernambuco kind. They brought the seed with them from +their own country, the distant mountains of which in the south, still +inhabited by their fellow-countrymen, who possess much cattle and use +shields, can be seen from this high ground. These people profess to be +children of the great paramount chief, Kwanyakarombe, who is said to be +lord of all the Bazizulu. The name of this tribe is known to +geographers, who derive their information from the Portuguese, as the +_Morusurus_, and the hills mentioned above are said to have been the +country of Changamira, the warrior-chief of history, whom no Portuguese +ever dared to approach. The Bazizulu seem, by report, to be brave +mountaineers; nearer the river, the Sidima inhabit the plains; just as on +the north side, the Babimpe live on the heights, about two days off, and +the Makoa on or near the river. The chief of the Bazizulu we were now +with was hospitable and friendly. A herd of buffaloes came trampling +through the gardens and roused up our men; a feat that roaring lions +seldom achieved. + +Our course next day passed over the upper terrace and through a dense +thorn jungle. Travelling is always difficult where there is no path, but +it is even more perplexing where the forest is cut up by many +game-tracks. Here we got separated from one another, and a rhinoceros +with angry snort dashed at Dr. Livingstone as he stooped to pick up a +specimen of the wild fruit morula; but she strangely stopped stock-still +when less than her own length distant, and gave him time to escape; a +branch pulled out his watch as he ran, and turning half round to grasp +it, he got a distant glance of her and her calf still standing on the +selfsame spot, as if arrested in the middle of her charge by an unseen +hand. When about fifty yards off, thinking his companions close behind, +he shouted "Look out there!" when off she rushed, snorting loudly, in +another direction. The Doctor usually went unarmed before this, but +never afterwards. + +A fine eland was shot by Dr. Kirk this afternoon, the first we have +killed. It was in first-rate condition, and remarkably fat; but the +meat, though so tempting in appearance, severely deranged all who partook +of it heartily, especially those who ate of the fat. Natives who live in +game countries, and are acquainted with the different kinds of wild +animals, have a prejudice against the fat of the eland, the pallah, the +zebra, hippopotamus, and pig; they never reject it, however, the climate +making the desire for all animal food very strong; but they consider that +it causes ulcers and leprosy, while the fat of sheep and of oxen never +produces any bad effects, unless the animal is diseased. + +On the morning of the 9th, after passing four villages, we breakfasted at +an old friend's, Tombanyama, who lives now on the mainland, having +resigned the reedy island, where he was first seen, to the buffaloes, +which used to take his crops and show fight to his men. He keeps a large +flock of tame pigeons, and some fine fat capons, one of which he gave us, +with a basket of meal. They have plenty of salt in this part of the +country, obtaining it from the plains in the usual way. + +The half-caste partner of Sequasha and a number of his men were staying +near. The fellow was very munch frightened when he saw us, and trembled +so much when he spoke, that the Makololo and other natives noticed and +remarked on it. His fears arose from a sense of guilt, as we said +nothing to frighten him, and did not allude to the murder till a few +minutes before starting; when it was remarked that Dr. Livingstone having +been accredited to the murdered chief, it would be his duty to report on +it; and that not even the Portuguese Government would approve of the +deed. He defended it by saying that they had put in the right man, the +other was a usurper. He was evidently greatly relieved when we departed. +In the afternoon we came to an outlying hamlet of Kambadzo, whose own +village is on an island, Nyampungo, or Nyangalule, at the confluence of +the Kafue. The chief was on a visit here, and they had been enjoying a +regular jollification. There had been much mirth, music, drinking, and +dancing. The men, and women too, had taken "a wee drap too much," but +had not passed the complimentary stage. The wife of the headman, after +looking at us a few moments, called out to the others, "Black traders +have come before, calling themselves Bazungu, or white men, but now, for +the first time, have we seen the real Bazungu." Kambadzo also soon +appeared; he was sorry that we had not come before the beer was all done, +but he was going back to see if it was all really and entirely finished, +and not one little potful left somewhere. + +This was, of course, mere characteristic politeness, as he was perfectly +aware that every drop had been swallowed; so we proceeded on to the +Kafue, or Kafuje, accompanied by the most intelligent of his headmen. A +high ridge, just before we reached the confluence, commands a splendid +view of the two great rivers, and the rich country beyond. Behind, on +the north and east, is the high mountain-range, along whose base we have +been travelling; the whole range is covered with trees, which appear even +on the prominent peaks, Chiarapela, Morindi, and Chiava; at this last the +chain bends away to the N.W., and we could see the distant mountains +where the chief, Semalembue, gained all our hearts in 1856. + +On the 9th of July we tried to send Semalembue a present, but the people +here refused to incur the responsibility of carrying it. We, who have +the art of writing, cannot realize the danger one incurs of being accused +of purloining a portion of goods sent from one person to another, when +the carrier cannot prove that he delivered all committed to his charge. +Rumours of a foray having been made, either by Makololo or Batoka, as far +as the fork of the Kafue, were received here by our men with great +indignation, as it looked as if the marauders were shutting up the +country, which they had been trying so much to open. Below the junction +of the rivers, on a shallow sandbank, lay a large herd of hippopotami, +their bodies out of the water, like masses of black rock. Kambadzo's +island, called Nyangalule, a name which occurs again at the mouth of the +Zambesi, has many choice Motsikiri (_Trachelia_) trees on it; and four +very conspicuous stately palms growing out of a single stem. The Kafue +reminds us a little of the Shire, flowing between steep banks, with +fertile land on both sides. It is a smaller river, and has less current. +Here it seems to come from the west. The headman of the village, near +which we encamped, brought a present of meal, fowls, and sweet potatoes. +They have both the red and white varieties of this potato. We have, on +several occasions during this journey, felt the want of vegetables, in a +disagreeable craving which our diet of meat and native meal could not +satisfy. It became worse and worse till we got a meal of potatoes, which +allayed it at once. A great scarcity of vegetables prevails in these +parts of Africa. The natives collect several kinds of wild plants in the +woods, which they use no doubt for the purpose of driving off cravings +similar to those we experienced. + +Owing to the strength of the wind, and the cranky state of the canoes, it +was late in the afternoon of the 11th before our party was ferried over +the Kafue. After crossing, we were in the Bawe country. Fishhooks here, +of native workmanship, were observed to have barbs like the European +hooks: elsewhere the point of the hook is merely bent in towards the +shank, to have the same effect in keeping on the fish as the barb. We +slept near a village a short distance above the ford. The people here +are of Batoka origin, the same as many of our men, and call themselves +Batonga (independents), or Balengi, and their language only differs +slightly from that of the Bakoa, who live between the two rivers Kafue +and Loangwa. The paramount chief of the district lives to the west of +this place, and is called Nchomokela--an hereditary title: the family +burying-place is on a small hill near this village. The women salute us +by clapping their hands and lullilooing as we enter and leave a village, +and the men, as they think, respectfully clap their hands on their hips. +Immense crops of mapira (_holcus sorghum_) are raised; one species of it +forms a natural bend on the seed-stalk, so that the massive ear hangs +down. The grain was heaped up on wooden stages, and so was a variety of +other products. The men are skilful hunters, and kill elephants and +buffaloes with long heavy spears. We halted a few minutes on the morning +of the 12th July, opposite the narrow island of Sikakoa, which has a +village on its lower end. We were here told that Moselekatse's chief +town is a month's distance from this place. They had heard, moreover, +that the English had come to Moselekatse, and told him it was wrong to +kill men; and he had replied that he was born to kill people, but would +drop the habit; and, since the English came, he had sent out his men, not +to kill as of yore, but to collect tribute of cloth and ivory. This +report referred to the arrival of the Rev. R. Moffat, of Kuruman, who, we +afterwards found, had established a mission. The statement is +interesting as showing that, though imperfectly expressed, the purport of +the missionaries' teaching had travelled, in a short time, over 300 +miles, and we know not how far the knowledge of the English operations on +the coast spread inland. + +When abreast of the high wooded island Kalabi we came in contact with one +of the game-laws of the country, which has come down from the most +ancient times. An old buffalo crossed the path a few yards in front of +us; our guide threw his small spear at its hip, and it was going off +scarcely hurt, when three rifle balls knocked it over. "It is mine," +said the guide. He had wounded it first, and the established native game- +law is that the animal belongs to the man who first draws blood; the two +legs on one side, by the same law, belonged to us for killing it. This +beast was very old, blind of one eye, and scabby; the horns, mere stumps, +not a foot long, must have atrophied, when by age he lost the strength +distinctive of his sex; some eighteen or twenty inches of horn could not +well be worn down by mere rubbing against the trees. We saw many +buffaloes next day, standing quietly amidst a thick thorn-jungle, through +which we were passing. They often stood until we were within fifty or a +hundred yards of them. + +On the 14th July we left the river at the mountain-range, which, lying +north-east and south-west across the river, forms the Kariba gorge. Near +the upper end of the Kariba rapids, the stream Sanyati enters from the +south, and is reported to have Moselekatse's principal cattle-posts at +its sources; our route went round the end of the mountains, and we +encamped beside the village of the generous chief Moloi, who brought us +three immense baskets of fine mapira meal, ten fowls, and two pots of +beer. On receiving a present in return, he rose, and, with a few dancing +gestures, said or sang, "Motota, Motota, Motota," which our men +translated into "thanks." He had visited Moselekatse a few months before +our arrival, and saw the English missionaries, living in their wagons. +"They told Moselekatse," said he, "they were of his family, or friends, +and would plough the land and live at their own expense;" and he had +replied, "The land is before you, and I shall come and see you plough." +This again was substantially what took place, when Mr. Moffat introduced +the missionaries to his old friend, and shows still further that the +notion of losing their country by admitting foreigners does not come as +the first idea to the native mind. One might imagine that, as mechanical +powers are unknown to the heathen, the almost magic operations of +machinery, the discoveries of modern science and art, or the presence of +the prodigious force which, for instance, is associated with the sight of +a man-of-war, would have the effect which miracles once had of arresting +the attention and inspiring awe. But, though we have heard the natives +exclaim in admiration at the sight of even small illustrations of what +science enables us to do--"Ye are gods, and not men"--the heart is +unaffected. In attempting their moral elevation, it is always more +conducive to the end desired, that the teacher should come unaccompanied +by any power to cause either jealousy or fear. The heathen, who have not +become aware of the greed and hate which too often characterize the +advancing tide of emigration, listen with most attention to the message +of Divine love when delivered by men who evidently possess the same human +sympathies with themselves. A chief is rather envied his good fortune in +first securing foreigners in his town. Jealousy of strangers belongs +more to the Arab than to the African character; and if the women are let +alone by the traveller, no danger need be apprehended from any save the +slave-trading tribes, and not often even from them. + +We passed through a fertile country, covered with open forest, +accompanied by the friendly Bawe. They are very hospitable; many of them +were named, among themselves, "the Baenda pezi," or "Go-nakeds," their +only clothing being a coat of red ochre. Occasionally stopping at their +villages we were duly lullilooed, and regaled with sweet new-made beer, +which, being yet unfermented, was not intoxicating. It is in this state +called Liting or Makonde. Some of the men carry large shields of buffalo- +hide, and all are well supplied with heavy spears. The vicinity of the +villages is usually cleared and cultivated in large patches; but nowhere +can the country be said to be stocked with people. At every village +stands were erected, and piles of the native corn, still unthrashed, +placed upon them; some had been beaten out, put into oblong parcels made +of grass, and stacked in wooden frames. + +We crossed several rivulets in our course, as the Mandora, the Lofia, the +Manzaia (with brackish water), the Rimbe, the Chibue, the Chezia, the +Chilola (containing fragments of coal), which did little more than mark +our progress. The island and rapid of Nakansalo, of which we had +formerly heard, were of no importance, the rapid being but half a mile +long, and only on one side of the island. The island Kaluzi marks one of +the numerous places where astronomical observations were made; Mozia, a +station where a volunteer poet left us; the island Mochenya, and Mpande +island, at the mouth of the Zungwe rivulet, where we left the Zambesi. + +When favoured with the hospitality and company of the "Go-nakeds," we +tried to discover if nudity were the badge of a particular order among +the Bawe, but they could only refer to custom. Some among them had +always liked it for no reason in particular: shame seemed to lie dormant, +and the sense could not be aroused by our laughing and joking them on +their appearance. They evidently felt no less decent than we did with +our clothes on; but, whatever may be said in favour of nude statues, it +struck us that man, in a state of nature, is a most ungainly animal. +Could we see a number of the degraded of our own lower classes in like +guise, it is probable that, without the black colour which acts somehow +as a dress, they would look worse still. + +In domestic contentions the Bawe are careful not to kill each other; but, +when one village goes to war with another, they are not so particular. +The victorious party are said to quarter one of the bodies of the enemies +they may have killed, and to perform certain ceremonies over the +fragments. The vanquished call upon their conquerors to give them a +portion also; and, when this request is complied with, they too perform +the same ceremonies, and lament over their dead comrade, after which the +late combatants may visit each other in peace. Sometimes the head of the +slain is taken and buried in an ant-hill, till all the flesh is gone; and +the lower jaw is then worn as a trophy by the slayer; but this we never +saw, and the foregoing information was obtained only through an +interpreter. + +We left the Zambesi at the mouth of the Zungwe or Mozama or Dela rivulet, +up which we proceeded, first in a westerly and then in a north-westerly +direction. The Zungwe at this time had no water in its sandy channel for +the first eight or ten miles. Willows, however, grow on the banks, and +water soon began to appear in the hollows; and a few miles further up it +was a fine flowing stream deliciously cold. As in many other streams +from Chicova to near Sinamane shale and coal crop out in the bank; and +here the large roots of stigmaria or its allied plants were found. We +followed the course of the Zungwe to the foot of the Batoka highlands, up +whose steep and rugged sides of red and white quartz we climbed till we +attained an altitude of upwards of 3000 feet. Here, on the cool and +bracing heights, the exhilaration of mind and body was delightful, as we +looked back at the hollow beneath covered with a hot sultry glare, not +unpleasant now that we were in the mild radiance above. We had a noble +view of the great valley in which the Zambesi flows. The cultivated +portions are so small in comparison to the rest of the landscape that the +valley appears nearly all forest, with a few grassy glades. We spent the +night of the 28th July high above the level of the sea, by the rivulet +Tyotyo, near Tabacheu or Chirebuechina, names both signifying white +mountain; in the morning hoar frost covered the ground, and thin ice was +on the pools. Skirting the southern flank of Tabacheu, we soon passed +from the hills on to the portion of the vast table-land called Mataba, +and looking back saw all the way across the Zambesi valley to the lofty +ridge some thirty miles off, which, coming from the Mashona, a country in +the S.E., runs to the N.W. to join the ridge at the angle of which are +the Victoria Falls, and then bends far to the N.E. from the same point. +Only a few years since these extensive highlands were peopled by the +Batoka; numerous herds of cattle furnished abundance of milk, and the +rich soil amply repaid the labour of the husbandman; now large herds of +buffaloes, zebras, and antelopes fatten on the excellent pasture; and on +that land, which formerly supported multitudes, not a man is to been +seen. In travelling from Monday morning till late on Saturday afternoon, +all the way from Tabacheu to Moachemba, which is only twenty-one miles of +latitude from the Victoria Falls, and constantly passing the ruined sites +of utterly deserted Botoka villages, we did not fall in with a single +person. The Batoka were driven out of their noble country by the +invasions of Moselekatse and Sebetuane. Several tribes of Bechuana and +Basutu, fleeing from the Zulu or Matebele chief Moselekatse reached the +Zambesi above the Falls. Coming from a land without rivers, none of them +knew how to swim; and one tribe, called the Bamangwato, wishing to cross +the Zambesi, was ferried over, men and women separately, to different +islands, by one of the Batoka chiefs; the men were then left to starve +and the women appropriated by the ferryman and his people. Sekomi, the +present chief of the Bamangwato, then an infant in his mother's arms, was +enabled, through the kindness of a private Batoka, to escape. This act +seems to have made an indelible impression on Sekomi's heart, for though +otherwise callous, he still never fails to inquire after the welfare of +his benefactor. + +Sebetuane, with his wonted ability, outwitted the treacherous Batoka, by +insisting in the politest manner on their chief remaining at his own side +until the people and cattle were all carried safe across; the chief was +then handsomely rewarded, both with cattle and brass rings off +Sebetuane's own wives. No sooner were the Makololo, then called Basuto, +safely over, than they were confronted by the whole Batoka nation; and to +this day the Makololo point with pride to the spot on the Lekone, near to +which they were encamped, where Sebetuane, with a mere handful of +warriors in comparison to the vast horde that surrounded him, stood +waiting the onslaught, the warriors in one small body, the women and +children guarding the cattle behind them. The Batoka, of course, melted +away before those who had been made veterans by years of continual +fighting, and Sebetuane always justified his subsequent conquests in that +country by alleging that the Batoka had come out to fight with a man +fleeing for his life, who had never done them any wrong. They seem never +to have been a warlike race; passing through their country, we once +observed a large stone cairn, and our guide favoured us with the +following account of it:--"Once upon a time, our forefathers were going +to fight another tribe, and here they halted and sat down. After a long +consultation, they came to the unanimous conclusion that, instead of +proceeding to fight and kill their neighbours, and perhaps be killed +themselves, it would be more like men to raise this heap of stones, as +their protest against the wrong the other tribe had done them, which, +having accomplished, they returned quietly home." Such men of peace +could not stand before the Makololo, nor, of course, the more warlike +Matebele, who coming afterwards, drove even their conquerors, the +Makololo, out of the country. Sebetuane, however, profiting by the +tactics which he had learned of the Batoka, inveigled a large body of +this new enemy on to another island, and after due starvation there +overcame the whole. A much greater army of "Moselekatse's own" followed +with canoes, but were now baffled by Sebetuane's placing all his people +and cattle on an island and so guarding it that none could approach. +Dispirited, famished, borne down by fever, they returned to the Falls, +and all except five were cut off. + +But though the Batoka appear never to have had much inclination to fight +with men, they are decidedly brave hunters of buffaloes and elephants. +They go fearlessly close up to these formidable animals, and kill them +with large spears. The Banyai, who have long bullied all Portuguese +traders, were amazed at the daring and bravery of the Batoka in coming at +once to close quarters with the elephant; and Chisaka, a Portuguese +rebel, having formerly induced a body of this tribe to settle with him, +ravaged all the Portuguese villas around Tette. They bear the name of +Basimilongwe, and some of our men found relations among them. Sininyane +and Matenga also, two of our party, were once inveigled into a Portuguese +expedition against Mariano, by the assertion that the Doctor had arrived +and had sent for them to come down to Senna. On finding that they were +entrapped to fight, they left, after seeing an officer with a large +number of Tette slaves killed. + +The Batoka had attained somewhat civilized ideas, in planting and +protecting various fruit and oil-seed yielding trees of the country. No +other tribe either plants or abstains from cutting down fruit trees, but +here we saw some which had been planted in regular rows, and the trunks +of which were quite two feet in diameter. The grand old Mosibe, a tree +yielding a bean with a thin red pellicle, said to be very fattening, had +probably seen two hundred summers. Dr. Kirk found that the Mosibe is +peculiar, in being allied to a species met with only in the West Indies. +The Motsikiri, sometimes called Mafuta, yields a hard fat, and an oil +which is exported from Inhambane. It is said that two ancient Batoka +travellers went down as far as the Loangwa, and finding the Macaa tree +(_jujube_ or _zisyphus_) in fruit, carried the seed all the way back to +the great Falls, in order to plant them. Two of these trees are still to +be seen there, the only specimens of the kind in that region. + +The Batoka had made a near approach to the custom of more refined nations +and had permanent graveyards, either on the sides of hills, thus rendered +sacred, or under large old shady trees; they reverence the tombs of their +ancestors, and plant the largest elephants' tusks, as monuments at the +head of the grave, or entirely enclose it with the choicest ivory. Some +of the other tribes throw the dead body into the river to be devoured by +crocodiles, or, sewing it up in a mat, place it on the branch of a +baobab, or cast it in some lonely gloomy spot, surrounded by dense +tropical vegetation, where it affords a meal to the foul hyenas; but the +Batoka reverently bury their dead, and regard the spot henceforth as +sacred. The ordeal by the poison of the muave is resorted to by the +Batoka, as well as by the other tribes; but a cock is often made to stand +proxy for the supposed witch. Near the confluence of the Kafue the +Mambo, or chief, with some of his headmen, came to our sleeping-place +with a present; their foreheads were smeared with white flour, and an +unusual seriousness marked their demeanour. Shortly before our arrival +they had been accused of witchcraft; conscious of innocence, they +accepted the ordeal, and undertook to drink the poisoned muave. For this +purpose they made a journey to the sacred hill of Nchomokela, on which +repose the bodies of their ancestors; and, after a solemn appeal to the +unseen spirits to attest the innocence of their children, they swallowed +the muave, vomited, and were therefore declared not guilty. It is +evident that they believe that the soul has a continued existence; and +that the spirits of the departed know what those they have left behind +them are doing, and are pleased or not according as their deeds are good +or evil; this belief is universal. The owner of a large canoe refused to +sell it, because it belonged to the spirit of his father, who helped him +when he killed the hippopotamus. Another, when the bargain for his canoe +was nearly completed, seeing a large serpent on a branch of the tree +overhead, refused to complete the sale, alleging that this was the spirit +of his father come to protest against it. + +Some of the Batoka chiefs must have been men of considerable enterprise; +the land of one, in the western part of this country, was protected by +the Zambesi on the S., and on the N. and E. lay an impassable reedy +marsh, filled with water all the year round, leaving only his western +border open to invasion: he conceived the idea of digging a broad and +deep canal nearly a mile in length, from the reedy marsh to the Zambesi, +and, having actually carried the scheme into execution, he formed a large +island, on which his cattle grazed in safety, and his corn ripened from +year to year secure from all marauders. + +Another chief, who died a number of years ago, believed that he had +discovered a remedy for tsetse-bitten cattle; his son Moyara showed us a +plant, which was new to our botanist, and likewise told us how the +medicine was prepared; the bark of the root, and, what might please our +homoeopathic friends, a dozen of the tsetse are dried, and ground +together into a fine powder. This mixture is administered internally; +and the cattle are fumigated by burning under them the rest of the plant +collected. The treatment must be continued for weeks, whenever the +symptoms of poison appear. This medicine, he frankly admitted, would not +cure all the bitten cattle. "For," said he, "cattle, and men too, die in +spite of medicine; but should a herd by accident stray into a tsetse +district and be bitten, by this medicine of my father, Kampa-kampa, some +of them could be saved, while, without it, all would inevitably die." He +stipulated that we were not to show the medicine to other people, and if +ever we needed it in this region we must employ him; but if we were far +off we might make it ourselves; and when we saw it cure the cattle think +of him, and send him a present. + +Our men made it known everywhere that we wished the tribes to live in +peace, and would use our influence to induce Sekeletu to prevent the +Batoka of Moshobotwane and the Makololo under-chiefs making forays into +their country: they had already suffered severely, and their +remonstrances with their countryman, Moshobotwane, evoked only the +answer, "The Makololo have given me a spear; why should I not use it?" +He, indeed, it was who, being remarkably swift of foot, first guided the +Makololo in their conquest of the country. In the character of +peacemakers, therefore, we experienced abundant hospitality; and, from +the Kafue to the Falls, none of our party was allowed to suffer hunger. +The natives sent to our sleeping-places generous presents of the finest +white meal, and fat capons to give it a relish, great pots of beer to +comfort our hearts, together with pumpkins, beans, and tobacco, so that +we "should sleep neither hungry nor thirsty." + +In travelling from the Kafue to the Zungwe we frequently passed several +villages in the course of a day's march. In the evening came deputies +from the villages, at which we could not stay to sleep, with liberal +presents of food. It would have pained them to have allowed strangers to +pass without partaking of their hospitality; repeatedly were we hailed +from huts, and asked to wait a moment and drink a little of the beer, +which was brought with alacrity. Our march resembled a triumphant +procession. We entered and left every village amidst the cheers of its +inhabitants; the men clapping their hands, and the women lullilooing, +with the shrill call, "Let us sleep," or "Peace." Passing through a +hamlet one day, our guide called to the people, "Why do you not clap your +hands and salute when you see men who are wishing to bring peace to the +land?" When we halted for the night it was no uncommon thing for the +people to prepare our camp entirely of their own accord; some with hoes +quickly smoothed the ground for our beds, others brought dried grass and +spread it carefully over the spot; some with their small axes speedily +made a bush fence to shield us from the wind; and if, as occasionally +happened, the water was a little distance off, others hastened and +brought it with firewood to cook our food with. They are an industrious +people, and very fond of agriculture. For hours together we marched +through unbroken fields of mapira, or native corn, of a great width; but +one can give no idea of the extent of land under the hoe as compared with +any European country. The extent of surface is so great that the largest +fields under culture, when viewed on a wide landscape, dwindle to mere +spots. When taken in connection with the wants of the people, the +cultivation on the whole is most creditable to their industry. They +erect numerous granaries which give their villages the appearance of +being large; and, when the water of the Zambesi has subsided, they place +large quantities of grain, tied up in bundles of grass, and well +plastered over with clay, on low sand islands for protection from the +attacks of marauding mice and men. Owing to the ravages of the weevil, +the native corn can hardly be preserved until the following crop comes +in. However largely they may cultivate, and however abundant the +harvest, it must all be consumed in a year. This may account for their +making so much of it into beer. The beer these Batoka or Bawe brew is +not the sour and intoxicating boala or pombe found among some other +tribes, but sweet, and highly nutritive, with only a slight degree of +acidity, sufficient to render it a pleasant drink. The people were all +plump, and in good condition; and we never saw a single case of +intoxication among them, though all drank abundance of this liting, or +sweet beer. Both men and boys were eager to work for very small pay. Our +men could hire any number of them to carry their burdens for a few beads +a day. Our miserly and dirty ex-cook had an old pair of trousers that +some one had given to him; after he had long worn them himself, with one +of the sorely decayed legs he hired a man to carry his heavy load a whole +day; a second man carried it the next day for the other leg, and what +remained of the old garment, without the buttons, procured the labour of +another man for the third day. + +Men of remarkable ability have risen up among the Africans from time to +time, as amongst other portions of the human family. Some have attracted +the attention, and excited the admiration of large districts by their +wisdom. Others, apparently by the powers of ventriloquism, or by +peculiar dexterity in throwing the spear, or shooting with the bow, have +been the wonder of their generation; but the total absence of literature +leads to the loss of all former experience, and the wisdom of the wise +has not been handed down. They have had their minstrels too, but mere +tradition preserves not their effusions. One of these, and apparently a +genuine poet, attached himself to our party for several days, and +whenever we halted, sang our praises to the villagers, in smooth and +harmonious numbers. It was a sort of blank verse, and each line +consisted of five syllables. The song was short when it first began, but +each day he picked up more information about us, and added to the poem +until our praises became an ode of respectable length. When distance +from home compelled his return he expressed his regret at leaving us, and +was, of course, paid for his useful and pleasant flatteries. Another, +though a less gifted son of song, belonged to the Batoka of our own +party. Every evening, while the others were cooking, talking, or +sleeping, he rehearsed his songs, containing a history of everything he +had seen in the land of the white men, and on the way back. In +composing, extempore, any new piece, he was never at a loss; for if the +right word did not come he halted not, but eked out the measure with a +peculiar musical sound meaning nothing at all. He accompanied his +recitations on the _sansa_, an instrument figured in the woodcut, the +nine iron keys of which are played with the thumbs, while the fingers +pass behind to hold it. The hollow end and ornaments face the breast of +the player. Persons of a musical turn, if too poor to buy a sansa, may +be seen playing vigorously on an instrument made with a number of thick +corn-stalks sewn together, as a sansa frame, and keys of split bamboo, +which, though making but little sound, seems to soothe the player +himself. When the instrument is played with a calabash as a sounding +board, it emits a greater volume of sound. Pieces of shells and tin are +added to make a jingling accompaniment, and the calabash is also +ornamented. + +After we had passed up, a party of slaves, belonging to the two native +Portuguese who assassinated the chief, Mpangwe, and took possession of +his lands at Zumbo, followed on our footsteps, and representing +themselves to be our "children," bought great quantities of ivory from +the Bawe, for a few coarse beads a tusk. They also purchased ten large +new canoes to carry it, at the rate of six strings of red or white beads, +or two fathoms of grey calico, for each canoe, and, at the same cheap +rate, a number of good-looking girls. + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + +The Victoria Falls of the Zambesi--Marvellous grandeur of the +Cataracts--The Makololo's town--The Chief Sekeletu. + +During the time we remained at Motunta a splendid meteor was observed to +lighten the whole heavens. The observer's back was turned to it, but on +looking round the streak of light was seen to remain on its path some +seconds. This streak is usually explained to be only the continuance of +the impression made by the shining body on the retina. This cannot be, +as in this case the meteor was not actually seen and yet the streak was +clearly perceived. The rays of planets and stars also require another +explanation than that usually given. + +Fruit-trees and gigantic wild fig-trees, and circles of stones on which +corn safes were placed, with worn grindstones, point out where the +villages once stood. The only reason now assigned for this fine country +remaining desolate is the fear of fresh visitations by the Matebele. The +country now slopes gradually to the west into the Makololo Valley. Two +days' march from the Batoka village nearest the highlands, we met with +some hunters who were burning the dry grass, in order to attract the game +by the fresh vegetation which speedily springs up afterwards. The grass, +as already remarked, is excellent for cattle. One species, with leaves +having finely serrated edges, and of a reddish-brown colour, we noticed +our men eating: it tastes exactly like liquorice-root, and is named kezu- +kezu. The tsetse, known to the Batoka by the name "ndoka," does not +exist here, though buffaloes and elephants abound. + +A small trap in the path, baited with a mouse, to catch spotted cats (_F. +Genetta_), is usually the first indication that we are drawing near to a +village; but when we get within the sounds of pounding corn, cockcrowing, +or the merry shouts of children at play, we know that the huts are but a +few yards off, though the trees conceal them from view. We reached, on +the 4th of August, Moachemba, the first of the Batoka villages which now +owe allegiance to Sekeletu, and could see distinctly with the naked eye, +in the great valley spread out before us, the columns of vapour rising +from the Victoria Falls, though upwards of 20 miles distant. We were +informed that, the rains having failed this year, the corn crops had been +lost, and great scarcity and much hunger prevailed from Sesheke to +Linyanti. Some of the reports which the men had heard from the Batoka of +the hills concerning their families, were here confirmed. Takelang's +wife had been killed by Mashotlane, the headman at the Falls, on a +charge, as usual, of witchcraft. Inchikola's two wives, believing him to +be dead, had married again; and Masakasa was intensely disgusted to hear +that two years ago his friends, upon a report of his death, threw his +shield over the Falls, slaughtered all his oxen, and held a species of +wild Irish wake, in honour of his memory: he said he meant to disown +them, and to say, when they come to salute him, "I am dead. I am not +here. I belong to another world, and should stink if I came among you." + +All the sad news we had previously heard, of the disastrous results which +followed the attempt of a party of missionaries, under the Rev. H. +Helmore, to plant the gospel at Linyanti, were here fully confirmed. +Several of the missionaries and their native attendants, from Kuruman, +had succumbed to the fever, and the survivors had retired some weeks +before our arrival. We remained the whole of the 7th beside the village +of the old Batoka chief, Moshobotwane, the stoutest man we have seen in +Africa. The cause of our delay here was a severe attack of fever in +Charles Livingstone. He took a dose of our fever pills; was better on +the 8th, and marched three hours; then on the 9th marched eight miles to +the Great Falls, and spent the rest of the day in the fatiguing exercise +of sight-seeing. We were in the very same valley as Linyanti, and this +was the same fever which treated, or rather maltreated, with only a +little Dover's powder, proved so fatal to poor Helmore; the symptoms, +too, were identical with those afterwards described by non-medical +persons as those of poison. + +We gave Moshobotwane a present, and a pretty plain exposition of what we +thought of his bloody forays among his Batoka brethren. A scolding does +most good to the recipient, when put alongside some obliging act. He +certainly did not take it ill, as was evident from what he gave us in +return; which consisted of a liberal supply of meal, milk, and an ox. He +has a large herd of cattle, and a tract of fine pasture-land on the +beautiful stream Lekone. A home-feeling comes over one, even in the +interior of Africa, at seeing once more cattle grazing peacefully in the +meadows. The tsetse inhabits the trees which bound the pasture-land on +the west; so, should the herdsman forget his duty, the cattle straying +might be entirely lost. The women of this village were more numerous +than the men, the result of the chief's marauding. The Batoko wife of +Sima came up from the Falls, to welcome her husband back, bringing a +present of the best fruits of the country. Her husband was the only one +of the party who had brought a wife from Tette, namely, the girl whom he +obtained from Chisaka for his feats of dancing. According to our ideas, +his first wife could hardly have been pleased at seeing the second and +younger one; but she took her away home with her, while the husband +remained with us. In going down to the Fall village we met several of +the real Makololo. They are lighter in colour than the other tribes, +being of a rich warm brown; and they speak in a slow deliberate manner, +distinctly pronouncing every word. On reaching the village opposite +Kalai, we had an interview with the Makololo headman, Mashotlane: he came +to the shed in which we were seated, a little boy carrying his low three- +legged stool before him: on this he sat down with becoming dignity, +looked round him for a few seconds, then at us, and, saluting us with +"Rumela" (good morning, or hail), he gave us some boiled hippopotamus +meat, took a piece himself, and then handed the rest to his attendants, +who soon ate it up. He defended his forays on the ground that, when he +went to collect tribute, the Batoka attacked him, and killed some of his +attendants. The excuses made for their little wars are often the very +same as those made by Caesar in his "Commentaries." Few admit, like old +Moshobotwane, that they fought because they had the power, and a fair +prospect of conquering. We found here Pitsane, who had accompanied the +Doctor to St. Paul de Loanda. He had been sent by Sekeletu to purchase +three horses from a trading party of Griquas from Kuruman, who charged +nine large tusks apiece for very wretched animals. + +In the evening, when all was still, one of our men, Takelang, fired his +musket, and cried out, "I am weeping for my wife: my court is desolate: I +have no home;" and then uttered a loud wail of anguish. + +We proceeded next morning, 9th August, 1860, to see the Victoria Falls. +Mosi-oa-tunya is the Makololo name and means smoke sounding; Seongo or +Chongwe, meaning the Rainbow, or the place of the Rainbow, was the more +ancient term they bore. We embarked in canoes, belonging to Tuba Mokoro, +"smasher of canoes," an ominous name; but he alone, it seems, knew the +medicine which insures one against shipwreck in the rapids above the +Falls. For some miles the river was smooth and tranquil, and we glided +pleasantly over water clear as crystal, and past lovely islands densely +covered with a tropical vegetation. Noticeable among the many trees were +the lofty Hyphaene and Borassus palms; the graceful wild date-palm, with +its fruit in golden clusters, and the umbrageous mokononga, of cypress +form, with its dark-green leaves and scarlet fruit. Many flowers peeped +out near the water's edge, some entirely new to us, and others, as the +convolvulus, old acquaintances. + +But our attention was quickly called from the charming islands to the +dangerous rapids, down which Tuba might unintentionally shoot us. To +confess the truth, the very ugly aspect of these roaring rapids could +scarcely fail to cause some uneasiness in the minds of new-comers. It is +only when the river is very low, as it was now, that any one durst +venture to the island to which we were bound. If one went during the +period of flood, and fortunately hit the island, he would be obliged to +remain there till the water subsided again, if he lived so long. Both +hippopotami and elephants have been known to be swept over the Falls, and +of course smashed to pulp. + +Before entering the race of waters, we were requested not to speak, as +our talking might diminish the virtue of the medicine; and no one with +such boiling eddying rapids before his eyes, would think of disobeying +the orders of a "canoe-smasher." It soon became evident that there was +sound sense in this request of Tuba's, although the reason assigned was +not unlike that of the canoe-man from Sesheke, who begged one of our +party not to whistle, because whistling made the wind come. It was the +duty of the man at the bow to look out ahead for the proper course, and +when he saw a rock or snag, to call out to the steersman. Tuba doubtless +thought that talking on board might divert the attention of his +steersman, at a time when the neglect of an order, or a slight mistake, +would be sure to spill us all into the chafing river. There were places +where the utmost exertions of both men had to be put forth in order to +force the canoe to the only safe part of the rapid, and to prevent it +from sweeping down broadside on, where in a twinkling we should have +found ourselves floundering among the plotuses and cormorants, which were +engaged in diving for their breakfast of small fish. At times it seemed +as if nothing could save us from dashing in our headlong race against the +rocks which, now that the river was low, jutted out of the water; but +just at the very nick of time, Tuba passed the word to the steersman, and +then with ready pole turned the canoe a little aside, and we glided +swiftly past the threatened danger. Never was canoe more admirably +managed: once only did the medicine seem to have lost something of its +efficacy. We were driving swiftly down, a black rock over which the +white foam flew, lay directly in our path, the pole was planted against +it as readily as ever, but it slipped, just as Tuba put forth his +strength to turn the bow off. We struck hard, and were half-full of +water in a moment; Tuba recovered himself as speedily, shoved off the +bow, and shot the canoe into a still shallow place, to bale out the +water. Here we were given to understand that it was not the medicine +which was at fault; that had lost none of its virtue; the accident was +owing entirely to Tuba having started without his breakfast. Need it be +said we never let Tuba go without that meal again? + +We landed at the head of Garden Island, which is situated near the middle +of the river and on the lip of the Falls. On reaching that lip, and +peering over the giddy height, the wondrous and unique character of the +magnificent cascade at once burst upon us. + +It is rather a hopeless task to endeavour to convey an idea of it in +words, since, as was remarked on the spot, an accomplished painter, even +by a number of views, could but impart a faint impression of the glorious +scene. The probable mode of its formation may perhaps help to the +conception of its peculiar shape. Niagara has been formed by a wearing +back of the rock over which the river falls; and during a long course of +ages, it has gradually receded, and left a broad, deep, and pretty +straight trough in front. It goes on wearing back daily, and may yet +discharge the lakes from which its river--the St. Lawrence--flows. But +the Victoria Falls have been formed by a crack right across the river, in +the hard, black, basaltic rock which there formed the bed of the Zambesi. +The lips of the crack are still quite sharp, save about three feet of the +edge over which the river rolls. The walls go sheer down from the lips +without any projecting crag, or symptoms of stratification or +dislocation. When the mighty rift occurred, no change of level took +place in the two parts of the bed of the river thus rent asunder, +consequently, in coming down the river to Garden Island, the water +suddenly disappears, and we see the opposite side of the cleft, with +grass and trees growing where once the river ran, on the same level as +that part of its bed on which we sail. The first crack is, in length, a +few yards more than the breadth of the Zambesi, which by measurement we +found to be a little over 1860 yards, but this number we resolved to +retain as indicating the year in which the Fall was for the first time +carefully examined. The main stream here runs nearly north and south, +and the cleft across it is nearly east and west. The depth of the rift +was measured by lowering a line, to the end of which a few bullets and a +foot of white cotton cloth were tied. One of us lay with his head over a +projecting crag, and watched the descending calico, till, after his +companions had paid out 310 feet, the weight rested on a sloping +projection, probably 50 feet from the water below, the actual bottom +being still further down. The white cloth now appeared the size of a +crown-piece. On measuring the width of this deep cleft by sextant, it +was found at Garden Island, its narrowest part, to be eighty yards, and +at its broadest somewhat more. Into this chasm, of twice the depth of +Niagara-fall, the river, a full mile wide, rolls with a deafening roar; +and this is Mosi-oa-tunya, or the Victoria Falls. + +Looking from Garden Island, down to the bottom of the abyss, nearly half +a mile of water, which has fallen over that portion of the Falls to our +right, or west of our point of view, is seen collected in a narrow +channel twenty or thirty yards wide, and flowing at exactly right angles +to its previous course, to our left; while the other half, or that which +fell over the eastern portion of the Falls, is seen in the left of the +narrow channel below, coming towards our right. Both waters unite +midway, in a fearful boiling whirlpool, and find an outlet by a crack +situated at right angles to the fissure of the Falls. This outlet is +about 1170 yards from the western end of the chasm, and some 600 from its +eastern end; the whirlpool is at its commencement. The Zambesi, now +apparently not more than twenty or thirty yards wide, rushes and surges +south, through the narrow escape-channel for 130 yards; then enters a +second chasm somewhat deeper, and nearly parallel with the first. +Abandoning the bottom of the eastern half of this second chasm to the +growth of large trees, it turns sharply off to the west, and forms a +promontory, with the escape-channel at its point, of 1170 yards long, and +416 yards broad at the base. After reaching this base, the river runs +abruptly round the head of another promontory, and flows away to the +east, in a third chasm; then glides round a third promontory, much +narrower than the rest, and away back to the west, in a fourth chasm; and +we could see in the distance that it appeared to round still another +promontory, and bend once more in another chasm towards the east. In +this gigantic, zigzag, yet narrow trough, the rocks are all so sharply +cut and angular, that the idea at once arises that the hard basaltic trap +must have been riven into its present shape by a force acting from +beneath, and that this probably took place when the ancient inland seas +were let off by similar fissures nearer the ocean. + +The land beyond, or on the south of the Falls, retains, as already +remarked, the same level as before the rent was made. It is as if the +trough below Niagara were bent right and left, several times before it +reached the railway bridge. The land in the supposed bends being of the +same height as that above the Fall, would give standing-places, or points +of view, of the same nature as that from the railway-bridge, but the +nearest would be only eighty yards, instead of two miles (the distance to +the bridge) from the face of the cascade. The tops of the promontories +are in general flat, smooth, and studded with trees. The first, with its +base on the east, is at one place so narrow, that it would be dangerous +to walk to its extremity. On the second, however, we found a broad +rhinoceros path and a hut; but, unless the builder were a hermit, with a +pet rhinoceros, we cannot conceive what beast or man ever went there for. +On reaching the apex of this second eastern promontory we saw the great +river, of a deep sea-green colour, now sorely compressed, gliding away, +at least 400 feet below us. + +Garden Island, when the river is low, commands the best view of the Great +Fall chasm, as also of the promontory opposite, with its grove of large +evergreen trees, and brilliant rainbows of three-quarters of a circle, +two, three, and sometimes even four in number, resting on the face of the +vast perpendicular rock, down which tiny streams are always running to be +swept again back by the upward rushing vapour. But as, at Niagara, one +has to go over to the Canadian shore to see the chief wonder--the Great +Horse-shoe Fall--so here we have to cross over to Moselekatse's side to +the promontory of evergreens, for the best view of the principal Falls of +Mosi-oa-tunya. Beginning, therefore, at the base of this promontory, and +facing the Cataract, at the west end of the chasm, there is, first, a +fall of thirty-six yards in breadth, and of course, as they all are, +upwards of 310 feet in depth. Then Boaruka, a small island, intervenes, +and next comes a great fall, with a breadth of 573 yards; a projecting +rock separates this from a second grand fall of 325 yards broad; in all, +upwards of 900 yards of perennial Falls. Further east stands Garden +Island; then, as the river was at its lowest, came a good deal of the +bare rock of its bed, with a score of narrow falls, which, at the time of +flood, constitute one enormous cascade of nearly another half-mile. Near +the east end of the chasm are two larger falls, but they are nothing at +low water compared to those between the islands. + +The whole body of water rolls clear over, quite unbroken; but, after a +descent of ten or more feet, the entire mass suddenly becomes like a huge +sheet of driven snow. Pieces of water leap off it in the form of comets +with tails streaming behind, till the whole snowy sheet becomes myriads +of rushing, leaping, aqueous comets. This peculiarity was not observed +by Charles Livingstone at Niagara, and here it happens, possibly from the +dryness of the atmosphere, or whatever the cause may be which makes every +drop of Zambesi water appear to possess a sort of individuality. It runs +off the ends of the paddles, and glides in beads along the smooth +surface, like drops of quicksilver on a table. Here we see them in a +conglomeration, each with a train of pure white vapour, racing down till +lost in clouds of spray. A stone dropped in became less and less to the +eye, and at last disappeared in the dense mist below. + +Charles Livingstone had seen Niagara, and gave Mosi-oa-tunya the palm, +though now at the end of a drought, and the river at its very lowest. +Many feel a disappointment on first seeing the great American Falls, but +Mosi-oa-tunya is so strange, it must ever cause wonder. In the amount of +water, Niagara probably excels, though not during the months when the +Zambesi is in flood. The vast body of water, separating in the comet- +like forms described, necessarily encloses in its descent a large volume +of air, which, forced into the cleft, to an unknown depth, rebounds, and +rushes up loaded with vapour to form the three or even six columns, as if +of steam, visible at the Batoka village Moachemba, twenty-one miles +distant. On attaining a height of 200, or at most 300 feet from the +level of the river above the cascade, this vapour becomes condensed into +a perpetual shower of fine rain. Much of the spray, rising to the west +of Garden Island, falls on the grove of evergreen trees opposite; and +from their leaves, heavy drops are for ever falling, to form sundry +little rills, which, in running down the steep face of rock, are blown +off and turned back, or licked off their perpendicular bed, up into the +column from which they have just descended. + +The morning sun gilds these columns of watery smoke with all the glowing +colours of double or treble rainbows. The evening sun, from a hot yellow +sky, imparts a sulphureous hue, and gives one the impression that the +yawning gulf might resemble the mouth of the bottomless pit. No bird +sits and sings on the branches of the grove of perpetual showers, or ever +builds its nest there. We saw hornbills and flocks of little black +weavers flying across from the mainland to the islands, and from the +islands to the points of the promontories and back again, but they +uniformly shunned the region of perpetual rain, occupied by the evergreen +grove. The sunshine, elsewhere in this land so overpowering, never +penetrates the deep gloom of that shade. In the presence of the strange +Mosi-oa-tunya, we can sympathize with those who, when the world was +young, peopled earth, air, and river, with beings not of mortal form. +Sacred to what deity would be this awful chasm and that dark grove, over +which hovers an ever-abiding "pillar of cloud"? + +The ancient Batoka chieftains used Kazeruka, now Garden Island, and +Boaruka, the island further west, also on the lip of the Falls, as sacred +spots for worshipping the Deity. It is no wonder that under the cloudy +columns, and near the brilliant rainbows, with the ceaseless roar of the +cataract, with the perpetual flow, as if pouring forth from the hand of +the Almighty, their souls should be filled with reverential awe. It +inspired wonder in the native mind throughout the interior. Among the +first questions asked by Sebituane of Mr. Oswell and Dr. Livingstone, in +1851, was, "Have you any smoke soundings in your country," and "what +causes the smoke to rise for ever so high out of water?" In that year +its fame was heard 200 miles off, and it was approached within two days; +but it was seen by no European till 1855, when Dr. Livingstone visited it +on his way to the East Coast. Being then accompanied as far as this Fall +by Sekeletu and 200 followers, his stay was necessarily short; and the +two days there were employed in observations for fixing the geographical +position of the place, and turning the showers, that at times sweep from +the columns of vapour across the island, to account, in teaching the +Makololo arboriculture, and making that garden from which the natives +named the island; so that he did not visit the opposite sides of the +cleft, nor see the wonderful course of the river beyond the Falls. The +hippopotami had destroyed the trees which were then planted; and, though +a strong stockaded hedge was made again, and living orange-trees, cashew- +nuts, and coffee seeds put in afresh, we fear that the perseverance of +the hippopotami will overcome the obstacle of the hedge. It would +require a resident missionary to rear European fruit-trees. The period +at which the peach and apricot come into blossom is about the end of the +dry season, and artificial irrigation is necessary. The Batoka, the only +arboriculturists in the country, rear native fruit-trees alone--the +mosibe, the motsikiri, the boma, and others. When a tribe takes an +interest in trees, it becomes more attached to the spot on which they are +planted, and they prove one of the civilizing influences. + +Where one Englishman goes, others are sure to follow. Mr. Baldwin, a +gentleman from Natal, succeeded in reaching the Falls guided by his +pocket-compass alone. On meeting the second subject of Her Majesty, who +had ever beheld the greatest of African wonders, we found him a sort of +prisoner at large. He had called on Mashotlane to ferry him over to the +north side of the river, and, when nearly over, he took a bath, by +jumping in and swimming ashore. "If," said Mashotlane, "he had been +devoured by one of the crocodiles which abound there, the English would +have blamed us for his death. He nearly inflicted a great injury upon +us, therefore, we said, he must pay a fine." As Mr. Baldwin had nothing +with him wherewith to pay, they were taking care of him till he should +receive beads from his wagon, two days distant. + +Mashotlane's education had been received in the camp of Sebituane, where +but little regard was paid to human life. He was not yet in his prime, +and his fine open countenance presented to us no indication of the evil +influences which unhappily, from infancy, had been at work on his mind. +The native eye was more penetrating than ours; for the expression of our +men was, "He has drunk the blood of men--you may see it in his eyes." He +made no further difficulty about Mr. Baldwin; but the week after we left +he inflicted a severe wound on the head of one of his wives with his +rhinoceros-horn club. She, being of a good family, left him, and we +subsequently met her and another of his wives proceeding up the country. + +The ground is strewn with agates for a number of miles above the Falls; +but the fires, which burn off the grass yearly, have injured most of +those on the surface. Our men were delighted to hear that they do as +well as flints for muskets; and this with the new ideas of the value of +gold (_dalama_) and malachite, that they had acquired at Tette, made them +conceive that we were not altogether silly in picking up and looking at +stones. + +Marching up the river, we crossed the Lekone at its confluence, about +eight miles above the island Kalai, and went on to a village opposite the +Island Chundu. Nambowe, the headman, is one of the Matebele or Zulus, +who have had to flee from the anger of Moselekatse, to take refuge with +the Makololo. + +We spent Sunday, the 12th, at the village of Molele, a tall old Batoka, +who was proud of having formerly been a great favourite with Sebituane. +In coming hither we passed through patches of forest abounding in all +sorts of game. The elephants' tusks, placed over graves, are now allowed +to decay, and the skulls, which the former Batoka stuck on poles to +ornament their villages, not being renewed, now crumble into dust. Here +the famine, of which we had heard, became apparent, Molele's people being +employed in digging up the _tsitla_ root out of the marshes, and cutting +out the soft core of the young palm-trees, for food. + +The village, situated on the side of a wooded ridge, commands an +extensive view of a great expanse of meadow and marsh lying along the +bank of the river. On these holmes herds of buffaloes and waterbucks +daily graze in security, as they have in the reedy marshes a refuge into +which they can run on the approach of danger. The pretty little tianyane +or ourebi is abundant further on, and herds of blue weldebeests or +brindled gnus (_Katoblepas Gorgon_) amused us by their fantastic capers. +They present a much more ferocious aspect than the lion himself, but are +quite timid. We never could, by waving a red handkerchief, according to +the prescription, induce them to venture near to us. It may therefore be +that the red colour excites their fury only when wounded or hotly +pursued. Herds of lechee or lechwe now enliven the meadows; and they and +their younger brother, the graceful poku, smaller, and of a rounder +contour, race together towards the grassy fens. We venture to call the +poku after the late Major Vardon, a noble-hearted African traveller; but +fully anticipate that some aspiring Nimrod will prefer that his own name +should go down to posterity on the back of this buck. + +Midway between Tabacheu and the Great Falls the streams begin to flow +westward. On the other side they begin to flow east. Large round masses +of granite, somewhat like old castles, tower aloft about the Kalomo. The +country is an elevated plateau, and our men knew and named the different +plains as we passed them by. + +On the 13th we met a party from Sekeletu, who was now at Sesheke. Our +approach had been reported, and they had been sent to ask the Doctor what +the price of a horse ought to be; and what he said, that they were to +give and no more. In reply they were told that by their having given +nine large tusks for one horse before the Doctor came, the Griquas would +naturally imagine that the price was already settled. It was exceedingly +amusing to witness the exact imitation they gave of the swagger of a +certain white with whom they had been dealing, and who had, as they had +perceived, evidently wished to assume an air of indifference. Holding up +the head and scratching the beard it was hinted might indicate not +indifference, but vermin. It is well that we do not always know what +they say about us. The remarks are often not quite complimentary, and +resemble closely what certain white travellers say about the blacks. + +We made our camp in the afternoon abreast of the large island called +Mparira, opposite the mouth of the Chobe. Francolins, quails, and guinea- +fowls, as well as larger game, were abundant. The Makololo headman, +Mokompa, brought us a liberal present; and in the usual way, which is +considered politeness, regretted he had no milk, as his cows were all +dry. We got some honey here from the very small stingless bee, called, +by the Batoka, moandi, and by others, the kokomatsane. This honey is +slightly acid, and has an aromatic flavour. The bees are easily known +from their habit of buzzing about the eyes, and tickling the skin by +sucking it as common flies do. The hive has a tube of wax like a quill, +for its entrance, and is usually in the hollows of trees. + +Mokompa feared that the tribe was breaking up, and lamented the condition +into which they had fallen in consequence of Sekeletu's leprosy; he did +not know what was to become of them. He sent two canoes to take us up to +Sesheke; his best canoe had taken ivory up to the chief, to purchase +goods of some native traders from Benguela. Above the Falls the paddlers +always stand in the canoes, using long paddles, ten feet in length, and +changing from side to side without losing the stroke. + +Mochokotsa, a messenger from Sekeletu, met us on the 17th, with another +request for the Doctor to take ivory and purchase a horse. He again +declined to interfere. None were to come up to Sekeletu but the Doctor; +and all the men who had had smallpox at Tette, three years ago, were to +go back to Moshobotwane, and he would sprinkle medicine over them, to +drive away the infection, and prevent it spreading in the tribe. +Mochokotsa was told to say to Sekeletu that the disease was known of old +to white men, and we even knew the medicine to prevent it; and, were +there any danger now, we should be the first to warn him of it. Why did +not he go himself to have Moshobotwane sprinkle medicine to drive away +his leprosy. We were not afraid of his disease, nor of the fever that +had killed the teachers and many Makololo at Linyanti. As this attempt +at quarantine was evidently the suggestion of native doctors to increase +their own importance, we added that we had no food, and would hunt next +day for game, and the day after; and, should we be still ordered +purification by their medicine, we should then return to our own country. + +The message was not all of our dictation, our companions interlarded it +with their own indignant protests, and said some strong things in the +Tette dialect about these "doctor things" keeping them back from seeing +their father; when to their surprise Mochokotsa told them he knew every +word they were saying, as he was of the tribe Bazizulu, and defied them +to deceive him by any dialect, either of the Mashona on the east, or of +the Mambari on the west. Mochokotsa then repeated our message twice, to +be sure that he had it every word, and went back again. These chiefs' +messengers have most retentive memories; they carry messages of +considerable length great distances, and deliver them almost word for +word. Two or three usually go together, and when on the way the message +is rehearsed every night, in order that the exact words may be kept to. +One of the native objections to learning to write is, that these men +answer the purpose of transmitting intelligence to a distance as well as +a letter would; and, if a person wishes to communicate with any one in +the town, the best way to do so is either to go to or send for him. And +as for corresponding with friends very far off, that is all very well for +white people, but the blacks have no friends to whom to write. The only +effective argument for the learning to read is, that it is their duty to +know the revelation from their Father in Heaven, as it stands in the +Book. + +Our messenger returned on the evening of the following day with "You +speak truly," says Sekeletu, "the disease is old, come on at once, do not +sleep in the path; for I am greatly desirous (_tlologelecoe_) to see the +Doctor." + +After Mochokotsa left us, we met some of Mokompa's men bringing back the +ivory, as horses were preferred to the West-Coast goods. They were the +bearers of instructions to Mokompa, and as these instructions illustrate +the government of people who have learned scarcely anything from +Europeans, they are inserted, though otherwise of no importance. +Mashotlane had not behaved so civilly to Mr. Baldwin as Sekeletu had +ordered him to do to all Englishmen. He had been very uncivil to the +messengers sent by Moselekatse with letters from Mr. Moffat, treated them +as spies, and would not land to take the bag until they moved off. On +our speaking to him about this, he justified his conduct on the plea that +he was set at the Falls for the very purpose of watching these, their +natural enemies; and how was he to know that they had been sent by Mr. +Moffat? Our men thereupon reported at head-quarters that Mashotlane had +cursed the Doctor. The instructions to Mokompa, from Sekeletu, were to +"go and tell Mashotlane that he had offended greatly. He had not cursed +Monare (Dr. Livingstone) but Sebituane, as Monare was now in the place of +Sebituane, and he reverenced him as he had done his father. Any fine +taken from Mr. Baldwin was to be returned at once, as he was not a Boer +but an Englishman. Sekeletu was very angry, and Mokompa must not conceal +the message." + +On finding afterwards that Mashotlane's conduct had been most outrageous +to the Batoka, Sekeletu sent for him to come to Sesheke, in order that he +might have him more under his own eye; but Mashotlane, fearing that this +meant the punishment of death, sent a polite answer, alleging that he was +ill and unable to travel. Sekeletu tried again to remove Mashotlane from +the Falls, but without success. In theory the chief is absolute and +quite despotic; in practice his authority is limited, and he cannot, +without occasionally putting refractory headmen to death, force his +subordinates to do his will. + +Except the small rapids by Mparira island, near the mouth of the Chobe, +the rest of the way to Sesheke by water is smooth. Herds of cattle of +two or three varieties graze on the islands in the river: the Batoka +possessed a very small breed of beautiful shape, and remarkably tame, and +many may still be seen; a larger kind, many of which have horns pendent, +and loose at the roots; and a still larger sort, with horns of +extraordinary dimensions,--apparently a burden for the beast to carry. +This breed was found in abundance at Lake Ngami. We stopped at noon at +one of the cattle-posts of Mokompa, and had a refreshing drink of milk. +Men of his standing have usually several herds placed at different spots, +and the owner visits each in turn, while his head-quarters are at his +village. His son, a boy of ten, had charge of the establishment during +his father's absence. According to Makololo ideas, the cattle-post is +the proper school in which sons should be brought up. Here they receive +the right sort of education--the knowledge of pasture and how to manage +cattle. + +Strong easterly winds blow daily from noon till midnight, and continue +till the October or November rains set in. Whirlwinds, raising huge +pillars of smoke from burning grass and weeds, are common in the +forenoon. We were nearly caught in an immense one. It crossed about +twenty yards in front of us, the wind apparently rushing into it from all +points of the compass. Whirling round and round in great eddies, it +swept up hundreds of feet into the air a continuous dense dark cloud of +the black pulverized soil, mixed with dried grass, off the plain. Herds +of the new antelopes, lechwe, and poku, with the kokong, or gnus, and +zebras stood gazing at us as we passed. The mirage lifted them at times +halfway to the clouds, and twisted them and the clumps of palms into +strange unearthly forms. The extensive and rich level plains by the +banks, along the sides of which we paddled, would support a vast +population, and might be easily irrigated from the Zambesi. If watered, +they would yield crops all the year round, and never suffer loss by +drought. The hippopotamus is killed here with long lance-like spears. We +saw two men, in a light canoe, stealing noiselessly down on one of these +animals thought to be asleep; but it was on the alert, and they had +quickly to retreat. Comparatively few of these animals now remain +between Sesheke and the Falls, and they are uncommonly wary, as it is +certain death for one to be caught napping in the daytime. + +On the 18th we entered Sesheke. The old town, now in ruins, stands on +the left bank of the river. The people have built another on the same +side, a quarter of a mile higher up, since their headman Moriantsiane was +put to death for bewitching the chief with leprosy. Sekeletu was on the +right bank, near a number of temporary huts. A man hailed us from the +chiefs quarters, and requested us to rest under the old Kotla, or public +meeting-place tree. A young Makololo, with the large thighs which Zulus +and most of this tribe have, crossed over to receive orders from the +chief, who had not shown himself to the people since he was affected with +leprosy. On returning he ran for Mokele, the headman of the new town, +who, after going over to Sekeletu, came back and conducted us to a small +but good hut, and afterwards brought us a fine fat ox, as a present from +the chief. "This is a time of hunger," he said, "and we have no meat, +but we expect some soon from the Barotse Valley." We were entirely out +of food when we reached Sesheke. Never was better meat than that of the +ox Sekeletu sent, and infinitely above the flesh of all kinds of game is +beef! + +A constant stream of visitors rolled in on us the day after our arrival. +Several of them, who had suffered affliction during the Doctor's absence, +seemed to be much affected on seeing him again. All were in low spirits. +A severe drought had cut off the crops, and destroyed the pasture of +Linyanti, and the people were scattered over the country in search of +wild fruits, and the hospitality of those whose ground-nuts (_Arachis +hypogoea_) had not failed. Sekeletu's leprosy brought troops of evils in +its train. Believing himself bewitched, he had suspected a number of his +chief men, and had put some, with their families, to death; others had +fled to distant tribes, and were living in exile. The chief had shut +himself up, and allowed no one to come into his presence but his uncle +Mamire. Ponwane, who had been as "head and eyes" to him, had just died; +evidence, he thought, of the potent spells of those who hated all who +loved the chief. The country was suffering grievously, and Sebituane's +grand empire was crumbling to pieces. A large body of young Barotse had +revolted and fled to the north; killing a man by the way, in order to put +a blood-feud between Masiko, the chief to whom they were going, and +Sekeletu. The Batoka under Sinamane, and Muemba, were independent, and +Mashotlane at the Falls was setting Sekeletu's authority virtually at +defiance. Sebituane's wise policy in treating the conquered tribes on +equal terms with his own Makololo, as all children of the chief, and +equally eligible to the highest honours, had been abandoned by his son, +who married none but Makololo women, and appointed to office none but +Makololo men. He had become unpopular among the black tribes, conquered +by the spear but more effectually won by the subsequent wise and just +government of his father. + +Strange rumours were afloat respecting the unseen Sekeletu; his fingers +were said to have grown like eagle's claws, and his face so frightfully +distorted that no one could recognize him. Some had begun to hint that +he might not really be the son of the great Sebituane, the founder of the +nation, strong in battle, and wise in the affairs of state. "In the days +of the Great Lion" (Sebituane), said his only sister, Moriantsiane's +widow, whose husband Sekeletu had killed, "we had chiefs and little +chiefs and elders to carry on the government, and the great chief, +Sebituane, knew them all, and everything they did, and the whole country +was wisely ruled; but now Sekeletu knows nothing of what his underlings +do, and they care not for him, and the Makololo power is fast passing +away." {3} + +The native doctors had given the case of Sekeletu up. They could not +cure him, and pronounced the disease incurable. An old doctress from the +Manyeti tribe had come to see what she could do for him, and on her skill +he now hung his last hopes. She allowed no one to see him, except his +mother and uncle, making entire seclusion from society an essential +condition of the much longed-for cure. He sent, notwithstanding, for the +Doctor; and on the following day we all three were permitted to see him. +He was sitting in a covered wagon, which was enclosed by a high wall of +close-set reeds; his face was only slightly disfigured by the thickening +of the skin in parts, where the leprosy had passed over it; and the only +peculiarity about his hands was the extreme length of his finger-nails, +which, however, was nothing very much out of the way, as all the Makololo +gentlemen wear them uncommonly long. He has the quiet, unassuming +manners of his father, Sebituane, speaks distinctly, in a low pleasant +voice, and appears to be a sensible man, except perhaps on the subject of +his having been bewitched; and in this, when alluded to, he exhibits as +firm a belief as if it were his monomania. "Moriantsiane, my aunt's +husband, tried the bewitching medicine first on his wife, and she is +leprous, and so is her head-servant; then, seeing that it succeeded, he +gave me a stronger dose in the cooked flesh of a goat, and I have had the +disease ever since. They have lately killed Ponwane, and, as you see, +are now killing me." Ponwane had died of fever a short time previously. +Sekeletu asked us for medicine and medical attendance, but we did not +like to take the case out of the hands of the female physician already +employed, it being bad policy to appear to undervalue any of the +profession; and she, being anxious to go on with her remedies, said "she +had not given him up yet, but would try for another month; if he was not +cured by that time, then she would hand him over to the white doctors." +But we intended to leave the country before a month was up; so Mamire, +with others, induced the old lady to suspend her treatment for a little. +She remained, as the doctors stipulated, in the chief's establishment, +and on full pay. + +Sekeletu was told plainly that the disease was unknown in our country, +and was thought exceedingly obstinate of cure; that we did not believe in +his being bewitched, and we were willing to do all we could to help him. +This was a case for disinterested benevolence; no pay was expected, but +considerable risk incurred; yet we could not decline it, as we had the +trading in horses. Having, however, none of the medicines usually +employed in skin diseases with us, we tried the local application of +lunar caustic, and hydriodate of potash internally; and with such +gratifying results, that Mamire wished the patient to be smeared all over +with a solution of lunar caustic, which he believed to be of the same +nature as the blistering fluid formerly applied to his own knee by Mr. +Oswell. _Its_ power he considered irresistible, and he would fain have +had anything like it tried on Sekeletu. + +It was a time of great scarcity and hunger, but Sekeletu treated us +hospitably, preparing tea for us at every visit we paid him. With the +tea we had excellent American biscuit and preserved fruits, which had +been brought to him all the way from Benguela. The fruits he most +relished were those preserved in their own juices; plums, apples, pears, +strawberries, and peaches, which we have seen only among Portuguese and +Spaniards. It made us anxious to plant the fruit-tree seeds we had +brought, and all were pleased with the idea of having these same fruits +in their own country. + +Mokele, the headman of Sesheke, and Sebituane's sister, Manchunyane, were +ordered to provide us with food, as Sekeletu's wives, to whom this duty +properly belonged, were at Linyanti. We found a black trader from the +West Coast, and some Griqua traders from the South, both in search of +ivory. Ivory is dear at Sesheke; but cheaper in the Batoka country, from +Sinamane's to the Kafue, than anywhere else. The trader from Benguela +took orders for goods for his next year's trip, and offered to bring tea, +coffee, and sugar at cent. per cent. prices. As, in consequence of a +hint formerly given, the Makololo had secured all the ivory in the Batoga +country to the east, by purchasing it with hoes, the Benguela traders +found it unprofitable to go thither for slaves. They assured us that +without ivory the trade in slaves did not pay. In this way, and by the +orders of Sekeletu, an extensive slave-mart was closed. These orders +were never infringed except secretly. We discovered only two or three +cases of their infraction. + +Sekeletu was well pleased with the various articles we brought for him, +and inquired if a ship could not bring his sugar-mill and the other goods +we had been obliged to leave behind at Tette. On hearing that there was +a possibility of a powerful steamer ascending as far as Sinamane's, but +never above the Grand Victoria Falls, he asked, with charming simplicity, +if a cannon could not blow away the Falls, so as to allow the vessel to +come up to Sesheke. + +To save the tribe from breaking up, by the continual loss of real +Makololo, it ought at once to remove to the healthy Batoka highlands, +near the Kafue. Fully aware of this, Sekeletu remarked that all his +people, save two, were convinced that, if they remained in the lowlands, +a few years would suffice to cut off all the real Makololo; they came +originally from the healthy South, near the confluence of the Likwa and +Namagari, where fever is almost unknown, and its ravages had been as +frightful among them here, as amongst Europeans on the Coast. Sebituane's +sister described its first appearance among the tribe, after their +settling in the Barotse Valley on the Zambesi. Many of them were seized +with a shivering sickness, as if from excessive cold; they had never seen +the like before. They made great fires, and laid the shivering wretches +down before them; but, pile on wood as they might, they could not raise +heat enough to drive the cold out of the bodies of the sufferers, and +they shivered on till they died. But, though all preferred the +highlands, they were afraid to go there, lest the Matebele should come +and rob them of their much-loved cattle. Sebituane, with all his +veterans, could not withstand that enemy; and how could they be resisted, +now that most of the brave warriors were dead? The young men would +break, and run away the moment they saw the terrible Matebele, being as +much afraid of them as the black conquered tribes are of the Makololo. +"But if the Doctor and his wife," said the chiefs and counsellors, "would +come and live with us, we would remove to the highlands at once, as +Moselekatse would not attack a place where the daughter of his friend, +Moffat, was living." + +The Makololo are by far the most intelligent and enterprising of the +tribes we have met. None but brave and daring men remained long with +Sebituane, his stern discipline soon eradicated cowardice from his army. +Death was the inevitable doom of the coward. If the chief saw a man +running away from the fight, he rushed after him with amazing speed, and +cut him down; or waited till he returned to the town, and then summoned +the deserter into his presence. "You did not wish to die on the field, +you wished to die at home, did you? you shall have your wish!" and he was +instantly led off and executed. The present race of young men are +inferior in most respects to their fathers. The old Makololo had many +manly virtues; they were truthful, and never stole, excepting in what +they considered the honourable way of lifting cattle in fair fight. But +this can hardly be said of their sons; who, having been brought up among +the subjected tribes, have acquired some of the vices peculiar to a +menial and degraded race. A few of the old Makololo cautioned us not to +leave any of our property exposed, as the blacks were great thieves; and +some of our own men advised us to be on our guard, as the Makololo also +would steal. A very few trifling articles were stolen by a young +Makololo; and he, on being spoken to on the subject, showed great +ingenuity in excusing himself, by a plausible and untruthful story. The +Makololo of old were hard workers, and did not consider labour as beneath +them; but their sons never work, regarding it as fit only for the Mashona +and Makalaka servants. Sebituane, seeing that the rival tribes had the +advantage over his, in knowing how to manage canoes, had his warriors +taught to navigate; and his own son, with his companions, paddled the +chief's canoe. All the dishes, baskets, stools, and canoes are made by +the black tribes called Manyeti and Matlotlora. The houses are built by +the women and servants. The Makololo women are vastly superior to any we +have yet seen. They are of a light warm brown complexion, have pleasant +countenances, and are remarkably quick of apprehension. They dress +neatly, wearing a kilt and mantle, and have many ornaments. Sebituane's +sister, the head lady of Sesheke, wore eighteen solid brass rings, as +thick as one's finger, on each leg, and three of copper under each knee; +nineteen brass rings on her left arm, and eight of brass and copper on +her right, also a large ivory ring above each elbow. She had a pretty +bead necklace, and a bead sash encircled her waist. The weight of the +bright brass rings round her legs impeded her walking, and chafed her +ankles; but, as it was the fashion, she did not mind the inconvenience, +and guarded against the pain by putting soft rag round the lower rings. + +Justice appears upon the whole to be pretty fairly administered among the +Makololo. A headman took some beads and a blanket from one of his men +who had been with us; the matter was brought before the chief, and he +immediately ordered the goods to be restored, and decreed, moreover, that +no headman should take the property of the men who had returned. In +theory, all the goods brought back belonged to the chief; the men laid +them at his feet, and made a formal offer of them all; he looked at the +articles, and told the men to keep them. This is almost invariably the +case. Tuba Mokoro, however, fearing lest Sekeletu might take a fancy to +some of his best goods, exhibited only a few of his old and least +valuable acquisitions. Masakasa had little to show; he had committed +some breach of native law in one of the villages on the way, and paid a +heavy fine rather than have the matter brought to the Doctor's ears. Each +carrier is entitled to a portion of the goods in his bundle, though +purchased by the chief's ivory, and they never hesitate to claim their +rights; but no wages can be demanded from the chief, if he fails to +respond to the first application. + +Our men, accustomed to our ways, thought that the English system of +paying a man for his labour was the only correct one, and some even said +it would be better to live under a government where life and labour were +more secure and valuable than here. While with us, they always conducted +themselves with propriety during Divine service, and not only maintained +decorum themselves, but insisted on other natives who might be present +doing the same. When Moshobotwane, the Batoka chief, came on one +occasion with a number of his men, they listened in silence to the +reading of the Bible in the Makololo tongue; but, as soon as we all knelt +down to pray, they commenced a vigorous clapping of hands, their mode of +asking a favour. Our indignant Makololo soon silenced their noisy +accompaniment, and looked with great contempt on this display of +ignorance. Nearly all our men had learned to repeat the Lord's Prayer +and the Apostles' Creed in their own language, and felt rather proud of +being able to do so; and when they reached home, they liked to recite +them to groups of admiring friends. Their ideas of right and wrong +differ in no respect from our own, except in their professed inability to +see how it can be improper for a man to have more than one wife. A year +or two ago several of the wives of those who had been absent with us +petitioned the chief for leave to marry again. They thought that it was +of no use waiting any longer, their husbands must be dead; but Sekeletu +refused permission; he himself had bet a number of oxen that the Doctor +would return with their husbands, and he had promised the absent men that +their wives should be kept for them. The impatient spouses had therefore +to wait a little longer. Some of them, however, eloped with other men; +the wife of Mantlanyane, for instance, ran off and left his little boy +among strangers. Mantlanyane was very angry when he heard of it, not +that he cared much about her deserting him, for he had two other wives at +Tette, but he was indignant at her abandoning his boy. + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + +Life amongst the Makololo--Return journey--Native hospitality--A canoe +voyage on the Zambesi. + +While we were at Sesheke, an ox was killed by a crocodile; a man found +the carcass floating in the river, and appropriated the meat. When the +owner heard of this, he requested him to come before the chief, as he +meant to complain of him; rather than go, the delinquent settled the +matter by giving one of his own oxen in lieu of the lost one. A headman +from near Linyanti came with a complaint that all his people had run off, +owing to the "hunger." Sekeletu said, "You must not be left to grow lean +alone, some of them must come back to you." He had thus an order to +compel their return, if he chose to put it in force. Families frequently +leave their own headman and flee to another village, and sometimes a +whole village decamps by night, leaving the headman by himself. Sekeletu +rarely interfered with the liberty of the subject to choose his own +headman, and, as it is often the fault of the latter which causes the +people to depart, it is punishment enough for him to be left alone. +Flagrant disobedience to the chief's orders is punished with death. A +Moshubia man was ordered to cut some reeds for Sekeletu: he went off, and +hid himself for two days instead. For this he was doomed to die, and was +carried in a canoe to the middle of the river, choked, and tossed into +the stream. The spectators hooted the executioners, calling out to them +that they too would soon be carried out and strangled. Occasionally when +a man is sent to beat an offender, he tells him his object, returns, and +assures the chief he has nearly killed him. The transgressor then keeps +for a while out of sight, and the matter is forgotten. The river here +teems with monstrous crocodiles, and women are frequently, while drawing +water, carried off by these reptiles. + +We met a venerable warrior, sole survivor, probably, of the Mantatee host +which threatened to invade the colony in 1824. He retained a vivid +recollection of their encounter with the Griquas: "As we looked at the +men and horses, puffs of smoke arose, and some of us dropped down dead!" +"Never saw anything like it in my life, a man's brains lying in one place +and his body in another!" They could not understand what was killing +them; a ball struck a man's shield at an angle; knocked his arm out of +joint at the shoulder; and leaving a mark, or burn, as he said, on the +shield, killed another man close by. We saw the man with his shoulder +still dislocated. Sebetuane was present at the fight, and had an exalted +opinion of the power of white people ever afterwards. + +The ancient costume of the Makololo consisted of the skin of a lamb, kid, +jackal, ocelot, or other small animal, worn round and below the loins: +and in cold weather a kaross, or skin mantle, was thrown over the +shoulders. The kaross is now laid aside, and the young men of fashion +wear a monkey-jacket and a skin round the hips; but no trousers, +waistcoat, or shirt. The river and lake tribes are in general very +cleanly, bathing several times a day. The Makololo women use water +rather sparingly, rubbing themselves with melted butter instead: this +keeps off parasites, but gives their clothes a rancid odour. One stage +of civilization often leads of necessity to another--the possession of +clothes creates a demand for soap; give a man a needle, and he is soon +back to you for thread. + +This being a time of mourning, on account of the illness of the chief, +the men were negligent of their persons, they did not cut their hair, or +have merry dances, or carry spear and shield when they walked abroad. The +wife of Pitsane was busy making a large hut, while we were in the town: +she informed us that the men left house-building entirely to the women +and servants. A round tower of stakes and reeds, nine or ten feet high, +is raised and plastered; a floor is next made of soft tufa, or ant-hill +material and cowdung. This plaster prevents the poisonous insects, +called tumpans, whose bite causes fever in some, and painful sores in +all, from harbouring in the cracks or soil. The roof, which is much +larger in diameter than the tower, is made on the ground, and then, many +persons assisting, lifted up and placed on the tower, and thatched. A +plastered reed fence is next built up to meet the outer part of the roof, +which still projects a little over this fence, and a space of three feet +remains between it and the tower. We slept in this space, instead of in +the tower, as the inner door of the hut we occupied was uncomfortably +small, being only nineteen inches high, and twenty-two inches wide at the +floor. A foot from the bottom it measured seventeen inches in breadth, +and close to the top only twelve inches, so it was a difficult matter to +get through it. The tower has no light or ventilation, except through +this small door. The reason a lady assigned for having the doors so very +small was to keep out the mice! + +The children have merry times, especially in the cool of the evening. One +of their games consists of a little girl being carried on the shoulders +of two others. She sits with outstretched arms, as they walk about with +her, and all the rest clap their hands, and stopping before each hut sing +pretty airs, some beating time on their little kilts of cowskin, others +making a curious humming sound between the songs. Excepting this and the +skipping-rope, the play of the girls consists in imitation of the serious +work of their mothers, building little huts, making small pots, and +cooking, pounding corn in miniature mortars, or hoeing tiny gardens. The +boys play with spears of reeds pointed with wood, and small shields, or +bows and arrows; or amuse themselves in making little cattle-pens, or in +moulding cattle in clay; they show great ingenuity in the imitation of +various-shaped horns. Some too are said to use slings, but as soon as +they can watch the goats, or calves, they are sent to the field. We saw +many boys riding on the calves they had in charge, but this is an +innovation since the arrival of the English with their horses. Tselane, +one of the ladies, on observing Dr. Livingstone noting observations on +the wet and dry bulb thermometers, thought that he too was engaged in +play; for on receiving no reply to her question, which was rather +difficult to answer, as the native tongue has no scientific terms, she +said with roguish glee, "Poor thing, playing like a little child!" + +Like other Africans, the Makololo have great faith in the power of +medicine; they believe that there is an especial medicine for every ill +that flesh is heir to. Mamire is anxious to have children; he has six +wives, and only one boy, and he begs earnestly for "child medicine." The +mother of Sekeletu came from the Barotse Valley to see her son. Thinks +she has lost flesh since Dr. Livingstone was here before, and asks for +"the medicine of fatness." The Makololo consider plumpness an essential +part of beauty in women, but the extreme stoutness, mentioned by Captain +Speke, in the north, would be considered hideous here, for the men have +been overheard speaking of a lady whom we call "inclined to +_embonpoint_," as "fat unto ugliness." + +Two packages from the Kuruman, containing letters and newspapers, reached +Linyanti previous to our arrival, and Sekeletu, not knowing when we were +coming, left them there; but now at once sent a messenger for them. This +man returned on the seventh day, having travelled 240 geographical miles. +One of the packages was too heavy for him, and he left it behind. As the +Doctor wished to get some more medicine and papers out of the wagon left +at Linyanti in 1853, he decided upon going thither himself. The chief +gave him his own horse, now about twelve years old, and some men. He +found everything in his wagon as safe as when he left it seven years +before. The headmen, Mosale and Pekonyane, received him cordially, and +lamented that they had so little to offer him. Oh! had he only arrived +the year previous, when there was abundance of milk and corn and beer. + +Very early the next morning the old town-crier, Ma-Pulenyane, of his own +accord made a public proclamation, which, in the perfect stillness of the +town long before dawn, was striking: "I have dreamed! I have dreamed! I +have dreamed! Thou Mosale and thou Pekonyane, my lords, be not faint- +hearted, nor let your hearts be sore, but believe all the words of Monare +(the Doctor) for his heart is white as milk towards the Makololo. I +dreamed that he was coming, and that the tribe would live, if you prayed +to God and give heed to the word of Monare." Ma-Pulenyane showed Dr. +Livingstone the burying-place where poor Helmore and seven others were +laid, distinguishing those whom he had put to rest, and those for whom +Mafale had performed that last office. Nothing whatever marked the spot, +and with the native idea of _hiding_ the dead, it was said, "it will soon +be all overgrown with bushes, for no one will cultivate there." None but +Ma-Pulenyane approached the place, the others stood at a respectful +distance; they invariably avoid everything connected with the dead, and +no such thing as taking portions of human bodies to make charms of, as is +the custom further north, has ever been known among the Makololo. + +Sekeletu's health improved greatly during our visit, the melancholy +foreboding left his spirits, and he became cheerful, but resolutely +refused to leave his den, and appear in public till he was perfectly +cured, and had regained what he considered his good looks. He also +feared lest some of those who had bewitched him originally might still be +among the people, and neutralize our remedies. {4} + +As we expected another steamer to be at Kongone in November, it was +impossible for us to remain in Sesheke more than one month. Before our +departure, the chief and his principal men expressed in a formal manner +their great desire to have English people settled on the Batoka +highlands. At one time he proposed to go as far as Phori, in order to +select a place of residence; but as he afterwards saw reasons for +remaining where he was, till his cure was completed, he gave orders to +those sent with us, in the event of our getting, on our return, past the +rapids near Tette, not to bring us to Sesheke, but to send forward a +messenger, and he with the whole tribe would come to us. Dr. Kirk being +of the same age, Sekeletu was particularly anxious that he should come +and live with him. He said that he would cut off a section of the +country for the special use of the English; and on being told that in all +probability their descendants would cause disturbance in his country, he +replied, "These would be only domestic feuds, and of no importance." The +great extent of uncultivated land on the cool and now unpeopled highlands +has but to be seen to convince the spectator how much room there is, and +to spare, for a vastly greater population than ever, in our day, can be +congregated there. + +On the last occasion of our holding Divine service at Sesheke, the men +were invited to converse on the subject on which they had been addressed. +So many of them had died since we were here before, that not much +probability existed of our all meeting again, and this had naturally led +to the subject of a future state. They replied that they did not wish to +offend the speaker, but they could not believe that all the dead would +rise again: "Can those who have been killed in the field and devoured by +the vultures; or those who have been eaten by the hyenas or lions; or +those who have been tossed into the river, and eaten by more than one +crocodile,--can they all be raised again to life?" They were told that +men could take a leaden bullet, change it into a salt (acetate of lead), +which could be dissolved as completely in water as our bodies in the +stomachs of animals, and then reconvert it into lead; or that the bullet +could be transformed into the red and white paint of our wagons, and +again be reconverted into the original lead; and that if men exactly like +themselves could do so much, how much more could He do who has made the +eye to see, and the ear to hear! We added, however, that we believed in +a resurrection, not because we understood how it would be brought about, +but because our Heavenly Father assured us of it in His Book. The +reference to the truth of the Book and its Author seems always to have +more influence on the native mind than the cleverness of the +illustration. The knowledge of the people is scanty, but their reasoning +is generally clear as far as their information goes. + +We left Sesheke on the 17th September, 1860, convoyed by Pitsane and +Leshore with their men. Pitsane was ordered by Sekeletu to make a hedge +round the garden at the Falls, to protect the seeds we had brought; and +also to collect some of the tobacco tribute below the Falls. Leshore, +besides acting as a sort of guard of honour to us, was sent on a +diplomatic mission to Sinamane. No tribute was exacted by Sekeletu from +Sinamane; but, as he had sent in his adhesion, he was expected to act as +a guard in case of the Matebele wishing to cross and attack the Makololo. +As we intended to purchase canoes of Sinamane in which to descend the +river, Leshore was to commend us to whatever help this Batoka chief could +render. It must be confessed that Leshore's men, who were all of the +black subject tribes, really needed to be viewed by us in the most +charitable light; for Leshore, on entering any village, called out to the +inhabitants, "Look out for your property, and see that my thieves don't +steal it." + +Two young Makololo with their Batoka servants accompanied us to see if +Kebrabasa could be surmounted, and to bring a supply of medicine for +Sekeletu's leprosy; and half a dozen able canoe-men, under Mobito, who +had previously gone with Dr. Livingstone to Loanda, were sent to help us +in our river navigation. Some men on foot drove six oxen which Sekeletu +had given us as provisions for the journey. It was, as before remarked, +a time of scarcity; and, considering the dearth of food, our treatment +had been liberal. + +By day the canoe-men are accustomed to keep close under the river's bank +from fear of the hippopotami; by night, however, they keep in the middle +of the stream, as then those animals are usually close to the bank on +their way to their grazing grounds. Our progress was considerably +impeded by the high winds, which at this season of the year begin about +eight in the morning, and blow strongly up the river all day. The canoes +were poor leaky affairs, and so low in parts of the gunwale, that the +paddlers were afraid to follow the channel when it crossed the river, +lest the waves might swamp us. A rough sea is dreaded by all these +inland canoe-men; but though timid, they are by no means unskilful at +their work. The ocean rather astonished them afterwards; and also the +admirable way that the Nyassa men managed their canoes on a rough lake, +and even amongst the breakers, where no small boat could possibly live. + +On the night of the 17th we slept on the left bank of the Majeele, after +having had all the men ferried across. An ox was slaughtered, and not an +ounce of it was left next morning. Our two young Makololo companions, +Maloka and Ramakukane, having never travelled before, naturally clung to +some of the luxuries they had been accustomed to at home. When they lay +down to sleep, their servants were called to spread their blankets over +their august persons, not forgetting their feet. This seems to be the +duty of the Makololo wife to her husband, and strangers sometimes receive +the honour. One of our party, having wandered, slept at the village of +Nambowe. When he laid down, to his surprise two of Nambowe's wives came +at once, and carefully and kindly spread his kaross over him. + +A beautiful silvery fish with reddish fins, called Ngwesi, is very +abundant in the river; large ones weigh fifteen or twenty pounds each. +Its teeth are exposed, and so arranged that, when they meet, the edges +cut a hook like nippers. The Ngwesi seems to be a very ravenous fish. It +often gulps down the Konokono, a fish armed with serrated bones more than +an inch in length in the pectoral and dorsal fins, which, fitting into a +notch at the roots, can be put by the fish on full cock or straight +out,--they cannot be folded down, without its will, and even break in +resisting. The name "Konokono," elbow-elbow, is given it from a +resemblance its extended fins are supposed to bear to a man's elbows +stuck out from his body. It often performs the little trick of cocking +its fins in the stomach of the Ngwesi, and, the elbows piercing its +enemy's sides, he is frequently found floating dead. The fin bones seem +to have an acrid secretion on them, for the wound they make is +excessively painful. The Konokono barks distinctly when landed with the +hook. Our canoe-men invariably picked up every dead fish they saw on the +surface of the water, however far gone. An unfragrant odour was no +objection; the fish was boiled and eaten, and the water drunk as soup. It +is a curious fact that many of the Africans keep fish as we do woodcocks, +until they are extremely offensive, before they consider them fit to eat. +Our paddlers informed us on our way down that iguanas lay their eggs in +July and August, and crocodiles in September. The eggs remain a month or +two under the sand where they are laid, and the young come out when the +rains have fairly commenced. The canoe-men were quite positive that +crocodiles frequently stun men by striking them with their tails, and +then squat on them till they are drowned. We once caught a young +crocodile, which certainly did use its tail to inflict sharp blows, and +led us to conclude that the native opinion is correct. They believed +also that, if a person shuts the beast's eyes, it lets go its hold. +Crocodiles have been known to unite and kill a large one of their own +species and eat it. Some fishermen throw the bones of the fish into the +river but in most of the fishing villages there are heaps of them in +various places. The villagers can walk over them without getting them +into their feet; but the Makololo, from having softer soles, are unable +to do so. The explanation offered was, that the fishermen have a +medicine against fish-bones, but that they will not reveal it to the +Makololo. + +We spent a night on Mparira island, which is four miles long and about +one mile broad. Mokompa, the headman, was away hunting elephants. His +wife sent for him on our arrival, and he returned next morning before we +left. Taking advantage of the long-continued drought, he had set fire to +the reeds between the Chobe and Zambesi, in such a manner as to drive the +game out at one corner, where his men laid in wait with their spears. He +had killed five elephants and three buffaloes, wounding several others +which escaped. + +On our land party coming up, we were told that the oxen were bitten by +the tsetse: they could see a great difference in their looks. One was +already eaten, and they now wished to slaughter another. A third fell +into a buffalo-pit next day, so our stock was soon reduced. + +The Batoka chief, Moshobotwane, again treated us with his usual +hospitality, giving us an ox, some meal, and milk. We took another view +of the grand Mosi-oa-tunya, and planted a quantity of seeds in the garden +on the island; but, as no one will renew the hedge, the hippopotami will, +doubtless, soon destroy what we planted. Mashotlane assisted us. So +much power was allowed to this under-chief, that he appeared as if he had +cast off the authority of Sekeletu altogether. He did not show much +courtesy to his messengers; instead of giving them food, as is customary, +he took the meat out of a pot in their presence, and handed it to his own +followers. This may have been because Sekeletu's men bore an order to +him to remove to Linyanti. He had not only insulted Baldwin, but had +also driven away the Griqua traders; but this may all end in nothing. +Some of the natives here, and at Sesheke, know a few of the low tricks of +more civilized traders. A pot of milk was brought to us one evening, +which was more indebted to the Zambesi than to any cow. Baskets of fine- +looking white meal, elsewhere, had occasionally the lower half filled +with bran. Eggs are always a perilous investment. The native idea of a +good egg differs as widely from our own as is possible on such a trifling +subject. An egg is eaten here with apparent relish, though an embryo +chick be inside. + +We left Mosi-oa-tunya on the 27th, and slept close to the village of +Bakwini. It is built on a ridge of loose red soil, which produces great +crops of mapira and ground-nuts; many magnificent mosibe-trees stand near +the village. Machimisi, the headman of the village, possesses a herd of +cattle and a large heart; he kept us company for a couple of days to +guide us on our way. + +We had heard a good deal of a stronghold some miles below the Falls, +called Kalunda. Our return path was much nearer the Zambesi than that of +our ascent,--in fact, as near as the rough country would allow,--but we +left it twice before we reached Sinamane's, in order to see Kalunda and a +Fall called Moomba, or Moamba. The Makololo had once dispossessed the +Batoka of Kalunda, but we could not see the fissure, or whatever it is, +that rendered it a place of security, as it was on the southern bank. The +crack of the Great Falls was here continued: the rocks are the same as +further up, but perhaps less weather-worn--and now partially stratified +in great thick masses. The country through which we were travelling was +covered with a cindery-looking volcanic tufa, and might be called +"Katakaumena." + +The description we received of the Moamba Falls seemed to promise +something grand. They were said to send up "smoke" in the wet season, +like Mosi-oa-tunya; but when we looked down into the cleft, in which the +dark-green narrow river still rolls, we saw, about 800 or 1000 feet below +us, what, after Mosi-oa-tunya, seemed two insignificant cataracts. It +was evident that Pitsane, observing our delight at the Victoria Falls, +wished to increase our pleasure by a second wonder. One Mosi-oa-tunya, +however, is quite enough for a continent. + +We had now an opportunity of seeing more of the Batoka, than we had on +the highland route to our north. They did not wait till the evening +before offering food to the strangers. The aged wife of the headman of a +hamlet, where we rested at midday, at once kindled a fire, and put on the +cooking-pot to make porridge. Both men and women are to be distinguished +by greater roundness of feature than the other natives, and the custom of +knocking out the upper front teeth gives at once a distinctive character +to the face. Their colour attests the greater altitude of the country in +which many of them formerly lived. Some, however, are as dark as the +Bashubia and Barotse of the great valley to their west, in which stands +Sesheke, formerly the capital of the Balui, or Bashubia. + +The assertion may seem strange, yet it is none the less true, that in all +the tribes we have visited we never saw a really black person. Different +shades of brown prevail, and often with a bright bronze tint, which no +painter, except Mr. Angus, seems able to catch. Those who inhabit +elevated, dry situations, and who are not obliged to work much in the +sun, are frequently of a light warm brown, "dark but comely." Darkness +of colour is probably partly caused by the sun, and partly by something +in the climate or soil which we do not yet know. We see something of the +same sort in trout and other fish which take their colour from the ponds +or streams in which they live. The members of our party were much less +embrowned by free exposure to the sun for years than Dr. Livingstone and +his family were by passing once from Kuruman to Cape Town, a journey +which occupied only a couple of months. + +We encamped on the Kalomo, on the 1st of October, and found the weather +very much warmer than when we crossed this stream in August. At 3 p.m. +the thermometer, four feet from the ground, was 101 degrees in the shade; +the wet bulb only 61 degrees: a difference of 40 degrees. Yet, +notwithstanding this extreme dryness of the atmosphere, without a drop of +rain having fallen for months, and scarcely any dew, many of the shrubs +and trees were putting forth fresh leaves of various hues, while others +made a profuse display of lovely blossoms. + +Two old and very savage buffaloes were shot for our companions on the 3rd +October. Our Volunteers may feel an interest in knowing that balls +sometimes have but little effect: one buffalo fell, on receiving a +Jacob's shell; it was hit again twice, and lost a large amount of blood; +and yet it sprang up, and charged a native, who, by great agility, had +just time to climb a tree, before the maddened beast struck it, battering- +ram fashion, hard enough almost to have split both head and tree. It +paused a few seconds--drew back several paces--glared up at the man--and +then dashed at the tree again and again, as if determined to shake him +out of it. It took two more Jacob's shells, and five other large solid +rifle-balls to finish the beast at last. These old surly buffaloes had +been wandering about in a sort of miserable fellowship; their skins were +diseased and scabby, as if leprous, and their horns atrophied or worn +down to stumps--the first was killed outright, by one Jacob's shell, the +second died hard. There is so much difference in the tenacity of life in +wounded animals of the same species, that the inquiry is suggested where +the seat of life can be?--We have seen a buffalo live long enough, after +a large bullet had passed right through the heart, to allow firm adherent +clots to be formed in the two holes. + +One day's journey above Sinamane's, a mass of mountain called Gorongue, +or Golongwe, is said to cross the river, and the rent through which the +river passes is, by native report, quite fearful to behold. The country +round it is so rocky, that our companions dreaded the fatigue, and were +not much to blame, if, as is probably the case, the way be worse than +that over which we travelled. As we trudged along over the black slag- +like rocks, the almost leafless trees affording no shade, the heat was +quite as great as Europeans could bear. It was 102 degrees in the shade, +and a thermometer placed under the tongue or armpit showed that our blood +was 99.5 degrees, or 1.5 degrees hotter than that of the natives, which +stood at 98 degrees. Our shoes, however, enable us to pass over the hot +burning soil better than they can. Many of those who wear sandals have +corns on the sides of the feet, and on the heels, where the straps pass. +We have seen instances, too, where neither sandals nor shoes were worn, +of corns on the soles of the feet. It is, moreover, not at all uncommon +to see toes cocked up, as if pressed out of their proper places; at home, +we should have unhesitatingly ascribed this to the vicious fashions +perversely followed by our shoemakers. + +On the 5th, after crossing some hills, we rested at the village of +Simariango. The bellows of the blacksmith here were somewhat different +from the common goatskin bags, and more like those seen in Madagascar. +They consisted of two wooden vessels, like a lady's bandbox of small +dimensions, the upper ends of which were covered with leather, and looked +something like the heads of drums, except that the leather bagged in the +centre. They were fitted with long nozzles, through which the air was +driven by working the loose covering of the tops up and down by means of +a small piece of wood attached to their centres. The blacksmith said +that tin was obtained from a people in the north, called Marendi, and +that he had made it into bracelets; we had never heard before of tin +being found in the country. + +Our course then lay down the bed of a rivulet, called Mapatizia, in which +there was much calc spar, with calcareous schist, and then the Tette grey +sandstone, which usually overlies coal. On the 6th we arrived at the +islet Chilombe, belonging to Sinamane, where the Zambesi runs broad and +smooth again, and were well received by Sinamane himself. Never was +Sunday more welcome to the weary than this, the last we were to spend +with our convoy. + +We now saw many good-looking young men and women. The dresses of the +ladies are identical with those of Nubian women in Upper Egypt. To a +belt on the waist a great number of strings are attached to hang all +round the person. These fringes are about six or eight inches long. The +matrons wear in addition a skin cut like the tails of the coatee formerly +worn by our dragoons. The younger girls wear the waist-belt exhibited in +the woodcut, ornamented with shells, and have the fringes only in front. +Marauding parties of Batoka, calling themselves Makololo, have for some +time had a wholesome dread of Sinamane's "long spears." Before going to +Tette our Batoka friend, Masakasa, was one of a party that came to steal +some of the young women; but Sinamane, to their utter astonishment, +attacked them so furiously that the survivors barely escaped with their +lives. Masakasa had to flee so fast that he threw away his shield, his +spear, and his clothes, and returned home a wiser and a sadder man. + +Sinamane's people cultivate large quantities of tobacco, which they +manufacture into balls for the Makololo market. Twenty balls, weighing +about three-quarters of a pound each, are sold for a hoe. The tobacco is +planted on low moist spots on the banks of the Zambesi; and was in flower +at the time we were there, in October. Sinamane's people appear to have +abundance of food, and are all in good condition. He could sell us only +two of his canoes; but lent us three more to carry us as far as Moemba's, +where he thought others might be purchased. They were manned by his own +canoe-men, who were to bring them back. The river is about 250 yards +wide, and flows serenely between high banks towards the North-east. Below +Sinamane's the banks are often worn down fifty feet, and composed of +shingle and gravel of igneous rocks, sometimes set in a ferruginous +matrix. The bottom is all gravel and shingle, how formed we cannot +imagine, unless in pot-holes in the deep fissure above. The bottom above +the Falls, save a few rocks close by them, is generally sandy or of soft +tufa. Every damp spot is covered with maize, pumpkins, water-melons, +tobacco, and hemp. There is a pretty numerous Batoka population on both +sides of the river. As we sailed slowly down, the people saluted us from +the banks, by clapping their hands. A headman even hailed us, and +brought a generous present of corn and pumpkins. + +Moemba owns a rich island, called Mosanga, a mile in length, on which his +village stands. He has the reputation of being a brave warrior, and is +certainly a great talker; but he gave us strangers something better than +a stream of words. We received a handsome present of corn, and the +fattest goat we had ever seen; it resembled mutton. His people were as +liberal as their chief. They brought two large baskets of corn, and a +lot of tobacco, as a sort of general contribution to the travellers. One +of Sinamane's canoe-men, after trying to get his pay, deserted here, and +went back before the stipulated time, with the story, that the Englishman +had stolen the canoes. Shortly after sunrise next morning, Sinamane came +into the village with fifty of his "long spears," evidently determined to +retake his property by force; he saw at a glance that his man had +deceived him. Moemba rallied him for coming on a wildgoose chase. "Here +are your canoes left with me, your men have all been paid, and the +Englishmen are now asking me to sell my canoes." Sinamane said little to +us; only observing that he had been deceived by his follower. A single +remark of his chief's caused the foolish fellow to leave suddenly, +evidently much frightened and crestfallen. Sinamane had been very kind +to us, and, as he was looking on when we gave our present to Moemba, we +made him also an additional offering of some beads, and parted good +friends. Moemba, having heard that we had called the people of Sinamane +together to tell them about our Saviour's mission to man, and to pray +with them, associated the idea of Sunday with the meeting, and, before +anything of the sort was proposed, came and asked that he and his people +might be "sundayed" as well as his neighbours; and be given a little seed +wheat, and fruit-tree seeds; with which request of course we very +willingly complied. The idea of praying direct to the Supreme Being, +though not quite new to all, seems to strike their minds so forcibly that +it will not be forgotten. Sinamane said that he prayed to God, Morungo, +and made drink-offerings to him. Though he had heard of us, he had never +seen white men before. + +Beautiful crowned cranes, named from their note "ma-wang," were seen +daily, and were beginning to pair. Large flocks of spur-winged geese, or +machikwe, were common. This goose is said to lay her eggs in March. We +saw also pairs of Egyptian geese, as well as a few of the knob-nosed, or, +as they are called in India, combed geese. When the Egyptian geese, as +at the present time, have young, the goslings keep so steadily in the +wake of their mother, that they look as if they were a part of her tail; +and both parents, when on land, simulate lameness quite as well as our +plovers, to draw off pursuers. The ostrich also adopts the lapwing +fashion, but no quadrupeds do: they show fight to defend their young +instead. In some places the steep banks were dotted with the holes which +lead into the nests of bee-eaters. These birds came out in hundreds as +we passed. When the red-breasted species settle on the trees, they give +them the appearance of being covered with red foliage. + +On the morning of the 12th October we passed through a wild, hilly +country, with fine wooded scenery on both sides, but thinly inhabited. +The largest trees were usually thorny acacias, of great size and +beautiful forms. As we sailed by several villages without touching, the +people became alarmed, and ran along the banks, spears in hand. We +employed one to go forward and tell Mpande of our coming. This allayed +their fears, and we went ashore, and took breakfast near the large island +with two villages on it, opposite the mouth of the Zungwe, where we had +left the Zambesi on our way up. Mpande was sorry that he had no canoes +of his own to sell, but he would lend us two. He gave us cooked pumpkins +and a water-melon. His servant had lateral curvature of the spine. We +have often seen cases of humpback, but this was the only case of this +kind of curvature we had met with. Mpande accompanied us himself in his +own vessel, till we had an opportunity of purchasing a fine large canoe +elsewhere. We paid what was considered a large price for it: twelve +strings of blue cut glass neck beads, an equal number of large blue ones +of the size of marbles, and two yards of grey calico. Had the beads been +coarser, they would have been more valued, because such were in fashion. +Before concluding the bargain the owner said "his bowels yearned for his +canoe, and we must give a little more to stop their yearning." This was +irresistible. The trading party of Sequasha, which we now met, had +purchased ten large new canoes for six strings of cheap coarse white +beads each, or their equivalent, four yards of calico, and had bought for +the merest trifle ivory enough to load them all. They were driving a +trade in slaves also, which was something new in this part of Africa, and +likely soon to change the character of the inhabitants. These men had +been living in clover, and were uncommonly fat and plump. When sent to +trade, slaves wisely never stint themselves of beer or anything else, +which their master's goods can buy. + +The temperature of the Zambesi had increased 10 degrees since August, +being now 80 degrees. The air was as high as 96 degrees after sunset; +and, the vicinity of the water being the coolest part, we usually made +our beds close by the river's brink, though there in danger of +crocodiles. Africa differs from India in the air always becoming cool +and refreshing long before the sun returns, and there can be no doubt +that we can in this country bear exposure to the sun, which would be +fatal in India. It is probably owing to the greater dryness of the +African atmosphere that sunstroke is so rarely met with. In twenty-two +years Dr. Livingstone never met or heard of a single case, though the +protective head-dresses of India are rarely seen. + +When the water is nearly at its lowest, we occasionally meet with small +rapids which are probably not in existence during the rest of the year. +Having slept opposite the rivulet Bume, which comes from the south, we +passed the island of Nakansalo, and went down the rapids of the same name +on the 17th, and came on the morning of the 19th to the more serious ones +of Nakabele, at the entrance to Kariba. The Makololo guided the canoes +admirably through the opening in the dyke. When we entered the gorge we +came on upwards of thirty hippopotami: a bank near the entrance stretches +two-thirds across the narrowed river, and in the still place behind it +they were swimming about. Several were in the channel, and our canoe-men +were afraid to venture down among them, because, as they affirm, there is +commonly an ill-natured one in a herd, which takes a malignant pleasure +in upsetting canoes. Two or three boys on the rocks opposite amused +themselves by throwing stones at the frightened animals, and hit several +on the head. It would have been no difficult matter to have shot the +whole herd. We fired a few shots to drive them off; the balls often +glance off the skull, and no more harm is done than when a schoolboy gets +a bloody nose; we killed one, which floated away down the rapid current, +followed by a number of men on the bank. A native called to us from the +left bank, and said that a man on his side knew how to pray to the Kariba +gods, and advised us to hire him to pray for our safety, while we were +going down the rapids, or we should certainly all be drowned. No one +ever risked his life in Kariba without first paying the river-doctor, or +priest, for his prayers. Our men asked if there was a cataract in front, +but he declined giving any information; they were not on his side of the +river; if they would come over, then he might be able to tell them. We +crossed, but he went off to the village. We then landed and walked over +the hills to have a look at Karaba before trusting our canoes in it. The +current was strong, and there was broken water in some places, but the +channel was nearly straight, and had no cataract, so we determined to +risk it. Our men visited the village while we were gone, and were +treated to beer and tobacco. The priest who knows how to pray to the god +that rules the rapids followed us with several of his friends, and they +were rather surprised to see us pass down in safety, without the aid of +his intercession. The natives who followed the dead hippopotamus caught +it a couple of miles below, and, having made it fast to a rock, were +sitting waiting for us on the bank beside the dead animal. As there was +a considerable current there, and the rocky banks were unfit for our +beds, we took the hippopotamus in tow, telling the villagers to follow, +and we would give them most of the meat. The crocodiles tugged so hard +at the carcass, that we were soon obliged to cast it adrift, to float +down in the current, to avoid upsetting the canoe. We had to go on so +far before finding a suitable spot to spend the night in, that the +natives concluded we did not intend to share the meat with them, and +returned to the village. We slept two nights at the place where the +hippopotamus was cut up. The crocodiles had a busy time of it in the +dark, tearing away at what was left in the river, and thrashing the water +furiously with their powerful tails. The hills on both sides of Kariba +are much like those of Kebrabasa, the strata tilted and twisted in every +direction, with no level ground. + +Although the hills confine the Zambesi within a narrow channel for a +number of miles, there are no rapids beyond those near the entrance. The +river is smooth and apparently very deep. Only one single human being +was seen in the gorge, the country being too rough for culture. Some +rocks in the water, near the outlet of Kariba, at a distance look like a +fort; and such large masses dislocated, bent, and even twisted to a +remarkable degree, at once attest some tremendous upheaving and +convulsive action of nature, which probably caused Kebrabasa, Kariba, and +the Victoria Falls to assume their present forms; it took place after the +formation of the coal, that mineral having then been tilted up. We have +probably nothing equal to it in the present quiet operations of nature. + +On emerging we pitched our camp by a small stream, the Pendele, a few +miles below the gorge. The Palabi mountain stands on the western side of +the lower end of the Kariba strait; the range to which it belongs crosses +the river, and runs to the south-east. Chikumbula, a hospitable old +headman, under Nchomokela, the paramount chief of a large district, whom +we did not see, brought us next morning a great basket of meal, and four +fowls, with some beer, and a cake of salt, "to make it taste good." +Chikumbula said that the elephants plagued them, by eating up the cotton- +plants; but his people seem to be well off. + +A few days before we came, they caught three buffaloes in pitfalls in one +night, and, unable to eat them all, left one to rot. During the night +the wind changed and blew from the dead buffalo to our sleeping-place; +and a hungry lion, not at all dainty in his food, stirred up the putrid +mass, and growled and gloated over his feast, to the disturbance of our +slumbers. Game of all kinds is in most extraordinary abundance, +especially from this point to below the Kafue, and so it is on +Moselekatso's side, where there are no inhabitants. The drought drives +all the game to the river to drink. An hour's walk on the right bank, +morning or evening, reveals a country swarming with wild animals: vast +herds of pallahs, many waterbucks, koodoos, buffaloes, wild pigs, elands, +zebras, and monkeys appear; francolins, guinea-fowls, and myriads of +turtledoves attract the eye in the covers, with the fresh spoor of +elephants and rhinoceroses, which had been at the river during the night. +Every few miles we came upon a school of hippopotami, asleep on some +shallow sandbank; their bodies, nearly all out of the water, appeared +like masses of black rock in the river. When these animals are hunted +much, they become proportionably wary, but here no hunter ever troubles +them, and they repose in security, always however taking the precaution +of sleeping just above the deep channel, into which they can plunge when +alarmed. When a shot is fired into a sleeping herd, all start up on +their feet, and stare with peculiar stolid looks of hippopotamic +surprise, and wait for another shot before dashing into deep water. A +few miles below Chikumbula's we saw a white hippopotamus in a herd. Our +men had never seen one like it before. It was of a pinkish white, +exactly like the colour of the Albino. It seemed to be the father of a +number of others, for there were many marked with large light patches. +The so-called _white_ elephant is just such a pinkish Albino as this +hippopotamus. A few miles above Kariba we observed that, in two small +hamlets, many of the inhabitants had a similar affection of the skin. The +same influence appeared to have affected man and beast. A dark coloured +hippopotamus stood alone, as if expelled from the herd, and bit the +water, shaking his head from side to side in a most frantic manner. When +the female has twins, she is said to kill one of them. + +We touched at the beautiful tree-covered island of Kalabi, opposite where +Tuba-mokoro lectured the lion in our way up. The ancestors of the people +who now inhabit this island possessed cattle. The tsetse has taken +possession of the country since "the beeves were lifted." No one knows +where these insects breed; at a certain season all disappear, and as +suddenly come back, no one knows whence. The natives are such close +observers of nature, that their ignorance in this case surprised us. A +solitary hippopotamus had selected the little bay in which we landed, and +where the women drew water, for his dwelling-place. Pretty little +lizards, with light blue and red tails, run among the rocks, catching +flies and other insects. These harmless--though to new-comers +repulsive--creatures sometimes perform good service to man, by eating +great numbers of the destructive white ants. + +At noon on the 24th October, we found Sequasha in a village below the +Kafue, with the main body of his people. He said that 210 elephants had +been killed during his trip; many of his men being excellent hunters. The +numbers of animals we saw renders this possible. He reported that, after +reaching the Kafue, he went northwards into the country of the Zulus, +whose ancestors formerly migrated from the south and set up a sort of +Republican form of government. Sequasha is the greatest Portuguese +traveller we ever became acquainted with, and he boasts that he is able +to speak a dozen different dialects; yet, unfortunately, he can give but +a very meagre account of the countries and people he has seen, and his +statements are not very much to be relied on. But considering the +influence among which he has been reared, and the want of the means of +education at Tette, it is a wonder that he possesses the good traits that +he sometimes exhibits. Among his wares were several cheap American +clocks; a useless investment rather, for a part of Africa where no one +cares for the artificial measurement of time. These clocks got him into +trouble among the Banyai: he set them all agoing in the presence of a +chief, who became frightened at the strange sounds they made, and looked +upon them as so many witchcraft agencies at work to bring all manner of +evils upon himself and his people. Sequasha, it was decided, had been +guilty of a milando, or crime, and he had to pay a heavy fine of cloth +and beads for his exhibition. He alluded to our having heard that he had +killed Mpangwe, and he denied having actually done so; but in his absence +his name had got mixed up in the affair, in consequence of his slaves, +while drinking beer one night with Namakusuru, the man who succeeded +Mpangwe, saying that they would kill the chief for him. His partner had +not thought of this when we saw him on the way up, for he tried to excuse +the murder, by saying that now they had put the right man into the +chieftainship. + +After three hours' sail, on the morning of the 29th, the river was +narrowed again by the mountains of Mburuma, called Karivua, into one +channel, and another rapid dimly appeared. It was formed by two currents +guided by rocks to the centre. In going down it, the men sent by +Sekeletu behaved very nobly. The canoes entered without previous survey, +and the huge jobbling waves of mid-current began at once to fill them. +With great presence of mind, and without a moment's hesitation, two men +lightened each by jumping overboard; they then ordered a Botoka man to do +the same, as "the white men must be saved." "I cannot swim," said the +Batoka. "Jump out, then, and hold on to the canoe;" which he instantly +did. Swimming alongside, they guided the swamping canoes down the swift +current to the foot of the rapid, and then ran them ashore to bale them +out. A boat could have passed down safely, but our canoes were not a +foot above the water at the gunwales. + +Thanks to the bravery of these poor fellows, nothing was lost, although +everything was well soaked. This rapid is nearly opposite the west end +of the Mburuma mountains or Karivua. Another soon begins below it. They +are said to be all smoothed over when the river rises. The canoes had to +be unloaded at this the worst rapid, and the goods carried about a +hundred yards. By taking the time in which a piece of stick floated past +100 feet, we found the current to be running six knots, by far the +greatest velocity noted in the river. As the men were bringing the last +canoe down close to the shore, the stern swung round into the current, +and all except one man let go, rather than be dragged off. He clung to +the bow, and was swept out into the middle of the stream. Having held on +when he ought to have let go, he next put his life in jeopardy by letting +go when he ought to have held on; and was in a few seconds swallowed up +by a fearful whirlpool. His comrades launched out a canoe below, and +caught him as he rose the third time to the surface, and saved him, +though much exhausted and very cold. + +The scenery of this pass reminded us of Kebrabasa, although it is much +inferior. A band of the same black shining glaze runs along the rocks +about two feet from the water's edge. There was not a blade of grass on +some of the hills, it being the end of the usual dry season succeeding a +previous severe drought; yet the hill-sides were dotted over with +beautiful green trees. A few antelopes were seen on the rugged slopes, +where some people too appeared lying down, taking a cup of beer. The +Karivua narrows are about thirty miles in length. They end at the +mountain Roganora. Two rocks, twelve or fifteen feet above the water at +the time we were there, may in flood be covered and dangerous. Our chief +danger was the wind, a very slight ripple being sufficient to swamp +canoes. + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + +The waterbuck--Disaster in Kebrabasa rapids--The "Ma Robert" +founders--Arrival of the "Pioneer" and Bishop Mackenzie's +party--Portuguese slave-trade--Interference and liberation. + +We arrived at Zumbo, at the mouth of the Loangwa, on the 1st of November. +The water being scarcely up to the knee, our land party waded this river +with ease. A buffalo was shot on an island opposite Pangola's, the ball +lodging in the spleen. It was found to have been wounded in the same +organ previously, for an iron bullet was imbedded in it, and the wound +entirely healed. A great deal of the plant _Pistia stratiotes_ was seen +floating in the river. Many people inhabit the right bank about this +part, yet the game is very abundant. + +As we were taking our breakfast on the morning of the 2nd, the Mambo +Kazai, of whom we knew nothing, and his men came with their muskets and +large powder-horns to levy a fine, and obtain payment for the wood we +used in cooking. But on our replying to his demand that we were English, +"Oh! are you?" he said; "I thought you were Bazungu (Portuguese). They +are the people I take payments from:" and he apologized for his mistake. +Bazungu, or Azungu, is a term applied to all foreigners of a light +colour, and to Arabs; even to trading slaves if clothed; it probably +means foreigners, or visitors,--from _zunga_, to visit or wander,--and +the Portuguese were the only foreigners these men had ever seen. As we +had no desire to pass for people of that nation--quite the contrary--we +usually made a broad line of demarcation by saying that we were English, +and the English neither bought, sold, nor held black people as slaves, +but wished to put a stop to the slave-trade altogether. + +We called upon our friend, Mpende, in passing. He provided a hut for us, +with new mats spread on the floor. Having told him that we were hurrying +on because the rains were near, "Are they near?" eagerly inquired an old +counsellor, "and are we to have plenty of rain this year?" We could only +say that it was about the usual time for the rains to commence; and that +there were the usual indications in great abundance of clouds floating +westwards, but that we knew nothing more than they did themselves. + +The hippopotami are more wary here than higher up, as the natives hunt +them with guns. Having shot one on a shallow sandbank, our men undertook +to bring it over to the left bank, in order to cut it up with greater +ease. It was a fine fat one, and all rejoiced in the hope of eating the +fat for butter, with our hard dry cakes of native meal. Our cook was +sent over to cut a choice piece for dinner, but returned with the +astonishing intelligence that the carcass was gone. They had been +hoodwinked, and were very much ashamed of themselves. A number of Banyai +came to assist in rolling it ashore, and asserted that it was all shallow +water. They rolled it over and over towards the land, and, finding the +rope we had made fast to it, as they said, an encumbrance, it was +unloosed. All were shouting and talking as loud as they could bawl, when +suddenly our expected feast plumped into a deep hole, as the Banyai +intended it should do. When sinking, all the Makololo jumped in after +it. One caught frantically at the tail; another grasped a foot; a third +seized the hip; "but, by Sebituane, it would go down in spite of all that +we could do." Instead of a fat hippopotamus we had only a lean fowl for +dinner, and were glad enough to get even that. The hippopotamus, +however, floated during the night, and was found about a mile below. The +Banyai then assembled on the bank, and disputed our right to the beast: +"It might have been shot by somebody else." Our men took a little of it +and then left it, rather than come into collision with them. + +A fine waterbuck was shot in the Kakolole narrows, at Mount Manyerere; it +dropped beside the creek where it was feeding; an enormous crocodile, +that had been watching it at the moment, seized and dragged it into the +water, which was not very deep. The mortally wounded animal made a +desperate plunge, and hauling the crocodile several yards tore itself out +of the hideous jaws. To escape the hunter, the waterbuck jumped into the +river, and was swimming across, when another crocodile gave chase, but a +ball soon sent it to the bottom. The waterbuck swam a little longer, the +fine head dropped, the body turned over, and one of the canoes dragged it +ashore. Below Kakolole, and still at the base of Manyerere mountain, +several coal-seams, not noticed on our ascent, were now seen to crop out +on the right bank of the Zambesi. + +Chitora, of Chicova, treated us with his former hospitality. Our men +were all much pleased with his kindness, and certainly did not look upon +it as a proof of weakness. They meant to return his friendliness when +they came this way on a marauding expedition to eat the sheep of the +Banyai, for insulting them in the affair of the hippopotamus; they would +then send word to Chitora not to run away, for they, being his friends, +would do such a good-hearted man no harm. + +We entered Kebrabasa rapids, at the east end of Chicova, in the canoes, +and went down a number of miles, until the river narrowed into a groove +of fifty or sixty yards wide, of which we have already spoken in +describing the flood-bed and channel of low water. The navigation then +became difficult and dangerous. A fifteen feet fall of the water in our +absence had developed many cataracts. Two of our canoes passed safely +down a narrow channel, which, bifurcating, had an ugly whirlpool at the +rocky partition between the two branches, the deep hole in the whirls at +times opening and then shutting. The Doctor's canoe came next, and +seemed to be drifting broadside into the open vortex, in spite of the +utmost exertions of the paddlers. The rest were expecting to have to +pull to the rescue; the men saying, "Look where these people are +going!--look, look!"--when a loud crash burst on our ears. Dr. Kirk's +canoe was dashed on a projection of the perpendicular rocks, by a sudden +and mysterious boiling up of the river, which occurs at irregular +intervals. Dr. Kirk was seen resisting the sucking-down action of the +water, which must have been fifteen fathoms deep, and raising himself by +his arms on to the ledge, while his steersman, holding on to the same +rocks, saved the canoe; but nearly all its contents were swept away down +the stream. Dr. Livingstone's canoe, meanwhile, which had distracted the +men's attention, was saved by the cavity in the whirlpool filling up as +the frightful eddy was reached. A few of the things in Dr. Kirk's canoe +were left; but all that was valuable, including a chronometer, a +barometer, and, to our great sorrow, his notes of the journey and +botanical drawings of the fruit-trees of the interior, perished. + +We now left the river, and proceeded on foot, sorry that we had not done +so the day before. The men were thoroughly frightened, they had never +seen such perilous navigation. They would carry all the loads, rather +than risk Kebrabasa any longer; but the fatigue of a day's march over the +hot rocks and burning sand changed their tune before night; and then they +regretted having left the canoes; they thought they should have dragged +them past the dangerous places, and then launched them again. One of the +two donkeys died from exhaustion near the Luia. Though the men eat +zebras and quaggas, blood relations of the donkey, they were shocked at +the idea of eating the ass; "it would be like eating man himself, because +the donkey lives with man, and is his bosom companion." We met two large +trading parties of Tette slaves on their way to Zumbo, leading, to be +sold for ivory, a number of Manganja women, with ropes round their necks, +and all made fast to one long rope. + +Panzo, the headman of the village east of Kebrabasa, received us with +great kindness. After the usual salutation he went up the hill, and, in +a loud voice, called across the valley to the women of several hamlets to +cook supper for us. About eight in the evening he returned, followed by +a procession of women, bringing the food. There were eight dishes of +nsima, or porridge, six of different sorts of very good wild vegetables, +with dishes of beans and fowls; all deliciously well cooked, and +scrupulously clean. The wooden dishes were nearly as white as the meal +itself: food also was brought for our men. Ripe mangoes, which usually +indicate the vicinity of the Portuguese, were found on the 21st November; +and we reached Tette early on the 23rd, having been absent a little over +six months. + +The two English sailors, left in charge of the steamer, were well, had +behaved well, and had enjoyed excellent health all the time we were away. +Their farm had been a failure. We left a few sheep, to be slaughtered +when they wished for fresh meat, and two dozen fowls. Purchasing more, +they soon had double the number of the latter, and anticipated a good +supply of eggs; but they also bought two monkeys, and _they_ ate all the +eggs. A hippopotamus came up one night, and laid waste their vegetable +garden; the sheep broke into their cotton patch, when it was in flower, +and ate it all, except the stems; then the crocodiles carried off the +sheep, and the natives stole the fowls. Nor were they more successful as +gun-smiths: a Portuguese trader, having an exalted opinion of the +ingenuity of English sailors, showed them a double-barrelled rifle, and +inquired if they could put on the _browning_, which had rusted off. "I +think I knows how," said one, whose father was a blacksmith, "it's very +easy; you have only to put the barrels in the fire." A great fire of +wood was made on shore, and the unlucky barrels put over it, to secure +the handsome rifle colour. To Jack's utter amazement the barrels came +asunder. To get out of the scrape, his companion and he stuck the pieces +together with resin, and sent it to the owner, with the message, "It was +all they could do for it, and they would not charge him anything for the +job!" They had also invented an original mode of settling a bargain; +having ascertained the market price of provisions, they paid that, but no +more. If the traders refused to leave the ship till the price was +increased, a chameleon, of which the natives have a mortal dread, was +brought out of the cabin; and the moment the natives saw the creature, +they at once sprang overboard. The chameleon settled every dispute in a +twinkling. + +But besides their good-humoured intercourse, they showed humanity worthy +of English sailors. A terrible scream roused them up one night, and they +pushed off in a boat to the rescue. A crocodile had caught a woman, and +was dragging her across a shallow sandbank. Just as they came up to her, +she gave a fearful shriek: the horrid reptile had snapped off her leg at +the knee. They took her on board, bandaged the limb as well as they +could, and, not thinking of any better way of showing their sympathy, +gave her a glass of rum, and carried her to a hut in the village. Next +morning they found the bandages torn off, and the unfortunate creature +left to die. "I believe," remarked Rowe, one of the sailors, "her master +was angry with us for saving her life, seeing as how she had lost her +leg." + +The Zambesi being unusually low, we remained at Tette till it rose a +little, and then left on the 3rd of December for the Kongone. It was +hard work to keep the vessel afloat; indeed, we never expected her to +remain above water. New leaks broke out every day; the engine pump gave +way; the bridge broke down; three compartments filled at night; except +the cabin and front compartment all was flooded; and in a few days we +were assured by Rowe that "she can't be worse than she is, sir." He and +Hutchins had spent much of their time, while we were away, in patching +her bottom, puddling it with clay, and shoring it, and it was chiefly to +please them that we again attempted to make use of her. We had long been +fully convinced that the steel plates were thoroughly unsuitable. On the +morning of the 21st the uncomfortable "Asthmatic" grounded on a sandbank +and filled. She could neither be emptied nor got off. The river rose +during the night, and all that was visible of the worn-out craft next day +was about six feet of her two masts. Most of the property we had on +board was saved; and we spent the Christmas of 1860 encamped on the +island of Chimba. Canoes were sent for from Senna; and we reached it on +the 27th, to be again hospitably entertained by our friend, Senhor +Ferrao. + +We reached the Kongone on the 4th of January, 1861. A flagstaff and a +Custom-house had been erected during our absence; a hut, also, for a +black lance-corporal and three privates. By the kind permission of the +lance-corporal, who came to see us as soon as he had got into his +trousers and shirt, we took up our quarters in the Custom-house, which, +like the other buildings, is a small square floorless hut of mangrove +stakes overlaid with reeds. The soldiers complained of hunger, they had +nothing to eat but a little mapira, and were making palm wine to deaden +their cravings. While waiting for a ship, we had leisure to read the +newspapers and periodicals we found in the mail which was waiting our +arrival at Tette. Several were a year and a half old. + +Our provisions began to run short; and towards the end of the month there +was nothing left but a little bad biscuit and a few ounces of sugar. +Coffee and tea were expended, but scarcely missed, as our sailors +discovered a pretty good substitute in roasted mapira. Fresh meat was +obtained in abundance from our antelope preserves on the large island +made by a creek between the Kongone and East Luabo. + +In this focus of decaying vegetation, nothing is so much to be dreaded as +inactivity. We had, therefore, to find what exercise and amusement we +could, when hunting was not required, in peering about in the fetid +swamps; to have gone mooning about, in listless idleness, would have +ensured fever in its worst form, and probably with fatal results. + +A curious little blenny-fish swarms in the numerous creeks which +intersect the mangrove topes. When alarmed, it hurries across the +surface of the water in a series of leaps. It may be considered +amphibious, as it lives as much out of the water as in it, and its most +busy time is during low water. Then it appears on the sand or mud, near +the little pools left by the retiring tide; it raises itself on its +pectoral fins into something of a standing attitude, and with its large +projecting eyes keeps a sharp look-out for the light-coloured fly, on +which it feeds. Should the fly alight at too great a distance for even a +second leap, the blenny moves slowly towards it like a cat to its prey, +or like a jumping spider; and, as soon as it gets within two or three +inches of the insect, by a sudden spring contrives to pop its underset +mouth directly over the unlucky victim. He is, moreover, a pugnacious +little fellow; and rather prolonged fights may be observed between him +and his brethren. One, in fleeing from an apparent danger, jumped into a +pool a foot square, which the other evidently regarded as his by right of +prior discovery; in a twinkling the owner, with eyes flashing fury, and +with dorsal fin bristling up in rage, dashed at the intruding foe. The +fight waxed furious, no tempest in a teapot ever equalled the storm of +that miniature sea. The warriors were now in the water, and anon out of +it, for the battle raged on sea and shore. They struck hard, they bit +each other; until, becoming exhausted, they seized each other by the jaws +like two bull-dogs, then paused for breath, and at it again as fiercely +as before, until the combat ended by the precipitate retreat of the +invader. + +The muddy ground under the mangrove-trees is covered with soldier-crabs, +which quickly slink into their holes on any symptom of danger. When the +ebbing tide retires, myriads of minute crabs emerge from their +underground quarters, and begin to work like so many busy bees. Soon +many miles of the smooth sand become rough with the results of their +labour. They are toiling for their daily bread: a round bit of moist +sand appears at the little labourer's mouth, and is quickly brushed off +by one of the claws; a second bit follows the first; and another, and +still another come as fast as they can be laid aside. As these pellets +accumulate, the crab moves sideways, and the work continues. The first +impression one receives is, that the little creature has swallowed a +great deal of sand, and is getting rid of it as speedily as possible: a +habit he indulges in of darting into his hole at intervals, as if for +fresh supplies, tends to strengthen this idea; but the size of the heaps +formed in a few seconds shows that this cannot be the case, and leads to +the impression that, although not readily seen, at the distance at which +he chooses to keep the observer, yet that possibly he raises the sand to +his mouth, where whatever animalcule it may contain is sifted out of it, +and the remainder rejected in the manner described. At times the larger +species of crabs perform a sort of concert; and from each subterranean +abode strange sounds arise, as if, in imitation of the songsters of the +groves, for very joy they sang! + +We found some natives pounding the woody stems of a poisonous climbing- +plant (_Dirca palustris_) called Busungu, or poison, which grows +abundantly in the swamps. When a good quantity was bruised, it was tied +up in bundles. The stream above and below was obstructed with bushes, +and with a sort of rinsing motion the poison was diffused through the +water. Many fish were soon affected, swain in shore, and died, others +were only stupefied. The plant has pink, pea-shaped blossoms, and +smooth, pointed, glossy leaves, and the brown bark is covered with minute +white points. The knowledge of it might prove of use to a shipwrecked +party by enabling them to catch the fish. + +The poison is said to be deleterious to man if the water is drunk; but +not when the fish is cooked. The Busungu is repulsive to some insects, +and is smeared round the shoots of the palm-trees to prevent the ants +from getting into the palm wine while it is dropping from the tops of the +palm-trees into the little pots suspended to collect it. + +We were in the habit of walking from our beds into the salt water at +sunrise, for a bath, till a large crocodile appeared at the +bathing-place, and from that time forth we took our dip in the sea, away +from the harbour, about midday. This is said to be unwholesome, but we +did not find it so. It is certainly better not to bathe in the mornings, +when the air is colder than the water--for then, on returning to the +cooler air, one is apt to get a chill and fever. In the mouth of the +river, many saw-fish are found. Rowe saw one while bathing--caught it by +the tail, and shoved it, "snout on," ashore. The saw is from a foot to +eighteen inches long. We never heard of any one being wounded by this +fish; nor, though it goes hundreds of miles up the river in fresh water, +could we learn that it was eaten by the people. The hippopotami +delighted to spend the day among the breakers, and seemed to enjoy the +fun as much as we did. + +Severe gales occurred during our stay on the Coast, and many small sea- +birds (_Prion Banksii_, Smith) perished: the beach was strewn with their +dead bodies, and some were found hundreds of yards inland; many were so +emaciated as to dry up without putrefying. We were plagued with myriads +of mosquitoes, and had some touches of fever; the men we brought from +malarious regions of the interior suffered almost as much from it here as +we did ourselves. This gives strength to the idea that the civilized +withstand the evil influences of strange climates better than the +uncivilized. When negroes return to their own country from healthy +lands, they suffer as severely as foreigners ever do. + +On the 31st of January, 1861, our new ship, the "Pioneer," arrived from +England, and anchored outside the bar; but the weather was stormy, and +she did not venture in till the 4th of February. + +Two of H.M. cruisers came at the same time, bringing Bishop Mackenzie, +and the Oxford and Cambridge Mission to the tribes of the Shire and Lake +Nyassa. The Mission consisted of six Englishmen, and five coloured men +from the Cape. It was a puzzle to know what to do with so many men. The +estimable Bishop, anxious to commence his work without delay, wished the +"Pioneer" to carry the Mission up the Shire, as far as Chibisa's, and +there leave them. But there were grave objections to this. The +"Pioneer" was under orders to explore the Rovuma, as the Portuguese +Government had refused to open the Zambesi to the ships of other nations, +and their officials were very effectually pursuing a system, which, by +abstracting the labour, was rendering the country of no value either to +foreigners or to themselves. She was already two months behind her time, +and the rainy season was half over. Then, if the party were taken to +Chibisa's, the Mission would he left without a medical attendant, in an +unhealthy region, at the beginning of the most sickly season of the year, +and without means of reaching the healthy highlands, or of returning to +the sea. We dreaded that, in the absence of medical aid and all +knowledge of the treatment of fever, there might be a repetition of the +sorrowful fate which befell the similar non-medical Mission at Linyanti. + +On the 25th of February the "Pioneer" anchored in the mouth of the +Rovuma, which, unlike most African rivers, has a magnificent bay and no +bar. We wooded, and then waited for the Bishop till the 9th of March, +when he came in the "Lyra." On the 11th we proceeded up the river, and +saw that it had fallen four or five feet during our detention. The +scenery on the lower part of the Rovuma is superior to that on the +Zambesi, for we can see the highlands from the sea. Eight miles from the +mouth the mangroves are left behind, and a beautiful range of well-wooded +hills on each bank begins. On these ridges the tree resembling African +blackwood, of finer grain than ebony, grows abundantly, and attains a +large size. Few people were seen, and those were of Arab breed, and did +not appear to be very well off. The current of the Rovuma was now as +strong as that of the Zambesi, but the volume of water is very much less. +Several of the crossings had barely water enough for our ship, drawing +five feet, to pass. When we were thirty miles up the river, the water +fell suddenly seven inches in twenty-four hours. As the March flood is +the last of the season, and it appeared to be expended, it was thought +prudent to avoid the chance of a year's detention, by getting the ship +back to the sea without delay. Had the Expedition been alone, we would +have pushed up in boats, or afoot, and done what we could towards the +exploration of the river and upper end of the lake; but, though the +Mission was a private one, and entirely distinct from our own, a public +one, the objects of both being similar, we felt anxious to aid our +countrymen in their noble enterprise; and, rather than follow our own +inclination, decided to return to the Shire, see the Mission party +settled safely, and afterwards explore Lake Nyassa and the Rovuma, from +the Lake downwards. Fever broke out on board the "Pioneer," at the mouth +of the Rovuma, as we thought from our having anchored close to a creek +coming out of the mangroves; and it remained in her until we completely +isolated the engine-room from the rest of the ship. The coal-dust +rotting sent out strong effluvia, and kept up the disease for more than a +twelvemonth. + +Soon after we started the fever put the "Pioneer" almost entirely into +the hands of the original Zambesi Expedition, and not long afterwards the +leader had to navigate the ocean as well as the river. The habit of +finding the geographical positions on land renders it an easy task to +steer a steamer with only three or four sails at sea; where, if one does +not run ashore, no one follows to find out an error, and where a current +affords a ready excuse for every blunder. + +Touching at Mohilla, one of the Comoro Islands, on our return, we found a +mixed race of Arabs, Africans, and their conquerors, the natives of +Madagascar. Being Mahometans, they have mosques and schools, in which we +were pleased to see girls as well as boys taught to read the Koran. The +teacher said he was paid by the job, and received ten dollars for +teaching each child to read. The clever ones learn in six months; but +the dull ones take a couple of years. We next went over to Johanna for +our friends; and, after a sojourn of a few days at the beautiful Comoro +Islands, we sailed for the Kongone mouth of the Zambesi with Bishop +Mackenzie and his party. We reached the coast in seven days, and passed +up the Zambesi to the Shire. + +The "Pioneer," constructed under the skilful supervision of Admiral Sir +Baldwin Walker and the late Admiral Washington, warm-hearted and highly +esteemed friends of the Expedition, was a very superior vessel, and well +suited for our work in every respect, except in her draught of water. +Five feet were found to be too much for the navigation of the upper part +of the Shire. Designed to draw three feet only, the weight necessary to +impart extra strength, and fit her for the ocean, brought her down two +feet more, and caused us a great deal of hard and vexatious work, in +laying out anchors, and toiling at the capstan to get her off sandbanks. +We should not have minded this much, but for the heavy loss of time which +might have been more profitably, and infinitely more pleasantly, spent in +intercourse with the people, exploring new regions, and otherwise +carrying out the objects of the Expedition. Once we were a fortnight on +a bank of soft yielding sand, having only two or three inches less water +than the ship drew; this delay was occasioned by the anchors coming home, +and the current swinging the ship broadside on the bank, which, +immediately on our touching, always formed behind us. We did not like to +leave the ship short of Chibisa's, lest the crew should suffer from the +malaria of the lowland around; and it would have been difficult to have +got the Mission goods carried up. We were daily visited by crowds of +natives, who brought us abundance of provisions far beyond our ability to +consume. In hauling the "Pioneer" over the shallow places, the Bishop, +with Horace Waller and Mr. Scudamore, were ever ready and anxious to lend +a hand, and worked as hard as any on board. Had our fine little ship +drawn but three feet, she could have run up and down the river at any +time of the year with the greatest ease, but as it was, having once +passed up over a few shallow banks, it was impossible to take her down +again until the river rose in December. She could go up over a bank, but +not come down over it, as a heap of sand always formed instantly astern, +while the current washed it away from under her bows. + +On at last reaching Chibisa's, we heard that there was war in the +Manganja country, and the slave-trade was going on briskly. A deputation +from a chief near Mount Zomba had just passed on its way to Chibisa, who +was in a distant village, to implore him to come himself, or send +medicine, to drive off the Waiao, Waiau, or Ajawa, whose marauding +parties were desolating the land. A large gang of recently enslaved +Manganja crossed the river, on their way to Tette, a few days before we +got the ship up. Chibisa's deputy was civil, and readily gave us +permission to hire as many men to carry the Bishop's goods up to the +hills as were willing to go. With a sufficient number, therefore, we +started for the highlands on the 15th of July, to show the Bishop the +country, which, from its altitude and coolness, was most suitable for a +station. Our first day's march was a long and fatiguing one. The few +hamlets we passed were poor, and had no food for our men, and we were +obliged to go on till 4 p.m., when we entered the small village of +Chipindu. The inhabitants complained of hunger, and said they had no +food to sell, and no hut for us to sleep in; but, if we would only go on +a little further, we should come to a village where they had plenty to +eat; but we had travelled far enough, and determined to remain where we +were. Before sunset as much food was brought as we cared to purchase, +and, as it threatened to rain, huts were provided for the whole party. + +Next forenoon we halted at the village of our old friend Mbame, to obtain +new carriers, because Chibisa's men, never before having been hired, and +not having yet learned to trust us, did not choose to go further. After +resting a little, Mbame told us that a slave party on its way to Tette +would presently pass through his village. "Shall we interfere?" we +inquired of each other. We remembered that all our valuable private +baggage was in Tette, which, if we freed the slaves, might, together with +some Government property, be destroyed in retaliation; but this system of +slave-hunters dogging us where previously they durst not venture, and, on +pretence of being "our children," setting one tribe against another, to +furnish themselves with slaves, would so inevitably thwart all the +efforts, for which we had the sanction of the Portuguese Government, that +we resolved to run all risks, and put a stop, if possible, to the slave- +trade, which had now followed on the footsteps of our discoveries. A few +minutes after Mbame had spoken to us, the slave party, a long line of +manacled men, women, and children, came wending their way round the hill +and into the valley, on the side of which the village stood. The black +drivers, armed with muskets, and bedecked with various articles of +finery, marched jauntily in the front, middle, and rear of the line; some +of them blowing exultant notes out of long tin horns. They seemed to +feel that they were doing a very noble thing, and might proudly march +with an air of triumph. But the instant the fellows caught a glimpse of +the English, they darted off like mad into the forest; so fast, indeed, +that we caught but a glimpse of their red caps and the soles of their +feet. The chief of the party alone remained; and he, from being in +front, had his hand tightly grasped by a Makololo! He proved to be a +well-known slave of the late Commandant at Tette, and for some time our +own attendant while there. On asking him how he obtained these captives, +he replied he had bought them; but on our inquiring of the people +themselves, all, save four, said they had been captured in war. While +this inquiry was going on, he bolted too. The captives knelt down, and, +in their way of expressing thanks, clapped their hands with great energy. +They were thus left entirely on our hands, and knives were soon busy at +work cutting the women and children loose. It was more difficult to cut +the men adrift, as each had his neck in the fork of a stout stick, six or +seven feet long, and was kept in by an iron rod which was riveted at both +ends across the throat. With a saw, luckily in the Bishop's baggage, one +by one the men were sawn out into freedom. The women, on being told to +take the meal they were carrying and cook breakfast for themselves and +the children, seemed to consider the news too good to be true; but after +a little coaxing went at it with alacrity, and made a capital fire by +which to boil their pots with the slave sticks and bonds, their old +acquaintances through many a sad night and weary day. Many were mere +children about five years of age and under. One little boy, with the +simplicity of childhood, said to our men, "The others tied and starved +us, you cut the ropes and tell us to eat; what sort of people are +you?--Where did you come from?" Two of the women had been shot the day +before for attempting to untie the thongs. This, the rest were told, was +to prevent them from attempting to escape. One woman had her infant's +brains knocked out, because she could not carry her load and it. And a +man was dispatched with an axe, because he had broken down with fatigue. +Self-interest would have set a watch over the whole rather than commit +murder; but in this traffic we invariably find self-interest overcome by +contempt of human life and by bloodthirstiness. + +The Bishop was not present at this scene, having gone to bathe in a +little stream below the village; but on his return he warmly approved of +what had been done; he at first had doubts, but now felt that, had he +been present, he would have joined us in the good work. Logic is out of +place when the question with a true-hearted man is, whether his brother +man is to be saved or not. Eighty-four, chiefly women and children, were +liberated; and on being told that they were now free, and might go where +they pleased, or remain with us, they all chose to stay; and the Bishop +wisely attached them to his Mission, to be educated as members of a +Christian family. In this way a great difficulty in the commencement of +a Mission was overcome. Years are usually required before confidence is +so far instilled into the natives' mind as to induce them, young or old, +to submit to the guidance of strangers professing to be actuated by +motives the reverse of worldly wisdom, and inculcating customs strange +and unknown to them and their fathers. + +We proceeded next morning to Soche's with our liberated party, the men +cheerfully carrying the Bishop's goods. As we had begun, it was of no +use to do things by halves, so eight others were freed in a hamlet on our +path; but a party of traders, with nearly a hundred slaves, fled from +Soche's on hearing of our proceedings. Dr. Kirk and four Makololo +followed them with great energy, but they made clear off to Tette. Six +more captives were liberated at Mongazi's, and two slave-traders detained +for the night, to prevent them from carrying information to a large party +still in front. Of their own accord they volunteered the information +that the Governor's servants had charge of the next party; but we did not +choose to be led by them, though they offered to guide us to his +Excellency's own agents. Two of the Bishop's black men from the Cape, +having once been slaves, were now zealous emancipators, and volunteered +to guard the prisoners during the night. So anxious were our heroes to +keep them safe, that instead of relieving each other, by keeping watch +and watch, both kept watch together, till towards four o'clock in the +morning, when sleep stole gently over them both; and the wakeful +prisoners, seizing the opportunity, escaped: one of the guards, +perceiving the loss, rushed out of the hut, shouting, "They are gone, the +prisoners are off, and they have taken my rifle with them, and the women +too! Fire! everybody fire!" The rifle and the women, however, were all +safe enough, the slave-traders being only too glad to escape alone. Fifty +more slaves were freed next day in another village; and, the whole party +being stark-naked, cloth enough was left to clothe them, better probably +than they had ever been clothed before. The head of this gang, whom we +knew as the agent of one of the principal merchants of Tette, said that +they had the license of the Governor for all they did. This we were +fully aware of without his stating it. It is quite impossible for any +enterprise to be undertaken there without the Governor's knowledge and +connivance. + +The portion of the highlands which the Bishop wished to look at before +deciding on a settlement belonged to Chiwawa, or Chibaba, the most manly +and generous Manganja chief we had met with on our previous journey. On +reaching Nsambo's, near Mount Chiradzuru, we heard that Chibaba was dead, +and that Chigunda was chief instead. Chigunda, apparently of his own +accord, though possibly he may have learnt that the Bishop intended to +settle somewhere in the country, asked him to come and live with him at +Magomero, adding that there was room enough for both. This hearty and +spontaneous invitation had considerable influence on the Bishop's mind, +and seemed to decide the question. A place nearer the Shire would have +been chosen had he expected his supplies to come up that river; but the +Portuguese, claiming the river Shire, though never occupying even its +mouth, had closed it, as well as the Zambesi. + +Our hopes were turned to the Rovuma, as a free highway into Lake Nyassa +and the vast interior. A steamer was already ordered for the Lake, and +the Bishop, seeing the advantageous nature of the highlands which stretch +an immense way to the north, was more anxious to be near the Lake and the +Rovuma, than the Shire. When he decided to settle at Magomero, it was +thought desirable, to prevent the country from being depopulated, to +visit the Ajawa chief, and to try and persuade him to give up his slaving +and kidnapping courses, and turn the energies of his people to peaceful +pursuits. + +On the morning of the 22nd we were informed that the Ajawa were near, and +were burning a village a few miles off. Leaving the rescued slaves, we +moved off to seek an interview with these scourges of the country. On +our way we met crowds of Manganja fleeing from the war in front. These +poor fugitives from the slave hunt had, as usual, to leave all the food +they possessed, except the little they could carry on their heads. We +passed field after field of Indian corn or beans, standing ripe for +harvesting, but the owners were away. The villages were all deserted: +one where we breakfasted two years before, and saw a number of men +peacefully weaving cloth, and, among ourselves, called it the "Paisley of +the hills," was burnt; the stores of corn were poured out in cartloads, +and scattered all over the plain, and all along the paths, neither +conquerors nor conquered having been able to convey it away. About two +o'clock we saw the smoke of burning villages, and heard triumphant +shouts, mingled with the wail of the Manganja women, lamenting over their +slain. The Bishop then engaged us in fervent prayer; and, on rising from +our knees, we saw a long line of Ajawa warriors, with their captives, +coming round the hill-side. The first of the returning conquerors were +entering their own village below, and we heard women welcoming them back +with "lillilooings." The Ajawa headman left the path on seeing us, and +stood on an anthill to obtain a complete view of our party. We called +out that we had come to have an interview with them, but some of the +Manganja who followed us shouted "Our Chibisa is come:" Chibisa being +well known as a great conjurer and general. The Ajawa ran off yelling +and screaming, "Nkondo! Nkondo!" (War! War!) We heard the words of the +Manganja, but they did not strike us at the moment as neutralizing all +our assertions of peace. The captives threw down their loads on the +path, and fled to the hills: and a large body of armed men came running +up from the village, and in a few seconds they were all around us, though +mostly concealed by the projecting rocks and long grass. In vain we +protested that we had not come to fight, but to talk with them. They +would not listen, having, as we remembered afterwards, good reason, in +the cry of "Our Chibisa." Flushed with recent victory over three +villages, and confident of an easy triumph over a mere handful of men, +they began to shoot their poisoned arrows, sending them with great force +upwards of a hundred yards, and wounding one of our followers through the +arm. Our retiring slowly up the ascent from the village only made them +more eager to prevent our escape; and, in the belief that this retreat +was evidence of fear, they closed upon us in bloodthirsty fury. Some +came within fifty yards, dancing hideously; others having quite +surrounded us, and availing themselves of the rocks and long grass hard +by, were intent on cutting us off, while others made off with their women +and a large body of slaves. Four were armed with muskets, and we were +obliged in self-defence to return their fire and drive them off. When +they saw the range of rifles, they very soon desisted, and ran away; but +some shouted to us from the hills the consoling intimation, that they +would follow, and kill us where we slept. Only two of the captives +escaped to us, but probably most of those made prisoners that day fled +elsewhere in the confusion. We returned to the village which we had left +in the morning, after a hungry, fatiguing, and most unpleasant day. + +Though we could not blame ourselves for the course we had followed, we +felt sorry for what had happened. It was the first time we had ever been +attacked by the natives or come into collision with them; though we had +always taken it for granted that we might be called upon to act in self- +defence, we were on this occasion less prepared than usual, no game +having been expected here. The men had only a single round of cartridge +each; their leader had no revolver, and the rifle he usually fired with +was left at the ship to save it from the damp of the season. Had we +known better the effect of slavery and murder on the temper of these +bloodthirsty marauders, we should have tried messages and presents before +going near them. + +The old chief, Chinsunse, came on a visit to us next day, and pressed the +Bishop to come and live with him. "Chigunda," he said, "is but a child, +and the Bishop ought to live with the father rather than with the child." +But the old man's object was so evidently to have the Mission as a shield +against the Ajawa, that his invitation was declined. While begging us to +drive away the marauders, that he might live in peace, he adopted the +stratagem of causing a number of his men to rush into the village, in +breathless haste, with the news that the Ajawa were close upon us. And +having been reminded that we never fought, unless attacked, as we were +the day before, and that we had come among them for the purpose of +promoting peace, and of teaching them to worship the Supreme, to give up +selling His children, and to cultivate other objects for barter than each +other, he replied, in a huff, "Then I am dead already." + +The Bishop, feeling, as most Englishmen would, at the prospect of the +people now in his charge being swept off into slavery by hordes of men- +stealers, proposed to go at once to the rescue of the captive Manganja, +and drive the marauding Ajawa out of the country. All were warmly in +favour of this, save Dr. Livingstone, who opposed it on the ground that +it would be better for the Bishop to wait, and see the effect of the +check the slave-hunters had just experienced. The Ajawa were evidently +goaded on by Portuguese agents from Tette, and there was no bond of union +among the Manganja on which to work. It was possible that the Ajawa +might be persuaded to something better, though, from having long been in +the habit of slaving for the Quillimane market, it was not very probable. +But the Manganja could easily be overcome piecemeal by any enemy; old +feuds made them glad to see calamities befall their next neighbours. We +counselled them to unite against the common enemies of their country, and +added distinctly that we English would on no account enter into their +quarrels. On the Bishop inquiring whether, in the event of the Manganja +again asking aid against the Ajawa, it would be his duty to accede to +their request,--"No," replied Dr. Livingstone, "you will be oppressed by +their importunities, but do not interfere in native quarrels." This +advice the good man honourably mentions in his journal. We have been +rather minute in relating what occurred during the few days of our +connection with the Mission of the English Universities, on the hills, +because, the recorded advice having been discarded, blame was thrown on +Dr. Livingstone's shoulders, as if the missionaries had no individual +responsibility for their subsequent conduct. This, unquestionably, good +Bishop Mackenzie had too much manliness to have allowed. The connection +of the members of the Zambesi Expedition, with the acts of the Bishop's +Mission, now ceased, for we returned to the ship and prepared for our +journey to Lake Nyassa. We cheerfully, if necessary, will bear all +responsibility up to this point; and if the Bishop afterwards made +mistakes in certain collisions with the slavers, he had the votes of all +his party with him, and those who best knew the peculiar circumstances, +and the loving disposition of this good-hearted man, will blame him +least. In this position, and in these circumstances, we left our friends +at the Mission Station. + +As a temporary measure the Bishop decided to place his Mission Station on +a small promontory formed by the windings of the little, clear stream of +Magomero, which was so cold that the limbs were quite benumbed by washing +in it in the July mornings. The site chosen was a pleasant spot to the +eye, and completely surrounded by stately, shady trees. It was expected +to serve for a residence, till the Bishop had acquired an accurate +knowledge of the adjacent country, and of the political relations of the +people, and could select a healthy and commanding situation, as a +permanent centre of Christian civilization. Everything promised fairly. +The weather was delightful, resembling the pleasantest part of an English +summer; provisions poured in very cheap and in great abundance. The +Bishop, with characteristic ardour, commenced learning the language, Mr. +Waller began building, and Mr. Scudamore improvised a sort of infant +school for the children, than which there is no better means for +acquiring an unwritten tongue. + +On the 6th of August, 1861, a few days after returning from Magomero, +Drs. Livingstone and Kirk, and Charles Livingstone started for Nyassa +with a light four-oared gig, a white sailor, and a score of attendants. +We hired people along the path to carry the boat past the forty miles of +the Murchison Cataracts for a cubit of cotton cloth a day. This being +deemed great wages, more than twice the men required eagerly offered +their services. The chief difficulty was in limiting their numbers. +Crowds followed us; and, had we not taken down in the morning the names +of the porters engaged, in the evening claims would have been made by +those who only helped during the last ten minutes of the journey. The +men of one village carried the boat to the next, and all we had to do was +to tell the headman that we wanted fresh men in the morning. He saw us +pay the first party, and had his men ready at the time appointed, so +there was no delay in waiting for carriers. They often make a loud noise +when carrying heavy loads, but talking and bawling does not put them out +of breath. The country was rough and with little soil on it, but covered +with grass and open forest. A few small trees were cut down to clear a +path for our shouting assistants, who were good enough to consider the +boat as a certificate of peaceful intentions at least to them. Several +small streams were passed, the largest of which were the Mukuru-Madse and +Lesungwe. The inhabitants on both banks were now civil and obliging. Our +possession of a boat, and consequent power of crossing independently of +the canoes, helped to develop their good manners, which were not apparent +on our previous visit. + +There is often a surprising contrast between neighbouring villages. One +is well off and thriving, having good huts, plenty of food, and native +cloth; and its people are frank, trusty, generous, and eager to sell +provisions; while in the next the inhabitants may be ill-housed, +disobliging, suspicious, ill-fed, and scantily clad, and with nothing for +sale, though the land around is as fertile as that of their wealthier +neighbours. We followed the river for the most part to avail ourselves +of the still reaches for sailing; but a comparatively smooth country lies +further inland, over which a good road could be made. Some of the five +main cataracts are very grand, the river falling 1200 feet in the 40 +miles. After passing the last of the cataracts, we launched our boat for +good on the broad and deep waters of the Upper Shire, and were virtually +on the lake, for the gentle current shows but little difference of level. +The bed is broad and deep, but the course is rather tortuous at first, +and makes a long bend to the east till it comes within five or six miles +of the base of Mount Zomba. The natives regarded the Upper Shire as a +prolongation of Lake Nyassa; for where what we called the river +approaches Lake Shirwa, a little north of the mountains, they said that +the hippopotami, "which are great night travellers," pass from _one lake +into the other_. There the land is flat, and only a short land journey +would be necessary. Seldom does the current here exceed a knot an hour, +while that of the Lower Shire is from two to two-and-a-half knots. Our +land party of Makololo accompanied us along the right bank, and passed +thousands of Manganja fugitives living in temporary huts on that side, +who had recently been driven from their villages on the opposite hills by +the Ajawa. + +The soil was dry and hard, and covered with mopane-trees; but some of the +Manganja were busy hoeing the ground and planting the little corn they +had brought with them. The effects of hunger were already visible on +those whose food had been seized or burned by the Ajawa and Portuguese +slave-traders. The spokesman or prime minister of one of the chiefs, +named Kalonjere, was a humpbacked dwarf, a fluent speaker, who tried hard +to make us go over and drive off the Ajawa; but he could not deny that by +selling people Kalonjere had invited these slave-hunters to the country. +This is the second humpbacked dwarf we have found occupying the like +important post, the other was the prime minister of a Batonga chief on +the Zambesi. + +As we sailed along, we disturbed many white-breasted cormorants; we had +seen the same species fishing between the cataracts. Here, with many +other wild-fowls, they find subsistence on the smooth water by night, and +sit sleepily on trees and in the reeds by day. Many hippopotami were +seen in the river, and one of them stretched its wide jaws, as if to +swallow the whole stern of the boat, close to Dr. Kirk's back; the animal +was so near that, in opening its mouth, it lashed a quantity of water on +to the stern-sheets, but did no damage. To avoid large marauding parties +of Ajawa, on the left bank of the Shire, we continued on the right, or +western side, with our land party, along the shore of the small lake +Pamalombe. This lakelet is ten or twelve miles in length, and five or +six broad. It is nearly surrounded by a broad belt of papyrus, so dense +that we could scarcely find an opening to the shore. The plants, ten or +twelve feet high, grew so closely together that air was excluded, and so +much sulphuretted hydrogen gas evolved that by one night's exposure the +bottom of the boat was blackened. Myriads of mosquitoes showed, as +probably they always do, the presence of malaria. + +We hastened from this sickly spot, trying to take the attentions of the +mosquitoes as hints to seek more pleasant quarters on the healthy shores +of Lake Nyassa; and when we sailed into it, on the 2nd September, we felt +refreshed by the greater coolness of the air off this large body of +water. The depth was the first point of interest. This is indicated by +the colour of the water, which, on a belt along the shore, varying from a +quarter to half a mile in breadth, is light green, and this is met by the +deep blue or indigo tint of the Indian Ocean, which is the colour of the +great body of Nyassa. We found the Upper Shire from nine to fifteen feet +in depth; but skirting the western side of the lake about a mile from the +shore the water deepened from nine to fifteen fathoms; then, as we +rounded the grand mountainous promontory, which we named Cape Maclear, +after our excellent friend the Astronomer Royal at the Cape of Good Hope, +we could get no bottom with our lead-line of thirty-five fathoms. We +pulled along the western shore, which was a succession of bays, and found +that where the bottom was sandy near the beach, and to a mile out, the +depth varied from six to fourteen fathoms. In a rocky bay about latitude +11 degrees 40 minutes we had soundings at 100 fathoms, though outside the +same bay we found none with a fishing-line of 116 fathoms; but this cast +was unsatisfactory, as the line broke in coming up. According to our +present knowledge, a ship could anchor only near the shore. + +Looking back to the southern end of Lake Nyassa, the arm from which the +Shire flows was found to be about thirty miles long and from ten to +twelve broad. Rounding Cape Maclear, and looking to the south-west, we +have another arm, which stretches some eighteen miles southward, and is +from six to twelve miles in breadth. These arms give the southern end a +forked appearance, and with the help of a little imagination it may be +likened to the "boot-shape" of Italy. The narrowest part is about the +ankle, eighteen or twenty miles. From this it widens to the north, and +in the upper third or fourth it is fifty or sixty miles broad. The +length is over 200 miles. The direction in which it lies is as near as +possible due north and south. Nothing of the great bend to the west, +shown in all the previous maps, could be detected by either compass or +chronometer, and the watch we used was an excellent one. The season of +the year was very unfavourable. The "smokes" filled the air with an +impenetrable haze, and the equinoctial gales made it impossible for us to +cross to the eastern side. When we caught a glimpse of the sun rising +from behind the mountains to the east, we made sketches and bearings of +them at different latitudes, which enabled us to secure approximate +measurements of the width. These agreed with the times taken by the +natives at the different crossing-places--as Tsenga and Molamba. About +the beginning of the upper third the lake is crossed by taking advantage +of the island Chizumara, which name in the native tongue means the +"ending;" further north they go round the end instead, though that takes +several days. + +The lake appeared to be surrounded by mountains, but it was afterwards +found that these beautiful tree-covered heights were, on the west, only +the edges of high table-lands. Like all narrow seas encircled by +highlands, it is visited by sudden and tremendous storms. We were on it +in September and October, perhaps the stormiest season of the year, and +were repeatedly detained by gales. At times, while sailing pleasantly +over the blue water with a gentle breeze, suddenly and without any +warning was heard the sound of a coming storm, roaring on with crowds of +angry waves in its wake. We were caught one morning with the sea +breaking all around us, and, unable either to advance or recede, anchored +a mile from shore, in seven fathoms. The furious surf on the beach would +have shivered our boat to atoms, had we tried to land. The waves most +dreaded came rolling on in threes, with their crests, driven into spray, +streaming behind them. A short lull followed each triple charge. Had +one of these seas struck our boat, nothing could have saved us; for they +came on with resistless force; seaward, in shore, and on either side of +us, they broke in foam, but we escaped. For six weary hours we faced +those terrible trios. A low, dark, detached, oddly shaped cloud came +slowly from the mountains, and hung for hours directly over our heads. A +flock of night-jars (_Cometornis vexillarius_), which on no other +occasion come out by day, soared above us in the gale, like birds of evil +omen. Our black crew became sea-sick and unable to sit up or keep the +boat's head to the sea. The natives and our land party stood on the high +cliffs looking at us and exclaiming, as the waves seemed to swallow up +the boat, "They are lost! they are all dead!" When at last the gale +moderated and we got safely ashore, they saluted us warmly, as after a +long absence. From this time we trusted implicitly to the opinions of +our seaman, John Neil, who, having been a fisherman on the coast of +Ireland, understood boating on a stormy coast, and by his advice we often +sat cowering on the land for days together waiting for the surf to go +down. He had never seen such waves before. We had to beach the boat +every night to save her from being swamped at anchor; and, did we not +believe the gales to be peculiar to one season of the year, would call +Nyassa the "Lake of Storms." + +Distinct white marks on the rocks showed that, for some time during the +rainy season, the water of the lake is three feet above the point to +which it falls towards the close of the dry period of the year. The +rains begin here in November, and the permanent rise of the Shire does +not take place till January. The western side of Lake Nyassa, with the +exception of the great harbour to the west of Cape Maclear, is, as has +been said before, a succession of small bays of nearly similar form, each +having an open sandy beach and pebbly shore, and being separated from its +neighbour by a rocky headland, with detached rocks extending some +distance out to sea. The great south-western bay referred to would form +a magnificent harbour, the only really good one we saw to the west. + +The land immediately adjacent to the lake is low and fertile, though in +some places marshy and tenanted by large flocks of ducks, geese, herons, +crowned cranes, and other birds. In the southern parts we have sometimes +ten or a dozen miles of rich plains, bordered by what seem high ranges of +well-wooded hills, running nearly parallel with the lake. Northwards the +mountains become loftier and present some magnificent views, range +towering beyond range, until the dim, lofty outlines projected against +the sky bound the prospect. Still further north the plain becomes more +narrow, until, near where we turned, it disappears altogether, and the +mountains rise abruptly out of the lake, forming the north-east boundary +of what was described to us as an extensive table-land; well suited for +pasturage and agriculture, and now only partially occupied by a tribe of +Zulus, who came from the south some years ago. These people own large +herds of cattle, and are constantly increasing in numbers by annexing +other tribes. + + + +CHAPTER X. + + +The Lake tribes--The Mazitu--Quantities of elephants--Distressing +journey--Detention on the Shire. + +Never before in Africa have we seen anything like the dense population on +the shores of Lake Nyassa. In the southern part there was an almost +unbroken chain of villages. On the beach of wellnigh of every little +sandy bay, dark crowds were standing, gazing at the novel sight of a boat +under sail; and wherever we landed we were surrounded in a few seconds by +hundreds of men, women, and children, who hastened to have a stare at the +"chirombo" (wild animals). + +During a portion of the year, the northern dwellers on the lake have a +harvest which furnishes a singular sort of food. As we approached our +limit in that direction, clouds, as of smoke rising from miles of burning +grass, were observed bending in a south-easterly direction, and we +thought that the unseen land on the opposite side was closing in, and +that we were near the end of the lake. But next morning we sailed +through one of the clouds on our own side, and discovered that it was +neither smoke nor haze, but countless millions of minute midges called +"kungo" (a cloud or fog). They filled the air to an immense height, and +swarmed upon the water, too light to sink in it. Eyes and mouth had to +be kept closed while passing through this living cloud: they struck upon +the face like fine drifting snow. Thousands lay in the boat when she +emerged from the cloud of midges. The people gather these minute insects +by night, and boil them into thick cakes, to be used as a relish--millions +of midges in a cake. A kungo cake, an inch thick, and as large as the +blue bonnet of a Scotch ploughman, was offered to us; it was very dark in +colour, and tasted not unlike caviare, or salted locusts. + +Abundance of excellent fish is found in the lake, and nearly all were new +to us. The mpasa, or sanjika, found by Dr. Kirk to be a kind of carp, +was running up the rivers to spawn, like our salmon at home: the largest +we saw was over two feet in length; it is a splendid fish, and the best +we have ever eaten in Africa. They were ascending the rivers in August +and September, and furnished active and profitable employment to many +fishermen, who did not mind their being out of season. Weirs were +constructed full of sluices, in each of which was set a large +basket-trap, through whose single tortuous opening the fish once in has +but small chance of escape. A short distance below the weir, nets are +stretched across from bank to bank, so that it seemed a marvel how the +most sagacious sanjika could get up at all without being taken. Possibly +a passage up the river is found at night; but this is not the country of +Sundays or "close times" for either men or fish. The lake fish are +caught chiefly in nets, although men, and even women with babies on their +backs, are occasionally seen fishing from the rocks with hooks. + +A net with small meshes is used for catching the young fry of a silvery +kind like pickerel, when they are about two inches long; thousands are +often taken in a single haul. We had a present of a large bucketful one +day for dinner: they tasted as if they had been cooked with a little +quinine, probably from their gall-bladders being left in. In deep water, +some sorts are taken by lowering fish-baskets attached by a long cord to +a float, around which is often tied a mass of grass or weeds, as an +alluring shade for the deep-sea fish. Fleets of fine canoes are engaged +in the fisheries. The men have long paddles, and stand erect while using +them. They sometimes venture out when a considerable sea is running. Our +Makololo acknowledge that, in handling canoes, the Lake men beat them; +they were unwilling to cross the Zambesi even, when the wind blew fresh. + +Though there are many crocodiles in the lake, and some of an +extraordinary size, the fishermen say that it is a rare thing for any one +to be carried off by these reptiles. When crocodiles can easily obtain +abundance of fish--their natural food--they seldom attack men; but when +unable to see to catch their prey, from the muddiness of the water in +floods, they are very dangerous. + +Many men and boys are employed in gathering the buaze, in preparing the +fibre, and in making it into long nets. The knot of the net is different +from ours, for they invariably use what sailors call the reef knot, but +they net with a needle like that we use. From the amount of native +cotton cloth worn in many of the southern villages, it is evident that a +great number of hands and heads must be employed in the cultivation of +cotton, and in the various slow processes through which it has to pass, +before the web is finished in the native loom. In addition to this +branch of industry, an extensive manufacture of cloth, from the inner +bark of an undescribed tree, of the botanical group, _Caesalpineae_, is +ever going on, from one end of the lake to the other; and both toil and +time are required to procure the bark, and to prepare it by pounding and +steeping it to render it soft and pliable. The prodigious amount of the +bark clothing worn indicates the destruction of an immense number of +trees every year; yet the adjacent heights seem still well covered with +timber. + +The Lake people are by no means handsome: the women are _very_ plain; and +really make themselves hideous by the means they adopt to render +themselves attractive. The _pelele_, or ornament for the upper lip, is +universally worn by the ladies; the most valuable is of pure tin, +hammered into the shape of a small dish; some are made of white quartz, +and give the wearer the appearance of having an inch or more of one of +Price's patent candles thrust through the lip, and projecting beyond the +tip of the nose. + +In character, the Lake tribes are very much like other people; there are +decent men among them, while a good many are no better than they should +be. They are open-handed enough: if one of us, as was often the case, +went to see a net drawn, a fish was always offered. Sailing one day past +a number of men, who had just dragged their nets ashore, at one of the +fine fisheries at Pamalombe, we were hailed and asked to stop, and +received a liberal donation of beautiful fish. Arriving late one +afternoon at a small village on the lake, a number of the inhabitants +manned two canoes, took out their seine, dragged it, and made us a +present of the entire haul. The northern chief, Marenga, a tall handsome +man, with a fine aquiline nose, whom we found living in his stockade in a +forest about twenty miles north of the mountain Kowirwe, behaved like a +gentleman to us. His land extended from Dambo to the north of Makuza +hill. He was specially generous, and gave us bountiful presents of food +and beer. "Do they wear such things in your country?" he asked, pointing +to his iron bracelet, which was studded with copper, and highly prized. +The Doctor said he had never seen such in his country, whereupon Marenga +instantly took it off, and presented it to him, and his wife also did the +same with hers. On our return south from the mountains near the north +end of the lake, we reached Marenga's on the 7th October. When he could +not prevail upon us to forego the advantage of a fair wind for his +invitation to "spend the whole day drinking his beer, which was," he +said, "quite ready," he loaded us with provisions, all of which he sent +for before we gave him any present. In allusion to the boat's sail, his +people said that they had no Bazimo, or none worth having, seeing they +had never invented the like for them. The chief, Mankambira, likewise +treated us with kindness; but wherever the slave-trade is carried on, the +people are dishonest and uncivil; that invariably leaves a blight and a +curse in its path. The first question put to us at the lake crossing- +places, was, "Have you come to buy slaves?" On hearing that we were +English, and never purchased slaves, the questioners put on a +supercilious air, and sometimes refused to sell us food. This want of +respect to us may have been owing to the impressions conveyed to them by +the Arabs, whose dhows have sometimes been taken by English cruisers when +engaged in lawful trade. Much foreign cloth, beads, and brass-wire were +worn by these ferrymen--and some had muskets. + +By Chitanda, near one of the slave crossing-places, we were robbed for +the first time in Africa, and learned by experience that these people, +like more civilized nations, have expert thieves among them. It might be +only a coincidence; but we never suffered from impudence, loss of +property, or were endangered, unless among people familiar with slaving. +We had such a general sense of security, that never, save when we +suspected treachery, did we set a watch at night. Our native companions +had, on this occasion, been carousing on beer, and had removed to a +distance of some thirty yards, that we might not overhear their free and +easy after-dinner remarks, and two of us had a slight touch of fever; +between three and four o'clock in the morning some thieves came, while we +slept ingloriously--rifles and revolvers all ready,--and relieved us of +most of our goods. The boat's sail, under which we slept, was open all +around, so the feat was easy. + +Awaking as honest men do, at the usual hour, the loss of one was +announced by "My bag is gone--with all my clothes; and my boots too!" +"And mine!" responded a second. "And mine also!" chimed in the third, +"with the bag of beads, and the rice!" "Is the cloth taken?" was the +eager inquiry, as that would have been equivalent to all our money. It +had been used for a pillow that night, and thus saved. The rogues left +on the beach, close to our beds, the Aneroid Barometer and a pair of +boots, thinking possibly that they might be of use to us, or, at least, +that they could be of none to them. They shoved back some dried plants +and fishes into one bag, but carried off many other specimens we had +collected; some of our notes also, and nearly all our clothing. + +We could not suspect the people of the village near which we lay. We had +probably been followed for days by the thieves watching for an +opportunity. And our suspicions fell on some persons who had come from +the East Coast; but having no evidence, and expecting to hear if our +goods were exposed for sale in the vicinity, we made no fuss about it, +and began to make new clothing. That our rifles and revolvers were left +untouched was greatly to our advantage: yet we felt it was most +humiliating for armed men to have been so thoroughly fleeced by a few +black rascals. + +Some of the best fisheries appear to be private property. We found +shelter from a storm one morning in a spacious lagoon, which communicated +with the lake by a narrow passage. Across this strait stakes were driven +in, leaving only spaces for the basket fish-traps. A score of men were +busily engaged in taking out the fish. We tried to purchase some, but +they refused to sell. The fish did not belong to them, they would send +for the proprietor of the place. The proprietor arrived in a short time, +and readily sold what we wanted. + +Some of the burying-grounds are very well arranged, and well cared for; +this was noticed at Chitanda, and more particularly at a village on the +southern shore of the fine harbour at Cape Maclear. Wide and neat paths +were made in the burying-ground on its eastern and southern sides. A +grand old fig-tree stood at the north-east corner, and its wide-spreading +branches threw their kindly shade over the last resting-place of the +dead. Several other magnificent trees grew around the hallowed spot. +Mounds were raised as they are at home, but all lay north and south, the +heads apparently north. The graves of the sexes were distinguished by +the various implements which the buried dead had used in their different +employments during life; but they were all broken, as if to be employed +no more. A piece of fishing-net and a broken paddle told where a +fisherman lay. The graves of the women had the wooden mortar, and the +heavy pestle used in pounding the corn, and the basket in which the meal +is sifted, while all had numerous broken calabashes and pots arranged +around them. The idea that the future life is like the present does not +appear to prevail; yet a banana-tree had been carefully planted at the +head of several of the graves; the fruit might be considered an offering +to those who still possess human tastes. The people of the neighbouring +villages were friendly and obliging, and willingly brought us food for +sale. + +Pursuing our exploration, we found that the northern part of the lake was +the abode of lawlessness and bloodshed. The Mazite, or Mazitu, live on +the highlands, and make sudden swoops on the villages of the plains. They +are Zulus who came originally from the south, inland of Sofalla and +Inhambane; and are of the same family as those who levy annual tribute +from the Portuguese on the Zambesi. All the villages north of +Mankambira's (lat. 11 degrees 44 minutes south) had been recently +destroyed by these terrible marauders, but they were foiled in their +attacks upon that chief and Marenga. The thickets and stockades round +their villages enabled the bowmen to pick off the Mazitu in security, +while they were afraid to venture near any place where they could not use +their shields. Beyond Mankambira's we saw burned villages, and the +putrid bodies of many who had fallen by Mazitu spears only a few days +before. Our land party were afraid to go further. This reluctance to +proceed without the presence of a white man was very natural, because +bands of the enemy who had ravaged the country were supposed to be still +roaming about; and if these marauders saw none but men of their own +colour, our party might forthwith be attacked. Compliance with their +request led to an event which might have been attended by very serious +consequences. Dr. Livingstone got separated from the party in the boat +for four days. Having taken the first morning's journey along with them, +and directing the boat to call for him in a bay in sight, both parties +proceeded north. In an hour Dr. Livingstone and his party struck inland, +on approaching the foot of the mountains which rise abruptly from the +lake. Supposing that they had heard of a path behind the high range +which there forms the shore, those in the boat held on their course; but +it soon began to blow so fresh that they had to run ashore for safety. +While delayed a couple of hours, two men were sent up the hills to look +for the land party, but they could see nothing of them, and the boat +party sailed as soon as it was safe to put to sea, with the conviction +that the missing ones would regain the lake in front. + +In a short time a small island or mass of rocks was passed, on which were +a number of armed Mazitu with some young women, apparently their wives. +The headman said that he had been wounded in the foot by Mankambira, and +that they were staying there till he could walk to his chief, who lived +over the hills. They had several large canoes, and it was evident that +this was a nest of lake pirates, who sallied out by night to kill and +plunder. They reported a path behind the hills, and, the crew being +reassured, the boat sailed on. A few miles further, another and still +larger band of pirates were fallen in with, and hundreds of crows and +kites hovered over and round the rocks on which they lived. Dr. Kirk and +Charles Livingstone, though ordered in a voice of authority to come +ashore, kept on their course. A number of canoes then shot out from the +rocks and chased them. One with nine strong paddlers persevered for some +time after all the others gave up the chase. A good breeze, however, +enabled the gig to get away from them with ease. After sailing twelve or +fifteen miles, north of the point where Dr. Livingstone had left them, it +was decided that he must be behind; but no sooner had the boat's head +been turned south, than another gale compelled her to seek shelter in a +bay. Here a number of wretched fugitives from the slave-trade on the +opposite shore of the lake were found; the original inhabitants of the +place had all been swept off the year before by the Mazitu. In the +deserted gardens beautiful cotton was seen growing, much of it had the +staple an inch and a half long, and of very fine quality. Some of the +plants were uncommonly large, deserving to be ranked with trees. + +On their trying to purchase food, the natives had nothing to sell except +a little dried cassava-root, and a few fish: and they demanded two yards +of calico for the head only of a large fish. When the gale admitted of +their return, their former pursuers tried to draw them ashore by +asserting that they had quantities of ivory for sale. Owing to a +succession of gales, it was the fourth day from parting that the boat was +found by Dr. Livingstone, who was coming on in search of it with only two +of his companions. + +After proceeding a short distance up the path in which they had been lost +sight of, they learned that it would take several days to go round the +mountains, and rejoin the lake; and they therefore turned down to the +bay, expecting to find the boat, but only saw it disappearing away to the +north. They pushed on as briskly as possible after it, but the mountain +flank which forms the coast proved excessively tedious and fatiguing; +travelling all day, the distance made, in a straight line, was under five +miles. As soon as day dawned, the march was resumed; and, after hearing +at the first inhabited rock that their companions had passed it the day +before, a goat was slaughtered out of the four which they had with them, +when suddenly, to the evident consternation of the men, seven Mazitu +appeared armed with spears and shields, with their heads dressed +fantastically with feathers. To hold a parley, Dr. Livingstone and +Moloka, a Makololo man who spoke Zulu, went unarmed to meet them. On Dr. +Livingstone approaching them, they ordered him to stop, and sit down in +the sun, while they sat in the shade. "No, no!" was the reply, "if you +sit in the shade, so will we." They then rattled their shields with +their clubs, a proceeding which usually inspires terror; but Moloka +remarked, "It is not the first time we have heard shields rattled." And +all sat down together. They asked for a present, to show their chief +that they had actually met strangers--something as evidence of having +seen men who were not Arabs. And they were requested in turn to take +these strangers to the boat, or to their chief. All the goods were in +the boat, and to show that no present such as they wanted was in his +pockets, Dr. Livingstone emptied them, turning out, among other things, a +note-book: thinking it was a pistol they started up, and said, "Put that +in again." The younger men then became boisterous, and demanded a goat. +That could not be spared, as they were the sole provisions. When they +insisted, they were asked how many of the party they had killed, that +they thus began to divide the spoil; this evidently made them ashamed. +The elders were more reasonable; they dreaded treachery, and were as much +afraid of Dr. Livingstone and his party as his men were of them; for on +leaving they sped away up the hills like frightened deer. One of them, +and probably the leader, was married, as seen by portions of his hair +sewn into a ring; all were observed by their teeth to be people of the +country, who had been incorporated into the Zulu tribe. + +The way still led over a succession of steep ridges with ravines of from +500 to 1000 feet in depth; some of the sides had to be scaled on hands +and knees, and no sooner was the top reached than the descent began +again. Each ravine had a running stream; and the whole country, though +so very rugged, had all been cultivated, and densely peopled. Many +banana-trees, uncared for patches of corn, and Congo-bean bushes attested +former cultivation. The population had all been swept away; ruined +villages, broken utensils, and human skeletons, met with at every turn, +told a sad tale. So numerous were the slain, that it was thought the +inhabitants had been slaughtered in consequence of having made raids on +the Zulus for cattle. + +Continuing the journey that night as long as light served, they slept +unconsciously on the edge of a deep precipice, without fire, lest the +Mazitu should see it. Next morning most of the men were tired out, the +dread of the apparition of the day before tending probably to increase +the lameness of which they complained. When told, however, that all +might return to Mankambira's save two, Moloka and Charlie, they would +not, till assured that the act would not be considered one of cowardice. +Giving them one of the goats as provision, another was slaughtered for +the remainder of the party who, having found on the rocks a canoe which +had belonged to one of the deserted villages, determined to put to sea +again; but the craft was very small, and the remaining goat, spite of +many a threat of having its throat cut, jumped and rolled about so, as +nearly to capsize it; so Dr. Livingstone took to the shore again, and +after another night spent without fire, except just for cooking, was +delighted to see the boat coming back. + +We pulled that day to Mankambira's, a distance that on shore, with the +most heartbreaking toil, had taken three days to travel. This was the +last latitude taken, 11 degrees 44 minutes S. The boat had gone about 24 +minutes further to the north, the land party probably half that distance, +but fever prevented the instruments being used. Dr. Kirk and Charles +Livingstone were therefore furthest up the lake, and they saw about 20 +minutes beyond their turning-point, say into the tenth degree of south +latitude. From the heights of at least a thousand feet, over which the +land party toiled, the dark mountain masses on both sides of the lake +were seen closing in. At this elevation the view extended at least as +far as that from the boats, and it is believed the end of the lake lies +on the southern borders of 10 degrees, or the northern limits of 11 +degrees south latitude. + +Elephants are numerous on the borders of the lake, and surprisingly tame, +being often found close to the villages. Hippopotami swarm very much at +their ease in the creeks and lagoons, and herds are sometimes seen in the +lake itself. Their tameness arises from the fact that poisoned arrows +have no effect on either elephant or hippopotamus. Five of each were +shot for food during our journey. Two of the elephants were females, and +had only a single tusk apiece, and were each killed by the first shot. It +is always a case of famine or satiety when depending on the rifle for +food--a glut of meat or none at all. Most frequently it is scanty fare, +except when game is abundant, as it is far up the Zambesi. We had one +morning two hippopotami and an elephant, perhaps in all some eight tons +of meat, and two days after the last of a few sardines only for dinner. + +One morning when sailing past a pretty thickly-inhabited part, we were +surprised at seeing nine large bull-elephants standing near the beach +quietly flapping their gigantic ears. Glad of an opportunity of getting +some fresh meat, we landed and fired into one. They all retreated into a +marshy piece of ground between two villages. Our men gave chase, and +fired into the herd. Standing on a sand hummock, we could see the +bleeding animals throwing showers of water with their trunks over their +backs. The herd was soon driven back upon us, and a wounded one turned +to bay. Yet neither this one, nor any of the others, ever attempted to +charge. Having broken his legs with a rifle-ball, we fired into him at +forty yards as rapidly as we could load and discharge the rifles. He +simply shook his head at each shot, and received at least sixty Enfield +balls before he fell. Our excellent sailor from the north of Ireland +happened to fire the last, and, as soon as he saw the animal fall, he +turned with an air of triumph to the Doctor and exclaimed, "It was _my_ +shot that done it, sir!" + +In a few minutes upwards of a thousand natives were round the prostrate +king of beasts; and, after our men had taken all they wanted, an +invitation was given to the villagers to take the remainder. They rushed +at it like hungry hyenas, and in an incredibly short time every inch of +it was carried off. It was only by knowing that the meat would all be +used that we felt justified in the slaughter of this noble creature. The +tusks weighed 62 lbs. each. A large amount of ivory might be obtained +from the people of Nyassa, and we were frequently told of their having it +in their huts. + +While detained by a storm on the 17th October at the mouth of the Kaombe, +we were visited by several men belonging to an Arab who had been for +fourteen years in the interior at Katanga's, south of Cazembe's. They +had just brought down ivory, malachite, copper rings, and slaves to +exchange for cloth at the lake. The malachite was said to be dug out of +a large vein on the side of a hill near Katanga's. They knew Lake +Tanganyika well, but had not heard of the Zambesi. They spoke quite +positively, saying that the water of Lake Tanganyika flowed out by the +opposite end to that of Nyassa. As they had seen neither of the +overflows, we took it simply as a piece of Arab geography. We passed +their establishment of long sheds next day, and were satisfied that the +Arabs must be driving a good trade. + +The Lake slave-trade was going on at a terrible rate. Two enterprising +Arabs had built a dhow, and were running her, crowded with slaves, +regularly across the Lake. We were told she sailed the day before we +reached their head-quarters. This establishment is in the latitude of +the Portuguese slave-exporting town of Iboe, and partly supplies that +vile market; but the greater number of the slaves go to Kilwa. We did +not see much evidence of a wish to barter. Some ivory was offered for +sale; but the chief traffic was in human chattels. Would that we could +give a comprehensive account of the horrors of the slave-trade, with an +approximation to the number of lives it yearly destroys! for we feel sure +that were even half the truth told and recognized, the feelings of men +would be so thoroughly roused, that this devilish traffic in human flesh +would be put down at all risks; but neither we, nor any one else, have +the statistics necessary for a work of this kind. Let us state what we +do know of one portion of Africa, and then every reader who believes our +tale can apply the ratio of the known misery to find out the unknown. We +were informed by Colonel Rigby, late H.M. Political Agent, and Consul at +Zanzibar, that 19,000 slaves from this Nyassa country alone pass annually +through the Custom-house of that island. This is exclusive of course of +those sent to Portuguese slave-ports. Let it not be supposed for an +instant that this number, 19,000, represents all the victims. Those +taken out of the country are but a very small section of the sufferers. +We never realized the atrocious nature of the traffic, until we saw it at +the fountain-head. There truly "Satan has his seat." Besides those +actually captured, thousands are killed and die of their wounds and +famine, driven from their villages by the slave raid proper. Thousands +perish in internecine war waged for slaves with their own clansmen and +neighbours, slain by the lust of gain, which is stimulated, be it +remembered always, by the slave purchasers of Cuba and elsewhere. The +many skeletons we have seen, amongst rocks and woods, by the little +pools, and along the paths of the wilderness, attest the awful sacrifice +of human life, which must be attributed, directly or indirectly, to this +trade of hell. We would ask our countrymen to believe us when we say, as +we conscientiously can, that it is our deliberate opinion, from what we +know and have seen, that not one-fifth of the victims of the slave-trade +ever become slaves. Taking the Shire Valley as an average, we should say +not even one-tenth arrive at their destination. As the system, +therefore, involves such an awful waste of human life,--or shall we say +of human labour?--and moreover tends directly to perpetuate the barbarism +of those who remain in the country, the argument for the continuance of +this wasteful course because, forsooth, a fraction of the enslaved may +find good masters, seems of no great value. This reasoning, if not the +result of ignorance, may be of maudlin philanthropy. A small armed +steamer on Lake Nyassa could easily, by exercising a control, and +furnishing goods in exchange for ivory and other products, break the neck +of this infamous traffic in that quarter; for nearly all must cross the +Lake or the Upper Shire. + +Our exploration of the Lake extended from the 2nd September to the 27th +October, 1861; and, having expended or lost most of the goods we had +brought, it was necessary to go back to the ship. When near the southern +end, on our return, we were told that a very large slave-party had just +crossed to the eastern side. We heard the fire of three guns in the +evening, and judged by the report that they must be at least +six-pounders. They were said to belong to an Ajawa chief named Mukata. + +In descending the Shire, we found concealed in the broad belt of papyrus +round the lakelet Pamalombe, into which the river expands, a number of +Manganja families who had been driven from their homes by the Ajawa +raids. So thickly did the papyrus grow, that when beat down it supported +their small temporary huts, though when they walked from one hut to +another, it heaved and bent beneath their feet as thin ice does at home. + +A dense and impenetrable forest of the papyrus was left standing between +them and the land, and no one passing by on the same side would ever have +suspected that human beings lived there. They came to this spot from the +south by means of their canoes, which enabled them to obtain a living +from the fine fish which abound in the lakelet. They had a large +quantity of excellent salt sewed up in bark, some of which we bought, our +own having run out. We anchored for the night off their floating camp, +and were visited by myriads of mosquitoes. Some of the natives show a +love of country quite surprising. We saw fugitives on the mountains, in +the north of the lake, who were persisting in clinging to the haunts of +their boyhood and youth, in spite of starvation and the continual danger +of being put to death by the Mazitu. + +A few miles below the lakelet is the last of the great slave-crossings. +Since the Ajawa invasion the villages on the left bank had been +abandoned, and the people, as we saw in our ascent, were living on the +right or western bank. + +As we were resting for a few minutes opposite the valuable fishery at +Movunguti, a young effeminate-looking man from some sea-coast tribe came +in great state to have a look at us. He walked under a large umbrella, +and was followed by five handsome damsels gaily dressed and adorned with +a view to attract purchasers. One was carrying his pipe for smoking +bang, here called "chamba;" another his bow and arrows; a third his +battle-axe; a fourth one of his robes; while the last was ready to take +his umbrella when he felt tired. This show of his merchandise was to +excite the cupidity of any chief who had ivory, and may be called the +lawful way of carrying on the slave-trade. What proportion it bears to +the other ways in which we have seen this traffic pursued, we never found +means of forming a judgment. He sat and looked at us for a few minutes, +the young ladies kneeling behind him; and having satisfied himself that +we were not likely to be customers, he departed. + +On our first trip we met, at the landing opposite this place, a middle- +aged woman of considerable intelligence, and possessing more knowledge of +the country than any of the men. Our first definite information about +Lake Nyassa was obtained from her. Seeing us taking notes, she remarked +that she had been to the sea, and had there seen white men writing. She +had seen camels also, probably among the Arabs. She was the only +Manganja woman we ever met who was ashamed of wearing the "pelele," or +lip-ring. She retired to her hut, took it out, and kept her hand before +her mouth to hide the hideous hole in the lip while conversing with us. +All the villagers respected her, and even the headmen took a secondary +place in her presence. On inquiring for her now, we found that she was +dead. We never obtained sufficient materials to estimate the relative +mortality of the highlands and lowlands; but, from many very old white- +headed blacks having been seen on the highlands, we think it probable +that even native races are longer lived the higher their dwelling-places +are. + +We landed below at Mikena's and took observations for longitude, to +verify those taken two years before. The village was deserted, Mikena +and his people having fled to the other side of the river. A few had +come across this morning to work in their old gardens. After completing +the observations we had breakfast; and, as the last of the things were +being carried into the boat, a Manganja man came running down to his +canoe, crying out, "The Ajawa have just killed my comrade!" We shoved +off, and in two minutes the advanced guard of a large marauding party +were standing with their muskets on the spot where we had taken +breakfast. They were evidently surprised at seeing us there, and halted; +as did also the main body of perhaps a thousand men. "Kill them," cried +the Manganja; "they are going up to the hills to kill the English," +meaning the missionaries we had left at Magomero. But having no prospect +of friendly communication with them, nor confidence in Manganja's +testimony, we proceeded down the river; leaving the Ajawa sitting under a +large baobab, and the Manganja cursing them most energetically across the +river. + +On our way up, we had seen that the people of Zimika had taken refuge on +a long island in the Shire, where they had placed stores of grain to +prevent it falling into the hands of the Ajawa; supposing afterwards that +the invasion and war were past, they had removed back again to the +mainland on the east, and were living in fancied security. On +approaching the chief's village, which was built in the midst of a +beautiful grove of lofty wild-fig and palm trees, sounds of revelry fell +upon our ears. The people were having a merry time--drumming, dancing, +and drinking beer--while a powerful enemy was close at hand, bringing +death or slavery to every one in the village. One of our men called out +to several who came to the bank to look at us, that the Ajawa were coming +and were even now at Mikena's village; but they were dazed with drinking, +and took no notice of the warning. + +Crowds of carriers offered their services after we left the river. +Several sets of them placed so much confidence in us, as to decline +receiving payment at the end of the first day; they wished to work +another day, and so receive both days' wages in one piece. The young +headman of a new village himself came on with his men. The march was a +pretty long one, and one of the men proposed to lay the burdens down +beside a hut a mile or more from the next village. The headman scolded +the fellow for his meanness in wishing to get rid of our goods where we +could not procure carriers, and made him carry them on. The village, at +the foot of the cataracts, had increased very much in size and wealth +since we passed it on our way up. A number of large new huts had been +built; and the people had a good stock of cloth and beads. We could not +account for this sudden prosperity, until we saw some fine large canoes, +instead of the two old, leaky things which lay there before. This had +become a crossing-place for the slaves that the Portuguese agents were +carrying to Tette, because they were afraid to take them across nearer to +where the ship lay, about seven miles off. Nothing was more +disheartening than this conduct of the Manganja, in profiting by the +entire breaking up of their nation. + +We reached the ship on the 8th of November, 1861, in a very weak +condition, having suffered more from hunger than on any previous trip. +Heavy rains commenced on the 9th, and continued several days; the river +rose rapidly, and became highly discoloured. Bishop Mackenzie came down +to the ship on the 14th, with some of the "Pioneer's" men, who had been +at Magomero for the benefit of their health, and also for the purpose of +assisting the Mission. The Bishop appeared to be in excellent spirits, +and thought that the future promised fair for peace and usefulness. The +Ajawa having been defeated and driven off while we were on the Lake, had +sent word that they desired to live at peace with the English. Many of +the Manganja had settled round Magomero, in order to be under the +protection of the Bishop; and it was hoped that the slave-trade would +soon cease in the highlands, and the people be left in the secure +enjoyment of their industry. The Mission, it was also anticipated, might +soon become, to a considerable degree, self-supporting, and raise certain +kinds of food, like the Portuguese of Senna and Quillimane. Mr. Burrup, +an energetic young man, had arrived at Chibisa's the day before the +Bishop, having come up the Shire in a canoe. A surgeon and a lay brother +followed behind in another canoe. The "Pioneer's" draught being too much +for the upper part of the Shire, it was not deemed advisable to bring her +up, on the next trip, further than the Ruo; the Bishop, therefore, +resolved to explore the country from Magomero to the mouth of that river, +and to meet the ship with his sisters and Mrs. Burrup, in January. This +was arranged before parting, and then the good Bishop and Burrup, whom we +were never to meet again, left us; they gave and received three hearty +English cheers as they went to the shore, and we steamed off. + +The rains ceased on the 14th, and the waters of the Shire fell, even more +rapidly than they had risen. A shoal, twenty miles below Chibisa's, +checked our further progress, and we lay there five weary weeks, till the +permanent rise of the river took place. During this detention, with a +large marsh on each side, the first death occurred in the Expedition +which had now been three-and-a-half years in the country. The +carpenter's mate, a fine healthy young man, was seized with fever. The +usual remedies had no effect; he died suddenly while we were at evening +prayers, and was buried on shore. He came out in the "Pioneer," and, +with the exception of a slight touch of fever at the mouth of the Rovuma, +had enjoyed perfect health all the time he had been with us. The +Portuguese are of opinion that the European who has immunity from this +disease for any length of time after he enters the country is more likely +to be cut off by it when it does come, than the man who has it frequently +at first. + +The rains became pretty general towards the close of December, and the +Shire was in flood in the beginning of January, 1862. At our wooding- +place, a mile above the Ruo, the water was three feet higher than it was +when we were here in June; and on the night of the 6th it rose eighteen +inches more, and swept down an immense amount of brushwood and logs which +swarmed with beetles and the two kinds of shells which are common all +over the African continent. Natives in canoes were busy spearing fish in +the meadows and creeks, and appeared to be taking them in great numbers. +Spur-winged geese, and others of the knob-nosed species, took advantage +of the low gardens being flooded, and came to pilfer the beans. As we +passed the Ruo, on the 7th, and saw nothing of the Bishop, we concluded +that he had heard from his surgeon of our detention, and had deferred his +journey. He arrived there five days after, on the 12th. + +After paying our Senna men, as they wished to go home, we landed them +here. All were keen traders, and had invested largely in native iron- +hoes, axes, and ornaments. Many of the hoes and spears had been taken +from the slaving parties whose captives we liberated; for on these +occasions our Senna friends were always uncommonly zealous and active. +The remainder had been purchased with the old clothes we had given them +and their store of hippopotamus meat: they had no fear of losing them, or +of being punished for aiding us. The system, in which they had been +trained, had eradicated the idea of personal responsibility from their +minds. The Portuguese slaveholders would blame the English alone, they +said; they were our servants at the time. No white man on board could +purchase so cheaply as these men could. Many a time had their eloquence +persuaded a native trader to sell for a bit of dirty worn cloth things +for which he had, but a little before, refused twice the amount of clean +new calico. "Scissors" being troubled with a cough at night, received a +present of a quilted coverlet, which had seen a good deal of service. A +few days afterwards, a good chance of investing in hoes offering itself, +he ripped off both sides, tore them into a dozen pieces, and purchased +about a dozen hoes with them. + +We entered the Zambesi on the 11th of January, and steamed down towards +the coast, taking the side on which we had come up; but the channel had +changed to the other side during the summer, as it sometimes does, and we +soon grounded. A Portuguese gentleman, formerly a lieutenant in the +army, and now living on Sangwisa, one of the islands of the Zambesi, came +over with his slaves, to aid us in getting the ship off. He said +frankly, that his people were all great thieves, and we must be on our +guard not to leave anything about. He next made a short speech to his +men, told them he knew what thieves they were, but implored them not to +steal from us, as we would give them a present of cloth when the work was +done. "The natives of this country," he remarked to us, "think only of +three things, what they shall eat and drink, how many wives they can +have, and what they may steal from their master, if not how they may +murder him." He always slept with a loaded musket by his side. This +opinion may apply to slaves, but decidedly does not in our experience +apply to freemen. We paid his men for helping us, and believe that even +they, being paid, stole nothing from us. Our friend farms pretty +extensively the large island called Sangwisa,--lent him for nothing by +Senhor Ferrao,--and raises large quantities of mapira and beans, and also +beautiful white rice, grown from seed brought a few years ago from South +Carolina. He furnished us with some, which was very acceptable; for +though not in absolute want, we were living on beans, salt pork, and +fowls, all the biscuit and flour on board having been expended. + +We fully expected that the owners of the captives we had liberated would +show their displeasure, at least by their tongues; but they seemed +ashamed; only one ventured a remark, and he, in the course of common +conversation, said, with a smile, "You took the Governor's slaves, didn't +you?" "Yes, we did free several gangs that we met in the Manganja +country." The Portuguese of Tette, from the Governor downwards, were +extensively engaged in slaving. The trade is partly internal and partly +external: they send some of the captives, and those bought, into the +interior, up the Zambesi: some of these we actually met on their way up +the river. The young women were sold there for ivory: an +ordinary-looking one brought two arrobas, sixty-four pounds weight, and +an extra beauty brought twice that amount. The men and boys were kept as +carriers, to take the ivory down from the interior to Tette, or were +retained on farms on the Zambesi, ready for export if a slaver should +call: of this last mode of slaving we were witnesses also. The slaves +were sent down the river chained, and in large canoes. This went on +openly at Tette, and more especially so while the French "Free +Emigration" system was in full operation. This double mode of disposing +of the captives pays better than the single system of sending them down +to the coast for exportation. One merchant at Tette, with whom we were +well acquainted, sent into the interior three hundred Manganja women to +be sold for ivory, and another sent a hundred and fifty. + + + +CHAPTER XI. + + +Arrival of H.M.S. "Gorgon"--Dr. Livingstone's new steamer and Mrs. +Livingstone--Death of Mrs. Livingstone--Voyage to Johanna and the +Rovuma--An attack upon the "Pioneer's" boats. + +We anchored on the Great Luabo mouth of the Zambesi, because wood was +much more easily obtained there than at the Kongone. + +On the 30th, H.M.S. "Gorgon" arrived, towing the brig which brought Mrs. +Livingstone, some ladies about to join their relatives in the +Universities' Mission, and the twenty-four sections of a new iron steamer +intended for the navigation of Lake Nyassa. The "Pioneer" steamed out, +and towed the brig into the Kongone harbour. The new steamer was called +the "Lady of the Lake," or the "Lady Nyassa," and as much as could be +carried of her in one trip was placed, by the help of the officers and +men of the "Gorgon," on board the "Pioneer," and the two large paddle-box +boats of H.M.'s ship. We steamed off for Ruo on the 10th of February, +having on board Captain Wilson, with a number of his officers and men to +help us to discharge the cargo. Our progress up was distressingly slow. +The river was in flood, and we had a three-knot current against us in +many places. These delays kept us six months in the delta, instead of, +as we anticipated, only six days; for, finding it impossible to carry the +sections up to the Ruo without great loss of time, it was thought best to +land them at Shupanga, and, putting the hull of the "Lady Nyassa" +together there, to tow her up to the foot of the Murchison Cataracts. + +A few days before the "Pioneer" reached Shupanga, Captain Wilson, seeing +the hopeless state of affairs, generously resolved to hasten with the +Mission ladies up to those who, we thought, were anxiously awaiting their +arrival, and therefore started in his gig for the Ruo, taking Miss +Mackenzie, Mrs. Burrup, and his surgeon, Dr. Ramsay. They were +accompanied by Dr. Kirk and Mr. Sewell, paymaster of the "Gorgon," in the +whale-boat of the "Lady Nyassa." As our slow-paced-launch, "Ma Robert," +had formerly gone up to the foot of the cataracts in nine days' steaming, +it was supposed that the boats might easily reach the expected meeting- +place at the Ruo in a week; but the Shire was now in flood, and in its +most rapid state; and they were longer in getting up about half the +distance, than it was hoped they would be in the whole navigable part of +the river. They could hear nothing of the Bishop from the chief of the +island, Malo, at the mouth of the Ruo. "No white man had ever come to +his village," he said. They proceeded on to Chibisa's, suffering +terribly from mosquitoes at night. Their toil in stemming the rapid +current made them estimate the distance, by the windings, as nearer 300 +than 200 miles. The Makololo who had remained at Chibisa's told them the +sad news of the death of the good Bishop and of Mr. Burrup. Other +information received there awakened fresh anxiety on behalf of the +survivors; so, leaving the ladies with Dr. Ramsay and the Makololo, +Captain Wilson and Dr. Kirk went up the hills, in hopes of being able to +render assistance, and on the way they met some of the Mission party at +Soche's. The excessive fatigue that our friends had undergone in the +voyage up to Chibisa's in no wise deterred them from this further attempt +for the benefit of their countrymen, but the fresh labour, with +diminished rations, was too much for their strength. They were reduced +to a diet of native beans and an occasional fowl. Both became very ill +of fever, Captain Wilson so dangerously that his fellow-sufferer lost all +hopes of his recovery. His strong able-bodied cockswain did good service +in cheerfully carrying his much-loved Commander, and they managed to +return to the boat, and brought the two bereaved and sorrow-stricken +ladies back to the "Pioneer." + +We learnt that the Bishop, wishing to find a shorter route down to the +Shire, had sent two men to explore the country between Magomero and the +junction of the Ruo; and in December Messrs. Proctor and Scudamore, with +a number of Manganja carriers, left Magomero for the same purpose. They +were to go close to Mount Choro, and then skirt the Elephant Marsh, with +Mount Clarendon on their left. Their guides seem to have led them away +to the east, instead of south; to the upper waters of the Ruo in the +Shirwa valley, instead of to its mouth. Entering an Anguru slave-trading +village, they soon began to suspect that the people meant mischief, and +just before sunset a woman told some of their men that if they slept +there they would all be killed. On their preparing to leave, the Anguru +followed them and shot their arrows at the retreating party. Two of the +carriers were captured, and all the goods were taken by these robbers. An +arrow-head struck deep into the stock of Proctor's gun; and the two +missionaries, barely escaping with their lives, swam a deep river at +night, and returned to Magomero famished and exhausted. + +The wives of the captive carriers came to the Bishop day after day +weeping and imploring him to rescue their husbands from slavery. The men +had been caught while in his service, no one else could be entreated; +there was no public law nor any power superior to his own, to which an +appeal could be made; for in him Church and State were, in the +disorganized state of the country, virtually united. It seemed to him to +be clearly his duty to try and rescue these kidnapped members of the +Mission family. He accordingly invited the veteran Makololo to go with +him on this somewhat hazardous errand. Nothing could have been proposed +to them which they would have liked better, and they went with alacrity +to eat the sheep of the Anguru, only regretting that the enemy did not +keep cattle as well. Had the matter been left entirely in their hands, +they would have made a clean sweep of that part of the country; but the +Bishop restrained them, and went in an open manner, thus commending the +measure to all the natives, as one of justice. This deliberation, +however, gave the delinquents a chance of escape. + +The missionaries were successful; the offending village was burned, and a +few sheep and goats were secured which could not be considered other than +a very mild punishment for the offence committed; the headman, +Muana-somba, afraid to retain the prisoners any longer, forthwith +liberated them, and they returned to their homes. This incident took +place at the time we were at the Ruo and during the rains, and proved +very trying to the health of the missionaries; they were frequently +wetted, and had hardly any food but roasted maize. Mr. Scudamore was +never well afterwards. Directly on their return to Magomero, the Bishop +and Mr. Burrup, both suffering from diarrhoea in consequence of wet, +hunger, and exposure, started for Chibisa's to go down to the Ruo by the +Shire. So fully did the Bishop expect a renewal of the soaking wet from +which he had just returned, that on leaving Magomero he walked through +the stream. The rivulets were so swollen that it took five days to do a +journey that would otherwise have occupied only two days and a half. + +None of the Manganja being willing to take them down the river during the +flood, three Makololo canoe-men agreed to go with them. After paddling +till near sunset, they decided to stop and sleep on shore; but the +mosquitoes were so numerous that they insisted on going on again; the +Bishop, being a week behind the time he had engaged to be at the Ruo, +reluctantly consented, and in the darkness the canoe was upset in one of +the strong eddies or whirlpools, which suddenly boil up in flood time +near the outgoing branches of the river; clothing, medicines, tea, +coffee, and sugar were all lost. Wet and weary, and tormented by +mosquitoes, they lay in the canoe till morning dawned, and then proceeded +to Malo, an island at the mouth of the Ruo, where the Bishop was at once +seized with fever. + +Had they been in their usual health, they would doubtless have pushed on +to Shupanga, or to the ship; but fever rapidly prostrates the energies, +and induces a drowsy stupor, from which, if not roused by medicine, the +patient gradually sinks into the sleep of death. Still mindful, however, +of his office, the Bishop consoled himself by thinking that he might gain +the friendship of the chief, which would be of essential service to him +in his future labours. That heartless man, however, probably suspicious +of all foreigners from the knowledge he had acquired of white +slave-traders, wanted to turn the dying Bishop out of the hut, as he +required it for his corn, but yielded to the expostulations of the +Makololo. Day after day for three weeks did these faithful fellows +remain beside his mat on the floor; till, without medicine or even proper +food, he died. They dug his grave on the edge of the deep dark forest +where the natives buried their dead. Mr. Burrup, himself far gone with +dysentery, staggered from the hut, and, as in the dusk of evening they +committed the Bishop's body to the grave, repeated from memory portions +of our beautiful service for the Burial of the Dead--"earth to earth, +ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the +resurrection of the dead through our Lord Jesus Christ." And in this sad +way ended the earthly career of one, of whom it can safely be said that +for unselfish goodness of heart, and earnest devotion to the noble work +he had undertaken, none of the commendations of his friends can exceed +the reality. The grave in which his body rests is about a hundred yards +from the confluence of the Ruo, on the left bank of the Shire, and +opposite the island of Malo. The Makololo then took Mr. Burrup up in the +canoe as far as they could, and, making a litter of branches, carried him +themselves, or got others to carry him, all the way back to his +countrymen at Magomero. They hurried him on lest he should die in their +hands, and blame be attached to them. Soon after his return he expired, +from the disease which was on him when he started to meet his wife. + +Captain Wilson arrived at Shupanga on the 11th of March, having been +three weeks on the Shire. On the 15th the "Pioneer" steamed down to the +Kongone. The "Gorgon" had been driven out to sea in a gale, and had gone +to Johanna for provisions, and it was the 2nd of April before she +returned. It was fortunate for us that she had obtained a supply, as our +provisions were exhausted, and we had to buy some from the master of the +brig. The "Gorgon" left for the Cape on the 4th, taking all, except one, +of the Mission party who had come in January. We take this opportunity +of expressing our heartfelt gratitude to the gallant Captain I. C. Wilson +and his officers for innumerable acts of kindness and hearty +co-operation. Our warmest thanks are also due to Captain R. B. Oldfield +and the other officers from the Admiral downwards, and we beg to assure +them that nothing could be more encouraging to us in our difficulties and +trials, than the knowledge that we possessed their friendship and +sympathy in our labours. + +The Rev. James Stewart, of the Free Church of Scotland, arrived in the +"Gorgon." He had wisely come out to inspect the country, before deciding +on the formation of a Mission in the interior. To this object he devoted +many months of earnest labour. This Mission was intended to embrace both +the industrial and the religious element; and as the route by the Zambesi +and Shire forms the only one at present known, with but a couple of days' +land journey to the highlands, which stretch to an unknown distance into +the continent, and as no jealousy was likely to be excited in the mind of +a man of Bishop Mackenzie's enlarged views--there being moreover room for +hundreds of Missions--we gladly extended the little aid in our power to +an envoy from the energetic body above mentioned, but recommended him to +examine the field with his own eyes. + +During our subsequent detention at Shupanga, he proceeded as far up the +Shire as the Upper Cataracts, and saw the mere remnants of that dense +population, which we at first had found living in peace and plenty, but +which was now scattered and destroyed by famine and slave-hunting. The +land, which both before and after we found so fair and fruitful, was +burned up by a severe drought; in fact, it was at its very worst. With +most praiseworthy energy, and in spite of occasional attacks of fever, he +then ascended the Zambesi as far as Kebrabasa; and, what may be of +interest to some, compared it, in parts, to the Danube. His estimate of +the highlands would naturally be lower than ours. The main drawbacks in +his opinion, however, were the slave-trade, and the power allowed the +effete Portuguese of shutting up the country from all except a few +convicts of their own nation. The time of his coming was inopportune; +the disasters which, from inexperience, had befallen the Mission of the +Universities, had a depressing effect on the minds of many at home, and +rendered a new attempt unadvisable; though, had the Scotch perseverance +and energy been introduced, it is highly probable that they would have +reacted, most beneficially, on the zeal of our English brethren, and +desertion would never have been heard of. After examining the country, +Mr. Stewart descended the Zambesi in the beginning of the following year, +and proceeded homewards with his report, by Mosambique and the Cape. + +On the 7th of April we had only one man fit for duty; all the rest were +down with fever, or with the vile spirit secretly sold to them by the +Portuguese officer of customs, in spite of our earnest request to him to +refrain from the pernicious traffic. + +We started on the 11th for Shupanga with another load of the "Lady +Nyassa." As we steamed up the delta, we observed many of the natives +wearing strips of palm-leaf, the signs of sickness and mourning; for they +too suffer from fever. This is the unhealthy season; the rains are over, +and the hot sun draws up malaria from the decayed vegetation; disease +seemed peculiarly severe this year. On our way up we met Mr. Waller, who +had come from Magomero for provisions; the missionaries were suffering +severely from want of food; the liberated people were starving, and dying +of diarrhoea, and loathsome sores. The Ajawa, stimulated in their slave +raids by supplies of ammunition and cloth from the Portuguese, had +destroyed the large crops of the past year; a drought had followed, and +little or no food could be bought. With his usual energy, Mr. Waller +hired canoes, loaded them with stores, and took them up the long weary +way to Chibisa's. Before he arrived he was informed that the Mission of +the Universities, now deprived of its brave leader, had retired from the +highlands down to the Low Shire Valley. This appeared to us, who knew +the danger of leading a sedentary life, the greatest mistake they could +have made, and was the result of no other counsel or responsibility than +their own. Waller would have reascended at once to the higher altitude, +but various objections stood in the way. The loss of poor Scudamore and +Dickinson, in this low-lying situation, but added to the regret that the +highlands had not received a fair trial. + +When the news of the Bishop's unfortunate collisions with the natives, +and of his untimely end, reached England, much blame was imputed to him. +The policy, which with the formal sanction of all his companions he had +adopted, being directly contrary to the advice which Dr. Livingstone +tendered, and to the assurances of the peaceable nature of the Mission +which the Doctor had given to the natives, a friendly disapproval of a +bishop's engaging in war was ventured on, when we met him at Chibisa's in +November. But when we found his conduct regarded with so much bitterness +in England, whether from a disposition to "stand by the down man," or +from having an intimate knowledge of the peculiar circumstances of the +country in which he was placed, or from the thorough confidence which +intimacy caused us to repose in his genuine piety, and devout service of +God, we came to think much more leniently of his proceedings, than his +assailants did. He never seemed to doubt but that he had done his duty; +and throughout he had always been supported by his associates. + +The question whether a Bishop, in the event of his flock being torn from +his bosom, may make war to rescue them, requires serious consideration. +It seems to narrow itself into whether a Christian man may lawfully use +the civil power or the sword at all in defensive war, as police or +otherwise. We would do almost anything to avoid a collision with +degraded natives; but in case of an invasion--our blood boils at the very +thought of our wives, daughters, or sisters being touched--we, as men +with human feelings, would unhesitatingly fight to the death, with all +the fury in our power. + +The good Bishop was as intensely averse to using arms, before he met the +slave-hunters, as any man in England. In the course he pursued he may +have made a mistake, but it is a mistake which very few Englishmen on +meeting bands of helpless captives, or members of his family in bonds, +would have failed to commit likewise. + +During unhealthy April, the fever was more severe in Shupanga and Mazaro +than usual. We had several cases on board--they were quickly cured, but, +from our being in the delta, as quickly returned. About the middle of +the month Mrs. Livingstone was prostrated by this disease; and it was +accompanied by obstinate vomiting. Nothing is yet known that can allay +this distressing symptom, which of course renders medicine of no avail, +as it is instantly rejected. She received whatever medical aid could be +rendered from Dr. Kirk, but became unconscious, and her eyes were closed +in the sleep of death as the sunset on the evening of the Christian +Sabbath, the 27th April, 1862. A coffin was made during the night, a +grave was dug next day under the branches of the great baobab-tree, and +with sympathizing hearts the little band of his countrymen assisted the +bereaved husband in burying his dead. At his request, the Rev. James +Stewart read the burial-service; and the seamen kindly volunteered to +mount guard for some nights at the spot where her body rests in hope. +Those who are not aware how this brave, good, English wife made a +delightful home at Kolobeng, a thousand miles inland from the Cape, and +as the daughter of Moffat and a Christian lady exercised most beneficial +influence over the rude tribes of the interior, may wonder that she +should have braved the dangers and toils of this down-trodden land. She +knew them all, and, in the disinterested and dutiful attempt to renew her +labours, was called to her rest instead. "_Fiat, Domine, voluntas tua_!" + +On the 5th of May Dr. Kirk and Charles Livingstone started in the boat +for Tette, in order to see the property of the Expedition brought down in +canoes. They took four Mazaro canoe-men to manage the boat, and a white +sailor to cook for them; but, unfortunately, he caught fever the very day +after leaving the ship, and was ill most of the trip; so they had to cook +for themselves, and to take care of him besides. + +We now proceeded with preparations for the launch of the "Lady Nyassa." +Ground was levelled on the bank at Shupanga, for the purpose of arranging +the compartments in order: she was placed on palm-trees which were +brought from a place lower down the river for ways, and the engineer and +his assistants were soon busily engaged; about a fortnight after they +were all brought from Kongone, the sections were screwed together. The +blacks are more addicted to stealing where slavery exists than elsewhere. +We were annoyed by thieves who carried off the iron screw-bolts, but were +gratified to find that strychnine saved us from the man-thief as well as +the hyena-thief. A hyena was killed by it, and after the natives saw the +dead animal and knew how we had destroyed it, they concluded that it was +not safe to steal from men who possessed a medicine so powerful. The +half-caste, who kept Shupanga-house, said he wished to have some to give +to the Zulus, of whom he was mortally afraid, and to whom he had to pay +an unwilling tribute. + +The "Pioneer" made several trips to the Kongone, and returned with the +last load on the 12th of June. On the 23rd the "Lady Nyassa" was safely +launched, the work of putting her together having been interrupted by +fever and dysentery, and many other causes which it would only weary the +reader to narrate in detail. Natives from all parts of the country came +to see the launch, most of them quite certain that, being made of iron, +she must go to the bottom as soon as she entered the water. Earnest +discussions had taken place among them with regard to the propriety of +using iron for ship-building. The majority affirmed that it would never +answer. They said, "If we put a hoe into the water, or the smallest bit +of iron, it sinks immediately. How then can such a mass of iron float? +it must go to the bottom." The minority answered that this might be true +with them, but white men had medicine for everything. "They could even +make a woman, all except the speaking; look at that one on the figure- +head of the vessel." The unbelievers were astonished, and could hardly +believe their eyes, when they saw the ship float lightly and gracefully +on the river, instead of going to the bottom, as they so confidently +predicted. "Truly," they said, "these men have powerful medicine." + +Birds are numerous on the Shupanga estate. Some kinds remain all the +year round, while many others are there only for a few months. Flocks of +green pigeons come in April to feed on the young fruit of the wild fig- +trees, which is also eaten by a large species of bat in the evenings. The +pretty little black weaver, with yellow shoulders, appears to enjoy life +intensely after assuming his wooing dress. A hearty breakfast is eaten +in the mornings and then come the hours for making merry. A select party +of three or four perch on the bushes which skirt a small grassy plain, +and cheer themselves with the music of their own quiet and +self-complacent song. A playful performance on the wind succeeds. +Expanding his soft velvet-like plumage, one glides with quivering pinions +to the centre of the open space, singing as he flies, then turns with a +rapid whirring sound from his wings--somewhat like a child's rattle--and +returns to his place again. One by one the others perform the same feat, +and continue the sport for hours, striving which can produce the loudest +brattle while turning. These games are only played during the season of +courting and of the gay feathers; the merriment seems never to be thought +of while the bird wears his winter suit of sober brown. + +We received two mules from the Cape to aid us in transporting the pieces +of the "Lady Nyassa" past the cataracts and landed them at Shupanga, but +they soon perished. A Portuguese gentleman kindly informed us, _after_ +both the mules were dead, that he knew they would die; for the land there +had been often tried, and nothing would live on it--not even a pig. He +said he had not told us so before, because he did not like to appear +officious! + +By the time everything had been placed on board the "Lady Nyassa," the +waters of the Zambesi and the Shire had fallen so low that it was useless +to attempt taking her up to the cataracts before the rains in December. +Draught oxen and provisions also were required, and could not be obtained +nearer than the Island of Johanna. The Portuguese, without refusing +positively to let trade enter the Zambesi, threw impediments in the way; +they only wanted a small duty! They were about to establish a river +police, and rearrange the Crown lands, which have long since become Zulu +lands; meanwhile they were making the Zambesi, by slaving, of no value to +any one. + +The Rovuma, which was reported to come from Lake Nyassa, being out of +their claims and a free river, we determined to explore it in our boats +immediately on our return from Johanna, for which place, after some delay +at the Kongone, in repairing engines, paddle-wheel, and rudder, we sailed +on the 6th of August. A store of naval provisions had been formed on a +hulk in Pomone Bay of that island for the supply of the cruisers, and was +in charge of Mr. Sunley, the Consul, from whom we always received the +kindest attentions and assistance. He now obliged us by parting with six +oxen, trained for his own use in sugar-making. Though sadly hampered in +his undertaking by being obliged to employ slave labour, he has by +indomitable energy overcome obstacles under which most persons would have +sunk. He has done all that under the circumstances could be done to +infuse a desire for freedom, by paying regular wages; and has established +a large factory, and brought 300 acres of rich soil under cultivation +with sugar-cane. We trust he will realize the fortune which he so well +deserves to earn. Had Mr. Sunley performed the same experiment on the +mainland, where people would have flocked to him for the wages he now +gives, he would certainly have inaugurated a new era on the East Coast of +Africa. On a small island where the slaveholders have complete power +over the slaves, and where there is no free soil such as is everywhere +met with in Africa, the experiment ought not to be repeated. Were Mr. +Sunley commencing again, it should neither be in Zanzibar nor Johanna, +but on African soil, where, if even a slave is ill-treated, he can easily +by flight become free. On an island under native rule a joint +manufacture by Arabs and Englishmen might only mean that the latter were +to escape the odium of flogging the slaves. + +On leaving Johanna and our oxen for a time, H.M.S. "Orestes" towed us +thence to the mouth of the Rovuma at the beginning of September. Captain +Gardner, her commander, and several of his officers, accompanied us up +the river for two days in the gig and cutter. The water was unusually +low, and it was rather dull work for a few hours in the morning; but the +scene became livelier and more animated when the breeze began to blow. +Our four boats they swept on under full sail, the men on the look out in +the gig and cutter calling, "Port, sir!" "Starboard, sir!" "As you go, +sir!" while the black men in the bows of the others shouted the practical +equivalents, "Pagombe! Pagombe!" "Enda quete!" "Berane! Berane!" +Presently the leading-boat touches on a sandbank; down comes the +fluttering sail; the men jump out to shove her off, and the other boats, +shunning the obstruction, shoot on ahead to be brought up each in its +turn by mistaking a sandbank for the channel, which had often but a very +little depth of water. + +A drowsy herd of hippopotami were suddenly startled by a score of rifle- +shots, and stared in amazement at the strange objects which had invaded +their peaceful domains, until a few more bullets compelled them to seek +refuge at the bottom of the deep pool, near which they had been quietly +reposing. On our return, one of the herd retaliated. He followed the +boat, came up under it, and twice tried to tear the bottom out of it; but +fortunately it was too flat for his jaws to get a good grip, so he merely +damaged one of the planks with his tusks, though he lifted the boat right +up, with ten men and a ton of ebony in it. + +We slept, one of the two nights Captain Gardner was with us, opposite the +lakelet Chidia, which is connected with the river in flood time, and is +nearly surrounded by hills some 500 or 600 feet high, dotted over with +trees. A few small groups of huts stood on the hill-sides, with gardens +off which the usual native produce had been reaped. The people did not +seem much alarmed by the presence of the large party which had drawn up +on the sandbanks below their dwellings. There is abundance of large +ebony in the neighbourhood. The pretty little antelope (_Cephalophus +caeruleus_), about the size of a hare, seemed to abound, as many of their +skins were offered for sale. Neat figured date-leaf mats of various +colours are woven here, the different dyes being obtained from the barks +of trees. Cattle could not live on the banks of the Rovuma on account of +the tsetse, which are found from near the mouth, up as far as we could +take the boats. The navigation did not improve as we ascended; snags, +brought down by the floods, were common, and left in the channel on the +sudden subsidence of the water. In many places, where the river divided +into two or three channels, there was not water enough in any of them for +a boat drawing three feet, so we had to drag ours over the shoals; but we +saw the river at its very lowest, and it may be years before it is so +dried up again. + +The valley of the Rovuma, bounded on each side by a range of highlands, +is from two to four miles in width, and comes in a pretty straight course +from the W.S.W.; but the channel of the river is winding, and now at its +lowest zigzagged so perversely, that frequently the boats had to pass +over three miles to make one in a straight line. With a full stream it +must of course be much easier work. Few natives were seen during the +first week. Their villages are concealed in the thick jungle on the hill- +sides, for protection from marauding slave-parties. Not much of interest +was observed on this part of the silent and shallow river. Though +feeling convinced that it was unfit for navigation, except for eight +months of the year, we pushed on, resolved to see if, further inland, the +accounts we had received from different naval officers of its great +capabilities would prove correct; or if, by communication with Lake +Nyassa, even the upper part could be turned to account. Our exploration +showed us that the greatest precaution is required in those who visit new +countries. + +The reports we received from gentlemen, who had entered the river and +were well qualified to judge, were that the Rovuma was infinitely +superior to the Zambesi, in the absence of any bar at its mouth, in its +greater volume of water, and in the beauty of the adjacent lands. We +probably came at a different season from that in which they visited it, +and our account ought to be taken with theirs to arrive at the truth. It +might be available as a highway for commerce during three quarters of +each year; but casual visitors, like ourselves and others, are all ill +able to decide. The absence of animal life was remarkable. Occasionally +we saw pairs of the stately jabirus, or adjutant-looking marabouts, +wading among the shoals, and spur-winged geese, and other water-fowl, but +there was scarcely a crocodile or a hippopotamus to be seen. + +At the end of the first week, an old man called at our camp, and said he +would send a present from his village, which was up among the hills. He +appeared next morning with a number of his people, bringing meal, cassava- +root, and yams. The language differs considerably from that on the +Zambesi, but it is of the same family. The people are Makonde, and are +on friendly terms with the Mabiha, and the Makoa, who live south of the +Rovuma. When taking a walk up the slopes of the north bank, we found a +great variety of trees we had seen nowhere else. Those usually met with +far inland seem here to approach the coast. African ebony, generally +named _mpingu_, is abundant within eight miles of the sea; it attains a +larger size, and has more of the interior black wood than usual. A good +timber tree called _mosoko_ is also found; and we saw half-caste Arabs +near the coast cutting up a large log of it into planks. Before reaching +the top of the rise we were in a forest of bamboos. On the plateau +above, large patches were cleared and cultivated. A man invited us to +take a cup of beer; on our complying with his request, the fear +previously shown by the bystanders vanished. Our Mazaro men could hardly +understand what they said. Some of them waded in the river and caught a +curious fish in holes in the claybank. Its ventral fin is peculiar, +being unusually large, and of a circular shape, like boys' playthings +called "suckers." We were told that this fish is found also in the +Zambesi, and is called Chirire. Though all its fins are large, it is +asserted that it rarely ventures out into the stream, but remains near +its hole, where it is readily caught by the hand. + +The Zambesi men thoroughly understood the characteristic marks of deep or +shallow water, and showed great skill in finding out the proper channel. +The Molimo is the steersman at the helm, the Mokadamo is the head canoe- +man, and he stands erect on the bows with a long pole in his hands, and +directs the steersman where to go, aiding the rudder, if necessary, with +his pole. The others preferred to stand and punt our boat, rather than +row with our long oars, being able to shove her ahead faster than they +could pull her. They are accustomed to short paddles. Our Mokadamo was +affected with moon-blindness, and could not see at all at night. His +comrades then led him about, and handed him his food. They thought that +it was only because his eyes rested all night, that he could see the +channel so well by day. At difficult places the Mokadamo sometimes, +however, made mistakes, and ran us aground; and the others, evidently +imbued with the spirit of resistance to constituted authority, and led by +Joao an aspirant for the office, jeered him for his stupidity. "Was he +asleep? Why did he allow the boat to come there? Could he not see the +channel was somewhere else?" At last the Mokadamo threw down the pole in +disgust, and told Joao he might be a Mokadamo himself. The office was +accepted with alacrity; but in a few minutes he too ran us into a worse +difficulty than his predecessor ever did, and was at once disrated amidst +the derision of his comrades. + +On the 16th September, we arrived at the inhabited island of Kichokomane. +The usual way of approaching an unknown people is to call out in a +cheerful tone "Malonda!" Things for sale, or do you want to sell +anything? If we can obtain a man from the last village, he is employed, +though only useful in explaining to the next that we come in a friendly +way. The people here were shy of us at first, and could not be induced +to sell any food; until a woman, more adventurous than the rest, sold us +a fowl. This opened the market, and crowds came with fowls and meal, far +beyond our wants. The women are as ugly as those on Lake Nyassa, for who +can be handsome wearing the pelele, or upper-lip ring, of large +dimensions? We were once surprised to see young men wearing the pelele, +and were told that in the tribe of the Mabiha, on the south bank, men as +well as women wore them. + +Along the left bank, above Kichokomane, is an exceedingly fertile plain, +nearly two miles broad, and studded with a number of deserted villages. +The inhabitants were living in temporary huts on low naked sandbanks; and +we found this to be the case as far as we went. They leave most of their +property and food behind, because they are not afraid of these being +stolen, but only fear being stolen themselves. The great slave-route +from Nyassa to Kilwa passes to N.E. from S.W., just beyond them; and it +is dangerous to remain in their villages at this time of year, when the +kidnappers are abroad. In one of the temporary villages, we saw, in +passing, two human heads lying on the ground. We slept a couple of miles +above this village. + +Before sunrise next morning, a large party armed with bows and arrows and +muskets came to the camp, two or three of them having a fowl each, which +we refused to purchase, having bought enough the day before. They +followed us all the morning, and after breakfast those on the left bank +swam across and joined the main party on the other side. It was +evidently their intention to attack us at a chosen spot, where we had to +pass close to a high bank, but their plan was frustrated by a stiff +breeze sweeping the boat past, before the majority could get to the +place. They disappeared then, but came out again ahead of us, on a high +wooded bank, walking rapidly to the bend, near which we were obliged to +sail. An arrow was shot at the foremost boat; and seeing the force at +the bend, we pushed out from the side, as far as the shoal water would +permit, and tried to bring them to a parley, by declaring that we had not +come to fight, but to see the river. "Why did you fire a gun, a little +while ago?" they asked. "We shot a large puff-adder, to prevent it from +killing men; you may see it lying dead on the beach." With great +courage, our Mokadamo waded to within thirty yards of the bank, and spoke +with much earnestness, assuring them that we were a peaceable party, and +had not come for war, but to see the river. We were friends, and our +countrymen bought cotton and ivory, and wished to come and trade with +them. All we wanted was to go up quietly to look at the river, and then +return to the sea. While he was talking with those on the shore, the old +rogue, who appeared to be the ringleader, stole up the bank, and with a +dozen others, waded across to the island, near which the boats lay, and +came down behind us. Wild with excitement, they rushed into the water, +and danced in our rear, with drawn bows, taking aim, and making various +savage gesticulations. Their leader urged them to get behind some snags, +and then shoot at us. The party on the bank in front had many +muskets--and those of them, who had bows, held them with arrows ready set +in the bowstrings. They had a mass of thick bush and trees behind them, +into which they could in a moment dart, after discharging their muskets +and arrows, and be completely hidden from our sight; a circumstance that +always gives people who use bows and arrows the greatest confidence. +Notwithstanding these demonstrations, we were exceedingly loath to come +to blows. We spent a full half-hour exposed at any moment to be struck +by a bullet or poisoned arrow. We explained that we were better armed +than they were, and had plenty of ammunition, the suspected want of which +often inspires them with courage, but that we did not wish to shed the +blood of the children of the same Great Father with ourselves; that if we +must fight, the guilt would be all theirs. + +This being a common mode of expostulation among themselves, we so far +succeeded, that with great persuasion the leader and others laid down +their arms, and waded over from the bank to the boats to talk the matter +over. "This was their river; they did not allow white men to use it. We +must pay toll for leave to pass." It was somewhat humiliating to do so, +but it was pay or fight; and, rather than fight, we submitted to the +humiliation of paying for their friendship, and gave them thirty yards of +cloth. They pledged themselves to be our friends ever afterwards, and +said they would have food cooked for us on our return. We then hoisted +sail, and proceeded, glad that the affair had been amicably settled. +Those on shore walked up to the bend above to look at the boat, as we +supposed; but the moment she was abreast of them, they gave us a volley +of musket-balls and poisoned arrows, without a word of warning. +Fortunately we were so near, that all the arrows passed clear over us, +but four musket-balls went through the sail just above our heads. All +our assailants bolted into the bushes and long grass the instant after +firing, save two, one of whom was about to discharge a musket and the +other an arrow, when arrested by the fire of the second boat. Not one of +them showed their faces again, till we were a thousand yards away. A few +shots were then fired over their heads, to give them an idea of the range +of our rifles, and they all fled into the woods. Those on the sandbank +rushed off too, with the utmost speed; but as they had not shot at us, we +did not molest them, and they went off safely with their cloth. They +probably expected to kill one of our number, and in the confusion rob the +boats. It is only where the people are slavers that the natives of this +part of Africa are bloodthirsty. + +These people have a bad name in the country in front, even among their +own tribe. A slave-trading Arab we met above, thinking we were then on +our way down the river, advised us not to land at the villages, but to +stay in the boats, as the inhabitants were treacherous, and attacked at +once, without any warning or provocation. Our experience of their +conduct fully confirmed the truth of what he said. There was no trade on +the river where they lived, but beyond that part there was a brisk canoe- +trade in rice and salt; those further in the interior cultivating rice, +and sending it down the river to be exchanged for salt, which is +extracted from the earth in certain places on the banks. Our assailants +hardly anticipated resistance, and told a neighbouring chief that, if +they had known who we were, they would not have attacked English, who can +"bite hard." They offered no molestations on our way down, though we +were an hour in passing their village. Our canoe-men plucked up courage +on finding that we had come off unhurt. One of them, named Chiku, +acknowledging that he had been terribly frightened, said. "His fear was +not the kind which makes a man jump overboard and run away; but that +which brings the heart up to the mouth, and renders the man powerless, +and no more able to fight than a woman." + +In the country of Chonga Michi, about 80 or 90 miles up the river, we +found decent people, though of the same tribe, who treated strangers with +civility. A body of Makoa had come from their own country in the south, +and settled here. The Makoa are known by a cicatrice in the forehead +shaped like the new moon with the horns turned downwards. The tribe +possesses all the country west of Mosambique; and they will not allow any +of the Portuguese to pass into their country more than two hours' +distance from the fort. A hill some ten or twelve miles distant, called +Pau, has been visited during the present generation only by one +Portuguese and one English officer, and this visit was accomplished only +by the influence of the private friendship of a chief for this Portuguese +gentleman. Our allies have occupied the Fort of Mosambique for three +hundred years, but in this, as in all other cases, have no power further +than they can see from a gun-carriage. + +The Makoa chief, Matingula, was hospitable and communicative, telling us +all he knew of the river and country beyond. He had been once to Iboe +and once at Mosambique with slaves. Our men understood his language +easily. A useless musket he had bought at one of the above places was +offered us for a little cloth. Having received a present of food from +him, a railway rug was handed to him: he looked at it--had never seen +cloth like that before--did not approve of it, and would rather have +cotton cloth. "But this will keep you warm at night."--"Oh, I do not +wish to be kept warm at night."--We gave him a bit of cotton cloth, not +one-third the value of the rug, but it was more highly prized. His +people refused to sell their fowls for our splendid prints and drab +cloths. They had probably been taken in with gaudy-patterned sham prints +before. They preferred a very cheap, plain, blue stuff of which they had +experience. A great quantity of excellent honey is collected all along +the river, by bark hives being placed for the bees on the high trees on +both banks. Large pots of it, very good and clear, were offered in +exchange for a very little cloth. No wax was brought for sale; there +being no market for this commodity, it is probably thrown away as +useless. + +At Michi we lose the tableland which, up to this point, bounds the view +on both sides of the river, as it were, with ranges of flat-topped hills, +600 or 800 feet high; and to this plateau a level fertile plain succeeds, +on which stand detached granite hills. That portion of the tableland on +the right bank seems to bend away to the south, still preserving the +appearance of a hill range. The height opposite extends a few miles +further west, and then branches off in a northerly direction. A few +small pieces of coal were picked up on the sandbanks, showing that this +useful mineral exists on the Rovuma, or on some of its tributaries: the +natives know that it will burn. At the lakelet Chidia, we noticed the +same sandstone rock, with fossil wood on it, which we have on the +Zambesi, and knew to be a sure evidence of coal beneath. We mentioned +this at the time to Captain Gardner, and our finding coal now seemed a +verification of what we then said; the coal-field probably extends from +the Zambesi to the Rovuma, if not beyond it. Some of the rocks lower +down have the permanent water-line three feet above the present height of +the water. + +A few miles west of the Makoa of Matingula, we came again among the +Makonde, but now of good repute. War and slavery have driven them to +seek refuge on the sand-banks. A venerable-looking old man hailed us as +we passed, and asked us if we were going by without speaking. We landed, +and he laid down his gun and came to us; he was accompanied by his +brother, who shook hands with every one in the boat, as he had seen +people do at Kilwa. "Then you have seen white men before?" we said. +"Yes," replied the polite African, "but never people of your quality." +These men were very black, and wore but little clothing. A young woman, +dressed in the highest style of Makonde fashion, punting as dexterously +as a man could, brought a canoe full of girls to see us. She wore an +ornamental head-dress of red beads tied to her hair on one side of her +head, a necklace of fine beads of various colours, two bright figured +brass bracelets on her left arm, and scarcely a farthing's worth of +cloth, though it was at its cheapest. + +As we pushed on westwards, we found that the river makes a little +southing, and some reaches were deeper than any near the sea; but when we +had ascended about 140 miles by the river's course from the sea, soft +tufa rocks began to appear; ten miles beyond, the river became more +narrow and rocky, and when, according to our measurement, we had ascended +156 miles, our further progress was arrested. We were rather less than +two degrees in a straight line from the Coast. The incidents worth +noticing were but few: seven canoes with loads of salt and rice kept +company with us for some days, and the further we went inland, the more +civil the people became. + +When we came to a stand, just below the island of Nyamatolo, Long. 38 +degrees 36 minutes E., and Lat. 11 degrees 53 minutes, the river was +narrow, and full of rocks. Near the island there is a rocky rapid with +narrow passages fit only for native canoes; the fall is small, and the +banks quite low; but these rocks were an effectual barrier to all further +progress in boats. Previous reports represented the navigable part of +this river as extending to the distance of a month's sail from its mouth; +we found that, at the ordinary heights of the water, a boat might reach +the obstructions which seem peculiar to all African rivers in six or +eight days. The Rovuma is remarkable for the high lands that flank it +for some eighty miles from the ocean. The cataracts of other rivers +occur in mountains, those of the Rovuma are found in a level part, with +hills only in the distance. Far away in the west and north we could see +high blue heights, probably of igneous origin from their forms, rising +out of a plain. + +The distance from Ngomano, a spot thirty miles further up, to the Arab +crossing-places of Lake Nyassa Tsenga or Kotakota was said to be twelve +days. The way we had discovered to Lake Nyassa by Murchison's Cataracts +had so much less land carriage, that we considered it best to take our +steamer thither, by the route in which we were well known, instead of +working where we were strangers; and accordingly we made up our minds to +return. + +The natives reported a worse place above our turning-point--the passage +being still narrower than this. An Arab, they said, once built a boat +above the rapids, and sent it down full of slaves; but it was broken to +pieces in these upper narrows. Many still maintained that the Rovuma +came from Nyassa, and that it is very narrow as it issues out of the +lake. One man declared that he had seen it with his own eyes as it left +the lake, and seemed displeased at being cross-questioned, as if we +doubted his veracity. + +More satisfactory information, as it appeared to us, was obtained from +others. Two days, or thirty miles, beyond where we turned back, the +Rovuma is joined by the Liende, which, coming from the south-west, rises +in the mountains on the east side of Nyassa. The great slave route to +Kilwa runs up the banks of this river, which is only ankle-deep at the +dry season of the year. The Rovuma itself comes from the W.N.W., and +after the traveller passes the confluence of the Liende at Ngomano or +"meeting-place," the chief of which part is named Ndonde, he finds the +river narrow, and the people Ajawa. + +Crocodiles in the Rovuma have a sorry time of it. Never before were +reptiles so persecuted and snubbed. They are hunted with spears, and +spring traps are set for them. If one of them enters an inviting pool +after fish, he soon finds a fence thrown round it, and a spring trap set +in the only path out of the enclosure. Their flesh is eaten, and +relished. The banks, on which the female lays her eggs by night, are +carefully searched by day, and all the eggs dug out and devoured. The +fish-hawk makes havoc among the few young ones that escape their other +enemies. Our men were constantly on the look-out for crocodiles' nests. +One was found containing thirty-five newly-laid eggs, and they declared +that the crocodile would lay as many more the second night in another +place. The eggs were a foot deep in the sand on the top of a bank ten +feet high. The animal digs a hole with its foot, covers the eggs, and +leaves them till the river rises over the nest in about three months +afterwards, when she comes back, and assists the young ones out. We once +saw opposite Tette young crocodiles in December, swimming beside an +island in company with an old one. The yolk of the egg is nearly as +white as the real white. In taste they resemble hen's eggs with perhaps +a smack of custard, and would be as highly relished by whites as by +blacks, were it not for their unsavoury origin in men-eaters. + +Hunting the Senze (_Aulacodus Swindernianus_), an animal the size of a +large cat, but in shape more like a pig, was the chief business of men +and boys as we passed the reedy banks and low islands. They set fire to +a mass of reeds, and, armed with sticks, spears, bows and arrows, stand +in groups guarding the outlets through which the seared Senze may run +from the approaching flames. Dark dense volumes of impenetrable smoke +now roll over on the lee side of the islet, and shroud the hunters. At +times vast sheets of lurid flames bursting forth, roaring, crackling and +exploding, leap wildly far above the tall reeds. Out rush the terrified +animals, and amid the smoke are seen the excited hunters dancing about +with frantic gesticulations, and hurling stick, spear, and arrow at their +burned out victims. Kites hover over the smoke, ready to pounce on the +mantis and locusts as they spring from the fire. Small crows and +hundreds of swallows are on eager wing, darting into the smoke and out +again, seizing fugitive flies. Scores of insects, in their haste to +escape from the fire, jump into the river, and the active fish enjoy a +rare feast. + +We returned to the "Pioneer" on the 9th of October, having been away one +month. The ship's company had used distilled water, a condenser having +been sent out from England; and there had not been a single case of +sickness on board since we left, though there were so many cases of fever +the few days she lay in the same spot last year. Our boat party drank +the water of the river, and the three white sailors, who had never been +in an African river before, had some slight attacks of fever. + + + +CHAPTER XII. + + +Return to the Zambesi--Bishop Mackenzie's grave--Frightful scenes with +crocodiles--Death of Mr. Thornton--African poisons--Recall of the +Expedition. + +We put to sea on the 18th of October, and, again touching at Johanna, +obtained a crew of Johanna men and some oxen, and sailed for the Zambesi; +but our fuel failing before we reached it, and the wind being contrary, +we ran into Quillimane for wood. + +Quillimane must have been built solely for the sake of carrying on the +slave-trade, for no man in his senses would ever have dreamed of placing +a village on such a low, muddy, fever-haunted, and mosquito-swarming +site, had it not been for the facilities it afforded for slaving. The +bar may at springs and floods be easily crossed by sailing-vessels, but, +being far from the land, it is always dangerous for boats. Slaves, under +the name of "free emigrants," have gone by thousands from Quillimane, +during the last six years, to the ports a little to the south, +particularly to Massangano. Some excellent brick-houses still stand in +the place, and the owners are generous and hospitable: among them our +good friend, Colonel Nunez. His disinterested kindness to us and to all +our countrymen can never be forgotten. He is a noble example of what +energy and uprightness may accomplish even here. He came out as a cabin- +boy, and, without a single friend to help him, he has persevered in an +honourable course until he is the richest man on the East Coast. When +Dr. Livingstone came down the Zambesi in 1856, Colonel Nunez was the +chief of the only four honourable, trustworthy men in the country. But +while he has risen a whole herd has sunk, making loud lamentations, +through puffs of cigar-smoke, over negro laziness; they might add, their +own. + +All agricultural enterprise is virtually discouraged by Quillimane +Government. A man must purchase a permit from the Governor, when he +wishes to visit his country farm; and this tax, in a country where labour +is unpopular, causes the farms to be almost entirely left in the hands of +a head slave, who makes returns to his master as interest or honesty +prompts him. A passport must also be bought whenever a man wishes to go +up the river to Mazaro, Senna, or Tette, or even to reside for a month at +Quillimane. With a soil and a climate well suited for the growth of the +cane, abundance of slave labour, and water communication to any market in +the world, they have never made their own sugar. All they use is +imported from Bombay. "The people of Quillimane have no enterprise," +said a young European Portuguese, "they do nothing, and are always +wasting their time in suffering, or in recovering from fever." + +We entered the Zambesi about the end of November and found it unusually +low, so we did not get up to Shupanga till the 19th of December. The +friends of our Mazaro men, who had now become good sailors and very +attentive servants, turned out and gave them a hearty welcome back from +the perils of the sea: they had begun to fear that they would never +return. We hired them at a sixteen-yard piece of cloth a month--about +ten shillings' worth, the Portuguese market-price of the cloth being then +sevenpence halfpenny a yard,--and paid them five pieces each, for four- +and-a-half months' work. A merchant at the same time paid other Mazaro +men three pieces for seven months, and they were with him in the +interior. If the merchants do not prosper, it is not because labour is +dear, but because it is scarce, and because they are so eager on every +occasion to sell the workmen out of the country. Our men had also +received quantities of good clothes from the sailors of the "Pioneer" and +of the "Orestes," and were now regarded by their neighbours and by +themselves as men of importance. Never before had they possessed so much +wealth: they believed that they might settle in life, being now of +sufficient standing to warrant their entering the married state; and a +wife and a hut were among their first investments. Sixteen yards were +paid to the wife's parents, and a hut cost four yards. We should have +liked to have kept them in the ship, for they were well-behaved and had +learned a great deal of the work required. Though they would not +themselves go again, they engaged others for us; and brought twice as +many as we could take, of their brothers and cousins, who were eager to +join the ship and go with us up the Shire, or anywhere else. They all +agreed to take half-pay until they too had learned to work; and we found +no scarcity of labour, though all that could be exported is now out of +the country. + +There had been a drought of unusual severity during the past season in +the country between Lupata and Kebrabasa, and it had extended north-east +to the Manganja highlands. All the Tette slaves, except a very few +household ones, had been driven away by hunger, and were now far off in +the woods, and wherever wild fruit, or the prospect of obtaining anything +whatever to keep the breath of life in them, was to be found. Their +masters were said never to expect to see them again. There have been two +years of great hunger at Tette since we have been in the country, and a +famine like the present prevailed in 1854, when thousands died of +starvation. If men like the Cape farmers owned this country, their +energy and enterprise would soon render the crops independent of rain. +There being plenty of slope or fall, the land could be easily irrigated +from the Zambesi and its tributary streams. A Portuguese colony can +never prosper: it is used as a penal settlement, and everything must be +done military fashion. "What do I care for this country?" said the most +enterprising of the Tette merchants, "all I want is to make money as soon +possible, and then go to Bombay and enjoy it." All business at Tette was +now suspended. Carriers could not be found to take the goods into the +interior, and the merchants could barely obtain food for their own +families. At Mazaro more rain had fallen, and a tolerable crop followed. +The people of Shupanga were collecting and drying different wild fruits, +nearly all of which are far from palatable to a European taste. The root +of a small creeper called "bise" is dug up and eaten. In appearance it +is not unlike the small white sweet potato, and has a little of the +flavour of our potato. It would be very good, if it were only a little +larger. From another tuber, called "ulanga," very good starch can be +made. A few miles from Shupanga there is an abundance of large game, but +the people here, though fond enough of meat, are not a hunting race, and +seldom kill any. + +The Shire having risen, we steamed off on the 10th of January, 1863, with +the "Lady Nyassa" in tow. It was not long before we came upon the +ravages of the notorious Mariano. The survivors of a small hamlet, at +the foot of Morambala, were in a state of starvation, having lost their +food by one of his marauding parties. The women were in the fields +collecting insects, roots, wild fruits, and whatever could be eaten, in +order to drag on their lives, if possible, till the next crop should be +ripe. Two canoes passed us, that had been robbed by Mariano's band of +everything they had in them; the owners were gathering palm-nuts for +their subsistence. They wore palm-leaf aprons, as the robbers had +stripped them of their clothing and ornaments. Dead bodies floated past +us daily, and in the mornings the paddles had to be cleared of corpses, +caught by the floats during the night. For scores of miles the entire +population of the valley was swept away by this scourge Mariano, who is +again, as he was before, the great Portuguese slave-agent. It made the +heart ache to see the widespread desolation; the river-banks, once so +populous, all silent; the villages burned down, and an oppressive +stillness reigning where formerly crowds of eager sellers appeared with +the various products of their industry. Here and there might be seen on +the bank a small dreary deserted shed, where had sat, day after day, a +starving fisherman, until the rising waters drove the fish from their +wonted haunts, and left him to die. Tingane had been defeated; his +people had been killed, kidnapped, and forced to flee from their +villages. There were a few wretched survivors in a village above the +Ruo; but the majority of the population was dead. The sight and smell of +dead bodies was everywhere. Many skeletons lay beside the path, where in +their weakness they had fallen and expired. Ghastly living forms of boys +and girls, with dull dead eyes, were crouching beside some of the huts. A +few more miserable days of their terrible hunger, and they would be with +the dead. + +Oppressed with the shocking scenes around, we visited the Bishop's grave; +and though it matters little where a good Christian's ashes rest, yet it +was with sadness that we thought over the hopes which had clustered +around him, as he left the classic grounds of Cambridge, all now buried +in this wild place. How it would have torn his kindly heart to witness +the sights we now were forced to see! + +In giving vent to the natural feelings of regret, that a man so eminently +endowed and learned, as was Bishop Mackenzie, should have been so soon +cut off, some have expressed an opinion that it was wrong to use an +instrument so valuable _merely_ to convert the heathen. If the attempt +is to be made at all, it is "penny wise and pound foolish" to employ any +but the very best men, and those who are specially educated for the work. +An ordinary clergyman, however well suited for a parish, will not, +without special training, make a Missionary; and as to their comparative +usefulness, it is like that of the man who builds an hospital, as +compared with that of the surgeon who in after years only administers for +a time the remedies which the founder had provided in perpetuity. Had +the Bishop succeeded in introducing Christianity, his converts might have +been few, but they would have formed a continuous roll for all time to +come. + +The Shire fell two feet, before we reached the shallow crossing where we +had formerly such difficulty, and we had now two ships to take up. A +hippopotamus was shot two miles above a bank on which the ship lay a +fortnight: it floated in three hours. As the boat was towing it down, +the crocodiles were attracted by the dead beast, and several shots had to +be fired to keep them off. The bullet had not entered the brain of the +animal, but driven a splinter of bone into it. A little moisture with +some gas issued from the wound, and this was all that could tell the +crocodiles down the stream of a dead hippopotamus; and yet they came up +from miles below. Their sense of smell must be as acute as their +hearing; both are quite extraordinary. Dozens fed on the meat we left. +Our Krooman, Jumbo, used to assert that the crocodile never eats fresh +meat, but always keeps it till it is high and tender--and the stronger it +smells the better he likes it. There seems to be some truth in this. +They can swallow but small pieces at a time, and find it difficult to +tear fresh meat. In the act of swallowing, which is like that of a dog, +the head is raised out of the water. We tried to catch some, and one was +soon hooked; it required half-a-dozen hands to haul him up the river, and +the shark-hook straightened, and he got away. A large iron hook was next +made, but, as the creatures could not swallow it, their jaws soon pressed +it straight--and our crocodile-fishing was a failure. As one might +expect,--from the power even of a salmon--the tug of a crocodile was +terribly strong. + +The corpse of a boy floated past the ship; a monstrous crocodile rushed +at it with the speed of a greyhound, caught it and shook it, as a terrier +dog does a rat. Others dashed at the prey, each with his powerful tail +causing the water to churn and froth, as he furiously tore off a piece. +In a few seconds it was all gone. The sight was frightful to behold. The +Shire swarmed with crocodiles; we counted sixty-seven of these repulsive +reptiles on a single bank, but they are not as fierce as they are in some +rivers. "Crocodiles," says Captain Tuckey, "are so plentiful in the +Congo, near the rapids, and so frequently carry off the women, who at +daylight go down to the river for water, that, while they are filling +their calabashes, one of the party is usually employed in throwing large +stones into the water outside." Here, either a calabash on a long pole +is used in drawing water, or a fence is planted. The natives eat the +crocodile, but to us the idea of tasting the musky-scented, fishy-looking +flesh carried the idea of cannibalism. Humboldt remarks, that in South +America the alligators of some rivers are more dangerous than in others. +Alligators differ from crocodiles in the fourth or canine tooth going +into a hole or socket in the upper jaw, while in the crocodile it fits +into a notch. The forefoot of the crocodile has five toes not webbed, +the hindfoot has four toes which are webbed; in the alligator the web is +altogether wanting. They are so much alike that they would no doubt +breed together. + +One of the crocodiles which was shot had a piece snapped off the end of +his tail, another had lost a forefoot in fighting; we saw actual leeches +between the teeth, such as are mentioned by Herodotus, but we never +witnessed the plover picking them out. Their greater fierceness in one +part of the country than another is doubtless owing to a scarcity of +fish; in fact, Captain Tuckey says, of that part of the Congo, mentioned +above, "There are no fish here but catfish," and we found that the lake +crocodiles, living in clear water, and with plenty of fish, scarcely ever +attacked man. The Shire teems with fish of many different kinds. The +only time, as already remarked, when its crocodiles are particularly to +be dreaded, is when the river is in flood. Then the fish are driven from +their usual haunts, and no game comes down to the river to drink, water +being abundant in pools inland. Hunger now impels the crocodile to lie +in wait for the women who come to draw water, and on the Zambesi numbers +are carried off every year. The danger is not so great at other seasons; +though it is never safe to bathe, or to stoop to drink, where one cannot +see the bottom, especially in the evening. One of the Makololo ran down +in the dusk of the river; and, as he was busy tossing the water to his +mouth with his hand, in the manner peculiar to the natives, a crocodile +rose suddenly from the bottom, and caught him by the hand. The limb of a +tree was fortunately within reach, and he had presence of mind to lay +hold of it. Both tugged and pulled; the crocodile for his dinner, and +the man for dear life. For a time it appeared doubtful whether a dinner +or a life was to be sacrificed; but the man held on, and the monster let +the hand go, leaving the deep marks of his ugly teeth in it. + +During our detention, in expectation of the permanent rise of the river +in March, Dr. Kirk and Mr. C. Livingstone collected numbers of the wading- +birds of the marshes--and made pleasant additions to our salted +provisions, in geese, ducks, and hippopotamus flesh. One of the comb or +knob-nosed geese, on being strangled in order to have its skin preserved +without injury, continued to breathe audibly by the broken humerus, or +wing-bone, and other means had to be adopted to put it out of pain. This +was as if a man on the gallows were to continue to breathe by a broken +armbone, and afforded us an illustration of the fact, that in birds, the +vital air penetrates every part of the interior of their bodies. The +breath passes through and round about the lungs--bathes the surfaces of +the viscera, and enters the cavities of the bones; it even penetrates +into some spaces between the muscles of the neck--and thus not only is +the most perfect oxygenation of the blood secured, but, the temperature +of the blood being very high, the air in every part is rarefied, and the +great lightness and vigour provided for, that the habits of birds +require. Several birds were found by Dr. Kirk to have marrow in the +tibiae, though these bones are generally described as hollow. + +During the period of our detention on the shallow part of the river in +March, Mr. Thornton came up to us from Shupanga: he had, as before +narrated, left the Expedition in 1859, and joined Baron van der Decken, +in the journey to Kilimanjaro, when, by an ascent of the mountain to the +height of 8000 feet, it was first proved to be covered with perpetual +snow, and the previous information respecting it, given by the Church of +England Missionaries, Krapf and Rebman, confirmed. It is now well known +that the Baron subsequently ascended the Kilimanjaro to 14,000 feet, and +ascertained its highest peak to be at least 20,000 feet above the sea. +Mr. Thornton made the map of the first journey, at Shupanga, from +materials collected when with the Baron; and when that work was +accomplished, followed us. He was then directed to examine geologically +the Cataract district, but not to expose himself to contact with the +Ajawa until the feelings of that tribe should be ascertained. + +The members of Bishop Mackenzie's party, on the loss of their head, fell +back from Magomero on the highlands, to Chibisa's, in the low-lying Shire +Valley; and Thornton, finding them suffering from want of animal food, +kindly volunteered to go across thence to Tette, and bring a supply of +goats and sheep. We were not aware of this step, to which the generosity +of his nature prompted him, till two days after he had started. In +addition to securing supplies for the Universities' Mission, he brought +some for the Expedition, and took bearings, by which he hoped to connect +his former work at Tette with the mountains in the Shire district. The +toil of this journey was too much for his strength, as with the addition +of great scarcity of water, it had been for that of Dr. Kirk and Rae, and +he returned in a sadly haggard and exhausted condition; diarrhoea +supervened, and that ended in dysentery and fever, which terminated +fatally on the 21st of April, 1863. He received the unremitting +attentions of Dr. Kirk, and Dr. Meller, surgeon of the "Pioneer," during +the fortnight of his illness; and as he had suffered very little from +fever, or any other disease, in Africa, we had entertained strong hopes +that his youth and unimpaired constitution would have carried him +through. During the night of the 20th his mind wandered so much, that we +could not ascertain his last wishes; and on the morning of the 21st, to +our great sorrow, he died. He was buried on the 22nd, near a large tree +on the right bank of the Shire, about five hundred yards from the lowest +of the Murchison Cataracts--and close to a rivulet, at which the "Lady +Nyassa" and "Pioneer" lay. + +No words can convey an adequate idea of the scene of widespread +desolation which the once pleasant Shire Valley now presented. Instead +of smiling villages and crowds of people coming with things for sale, +scarcely a soul was to be seen; and, when by chance one lighted on a +native, his frame bore the impress of hunger, and his countenance the +look of a cringing broken-spiritedness. A drought had visited the land +after the slave-hunting panic swept over it. Had it been possible to +conceive the thorough depopulation which had ensued, we should have +avoided coming up the river. Large masses of the people had fled down to +the Shire, only anxious to get the river between them and their enemies. +Most of the food had been left behind; and famine and starvation had cut +off so many, that the remainder were too few to bury the dead. The +corpses we saw floating down the river were only a remnant of those that +had perished, whom their friends, from weakness, could not bury, nor over- +gorged crocodiles devour. It is true that famine caused a great portion +of this waste of human life: but the slave-trade must be deemed the chief +agent in the ruin, because, as we were informed, in former droughts all +the people flocked from the hills down to the marshes, which are capable +of yielding crops of maize in less than three months, at any time of the +year, and now they were afraid to do so. A few, encouraged by the +Mission in the attempt to cultivate, had their little patches robbed as +successive swarms of fugitives came from the hills. Who can blame these +outcasts from house and home for stealing to save their wretched lives, +or wonder that the owners protected the little all, on which their own +lives depended, with club and spear? We were informed by Mr. Waller of +the dreadful blight which had befallen the once smiling Shire Valley. His +words, though strong, failed to impress us with the reality. In fact, +they were received, as some may accept our own, as tinged with +exaggeration; but when our eyes beheld the last mere driblets of this cup +of woe, we for the first time felt that the enormous wrongs inflicted on +our fellow-men by slaving are beyond exaggeration. + +Wherever we took a walk, human skeletons were seen in every direction, +and it was painfully interesting to observe the different postures in +which the poor wretches had breathed their last. A whole heap had been +thrown down a slope behind a village, where the fugitives often crossed +the river from the east; and in one hut of the same village no fewer than +twenty drums had been collected, probably the ferryman's fees. Many had +ended their misery under shady trees--others under projecting crags in +the hills--while others lay in their huts, with closed doors, which when +opened disclosed the mouldering corpse with the poor rags round the +loins--the skull fallen off the pillow--the little skeleton of the child, +that had perished first, rolled up in a mat between two large skeletons. +The sight of this desert, but eighteen months ago a well peopled valley, +now literally strewn with human bones, forced the conviction upon us, +that the destruction of human life in the middle passage, however great, +constitutes but a small portion of the waste, and made us feel that +unless the slave-trade--that monster iniquity, which has so long brooded +over Africa--is put down, lawful commerce cannot be established. + +We believed that, if it were possible to get a steamer upon the Lake, we +could by her means put a check on the slavers from the East Coast; and +aid more effectually still in the suppression of the slave-trade, by +introducing, by way of the Rovuma, a lawful traffic in ivory. We +therefore unscrewed the "Lady Nyassa" at a rivulet about five hundred +yards below the first cataract, and began to make a road over the thirty- +five or forty miles of land portage, by which to carry her up piecemeal. +After mature consideration, we could not imagine a more noble work of +benevolence, than thus to introduce light and liberty into a quarter of +this fair earth, which human lust has converted into the nearest possible +resemblance of what we conceive the infernal regions to be--and we +sacrificed much of our private resources as an offering for the promotion +of so good a cause. + +The chief part of the labour of road-making consisted in cutting down +trees and removing stones. The country being covered with open forest, a +small tree had to be cut about every fifty or sixty yards. The land near +the river was so very much intersected by ravines, that search had to be +made, a mile from its banks, for more level ground. Experienced +Hottentot drivers would have taken Cape wagons without any other trouble +than that of occasionally cutting down a tree. No tsetse infested this +district, and the cattle brought from Johanna flourished on the abundant +pasture. The first half-mile of road led up, by a gradual slope, to an +altitude of two hundred feet above the ship, and a sensible difference of +climate was felt even there. For the remainder of the distance the +height increased,--till, at the uppermost cataract, we were more than +1200 feet above the sea. The country here, having recovered from the +effects of the drought, was bright with young green woodland, and +mountains of the same refreshing hue. But the absence of the crowds, +which had attended us as we carried up the boat, when the women followed +us for miles with fine meal, vegetables, and fat fowls for sale, and the +boys were ever ready for a little job--and the oppressive stillness bore +heavily on our spirits. The Portuguese of Tette had very effectually +removed our labourers. Not an ounce of fresh provisions could be +obtained, except what could be shot, and even the food for our native +crew had to be brought one hundred and fifty miles from the Zambesi. + +The diet of salt provisions and preserved meats without vegetables, with +the depression of spirits caused by seeing how effectually a few wretched +convicts, aided by the connivance of officials, of whom better might have +been hoped, could counteract our best efforts, and turn intended good to +certain evil, brought on attacks of dysentery, which went the round of +the Expedition--and, Dr. Kirk and Charles Livingstone having suffered +most severely, it was deemed advisable that they should go home. This +measure was necessary, though much to the regret of all--for having done +so much, they were naturally anxious to be present, when, by the +establishing ourselves on the Lake, all our efforts should be crowned +with success. After it had been decided that these two officers, and all +the whites who could be spared, should be sent down to the sea for a +passage to England, Dr. Livingstone was seized in May with a severe +attack of dysentery, which continued for a month, and reduced him to a +shadow. Dr. Kirk kindly remained in attendance till the worst was +passed. The parting took place on the 19th of May. + +After a few miles of road were completed, and the oxen broken in, we +resolved to try and render ourselves independent of the south for fresh +provisions, by going in a boat up the Shire, above the Cataracts, to the +tribes at the foot of Lake Nyassa, who were still untouched by the Ajawa +invasion. In furtherance of this plan Dr. Livingstone and Mr. Rae +determined to walk up to examine, and, if need be, mend the boat which +had been left two seasons previously hung up to the limb of a large shady +tree, before attempting to carry another past the Cataracts. The +"Pioneer," which was to be left in charge of our active and most +trustworthy gunner, Mr. Edward D. Young, R.N., was thoroughly roofed over +with euphorbia branches and grass, so as completely to protect her decks +from the sun: she also received daily a due amount of man-of-war +scrubbing and washing; and, besides having everything put in shipshape +fashion, was every evening swung out into the middle of the river, for +the sake of the greater amount of air which circulated there. In +addition to their daily routine work of the ship, the three stokers, one +sailor, and one carpenter--now our complement--were encouraged to hunt +for guinea-fowl, which in June, when the water inland is dried up, come +in large flocks to the river's banks, and roost on the trees at night. +Everything that can be done to keep mind and body employed tends to +prevent fever. + +While we were employed in these operations, some of the poor starved +people about had been in the habit of crossing the river, and reaping the +self-sown mapira, in the old gardens of their countrymen. In the +afternoon of the 9th, a canoe came floating down empty, and shortly after +a woman was seen swimming near the other side, which was about two +hundred yards distant from us. Our native crew manned the boat, and +rescued her; when brought on board, she was found to have an arrow-head, +eight or ten inches long, in her back, below the ribs, and slanting up +through the diaphragm and left lung, towards the heart--she had been shot +from behind when stooping. Air was coming out of the wound, and, there +being but an inch of the barbed arrow-head visible, it was thought better +not to run the risk of her dying under the operation necessary for its +removal; so we carried her up to her own hut. One of her relatives was +less scrupulous, for he cut out the arrow and part of the lung. Mr. +Young sent her occasionally portions of native corn, and strange to say +found that she not only became well, but stout. The constitution of +these people seems to have a wonderful power of self-repair--and it could +be no slight privation which had cut off the many thousands that we saw +dead around us. + +We regretted that, in consequence of Dr. Meller having now sole medical +charge, we could not have his company in our projected trip; but he found +employment in botany and natural history, after the annual sickly season +of March, April, and May was over; and his constant presence was not so +much required at the ship. Later in the year, when he could be well +spared, he went down the river to take up an appointment he had been +offered in Madagascar; but unfortunately was so severely tried by illness +while detained at the coast, that for nearly two years he was not able to +turn his abilities as a naturalist to account by proceeding to that +island. We have no doubt but he will yet distinguish himself in that +untrodden field. + +On the 16th of June we started for the Upper Cataracts, with a mule-cart, +our road lying a distance of a mile west from the river. We saw many of +the deserted dwellings of the people who formerly came to us; and were +very much struck by the extent of land under cultivation, though that, +compared with the whole country, is very small. Large patches of mapira +continued to grow,--as it is said it does from the roots for three years. +The mapira was mixed with tall bushes of the Congo-bean, castor-oil +plants, and cotton. The largest patch of this kind we paced, and found +it to be six hundred and thirty paces on one side--the rest were from one +acre to three, and many not more than one-third of an acre. The +cotton--of very superior quality--was now dropping off the bushes, to be +left to rot--there was no one to gather what would have been of so much +value in Lancashire. The huts, in the different villages we entered, +were standing quite perfect. The mortars for pounding corn--the stones +for grinding it--the water and beer pots--the empty corn-safes and +kitchen utensils, were all untouched; and most of the doors were shut, as +if the starving owners had gone out to wander in search of roots or +fruits in the forest, and had never returned. When opened, several huts +revealed a ghastly sight of human skeletons. Some were seen in such +unnatural positions, as to give the idea that they had expired in a +faint, when trying to reach something to allay the gnawings of hunger. + +We took several of the men as far as the Mukuru-Madse for the sake of the +change of air and for occupation, and also to secure for the ships a +supply of buffalo meat--as those animals were reported to be in abundance +on that stream. But though it was evident from the tracks that the +report was true, it was impossible to get a glimpse of them. The grass +being taller than we were, and pretty thickly planted, they always knew +of our approach before we saw them. And the first intimation we had of +their being near was the sound they made in rushing over the stones, +breaking the branches, and knocking their horns against each other. Once, +when seeking a ford for the cart, at sunrise, we saw a herd slowly +wending up the hill-side from the water. Sending for a rifle, and +stalking with intense eagerness for a fat beefsteak, instead of our usual +fare of salted provisions, we got so near that we could hear the bulls +uttering their hoarse deep low, but could see nothing except the mass of +yellow grass in front; suddenly the buffalo-birds sounded their alarm- +whistle, and away dashed the troop, and we got sight of neither birds nor +beasts. This would be no country for a sportsman except when the grass +is short. The animals are wary, from the dread they have of the poisoned +arrows. Those of the natives who do hunt are deeply imbued with the +hunting spirit, and follow the game with a stealthy perseverance and +cunning, quite extraordinary. The arrow making no noise, the herd is +followed up until the poison takes effect, and the wounded animal falls +out. It is then patiently watched till it drops--a portion of meat round +the wound is cut away, and all the rest eaten. + +Poisoned arrows are made in two pieces. An iron barb is firmly fastened +to one end of a small wand of wood, ten inches or a foot long, the other +end of which, fined down to a long point, is nicely fitted, though not +otherwise secured, in the hollow of the reed, which forms the arrow +shaft. The wood immediately below the iron head is smeared with the +poison. When the arrow is shot into an animal, the reed either falls to +the ground at once, or is very soon brushed off by the bushes; but the +iron barb and poisoned upper part of the wood remain in the wound. If +made in one piece, the arrow would often be torn out, head and all, by +the long shaft catching in the underwood, or striking against trees. The +poison used here, and called _kombi_, is obtained from a species of +_strophanthus_, and is very virulent. Dr. Kirk found by an accidental +experiment on himself that it acts by lowering the pulse. In using his +tooth-brush, which had been in a pocket containing a little of the +poison, he noticed a bitter taste, but attributed it to his having +sometimes used, the handle in taking quinine. Though the quantity was +small, it immediately showed its power by lowering his pulse which at the +time had been raised by a cold, and next day he was perfectly restored. +Not much can be inferred from a single case of this kind, but it is +possible that the kombi may turn out a valuable remedy; and as Professor +Sharpey has conducted a series of experiments with this substance, we +look with interest for the results. An alkaloid has been obtained from +it similar to strychnine. There is no doubt that all kinds of wild +animals die from the effects of poisoned arrows, except the elephant and +hippopotamus. The amount of poison that this little weapon can convey +into their systems being too small to kill those huge beasts, the hunters +resort to the beam trap instead. + +Another kind of poison was met with on Lake Nyassa, which was said to be +used exclusively for killing men. It was put on small wooden +arrow-heads, and carefully protected by a piece of maize-leaf tied round +it. It caused numbness of the tongue when the smallest particle was +tasted. The Bushmen of the northern part of the Kalahari were seen +applying the entrails of a small caterpillar which they termed 'Nga to +their arrows. This venom was declared to be so powerful in producing +delirium, that a man in dying returned in imagination to a state of +infancy, and would call for his mother's breast. Lions when shot with it +are said to perish in agonies. The poisonous ingredient in this case may +be derived from the plant on which the caterpillar feeds. It is +difficult to conceive by what sort of experiments the properties of these +poisons, known for generations, were proved. Probably the animal +instincts, which have become so obtuse by civilization, that children in +England eat the berries of the deadly nightshade (_Atropa belladonna_) +without suspicion, were in the early uncivilized state much more keen. In +some points instinct is still retained among savages. It is related that +in the celebrated voyage of the French navigator, Bougainville, a young +lady, who had assumed the male attire, performed all the hard duties +incident to the calling of a common sailor; and, even as servant to the +geologist, carried a bag of stones and specimens over hills and dales +without a complaint, and without having her sex suspected by her +associates; but on landing among the savages of one of the South Sea +Islands, she was instantly recognized as a female. They began to show +their impressions in a way that compelled her to confess her sex, and +throw herself on the protection of the commander, which of course was +granted. In like manner, the earlier portions of the human family may +have had their instincts as to plants more highly developed than any of +their descendants--if indeed much more knowledge than we usually suppose +be not the effect of direct revelation from above. + +The Mukuru-Madse has a deep rocky bed. The water is generally about four +feet deep, and fifteen or twenty yards broad. Before reaching it, we +passed five or six gullies; but beyond it the country, for two or three +miles from the river, was comparatively smooth. The long grass was +overrunning all the native paths, and one species (_sanu_), which has a +sharp barbed seed a quarter of an inch in length, enters every pore of +woollen clothing and highly irritates the skin. From its hard, sharp +point a series of minute barbs are laid back, and give the seed a hold +wherever it enters: the slightest touch gives it an entering motion, and +the little hooks prevent its working out. These seeds are so abundant in +some spots, that the inside of the stocking becomes worse than the +roughest hair shirt. It is, however, an excellent self-sower, and fine +fodder; it rises to the height of common meadow-grass in England, and +would be a capital plant for spreading over a new country not so +abundantly supplied with grasses as this is. + +We have sometimes noticed two or three leaves together pierced through by +these seeds, and thus made, as it were, into wings to carry them to any +soil suited to their growth. + +We always follow the native paths, though they are generally not more +than fifteen inches broad, and so often have deep little holes in them, +made for the purpose of setting traps for small animals, and are so much +obscured by the long grass, that one has to keep one's eyes on the ground +more than is pleasant. In spite, however, of all drawbacks, it is vastly +more easy to travel on these tracks than to go straight over uncultivated +ground, or virgin forest. A path usually leads to some village, though +sometimes it turns out to be a mere game track leading nowhere. + +In going north, we came into a part called Mpemba where Chibisa was owned +as chief, but the people did not know that he had been assassinated by +the Portuguese Terera. A great deal of grain was lying round the hut, +where we spent the night. Very large numbers of turtledoves feasted +undisturbed on the tall stalked mapira ears, and we easily secured plenty +of fine fat guinea-fowls--now allowed to feed leisurely in the deserted +gardens. The reason assigned for all this listless improvidence was +"There are no women to grind the corn--all are dead." + +The cotton patches in all cases seemed to have been so well cared for, +and kept so free of weeds formerly, that, though now untended, but few +weeds had sprung up; and the bushes were thus preserved in the annual +grass burnings. Many baobab-trees grow in different spots, and the few +people seen were using the white pulp found between the seeds to make a +pleasant subacid drink. + +On passing Malango, near the uppermost cataract, not a soul was to be +seen; but, as we rested opposite a beautiful tree-covered island, the +merry voices of children at play fell on our ears--the parents had fled +thither for protection from the slave-hunting Ajawa, still urged on by +the occasional visits of the Portuguese agents from Tette. The Ajawa, +instead of passing below the Cataracts, now avoided us, and crossed over +to the east side near to the tree on which we had hung the boat. Those +of the Manganja, to whom we could make ourselves known, readily came to +us; but the majority had lost all confidence in themselves, in each +other, and in every one else. The boat had been burned about three +months previously, and the Manganja were very anxious that we should +believe that this had been the act of the Ajawa; but on scanning the spot +we saw that it was more likely to have caught fire in the grass-burning +of the country. Had we intended to be so long in returning to it, we +should have hoisted it bottom upwards; for, as it was, it is probable +that a quantity of dried leaves lay inside, and a spark ignited the +whole. All the trees within fifty yards were scorched and killed, and +the nails, iron, and copper sheathing, all lay undisturbed beneath. Had +the Ajawa done the deed, they would have taken away the copper and iron. + +Our hopes of rendering ourselves independent of the south for provisions, +by means of this boat, being thus disappointed, we turned back with the +intention of carrying another up to the same spot; and, in order to find +level ground for this, we passed across from the Shire at Malango to the +upper part of the stream Lesungwe. A fine, active, intelligent fellow, +called Pekila, guided us, and was remarkable as almost the only one of +the population left with any spirit in him. The depressing effect which +the slave-hunting scourge has upon the native mind, though little to be +wondered at, is sad, very sad to witness. Musical instruments, mats, +pillows, mortars for pounding meal, were lying about unused, and becoming +the prey of the white ants. With all their little comforts destroyed, +the survivors were thrown still further back into barbarism. + +It is of little importance perhaps to any but travellers to notice that +in occupying one night a well-built hut, which had been shut up for some +time, the air inside at once gave us a chill, and an attack of fever; +both of which vanished when the place was well-ventilated by means of a +fire. We have frequently observed that lighting a fire early in the +mornings, even in the hottest time of the year, gives freshness to the +whole house, and removes that feeling of closeness and langour, which a +hot climate induces. + +On the night of the 1st July, 1863, several loud peals of thunder awoke +us; the moon was shining brightly, and not a cloud to be seen. All the +natives remarked on the clearness of the sky at the time, and next +morning said, "We thought it was God" (Morungo). + +On arriving at the ship on the 2nd July, we found a despatch from Earl +Russell, containing instructions for the withdrawal of the Expedition. +The devastation caused by slave-hunting and famine lay all around. The +labour had been as completely swept away from the Great Shire Valley, as +it had been from the Zambesi, wherever Portuguese intrigue or power +extended. The continual forays of Mariano had spread ruin and desolation +on our south-east as far as Mount Clarendon. + +While this was going on in our rear, the Tette slave-hunters from the +West had stimulated the Ajawa to sweep all the Manganja off the hills on +our East; and slaving parties for this purpose were still passing the +Shire above the Cataracts. In addition to the confession of the Governor +of Tette, of an intention to go on with this slaving in accordance with +the counsel of his elder brother at Mosambique, we had reason to believe +that slavery went on under the eye of his Excellency, the +Governor-General himself; and this was subsequently corroborated by our +recognizing two women at Mosambique who had lived within a hundred yards +of the Mission-station at Magomero. They were well known to our +attendants, and had formed a part of a gang of several hundreds taken to +Mosambique by the Ajawa at the very time when his Excellency was +entertaining English officers with anti-slavery palavers. To any one who +understands how minute the information is, which Portuguese governors +possess by means of their own slaves, and through gossiping traders who +seek to curry their favour, it is idle to assert that all this slaving +goes on without their approval and connivance. + +If more had been wanted to prove the hopelessness of producing any change +in the system which has prevailed ever since our allies, the Portuguese, +entered the country, we had it in the impunity with which the freebooter, +Terera, who had murdered Chibisa, was allowed to carry on his forays. +Belchoir, another marauder, had been checked, but was still allowed to +make war, as they term slave-hunting. + +Mr. Horace Waller was living for some five months on Mount Morambala, a +position from which the whole process of the slave-trade, and +depopulation of the country around could be well noted. The mountain +overlooks the Shire, the beautiful meanderings of which are distinctly +seen, on clear days, for thirty miles. This river was for some time +supposed to be closed against Mariano, who, as a mere matter of form, was +declared a rebel against the Portuguese flag. When, however, it became +no longer possible to keep up the sham, the river was thrown open to him; +and Mr. Waller has seen in a single day from fifteen to twenty canoes of +different sizes going down, laden with slaves, to the Portuguese +settlements from the so-called rebel camp. These cargoes were composed +entirely of women and children. For three months this traffic was +incessant, and at last, so completely was the mask thrown off, that one +of the officials came to pay a visit to Bishop Tozer on another part of +the same mountain, and, combining business with pleasure, collected +payment for some canoe work done for the Missionary party, and with this +purchased slaves from the rebels, who had only to be hailed from the bank +of the river. When he had concluded the bargain he trotted the slaves +out for inspection in Mr. Waller's presence. This official, Senhor +Mesquita, was the only officer who could be forced to live at the +Kongone. From certain circumstances in his life, he had fallen under the +power of the local Government; all the other Custom-house officers +refused to go to Kongone, so here poor Mesquita must live on a miserable +pittance--must live, and perhaps slave, sorely against his will. His +name is not brought forward with a view of throwing any odium on his +character. The disinterested kindness which he showed to Dr. Meller, and +others, forbids that he should be mentioned by us with anything like +unkindness. + +Under all these considerations, with the fact that we had not found the +Rovuma so favourable for navigation at the time of our visit as we +expected, it was impossible not to coincide in the wisdom of our +withdrawal; but we deeply regretted that we had ever given credit to the +Portuguese Government for any desire to ameliorate the condition of the +African race; for, with half the labour and expense anywhere else, we +should have made an indelible mark of improvement on a section of the +Continent. Viewing Portuguese statesmen in the light of the laws they +have passed for the suppression of slavery and the slave-trade, and by +the standard of the high character of our own public men, it cannot be +considered weakness to have believed in the sincerity of the anxiety to +aid our enterprise, professed by the Lisbon Ministry. We hoped to +benefit both Portuguese and Africans by introducing free-trade and +Christianity. Our allies, unfortunately, cannot see the slightest +benefit in any measure that does not imply raising themselves up by +thrusting others down. The official paper of the Lisbon Government has +since let us know "that their policy was directed to frustrating the +grasping designs of the British Government to the dominion of Eastern +Africa." We, who were on the spot, and behind the scenes, knew that +feelings of private benevolence had the chief share in the operations +undertaken for introducing the reign of peace and good will on the Lakes +and central regions, which for ages have been the abodes of violence and +bloodshed. But that great change was not to be accomplished. The narrow- +minded would ascribe all that was attempted to the grasping propensity of +the English. But the motives that actuate many in England, both in +public and private life, are much more noble than the world gives them +credit for. + +Seeing, then, that we were not yet arrived at "the good time coming," and +that it was quite impossible to take the "Pioneer" down to the sea till +the floods of December, we made arrangements to screw the "Lady Nyassa" +together; and, in order to improve the time intervening, we resolved to +carry a boat past the Cataracts a second time, sail along the eastern +shore of the Lake, and round the northern end, and also collect data by +which to verify the information collected by Colonel Rigby, that the +19,000 slaves, who go through the Custom-house of Zanzibar annually, are +chiefly drawn from Lake Nyassa and the Valley of the Shire. + +Our party consisted of twenty natives, some of whom were Johanna men, and +were supposed to be capable of managing the six oxen which drew the small +wagon with a boat on it. A team of twelve Cape oxen, with a Hottentot +driver and leader, would have taken the wagon over the country we had to +pass through with the greatest ease; but no sooner did we get beyond the +part of the road already made, than our drivers encountered obstructions +in the way of trees and gullies, which it would have been a waste of time +to have overcome by felling timber and hauling out the wagon by block and +tackle purchases. The Ajawa and Manganja settled at Chibisa's were +therefore sent for, and they took the boat on their shoulders and carried +it briskly, in a few days, past all the Cataracts except one; then coming +to a comparatively still reach of the river, they took advantage of it to +haul her up a couple of miles. The Makololo had her then entirely in +charge; for, being accustomed to rapids in their own country, no better +boatmen could be desired. The river here is very narrow, and even in +what are called still places, the current is very strong, and often +obliged them to haul the boat along by the reeds on the banks, or to hand +a tow-rope ashore. The reeds are full of cowitch (_Dolichos pruriens_), +the pods of which are covered with what looks a fine velvety down, but is +in reality a multitude of fine prickles, which go in by the million, and +caused an itching and stinging in the naked bodies of those who were +pulling the tow-rope, that made them wriggle as if stung by a whole bed +of nettles. Those on board required to be men of ready resource with +oars and punting-poles, and such they were. But, nevertheless, they +found, after attempting to pass by a rock, round which the water rushed +in whirls, that the wiser plan would be to take the boat ashore, and +carry her past the last Cataract. When this was reported, the carriers +were called from the various shady trees under which they had taken +refuge from the sun. This was midwinter, but the sun is always hot by +day here, though the nights are cold. Five Zambesi men, who had been all +their lives accustomed to great heavy canoes,--the chief recommendation +of which is said to be, that they can be run against a rock with the full +force of the current without injury--were very desirous to show how much +better they could manage our boat than the Makololo; three jumped into +her when our backs were turned, and two hauled her up a little way; the +tide caught her bow, we heard a shout of distress, the rope was out of +their hands in a moment, and there she was, bottom upwards; a turn or two +in an eddy, and away she went, like an arrow, down the Cataracts. One of +the men in swimming ashore saved a rifle. The whole party ran with all +their might along the bank, but never more did we see our boat. + +The five performers in this catastrophe approached with penitential +looks. They had nothing to say, nor had we. They bent down slowly, and +touched our feet with both hands. "Ku kuata moendo"--"to catch the +foot"--is their way of asking forgiveness. It was so like what we have +seen a little child do--try to bring a dish unbidden to its papa, and +letting it fall, burst into a cry of distress--that they were only +sentenced to go back to the ship, get provisions, and, in the ensuing +journey on foot, carry as much as they could, and thus make up for the +loss of the boat. + +It was excessively annoying to lose all this property, and be deprived of +the means of doing the work proposed, on the east and north of the Lake; +but it would have been like crying over spilt milk to do otherwise now +than make the best use we could of our legs. The men were sent back to +the ship for provisions, cloth, and beads; and while they are gone, we +may say a little of the Cataracts which proved so fatal to our boating +plan. + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + + +Dr. Livingstone's further explorations--Effects of slave-trade--Kirk's +range--Ajawa migration--Native fishermen--Arab slave-crossing--Splendid +highlands. + +The Murchison Cataracts of the Shire river begin in 15 degrees 20 minutes +S., and end in lat. 15 degrees 55 minutes S., the difference of latitude +is therefore 35 minutes. The river runs in this space nearly north and +south, till we pass Malango; so the entire distance is under 40 miles. +The principal Cataracts are five in number, and are called Pamofunda or +Pamozima, Morewa, Panoreba or Tedzane, Pampatamanga, and Papekira. +Besides these, three or four smaller ones might be mentioned; as, for +instance, Mamvira, where in our ascent we first met the broken water, and +heard that gushing sound which, from the interminable windings of some +200 miles of river below, we had come to believe the tranquil Shire could +never make. While these lesser cataracts descend at an angle of scarcely +20 degrees, the greater fall 100 feet in 100 yards, at an angle of about +45 degrees, and one at an angle of 70 degrees. One part of Pamozima is +perpendicular, and, when the river is in flood, causes a cloud of vapour +to ascend, which, in our journey to Lake Shirwa, we saw at a distance of +at least eight miles. The entire descent from the Upper to the Lower +Shire is 1200 feet. Only on one spot in all that distance is the current +moderate--namely, above Tedzane. The rest is all rapid, and much of it +being only fifty or eighty yards wide, and rushing like a mill-race, it +gives the impression of water-power, sufficient to drive all the mills in +Manchester, running to waste. Pamofunda, or Pamozima, has a deep shady +grove on its right bank. When we were walking alone through its dark +shade, we were startled by a shocking smell like that of a dissecting- +room; and on looking up saw dead bodies in mats suspended from the +branches of the trees, a mode of burial somewhat similar to that which we +subsequently saw practised by the Parsees in their "towers of silence" at +Poonah, near Bombay. The name Pamozima means, "the departed spirits or +gods"--a fit name for a place over which, according to the popular +belief, the disembodied souls continually hover. + +The rock lowest down in the series is dark reddish-grey syenite. This +seems to have been an upheaving agent, for the mica schists above it are +much disturbed. Dark trappean rocks full of hornblende have in many +places burst through these schists, and appear in nodules on the surface. +The highest rock seen is a fine sandstone of closer grain than that at +Tette, and quite metamorphosed where it comes into contact with the +igneous rocks below it. It sometimes gives place to quartz and reddish +clay schists, much baked by heat. This is the usual geological condition +on the right bank of the Cataracts. On the other side we pass over +masses of porphyritic trap, in contact with the same mica schists, and +these probably give to the soil the great fertility we observed. The +great body of the mountains is syenite. So much mica is washed into the +river, that on looking attentively on the stream one sees myriads of +particles floating and glancing in the sun; and this, too, even at low +water. + +It was the 15th of August before the men returned from the ship, +accompanied by Mr. Rae and the steward of the "Pioneer." They brought +two oxen, one of which was instantly slaughtered to put courage into all +hearts, and some bottles of wine, a present from Waller and Alington. We +never carried wine before, but this was precious as an expression of +kindheartedness on the part of the donors. If one attempted to carry +either wine or spirits, as a beverage, he would require a whole troop of +followers for nothing else. Our greatest luxury in travelling was tea or +coffee. We never once carried sugar enough to last a journey, but coffee +is always good, while the sugarless tea is only bearable, because of the +unbearable gnawing feeling of want and sinking which ensues if we begin +to travel in the mornings without something warm in the stomach. Our +drink generally was water, and if cool, nothing can equal it in a hot +climate. We usually carried a bottle of brandy rolled up in our +blankets, but that was used only as a medicine; a spoonful in hot water +before going to bed, to fend off a chill and fever. Spirits always do +harm, if the fever has fairly begun; and it is probable that brandy-and- +water has to answer for a good many of the deaths in Africa. + +Mr. Rae had made gratifying progress in screwing together the "Lady +Nyassa." He had the zealous co-operation of three as fine steady workmen +as ever handled tools; and, as they were noble specimens of English +sailors, we would fain mention the names of men who are an honour to the +British navy--John Reid, John Pennell, and Richard Wilson. The reader +will excuse our doing so, but we desire to record how much they were +esteemed, and how thankful we felt for their good behaviour. The weather +was delightfully cool; and, with full confidence in those left behind, it +was with light hearts we turned our faces north. Mr. Rae accompanied us +a day in front; and, as all our party had earnestly advised that at least +two Europeans should be associated together on the journey, the steward +was at the last moment taken. Mr. Rae returned to get the "Lady Nyassa" +ready for sea; and, as she drew less water than the "Pioneer," take her +down to the ocean in October. One reason for taking the steward is worth +recording. Both he and a man named King, {5} who, though only a leading +stoker in the Navy, had been a promising student in the University of +Aberdeen, had got into that weak bloodless-looking state which residence +in the lowlands without much to do or think about often induces. The +best thing for this is change and an active life. A couple of days' +march only as far as the Mukuru-Madse, infused so much vigour into King +that he was able to walk briskly back. Consideration for the steward's +health led to his being selected for this northern journey, and the +measure was so completely successful that it was often, in the hard +march, a subject of regret that King had not been taken too. A removal +of only a hundred yards is sometimes so beneficial that it ought in +severe cases never to be omitted. + +Our object now was to get away to the N.N.W., proceed parallel with Lake +Nyassa, but at a considerable distance west of it, and thus pass by the +Mazitu or Zulus near its northern end without contact--ascertain whether +any large river flowed into the Lake from the west--visit Lake Moelo, if +time permitted, and collect information about the trade on the great +slave route, which crosses the Lake at its southern end, and at Tsenga +and Kota-kota. The Makololo were eager to travel fast, because they +wanted to be back in time to hoe their fields before the rains, and also +because their wives needed looking after. + +In going in the first instance N.E. from the uppermost Cataract, we +followed in a measure the great bend of the river towards the foot of +Mount Zomba. Here we had a view of its most imposing side, the west, +with the plateau some 3000 feet high, stretching away to its south, and +Mounts Chiradzuru and Mochiru towering aloft to the sky. From that +goodly highland station, it was once hoped by the noble Mackenzie, who, +for largeness of heart and loving disposition, really deserved to be +called the "Bishop of Central Africa," that light and liberty would +spread to all the interior. We still think it may be a centre for +civilizing influences; for any one descending from these cool heights, +and stepping into a boat on the Upper Shire, can sail three hundred miles +without a check into the heart of Africa. + +We passed through a tract of country covered with mopane trees, where the +hard baked soil refused to let the usual thick crops of grass grow; and +here we came upon very many tracks of buffaloes, elephants, antelopes, +and the spoor of one lion. An ox we drove along with us, as provision +for the way, was sorely bitten by the tsetse. The effect of the bite +was, as usual, quite apparent two days afterwards, in the general +flaccidity of the muscles, the drooping ears, and looks of illness. It +always excited our wonder that we, who were frequently much bitten too by +the same insects, felt no harm from their attacks. Man shares the +immunity of the wild animals. + +Finding a few people on the evening of the 20th of August, who were +supporting a wretched existence on tamarinds and mice, we ascertained +that there was no hope of our being able to buy food anywhere nearer than +the Lakelet Pamalombe, where the Ajawa chief, Kainka, was now living; but +that plenty could be found with the Maravi female chief, Nyango. We +turned away north-westwards, and struck the stream Ribve-ribve, or Rivi- +rivi, which rises in the Maravi range, and flows into the Shire. + +As the Rivi-rivi came from the N.W. we continued to travel along its +banks, until we came to people who had successfully defended themselves +against the hordes of the Ajawa. By employing the men of one village to +go forward and explain who we were to the next, we managed to prevent the +frightened inhabitants from considering us a fresh party of Ajawa, or of +Portuguese slaving agents. Here they had cultivated maize, and were +willing to sell, but no persuasion could induce them to give us guides to +the chieftainess, Nyango. They evidently felt that we were not to be +trusted; though, as we had to certify to our own character, our +companions did not fail "to blow our own trumpet," with blasts in which +modesty was quite out of the question. To allay suspicion, we had at +last to refrain from mentioning the lady's name. + +It would be wearisome to repeat the names of the villages we passed on +our way to the north-west. One was the largest we ever saw in Africa, +and quite deserted, with the usual sad sight of many skeletons lying +about. Another was called Tette. We know three places of this name, +which fact shows it to be a native word; it seems to mean a place where +the water rushes over rocks. A third village was called Chipanga (a +great work), a name identical with the Shupanga of the Portuguese. This +repetition of names may indicate that the same people first took these +epithets in their traditional passage from north to south. + +At this season of the year the nights are still cold, and the people, +having no crops to occupy their attention, do not stir out till long +after the sun is up. At other times they are off to their fields before +the day dawns, and the first sound one hears is the loud talking of men +and women, in which they usually indulge in the dark to scare off beasts +by the sound of the human voice. When no work is to be done, the first +warning of approaching day is the hemp-smoker's loud ringing cough. + +Having been delayed one morning by some negotiation about guides, who +were used chiefly to introduce us to other villages, we two whites walked +a little way ahead, taking the direction of the stream. The men having +been always able to find out our route by the prints of our shoes, we +went on for a number of miles. This time, however, they lost our track, +and failed to follow us. The path was well marked by elephants, hyenas, +pallahs, and zebras, but for many a day no human foot had trod it. When +the sun went down a deserted hamlet was reached, where we made +comfortable beds for ourselves of grass. Firing muskets to attract the +attention of those who have strayed is the usual resource in these cases. +On this occasion the sound of firearms tended to mislead us; for, hearing +shots next morning, a long weary march led us only to some native +hunters, who had been shooting buffaloes. Returning to a small village, +we met with some people who remembered our passing up to the Lake in the +boat; they were as kind as they could be. The only food they possessed +was tamarinds, prepared with ashes, and a little cowitch meal. The +cowitch, as mentioned before, has a velvety brown covering of minute +prickles, which, if touched, enter the pores of the skin and cause a +painful tingling. The women in times of scarcity collect the pods, +kindle a fire of grass over them to destroy the prickles, then steep the +beans till they begin to sprout, wash them in pure water, and either boil +them or pound them into meal, which resembles our bean-meal. This plant +climbs up the long grass, and abounds in all reedy parts, and, though a +plague to the traveller who touches its pods, it performs good service in +times of famine by saving many a life from starvation. Its name here is +Kitedzi. + +Having travelled at least twenty miles in search of our party that day, +our rest on a mat in the best hut of the village was very sweet. We had +dined the evening before on a pigeon each, and had eaten only a handful +of kitedzi porridge this afternoon. The good wife of the village took a +little corn which she had kept for seed, ground it after dark, and made +it into porridge. This, and a cup of wild vegetables of a sweetish taste +for a relish, a little boy brought in and put down, with several vigorous +claps of his hands, in the manner which is esteemed polite, and which is +strictly enjoined on all children. + +On the third day of separation, Akosanjere, the headman of this village, +conducted us forward to our party who had gone on to Nseze, a district to +the westward. This incident is mentioned, not for any interest it +possesses, apart from the idea of the people it conveys. We were +completely separated from our men for nearly three days, and had nothing +wherewith to purchase food. The people were sorely pressed by famine and +war, and their hospitality, poor as it was, did them great credit, and +was most grateful to us. Our own men had become confused and wandered, +but had done their utmost to find us; on our rejoining them, the ox was +slain, and all, having been on short commons, rejoiced in this "day of +slaughter." Akosanjere was, of course, rewarded to his heart's content. + +As we pursued our way, we came close up to a range of mountains, the most +prominent peak of which is called Mvai. This is a great, bare, rounded +block of granite shooting up from the rest of the chain. It and several +other masses of rock are of a light grey colour, with white patches, as +if of lichens; the sides and summits are generally thinly covered with +rather scraggy trees. There are several other prominent peaks--one, for +instance, still further north, called Chirobve. Each has a name, but we +could never ascertain that there was an appellation which applied to the +whole. This fact, and our wish to commemorate the name of Dr. Kirk, +induced us afterwards, when we could not discover a particular peak +mentioned to us formerly as Molomo-ao-koku, or Cock's-bill, to call the +whole chain from the west of the Cataracts up to the north end of the +Lake, "Kirk's Range." The part we slept at opposite Mvai was named +Paudio, and was evidently a continuation of the district of one of our +stations on the Shire, at which observations for latitude were formerly +taken. + +Leaving Paudio, we had Kirk's Range close on our left and at least 3000 +feet above us, and probably not less than 5000 feet above the sea. Far +to our right extended a long green wooded country rising gradually up to +a ridge, ornamented with several detached mountains, which bounded the +Shire Valley. In front, northwards, lay a valley as rich and lovely as +we ever saw anywhere, terminating at the mountains, which, stretched away +some thirty miles beyond our range of vision and ended at Cape Maclear. +The groups of trees had never been subjected to the landscape gardener's +art; but had been cut down mercilessly, just as suited the convenience of +the cultivator; yet the various combinations of open forest, sloping +woodland, grassy lawns, and massive clumps of dark green foliage along +the running streams, formed as beautiful a landscape as could be seen on +the Thames. This valley is named Goa or Gova, and as we moved through it +we found that what was smooth to the eye was very much furrowed by +running streams winding round innumerable knolls. These little brooklets +came down from the range on our left, and the water was deliciously cool. + +When we came abreast of the peak Chirobve, the people would no longer +give us guides. They were afraid of their enemies, whose dwellings we +now had on our east; and, proceeding without any one to lead us, or to +introduce us to the inhabitants, we were perplexed by all the paths +running zigzag across instead of along the valley. They had been made by +the villagers going from the hamlets on the slopes to their gardens in +the meadows below. To add to our difficulties, the rivulets and mountain- +torrents had worn gullies some thirty or forty feet deep, with steep +sides that could not be climbed except at certain points. The remaining +inhabitants on the flank of the range when they saw strangers winding +from side to side, and often attempting to cross these torrent beds at +impossible places, screamed out their shrill war-alarm, and made the +valley ring with their wild outcries. It was war, and war alone, and we +were too deep down in the valley to make our voices heard in explanation. +Fortunately, they had burned off the long grass to a great extent. It +only here and there hid them from us. Selecting an open spot, we spent a +night regarded by all around us as slave-hunters, but were undisturbed, +though the usual way of treating an enemy in this part of the country is +by night attack. + +The nights at the altitude of the valley were cool, the lowest +temperature shown being 37 degrees; at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. it was 58 +degrees, about the average temperature of the day; at mid-day 82 degrees, +and sunset 70 degrees. Our march was very much hindered by the +imperfectly burned corn and grass stalks having fallen across the paths. +To a reader in England this will seem a very small obstacle. But he must +fancy the grass stems as thick as his little finger, and the corn-stalks +like so many walkingsticks lying in one direction, and so supporting each +other that one has to lift his feet up as when wading through deep high +heather. The stems of grass showed the causes of certain explosions as +loud as pistols, which are heard when the annual fires come roaring over +the land. The heated air inside expanding bursts the stalk with a loud +report, and strews the fragments on the ground. + +A very great deal of native corn had been cultivated here, and we saw +buffaloes feeding in the deserted gardens, and some women, who ran away +very much faster than the beasts did. + +On the 29th, seeing some people standing under a tree by a village, we +sat down, and sent Masego, one of our party, to communicate. The +headman, Matunda, came back with him, bearing a calabash with water for +us. He said that all the people had fled from the Ajawa, who had only +just desisted from their career of pillage on being paid five persons as +a fine for some offence for which they had commenced the invasion. +Matunda had plenty of grain to sell, and all the women were soon at work +grinding it into meal. We secured an abundant supply, and four milk +goats. The Manganja goat is of a very superior breed to the general +African animal, being short in the legs and having a finely-shaped broad +body. By promising the Makololo that, when we no longer needed the milk, +they should have the goats to improve the breed of their own at home, +they were induced to take the greatest possible care of both goats and +kids in driving and pasturing. + +After leaving Matunda, we came to the end of the highland valley; and, +before descending a steep declivity of a thousand feet towards the part +which may be called the heel of the Lake, we had the bold mountains of +Cape Maclear on our right, with the blue water at their base, the hills +of Tsenga in the distance in front, and Kirk's Range on our left, +stretching away northwards, and apparently becoming lower. As we came +down into a fine rich undulating valley, many perennial streams running +to the east from the hills on our left were crossed, while all those +behind us on the higher ground seemed to unite in one named Lekue, which +flowed into the Lake. + +After a long day's march in the valley of the Lake, where the temperature +was very much higher than in that we had just left, we entered the +village of Katosa, which is situated on the bank of a stream among +gigantic timber trees, and found there a large party of Ajawa--Waiau, +they called themselves--all armed with muskets. We sat down among them, +and were soon called to the chiefs court, and presented with an ample +mess of porridge, buffalo meat, and beer. Katosa was more frank than any +Manganja chief we had met, and complimented us by saying that "we must be +his 'Bazimo' (good spirits of his ancestors); for when he lived at +Pamalombe, we lighted upon him from above--men the like of whom he had +never seen before, and coming he knew not whence." He gave us one of his +own large and clean huts to sleep in; and we may take this opportunity of +saying that the impression we received, from our first journey on the +hills among the villages of Chisunse, of the excessive dirtiness of the +Manganja, was erroneous. This trait was confined to the cool highlands. +Here crowds of men and women were observed to perform their ablutions +daily in the stream that ran past their villages; and this we have +observed elsewhere to be a common custom with both Manganja and Ajawa. + +Before we started on the morning of the 1st September, Katosa sent an +enormous calabash of beer, containing at least three gallons, and then +came and wished us to "stop a day and eat with him." On explaining to +him the reasons for our haste, he said that he was in the way by which +travellers usually passed, he never stopped them in their journeys, but +would like to look at us for a day. On our promising to rest a little +with him on our return, he gave us about two pecks of rice, and three +guides to conduct us to a subordinate female chief, Nkwinda, living on +the borders of the Lake in front. + +The Ajawa, from having taken slaves down to Quillimane and Mosambique, +knew more of us than Katosa did. Their muskets were carefully polished, +and never out of these slaver's hands for a moment, though in the chiefs +presence. We naturally felt apprehensive that we should never see Katosa +again. A migratory afflatus seems to have come over the Ajawa tribes. +Wars among themselves, for the supply of the Coast slave-trade, are said +to have first set them in motion. The usual way in which they have +advanced among the Manganja has been by slave-trading in a friendly way. +Then, professing to wish to live as subjects, they have been welcomed as +guests, and the Manganja, being great agriculturists, have been able to +support considerable bodies of these visitors for a time. When the +provisions became scarce, the guests began to steal from the fields; +quarrels arose in consequence, and, the Ajawa having firearms, their +hosts got the worst of it, and were expelled from village after village, +and out of their own country. The Manganja were quite as bad in regard +to slave-trading as the Ajawa, but had less enterprise, and were much +more fond of the home pursuits of spinning, weaving, smelting iron, and +cultivating the soil, than of foreign travel. The Ajawa had little of a +mechanical turn, and not much love for agriculture, but were very keen +traders and travellers. This party seemed to us to be in the first or +friendly stage of intercourse with Katosa; and, as we afterwards found, +he was fully alive to the danger. + +Our course was shaped towards the N.W., and we traversed a large fertile +tract of rich soil extensively cultivated, but dotted with many gigantic +thorny acacias which had proved too large for the little axes of the +cultivators. After leaving Nkwinda, the first village we spent a night +at in the district Ngabi was that of Chembi, and it had a stockade around +it. The Azitu or Mazitu were said to be ravaging the country to the west +of us, and no one was safe except in a stockade. We have so often, in +travelling, heard of war in front, that we paid little attention to the +assertion of Chembi, that the whole country to the N.W. was in flight +before these Mazitu, under a chief with the rather formidable name of +Mowhiriwhiri; we therefore resolved to go on to Chinsamba's, still +further in the same direction, and hear what he said about it. + +The only instrument of husbandry here is the short-handled hoe; and about +Tette the labour of tilling the soil, as represented in the woodcut, is +performed entirely by female slaves. On the West Coast a double-handled +hoe is employed. Here the small hoe is seen in the hands of both men and +women. In other parts of Africa a hoe with a handle four feet long is +used, but the plough is quite unknown. + +In illustration of the manner in which the native knowledge of +agriculture strikes an honest intelligent observer, it may be mentioned +that the first time good Bishop Mackenzie beheld how well the fields of +the Manganja were cultivated on the hills, he remarked to Dr. +Livingstone, then his fellow-traveller--"When telling the people in +England what were my objects in going out to Africa, I stated that, among +other things, I meant to teach these people agriculture; but I now see +that they know far more about it than I do." This, we take it, was an +honest straightforward testimony, and we believe that every unprejudiced +witness, who has an opportunity of forming an opinion of Africans who +have never been debased by slavery, will rank them very much higher in +the scale of intelligence, industry, and manhood, than others who know +them only in a state of degradation. + +On coming near Chinsamba's two stockades, on the banks of the Lintipe, we +were told that the Mazitu had been repulsed there the day before, and we +had evidence of the truth of the report of the attack in the sad sight of +the bodies of the slain. The Zulus had taken off large numbers of women +laden with corn; and, when driven back, had cut off the ears of a male +prisoner, as a sort of credential that he had been with the Mazitu, and +with grim humour sent him to tell Chinsamba "to take good care of the +corn in the stockades, for they meant to return for it in a month or +two." + +Chinsamba's people were drumming with might and main on our arrival, to +express their joy at their deliverance from the Mazitu. The drum is the +chief instrument of music among the Manganja, and with it they express +both their joy and grief. They excel in beating time. Chinsamba called +us into a very large hut, and presented us with a huge basket of beer. +The glare of sunlight from which we had come enabled him, in diplomatic +fashion, to have a good view of us before our eyes became enough +accustomed to the dark inside to see him. He has a Jewish cast of +countenance, or rather the ancient Assyrian face, as seen in the +monuments brought to the British Museum by Mr. Layard. This form of face +is very common in this country, and leads to the belief that the true +type of the negro is not that met on the West Coast, from which most +people have derived their ideas of the African. + +Chinsamba had many Abisa or Babisa in his stockade, and it was chiefly by +the help of their muskets that he had repulsed the Mazitu: these Babisa +are great travellers and traders. + +We liked Chinsamba very well, and found that he was decidedly opposed to +our risking our lives by going further to the N.W. The Mazitu were +believed to occupy all the hills in that direction, so we spent the 4th +of September with him. + +It is rather a minute thing to mention, and it will only be understood by +those who have children of their own, but the cries of the little ones, +in their infant sorrows, are the same in tone, at different ages, here as +all over the world. We have been perpetually reminded of home and family +by the wailings which were once familiar to parental ears and heart, and +felt thankful that to the sorrows of childhood our children would never +have superadded the heartrending woes of the slave-trade. + +Taking Chinsamba's advice to avoid the Mazitu in their marauding, we +started on the 5th September away to the N.E., and passed mile after mile +of native cornfields, with an occasional cotton-patch. + +After a long march, we passed over a waterless plain about N.N.W. of the +hills of Tsenga to a village on the Lake, and thence up its shores to +Chitanda. The banks of the Lake were now crowded with fugitives, who had +collected there for the poor protection which the reeds afforded. For +miles along the water's edge was one continuous village of temporary +huts. The people had brought a little corn with them; but they said, +"What shall we eat when that is done? When we plant corn, the wild +beasts (Zinyama, as they call the Mazitu) come and take it. When we +plant cassava, they do the same. How are we to live?" A poor blind +woman, thinking we were Mazitu, rushed off in front of us with outspread +arms, lifting the feet high, in the manner peculiar to those who have +lost their sight, and jumped into the reeds of a stream for safety. + +In our way along the shores we crossed several running rivulets of clear +cold water, which, from having reeds at their confluences, had not been +noticed in our previous exploration in the boat. One of these was called +Mokola, and another had a strong odour of sulphuretted hydrogen. We +reached Molamba on the 8th September, and found our old acquaintance, +Nkomo, there still. One of the advantages of travelling along the shores +of the Lake was, that we could bathe anywhere in its clear fresh water. +To us, who had been obliged so often to restrain our inclination in the +Zambesi and Shire for fear of crocodiles, this was pleasant beyond +measure. The water now was of the same temperature as it was on our +former visit, or 72 degrees Fahr. The immense depth of the Lake prevents +the rays of the sun from raising the temperature as high as that of the +Shire and Zambesi; and the crocodiles, having always clear water in the +Lake, and abundance of fish, rarely attack man; many of these reptiles +could be seen basking on the rocks. + +A day's march beyond Molamba brought us to the lakelet Chia, which lies +parallel with the Lake. It is three or four miles long, by from one to +one and a half broad, and communicates with the Lake by an arm of good +depth, but with some rocks in it. As we passed up between the Lake and +the eastern shore of this lakelet, we did not see any streams flowing +into it. It is quite remarkable for the abundance of fish; and we saw +upwards of fifty large canoes engaged in the fishery, which is carried on +by means of hand-nets with side-frame poles about seven feet long. These +nets are nearly identical with those now in use in Normandy--the +difference being that the African net has a piece of stick lashed across +the handle-ends of the side poles to keep them steady, which is a great +improvement. The fish must be very abundant to be scooped out of the +water in such quantities as we saw, and by so many canoes. There is +quite a trade here in dried fish. + +The country around is elevated, undulating, and very extensively planted +with cassava. The hoe in use has a handle of four feet in length, and +the iron part is exactly of the same form as that in the country of the +Bechuanas. The baskets here, which are so closely woven together as to +hold beer, are the same with those employed to hold milk in Kaffirland--a +thousand miles distant. + +Marching on foot is peculiarly conducive to meditation--one is glad of +any subject to occupy the mind, and relieve the monotony of the weary +treadmill-like trudge-trudging. This Chia net brought to our mind that +the smith's bellows made here of a goatskin bag, with sticks along the +open ends, are the same as those in use in the Bechuana country far to +the south-west. These, with the long-handled hoe, may only show that +each successive horde from north to south took inventions with it from +the same original source. Where that source may have been is probably +indicated by another pair of bellows, which we observed below the +Victoria Falls, being found in Central India and among the Gipsies of +Europe. + +Men in remote times may have had more highly-developed instincts, which +enabled them to avoid or use poisons; but the late Archbishop Whately has +proved, that wholly untaught savages never could invent anything, or even +subsist at all. Abundant corroboration of his arguments is met with in +this country, where the natives require but little in the way of +clothing, and have remarkably hardy stomachs. Although possessing a +knowledge of all the edible roots and fruits in the country, having hoes +to dig with, and spears, bows, and arrows to kill the game,--we have seen +that, notwithstanding all these appliances and means to boot, they have +perished of absolute starvation. + +The art of making fire is the same in India as in Africa. The smelting +furnaces, for reducing iron and copper from the ores, are also similar. +Yellow haematite, which bears not the smallest resemblance either in +colour or weight to the metal, is employed near Kolobeng for the +production of iron. Malachite, the precious green stone used in +civilized life for vases, would never be suspected by the uninstructed to +be a rich ore of copper, and yet it is extensively smelted for rings and +other ornaments in the heart of Africa. A copper bar of native +manufacture four feet long was offered to us for sale at Chinsamba's. +These arts are monuments attesting the fact, that some instruction from +above must at some time or other have been supplied to mankind; and, as +Archbishop Whately says, "the most probable conclusion is, that man when +first created, or very shortly afterwards, was advanced, by the Creator +Himself, to a state above that of a mere savage." + +The argument for an original revelation to man, though quite independent +of the Bible history, tends to confirm that history. It is of the same +nature with this, that man could not have _made_ himself, and therefore +must have had a Divine _Creator_. Mankind could not, in the first +instance, have _civilized_ themselves, and therefore must have had a +superhuman _Instructor_. + +In connection with this subject, it is remarkable that throughout +successive generations no change has taken place in the form of the +various inventions. Hammers, tongs, hoes, axes, adzes, handles to them; +needles, bows and arrows, with the mode of feathering the latter; spears, +for killing game, with spear-heads having what is termed "dish" on both +sides to give them, when thrown, the rotatory motion of rifle-balls; the +arts of spinning and weaving, with that of pounding and steeping the +inner bark of a tree till it serves as clothing; millstones for grinding +corn into meal; the manufacture of the same kind of pots or _chatties_ as +in India; the art of cooking, of brewing beer and straining it as was +done in ancient Egypt; fish-hooks, fishing and hunting nets, +fish-baskets, and weirs, the same as in the Highlands of Scotland; traps +for catching animals, etc., etc.,--have all been so very permanent from +age to age, and some of them of identical patterns are so widely spread +over the globe, as to render it probable that they were all, at least in +some degree, derived from one Source. The African traditions, which seem +possessed of the same unchangeability as the arts to which they relate, +like those of all other nations refer their origin to a superior Being. +And it is much more reasonable to receive the hints given in Genesis, +concerning direct instruction from God to our first parents or their +children in religious or moral duty, and probably in the knowledge of the +arts of life, {6} than to give credence to the theory that untaught +savage man subsisted in a state which would prove fatal to all his +descendants, and that in such helpless state he made many inventions +which most of his progeny retained, but never improved upon during some +thirty centuries. + +We crossed in canoes the arm of the Lake, which joins Chia to Nyassa, and +spent the night on its northern bank. The whole country adjacent to the +Lake, from this point up to Kota-kota Bay, is densely peopled by +thousands who have fled from the forays of the Mazitu in hopes of +protection from the Arabs who live there. In three running rivulets we +saw the _Shuare_ palm, and an oil palm which is much inferior to that on +the West Coast. Though somewhat similar in appearance, the fruit is not +much larger than hazel-nuts, and the people do not use them, on account +of the small quantity of oil which they afford. + +The idea of using oil for light never seems to have entered the African +mind. Here a bundle of split and dried bamboo, tied together with +creeping plants, as thick as a man's body, and about twenty feet in +length, is employed in the canoes as a torch to attract the fish at +night. It would be considered a piece of the most wasteful extravagance +to burn the oil they obtain from the castor-oil bean and other seeds, and +also from certain fish, or in fact to do anything with it but anoint +their heads and bodies. + +We arrived at Kota-kota Bay in the afternoon of the 10th September, 1863; +and sat down under a magnificent wild fig-tree with leaves ten inches +long, by five broad, about a quarter of a mile from the village of Juma +ben Saidi, and Yakobe ben Arame, whom we had met on the River Kaombe, a +little north of this, in our first exploration of the Lake. We had +rested but a short time when Juma, who is evidently the chief person +here, followed by about fifty people, came to salute us and to invite us +to take up our quarters in his village. The hut which, by mistake, was +offered, was so small and dirty, that we preferred sleeping in an open +space a few hundred yards off. + +Juma afterwards apologized for the mistake, and presented us with rice, +meal, sugar-cane, and a piece of malachite. We returned his visit on the +following day, and found him engaged in building a dhow or Arab vessel, +to replace one which he said had been wrecked. This new one was fifty +feet long, twelve feet broad, and five feet deep. The planks were of a +wood like teak, here called Timbati, and the timbers of a closer grained +wood called Msoro. The sight of this dhow gave us a hint which, had we +previously received it, would have prevented our attempting to carry a +vessel of iron past the Cataracts. The trees around Katosa's village +were Timbati, and they would have yielded planks fifty feet long and +thirty inches broad. With a few native carpenters a good vessel could be +built on the Lake nearly as quickly as one could be carried past the +Cataracts, and at a vastly less cost. Juma said that no money would +induce him to part with this dhow. He was very busy in transporting +slaves across the Lake by means of two boats, which we saw returning from +a trip in the afternoon. As he did not know of our intention to visit +him, we came upon several gangs of stout young men slaves, each secured +by the neck to one common chain, waiting for exportation, and several +more in slave-sticks. These were all civilly removed before our +interview was over, because Juma knew that we did not relish the sight. + +When we met the same Arabs in 1861, they had but few attendants: +according to their own account, they had now, in the village and adjacent +country, 1500 souls. It is certain that tens of thousands had flocked to +them for protection, and all their power and influence must be attributed +to the possession of guns and gunpowder. This crowding of refugees to +any point where there is a hope for security for life and property is +very common in this region, and the knowledge of it made our hopes beat +high for the success of a peaceful Mission on the shores of the Lake. The +rate, however, in which the people here will perish by the next famine, +or be exported by Juma and others, will, we fear, depopulate those parts +which we have just described as crowded with people. Hunger will ere +long compel them to sell each other. An intelligent man complained to us +of the Arabs often seizing slaves, to whom they took a fancy, without the +formality of purchase; but the price is so low--from two to four yards of +calico--that one can scarcely think this seizure and exportation without +payment worth their while. The boats were in constant employment, and, +curiously enough, Ben Habib, whom we met at Linyanti in 1855, had been +taken across the Lake, the day before our arrival at this Bay, on his way +from Sesheke to Kilwa, and we became acquainted with a native servant of +the Arabs, called Selele Saidallah, who could speak the Makololo language +pretty fairly from having once spent some months in the Barotse Valley. + +From boyhood upwards we have been accustomed, from time to time, to read +in books of travels about the great advances annually made by +Mohammedanism in Africa. The rate at which this religion spreads was +said to be so rapid, that in after days, in our own pretty extensive +travels, we have constantly been on the look out for the advancing wave +from North to South, which, it was prophesied, would soon reduce the +entire continent to the faith of the false prophet. The only foundation +that we can discover for the assertions referred to, and for others of +more recent date, is the fact that in a remote corner of North-Western +Africa the Fulahs, and Mandingoes, and some others in Northern Africa, as +mentioned by Dr. Barth, have made conquests of territory; but even they +care so very little for the extension of their faith, that after the +conquest no pains whatever are taken to indoctrinate the adults of the +tribe. This is in exact accordance with the impression we have received +from our intercourse with Mohammedans and Christians. The followers of +Christ alone are anxious to propagate their faith. A _quasi_ +philanthropist would certainly never need to recommend the followers of +Islam, whom we have met, to restrain their benevolence by preaching that +"Charity should begin at home." + +Though Selele and his companions were bound to their masters by domestic +ties, the only new idea they had imbibed from Mohammedanism was, that it +would be wrong to eat meat killed by other people. They thought it would +be "unlucky." Just as the inhabitants of Kolobeng, before being taught +the requirements of Christianity, refrained from hoeing their gardens on +Sundays, lest they should reap an unlucky crop. So far as we could +learn, no efforts had been made to convert the natives, though these two +Arabs, and about a dozen half-castes, had been in the country for many +years; and judging from our experience with a dozen Mohammedans in our +employ at high wages for sixteen months, the Africans would be the better +men in proportion as they retained their native faith. This may appear +only a harsh judgment from a mind imbued with Christian prejudices; but +without any pretention to that impartiality, which leaves it doubtful to +which side the affections lean, the truth may be fairly stated by one who +viewed all Mohammedans and Africans with the sincerest good will. + +Our twelve Mohammedans from Johanna were the least open of any of our +party to impression from kindness. A marked difference in general +conduct was apparent. The Makololo, and other natives of the country, +whom we had with us, invariably shared with each other the food they had +cooked, but the Johanna men partook of their meals at a distance. This, +at first, we attributed to their Moslem prejudices; but when they saw the +cooking process of the others nearly complete, they came, sat beside +them, and ate the portion offered without ever remembering to return the +compliment when their own turn came to be generous. The Makololo and the +others grumbled at their greediness, yet always followed the common +custom of Africans of sharing their food with all who sit around them. +What vexed us most in the Johanna men was their indifference to the +welfare of each other. Once, when they were all coming to the ship after +sleeping ashore, one of them walked into the water with the intention of +swimming off to the boat, and while yet hardly up to his knees was seized +by a horrid crocodile and dragged under; the poor fellow gave a shriek, +and held up his hand for aid, but none of his countrymen stirred to his +assistance, and he was never seen again. On asking his brother-in-law +why he did not help him, he replied, "Well, no one told him to go into +the water. It was his own fault that he was killed." The Makololo on +the other hand rescued a woman at Senna by entering the water, and taking +her out of the crocodile's mouth. + +It is not assumed that their religion had much to do in the matter. Many +Mohammedans might contrast favourably with indifferent Christians; but, +so far as our experience in East Africa goes, the moral tone of the +follower of Mahomed is pitched at a lower key than that of the untutored +African. The ancient zeal for propagating the tenets of the Koran has +evaporated, and been replaced by the most intense selfishness and +grossest sensuality. The only known efforts made by Mohammedans, namely, +those in the North-West and North of the continent, are so linked with +the acquisition of power and plunder, as not to deserve the name of +religious propagandism; and the only religion that now makes proselytes +is that of Jesus Christ. To those who are capable of taking a +comprehensive view of this subject, nothing can be adduced of more +telling significance than the well-attested fact, that while the +Mohammedans, Fulahs, and others towards Central Africa, make a few +proselytes by a process which gratifies their own covetousness, three +small sections of the Christian converts, the Africans in the South, in +the West Indies, and on the West Coast of Africa actually contribute for +the support and spread of their religion upwards of 15,000 pounds +annually. {7} That religion which so far overcomes the selfishness of +the human heart must be Divine. + +Leaving Kota-kota Bay, we turned away due West on the great slave route +to Katanga's and Cazembe's country in Londa. Juma lent us his servant, +Selele, to lead us the first day's march. He said that the traders from +Kilwa and Iboe cross the Lake either at this bay, or at Tsenga, or at the +southern end of the Lake; and that wherever they may cross they all go by +this path to the interior. They have slaves with them to carry their +goods, and when they reach a spot where they can easily buy others, they +settle down and begin the traffic, and at once cultivate grain. So much +of the land lies waste, that no objection is ever made to any one taking +possession of as much as he needs; they can purchase a field of cassava +for their present wants for very little, and they continue trading in the +country for two or three years, and giving what weight their muskets +possess to the chief who is most liberal to them. + +The first day's march led us over a rich, well-cultivated plain. This +was succeeded by highlands, undulating, stony, and covered with scraggy +trees. Many banks of well rounded shingle appear. The disintegration of +the rocks, now going on, does not round off the angles; they are split up +by the heat and cold into angular fragments. On these high downs we +crossed the River Kaombe. Beyond it we came among the upland +vegetation--rhododendrons, proteas, the masuko, and molompi. At the foot +of the hill, Kasuko-suko, we found the River Bua running north to join +the Kaombe. We had to go a mile out of our way for a ford; the stream is +deep enough in parts for hippopotami. The various streams not previously +noticed, crossed in this journey, had before this led us to the +conclusion, independently of the testimony of the natives, that no large +river ran into the north end of the Lake. No such affluent was needed to +account for the Shire's perennial flow. + +On September 15th we reached the top of the ascent which, from its many +ups and downs, had often made us puff and blow as if broken-winded. The +water of the streams we crossed was deliciously cold, and now that we had +gained the summit at Ndonda, where the boiling-point of water showed an +altitude of 3440 feet above the sea, the air was delightful. Looking +back we had a magnificent view of the Lake, but the haze prevented our +seeing beyond the sea horizon. The scene was beautiful, but it was +impossible to dissociate the lovely landscape whose hills and dales had +so sorely tried our legs and lungs, from the sad fact that this was part +of the great slave route now actually in use. By this road many "Ten +thousands" have here seen "the Sea," "the Sea," but with sinking hearts; +for the universal idea among the captive gangs is, that they are going to +be fattened and eaten by the whites. They cannot of course be so much +shocked as we should be--their sensibilities are far from fine, their +feelings are more obtuse than ours--in fact, "the live eels are used to +being skinned," perhaps they rather like it. We who are not philosophic, +blessed the Providence which at Thermopylae in ancient days rolled back +the tide of Eastern conquest from the West, and so guided the course of +events that light and liberty and gospel truth spread to our distant +isle, and emancipating our race freed them from the fear of ever again +having to climb fatiguing heights and descend wearisome hollows in a +slave-gang, as we suppose they did when the fair English youths were +exposed for sale at Rome. + +Looking westwards we perceived that, what from below had the appearance +of mountains, was only the edge of a table-land which, though at first +undulating, soon became smooth, and sloped towards the centre of the +country. To the south a prominent mountain called Chipata, and to the +south-west another named Ngalla, by which the Bua is said to rise, gave +character to the landscape. In the north, masses of hills prevented our +seeing more than eight or ten miles. + +The air which was so exhilarating to Europeans had an opposite effect on +five men who had been born and reared in the malaria of the Delta of the +Zambesi. No sooner did they reach the edge of the plateau at Ndonda, +than they lay down prostrate, and complained of pains all over them. The +temperature was not much lower than that on the shores of the Lake below, +76 degrees being the mean temperature of the day, 52 degrees the lowest, +and 82 degrees the highest during the twenty-four hours; at the Lake it +was about l0 degrees higher. Of the symptoms they complained of--pains +everywhere--nothing could be made. And yet it was evident that they had +good reason for saying that they were ill. They scarified almost every +part of their bodies as a remedial measure; medicines, administered on +the supposition that their malady was the effect of a sudden chill, had +no effect, and in two days one of them actually died in consequence of, +as far as we could judge, a change from a malarious to a purer and more +rarefied atmosphere. + +As we were on the slave route, we found the people more churlish than +usual. On being expostulated with about it, they replied, "We have been +made wary by those who come to buy slaves." The calamity of death having +befallen our party, seemed, however, to awaken their sympathies. They +pointed out their usual burying-place, lent us hoes, and helped to make +the grave. When we offered to pay all expenses, they showed that they +had not done these friendly offices without fully appreciating their +value; for they enumerated the use of the hut, the mat on which the +deceased had lain, the hoes, the labour, and the medicine which they had +scattered over the place to make him rest in peace. + +The primitive African faith seems to be that there is one Almighty Maker +of heaven and earth; that he has given the various plants of earth to man +to be employed as mediators between him and the spirit world, where all +who have ever been born and died continue to live; that sin consists in +offences against their fellow-men, either here or among the departed, and +that death is often a punishment of guilt, such as witchcraft. Their +idea of moral evil differs in no respect from ours, but they consider +themselves amenable only to inferior beings, not to the Supreme. Evil- +speaking--lying--hatred--disobedience to parents--neglect of them--are +said by the intelligent to have been all known to be sin, as well as +theft, murder, or adultery, before they knew aught of Europeans or their +teaching. The only new addition to their moral code is, that it is wrong +to have more wives than one. This, until the arrival of Europeans, never +entered into their minds even as a doubt. + +Everything not to be accounted for by common causes, whether of good or +evil, is ascribed to the Deity. Men are inseparably connected with the +spirits of the departed, and when one dies he is believed to have joined +the hosts of his ancestors. All the Africans we have met with are as +firmly persuaded of their future existence as of their present life. And +we have found none in whom the belief in the Supreme Being was not +rooted. He is so invariably referred to as the Author of everything +supernatural, that, unless one is ignorant of their language, he cannot +fail to notice this prominent feature of their faith. When they pass +into the unseen world, they do not seem to be possessed with the fear of +punishment. The utensils placed upon the grave are all broken as if to +indicate that they will never be used by the departed again. The body is +put into the grave in a sitting posture, and the hands are folded in +front. In some parts of the country there are tales which we could +translate into faint glimmerings of a resurrection; but whether these +fables, handed down from age to age, convey that meaning to the natives +themselves we cannot tell. The true tradition of faith is asserted to be +"though a man die he will live again;" the false that when he dies he is +dead for ever. + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + + +Important geographical discoveries in the Wabisa countries--Cruelty of +the slave-trade--The Mazitu--Serious illness of Dr. Livingstone--Return +to the ship. + +In our course westwards, we at first passed over a gently undulating +country, with a reddish clayey soil, which, from the heavy crops, +appeared to be very fertile. Many rivulets were crossed, some running +southwards into the Bua, and others northwards into the Loangwa, a river +which we formerly saw flowing into the Lake. Further on, the water was +chiefly found in pools and wells. Then still further, in the same +direction, some watercourses were said to flow into that same "Loangwa of +the Lake," and others into the Loangwa, which flows to the south-west, +and enters the Zambesi at Zumbo, and is here called the "Loangwa of the +Maravi." The trees were in general scraggy, and covered, exactly as they +are in the damp climate of the Coast, with lichens, resembling orchilla- +weed. The maize, which loves rather a damp soil, had been planted on +ridges to allow the superfluous moisture to run off. Everything +indicated a very humid climate, and the people warned us that, as the +rains were near, we were likely to be prevented from returning by the +country becoming flooded and impassable. + +Villages, as usual encircled by euphorbia hedges, were numerous, and a +great deal of grain had been cultivated around them. Domestic fowls, in +plenty, and pigeons with dovecots like those in Egypt were seen. The +people call themselves Matumboka, but the only difference between them +and the rest of the Manganja is in the mode of tattooing the face. Their +language is the same. Their distinctive mark consists of four tattooed +lines diverging from the point between the eyebrows, which, in frowning, +the muscles form into a furrow. The other lines of tattooing, as in all +Manganja, run in long seams, which crossing each other at certain angles +form a great number of triangular spaces on the breast, back, arms, and +thighs. The cuticle is divided by a knife, and the edges of the incision +are drawn apart till the true skin appears. By a repetition of this +process, lines of raised cicatrices are formed, which are thought to give +beauty, no matter how much pain the fashion gives. + +It would not be worth while to advert for a moment to the routine of +travelling, or the little difficulties that beset every one who attempts +to penetrate into a new country, were it not to show the great source of +the power here possessed by slave-traders. We needed help in carrying +our goods, while our men were ill, though still able to march. When we +had settled with others for hire, we were often told, that the dealers in +men had taken possession of some, and had taken them away altogether. +Other things led us to believe that the slave-traders carry matters with +a high hand; and no wonder, for the possession of gunpowder gives them +almost absolute power. The mode by which tribes armed with bows and +arrows carry on warfare, or defend themselves, is by ambuscade. They +never come out in open fight, but wait for the enemy ensconced behind +trees, or in the long grass of the country, and shoot at him unawares. +Consequently, if men come against them with firearms, when, as is usually +the case, the long grass is all burned off, the tribe attacked are as +helpless as a wooden ship, possessing only signal guns, would be before +an iron-clad steamer. The time of year selected for this kind of warfare +is nearly always that in which the grass is actually burnt off, or is so +dry as readily to take fire. The dry grass in Africa looks more like +ripe English wheat late in the autumn, than anything else we can compare +it to. Let us imagine an English village standing in a field of this +sort, bounded only by the horizon, and enemies setting fire to a line of +a mile or two, by running along with bunches of burning straw in their +hands, touching here and there the inflammable material,--the wind +blowing towards the doomed village--the inhabitants with only one or two +old muskets, but ten to one no powder,--the long line of flames, leaping +thirty feet into the air with dense masses of black smoke--and pieces of +charred grass falling down in showers. Would not the stoutest English +villager, armed only with the bow and arrow against the enemy's musket, +quail at the idea of breaking through that wall of fire? When at a +distance, we once saw a scene like this, and had the charred grass, +literally as thick as flakes of black snow, falling around us, there was +no difficulty in understanding the secret of the slave-trader's power. + +On the 21st of September, we arrived at the village of the chief Muasi, +or Muazi; it is surrounded by a stockade, and embowered in very tall +euphorbia-trees; their height, thirty or forty feet, shows that it has +been inhabited for at least one generation. A visitation of disease or +death causes the headmen to change the site of their villages, and plant +new hedges; but, though Muazi has suffered from the attacks of the +Mazitu, he has evidently clung to his birthplace. The village is +situated about two miles south-west of a high hill called Kasungu, which +gives the name to a district extending to the Loangwa of the Maravi. +Several other detached granite hills have been shot up on the plain, and +many stockaded villages, all owing allegiance to Muazi, are scattered +over it. + +On our arrival, the chief was sitting in the smooth shady place, called +Boalo, where all public business is transacted, with about two hundred +men and boys around him. We paid our guides with due ostentation. +Masiko, the tallest of our party, measured off the fathom of cloth agreed +upon, and made it appear as long as possible, by facing round to the +crowd, and cutting a few inches beyond what his outstretched arms could +reach, to show that there was no deception. This was by way of +advertisement. The people are mightily gratified at having a tall fellow +to measure the cloth for them. It pleases them even better than cutting +it by a tape-line--though very few men of six feet high can measure off +their own length with their outstretched arms. Here, where Arab traders +have been, the cubit called _mokono_, or elbow, begins to take the place +of the fathom in use further south. The measure is taken from the point +of the bent elbow to the end of the middle finger. + +We found, on visiting Muazi on the following day, that he was as frank +and straightforward as could reasonably be expected. He did not wish us +to go to the N.N.W., because he carries on a considerable trade in ivory +there. We were anxious to get off the slave route, to people not visited +before by traders; but Muazi naturally feared, that if we went to what is +said to be a well-watered country, abounding in elephants, we might +relieve him of the ivory which he now obtains at a cheap rate, and sells +to the slave-traders as they pass Kasungu to the east; but at last he +consented, warning us that "great difficulty would be experienced in +obtaining food--a district had been depopulated by slave wars--and a +night or two must be spent in it; but he would give us good guides, who +would go three days with us, before turning, and then further progress +must depend on ourselves." Some of our men having been ill ever since we +mounted this highland plain, we remained two days with Muazi. + +A herd of fine cattle showed that no tsetse existed in the district. They +had the Indian hump, and were very fat, and very tame. The boys rode on +both cows and bulls without fear, and the animals were so fat and lazy, +that the old ones only made a feeble attempt to kick their young +tormentors. Muazi never milks the cows; he complained that, but for the +Mazitu having formerly captured some, he should now have had very many. +They wander over the country at large, and certainly thrive. + +After leaving Muazi's, we passed over a flat country sparsely covered +with the scraggy upland trees, but brightened with many fine flowers. The +grass was short, reaching no higher than the knee, and growing in tufts +with bare spaces between, though the trees were draped with many various +lichens, and showed a moist climate. A high and very sharp wind blew +over the flats; its piercing keenness was not caused by low temperature, +for the thermometer stood at 80 degrees. + +We were now on the sources of the Loangwa of the Maravi, which enters the +Zambesi at Zumbo, and were struck by the great resemblance which the +boggy and sedgy streams here presented to the sources of the Leeba, an +affluent of the Zambesi formerly observed in Londa, and of the Kasai, +which some believe to be the principal branch of the Congo or Zaire. + +We had taken pains to ascertain from the travelled Babisa and Arabs as +much as possible about the country in front, which, from the lessening +time we had at our disposal, we feared we could scarcely reach, and had +heard a good deal of a small lake called Bemba. As we proceeded west, we +passed over the sources not only of the Loangwa, but of another stream, +called Moitawa or Moitala, which was represented to be the main feeder of +Lake Bemba. This would be of little importance, but for the fact that +the considerable river Luapula, or Loapula is said to flow out of Bemba +to the westward, and then to spread out into another and much larger +lake, named Moero, or Moelo. Flowing still further in the same +direction, the Loapula forms Lake Mofue, or Mofu, and after this it is +said to pass the town of Cazembe, bend to the north, and enter Lake +Tanganyika. Whither the water went after it entered the last lake, no +one would venture an assertion. But that the course indicated is the +true watershed of that part of the country, we believe from the unvarying +opinion of native travellers. There could be no doubt that our +informants had been in the country beyond Cazembe's, for they knew and +described chiefs whom we afterwards met about thirty-five or forty miles +west of his town. The Lualaba is said to flow into the Loapula--and +when, for the sake of testing the accuracy of the travelled, it was +asserted that all the water of the region round the town of Cazembe +flowed into the Luambadzi, or Luambezi (Zambesi), they remarked with a +smile, "He says, that the Loapula flows into the Zambesi--did you ever +hear such nonsense?" or words to that effect. We were forced to admit, +that according to native accounts, our previous impression of the +Zambesi's draining the country about Cazembe's had been a mistake. Their +geographical opinions are now only stated, without any further comment +than that the itinerary given by the Arabs and others shows that the +Loapula is twice crossed on the way to Cazembe's; and we may add that we +have never found any difficulty from the alleged incapacity of the negro +to tell which way a river flows. + +The boiling-point of water showed a descent, from the edge of the plateau +to our furthest point west, of 170 feet; but this can only be considered +as an approximation, and no dependence could have been placed on it, had +we not had the courses of the streams to confirm this rather rough mode +of ascertaining altitudes. The slope, as shown by the watershed, was to +the "Loangwa of the Maravi," and towards the Moitala, or south-west, +west, and north-west. After we leave the feeders of Lake Nyassa, the +water drains towards the centre of the continent. The course of the +Kasai, a river seen during Dr. Livingstone's journey to the West Coast, +and its feeders was to the north-east, or somewhat in the same direction. +Whether the water thus drained off finds its way out by the Congo, or by +the Nile, has not yet been ascertained. Some parts of the continent have +been said to resemble an inverted dinner-plate. This portion seems more +of the shape, if shape it has, of a wide-awake hat, with the crown a +little depressed. The altitude of the brim in some parts is +considerable; in others, as at Tette and the bottom of Murchison's +Cataracts, it is so small that it could be ascertained only by +eliminating the daily variations of the barometer, by simultaneous +observations on the Coast, and at points some two or three hundred miles +inland. So long as African rivers remain in what we may call the brim, +they present no obstructions; but no sooner do they emerge from the +higher lands than their utility is impaired by cataracts. The low lying +belt is very irregular. At times sloping up in the manner of the rim of +an inverted dinner-plate--while in other cases, a high ridge rises near +the sea, to be succeeded by a lower district inland before we reach the +central plateau. The breadth of the low lands is sometimes as much as +three hundred miles, and that breadth determines the limits of navigation +from the seaward. + +We made three long marches beyond Muazi's in a north-westerly direction; +the people were civil enough, but refused to sell us any food. We were +travelling too fast, they said; in fact, they were startled, and before +they recovered their surprise, we were obliged to depart. We suspected +that Muazi had sent them orders to refuse us food, that we might thus be +prevented from going into the depopulated district; but this may have +been mere suspicion, the result of our own uncharitable feelings. + +We spent one night at Machambwe's village, and another at Chimbuzi's. It +is seldom that we can find the headman on first entering a village. He +gets out of the way till he has heard all about the strangers, or he is +actually out in the fields looking after his farms. We once thought that +when the headman came in from a visit of inspection, with his spear, bow +and arrows, they had been all taken up for the occasion, and that he had +all the while been hidden in some hut slily watching till he heard that +the strangers might be trusted; but on listening to the details given by +these men of the appearances of the crops at different parts, and the +astonishing minuteness of the speakers' topography, we were persuaded +that in some cases we were wrong, and felt rather humiliated. Every +knoll, hill, mountain, and every peak on a range has a name; and so has +every watercourse, dell, and plain. In fact, every feature and portion +of the country is so minutely distinguished by appropriate names, that it +would take a lifetime to decipher their meaning. It is not the want, but +the superabundance of names that misleads travellers, and the terms used +are so multifarious that good scholars will at times scarcely know more +than the subject of conversation. Though it is a little apart from the +topic of the attention which the headmen pay to agriculture, yet it may +be here mentioned, while speaking of the fulness of the language, that we +have heard about a score of words to indicate different varieties of +gait--one walks leaning forward, or backward, swaying from side to side, +loungingly, or smartly, swaggeringly, swinging the arms, or only one arm, +head down or up, or otherwise; each of these modes of walking was +expressed by a particular verb; and more words were used to designate the +different varieties of fools than we ever tried to count. + +Mr. Moffat has translated the whole Bible into the language of the +Bechuana, and has diligently studied this tongue for the last forty-four- +years; and, though knowing far more of the language than any of the +natives who have been reared on the Mission-station of Kuruman, he does +not pretend to have mastered it fully even yet. However copious it may +be in terms of which we do not feel the necessity, it is poor in others, +as in abstract terms, and words used to describe mental operations. + +Our third day's march ended in the afternoon of the 27th September, 1863, +at the village of Chinanga on the banks of a branch of the Loangwa. A +large, rounded mass of granite, a thousand feet high, called _Nombe +rume_, stand on the plain a few miles off. It is quite remarkable, +because it has so little vegetation on it. Several other granitic hills +stand near it, ornamented with trees, like most heights of this country, +and a heap of blue mountains appears away in the north. + +The effect of the piercing winds upon the men had never been got rid of. +Several had been unable to carry a load ever since we ascended to the +highlands; we had lost one, and another poor lad was so ill as to cause +us great anxiety. By waiting in this village, which was so old that it +was full of vermin, all became worse. Our European food was entirely +expended, and native meal, though finely ground, has so many sharp +angular particles in it, that it brought back dysentery, from which we +had suffered so much in May. We could scarcely obtain food for the men. +The headman of this village of Chinanga was off in a foray against some +people further north to supply slaves to the traders expected along the +slave route we had just left; and was said, after having expelled the +inhabitants, to be living in their stockade, and devouring their corn. +The conquered tribe had purchased what was called a peace by presenting +the conqueror with three women. + +This state of matters afforded us but a poor prospect of finding more +provisions in that direction than we could with great difficulty and at +enormous prices obtain here. But neither want of food, dysentery, nor +slave wars would have prevented our working our way round the Lake in +some other direction, had we had time; but we had received orders from +the Foreign Office to take the "Pioneer" down to the sea in the previous +April. The salaries of all the men in her were positively "in any case +to cease by the 31st of December." + +We were said to be only ten days' distant from Lake Bemba. We might +speculate on a late rise of the river. A month or six weeks would secure +a geographical feat, but the rains were near. We had been warned by +different people that the rains were close at hand, and that we should +then be bogged and unable to travel. The flood in the river might be an +early one, or so small in volume as to give but one chance of the +"Pioneer" descending to the ocean. The Makololo too were becoming +dispirited by sickness and want of food, and were naturally anxious to be +back to their fields in time for sowing. But in addition to all this and +more, it was felt that it would not be dealing honestly with the +Government, were we, for the sake of a little eclat, to risk the +detention of the "Pioneer" up the river during another year; so we +decided to return; and though we had afterwards the mortification to find +that we were detained two full months at the ship waiting for the flood +which we expected immediately after our arrival there, the chagrin was +lessened by a consciousness of having acted in a fair, honest, +above-board manner throughout. + +On the night of the 29th of September a thief came to the sleeping-place +of our men and stole a leg of a goat. On complaining to the deputy +headman, he said that the thief had fled, but would be caught. He +suggested a fine, and offered a fowl and her eggs; but wishing that the +thief alone should be punished, it was advised that _he_ should be found +and fined. The Makololo thought it best to take the fowl as a means of +making the punishment certain. After settling this matter on the last +day of September, we commenced our return journey. We had just the same +time to go back to the ship, that we had spent in coming to this point, +and there is not much to interest one in marching over the same ground a +second time. + +While on our journey north-west, a cheery old woman, who had once been +beautiful, but whose white hair now contrasted strongly with her dark +complexion, was working briskly in her garden as we passed. She seemed +to enjoy a hale, hearty old age. She saluted us with what elsewhere +would be called a good address; and, evidently conscious that she +deserved the epithet, "dark but comely," answered each of us with a frank +"Yes, my child." Another motherly-looking woman, sitting by a well, +began the conversation by "You are going to visit Muazi, and you have +come from afar, have you not?" But in general women never speak to +strangers unless spoken to, so anything said by them attracts attention. +Muazi once presented us with a basket of corn. On hinting that we had no +wife to grind our corn, his buxom spouse struck in with roguish glee, and +said, "I will grind it for you; and leave Muazi, to accompany and cook +for you in the land of the setting sun." As a rule the women are modest +and retiring in their demeanour, and, without being oppressed with toil, +show a great deal of industry. The crops need about eight months' +attention. Then when the harvest is home, much labour is required to +convert it into food as porridge, or beer. The corn is pounded in a +large wooden mortar, like the ancient Egyptian one, with a pestle six +feet long and about four inches thick. The pounding is performed by two +or even three women at one mortar. Each, before delivering a blow with +her pestle, gives an upward jerk of the body, so as to put strength into +the stroke, and they keep exact time, so that two pestles are never in +the mortar at the same moment. The measured thud, thud, thud, and the +women standing at their vigorous work, are associations inseparable from +a prosperous African village. By the operation of pounding, with the aid +of a little water, the hard outside scale or husk of the grain is +removed, and the corn is made fit for the millstone. The meal irritates +the stomach unless cleared from the husk; without considerable energy in +the operator, the husk sticks fast to the corn. Solomon thought that +still more vigour than is required to separate the hard husk or bran from +wheat would fail to separate "a fool from his folly." "Though thou +shouldst bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, _yet_ will +not his foolishness depart from him." The rainbow, in some parts, is +called the "pestle of the Barimo," or gods. Boys and girls, by constant +practice with the pestle, are able to plant stakes in the ground by a +somewhat similar action, in erecting a hut, so deftly that they never +miss the first hole made. + +Let any one try by repeatedly jobbing a pole with all his force to make a +deep hole in the ground, and he will understand how difficult it is +always to strike it into the same spot. + +As we were sleeping one night outside a hut, but near enough to hear what +was going on within, an anxious mother began to grind her corn about two +o'clock in the morning. "Ma," inquired a little girl, "why grind in the +dark?" Mamma advised sleep, and administered material for a sweet dream +to her darling, by saying, "I grind meal to buy a cloth from the +strangers, which will make you look a little lady." An observer of these +primitive races is struck continually with such little trivial touches of +genuine human nature. + +The mill consists of a block of granite, syenite, or even mica schist, +fifteen or eighteen inches square and five or six thick, with a piece of +quartz or other hard rock about the size of a half brick, one side of +which has a convex surface, and fits into a concave hollow in the larger +and stationary stone. The workwoman kneeling, grasps this upper +millstone with both hands, and works it backwards and forwards in the +hollow of the lower millstone, in the same way that a baker works his +dough, when pressing it and pushing from him. The weight of the person +is brought to bear on the movable stone, and while it is pressed and +pushed forwards and backwards, one hand supplies every now and then a +little grain to be thus at first bruised and then ground on the lower +stone, which is placed on the slope so that the meal when ground falls on +to a skin or mat spread for the purpose. This is perhaps the most +primitive form of mill, and anterior to that in oriental countries, where +two women grind at one mill, and may have been that used by Sarah of old +when she entertained the Angels. + +On 2nd October we applied to Muazi for guides to take us straight down to +Chinsamba's at Mosapo, and thus cut off an angle, which we should +otherwise make, by going back to Kota-kota Bay. He replied that his +people knew the short way to Chinsamba's that we desired to go, but that +they all were afraid to venture there, on account of the Zulus, or +Mazitu. We therefore started back on our old route, and, after three +hours' march, found some Babisa in a village who promised to lead us to +Chinsamba. + +We meet with these keen traders everywhere. They are easily known by a +line of horizontal cicatrices, each half an inch long, down the middle of +the forehead and chin. They often wear the hair collected in a mass on +the upper and back part of the head, while it is all shaven off the +forehead and temples. The Babisa and Waiau or Ajawa heads have more of +the round bullet-shape than those of the Manganja, indicating a marked +difference in character; the former people being great traders and +travellers, the latter being attached to home and agriculture. The +Manganja usually intrust their ivory to the Babisa to be sold at the +Coast, and complain that the returns made never come up to the high +prices which they hear so much about before it is sent. In fact, by the +time the Babisa return, the expenses of the journey, in which they often +spend a month or two at a place where food abounds, usually eat up all +the profits. + +Our new companions were trading in tobacco, and had collected quantities +of the round balls, about the size of nine pounder shot, into which it is +formed. One of them owned a woman, whose child had been sold that +morning for tobacco. The mother followed him, weeping silently, for +hours along the way we went; she seemed to be well known, for at several +hamlets, the women spoke to her with evident sympathy; we could do +nothing to alleviate her sorrow--the child would be kept until some slave- +trader passed, and then sold for calico. The different cases of slave- +trading observed by us are mentioned, in order to give a fair idea of its +details. + +We spent the first night, after leaving the slave route, at the village +of Nkoma, among a section of Manganja, called Machewa, or Macheba, whose +district extends to the Bua. + +The next village at which we slept was also that of a Manganja smith. It +was a beautiful spot, shaded with tall euphorbia-trees. The people at +first fled, but after a short time returned, and ordered us off to a +stockade of Babisa, about a mile distant. We preferred to remain in the +smooth shady spot outside the hamlet, to being pent up in a treeless +stockade. Twenty or thirty men came dropping in, all fully armed with +bows and arrows, some of them were at least six feet four in height, yet +these giants were not ashamed to say, "We thought that you were Mazitu, +and, being afraid, ran away." Their orders to us were evidently inspired +by terror, and so must the refusal of the headman to receive a cloth, or +lend us a hut have been; but as we never had the opportunity of realizing +what feelings a successful invasion would produce, we did not know +whether to blame them or not. The headman, a tall old smith, with an +enormous, well-made knife of his own workmanship, came quietly round, +and, inspecting the shelter, which, from there being abundance of long +grass and bushes near, our men put up for us in half an hour, gradually +changed his tactics, and, in the evening, presented us with a huge pot of +porridge and a deliciously well-cooked fowl, and made an apology for +having been so rude to strangers, and a lamentation that he had been so +foolish as to refuse the fine cloth we had offered. Another cloth was of +course presented, and we had the pleasure of parting good friends next +day. + +Our guide, who belonged to the stockade near to which we had slept, +declined to risk himself further than his home. While waiting to hire +another, Masiko attempted to purchase a goat, and had nearly concluded +the bargain, when the wife of the would-be seller came forward, and said +to her husband, "You appear as if you were unmarried; selling a goat +without consulting your wife; what an insult to a woman! What sort of +man are you?" Masiko urged the man, saying, "Let us conclude the +bargain, and never mind her;" but he being better instructed, replied, +"No, I have raised a host against myself already," and refused. + +We now pushed on to the east, so as to get down to the shores of the +Lake, and into the parts where we were known. The country was beautiful, +well wooded, and undulating, but the villages were all deserted; and the +flight of the people seemed to have been quite recent, for the grain was +standing in the corn-safes untouched. The tobacco, though ripe, remained +uncut in the gardens, and the whole country was painfully quiet: the +oppressive stillness quite unbroken by the singing of birds, or the +shrill calls of women watching their corn. + +On passing a beautiful village, called Bangwe, surrounded by shady trees, +and placed in a valley among mountains, we were admiring the beauty of +the situation, when some of the much dreaded Mazitu, with their shields, +ran out of the hamlet, from which we were a mile distant. They began to +scream to their companions to give us chase. Without quickening our pace +we walked on, and soon were in a wood, through which the footpath we were +following led. The first intimation we had of the approaching Mazitu was +given by the Johanna man, Zachariah, who always lagged behind, running +up, screaming as if for his life. The bundles were all put in one place +to be defended; and Masiko and Dr. Livingstone walked a few paces back to +meet the coming foe. Masiko knelt down anxious to fire, but was ordered +not to do so. For a second or two dusky forms appeared among the trees, +and the Mazitu were asked, in their own tongue, "What do you want?" +Masiko adding, "What do you say?" No answer was given, but the dark +shade in the forest vanished. They had evidently taken us for natives, +and the sight of a white man was sufficient to put them to flight. Had +we been nearer the Coast, where the people are accustomed to the slave- +trade, we should have found this affair a more difficult one to deal +with; but, as a rule, the people of the interior are much more mild in +character than those on the confines of civilization. + +The above very small adventure was all the danger we were aware of in +this journey; but a report was spread from the Portuguese villages on the +Zambesi, similar to several rumours that had been raised before, that Dr. +Livingstone had been murdered by the Makololo; and very unfortunately the +report reached England before it could be contradicted. + +One benefit arose from the Mazitu adventure. Zachariah, and others who +had too often to be reproved for lagging behind, now took their places in +the front rank; and we had no difficulty in making very long marches for +several days, for all believed that the Mazitu would follow our +footsteps, and attack us while we slept. + +A party of Babisa tobacco-traders came from the N.W. to Molamba, while we +were there; and one of them asserted several times that the Loapula, +after emerging from Moelo, received the Lulua, and then flowed into Lake +Mofu, and thence into Tanganyika; and from the last-named Lake into the +sea. This is the native idea of the geography of the interior; and, to +test the general knowledge of our informant, we asked him about our +acquaintances in Londa; as Moene, Katema, Shinde or Shinte, who live +south-west of the rivers mentioned, and found that our friends there were +perfectly well-known to him and to others of these travelled natives. In +the evening two of the Babisa came in, and reported that the Mazitu had +followed us to the village called Chigaragara, at which we slept at the +bottom of the descent. The whole party of traders set off at once, +though the sun had set. We ourselves had given rise to the report, for +the women of Chigaragara, supposing us in the distance to be Mazitu, +fled, with all their household utensils on their heads, and had no +opportunity afterwards of finding out their mistake. We spent the night +where we were, and next morning, declining Nkomo's entreaty to go and +kill elephants, took our course along the shores of the Lake southwards. + +We have only been at the Lake at one season of the year: then the wind +blows strongly from the east, and indeed this is its prevailing direction +hence to the Orange River; a north or a south wind is rare, and seldom +lasts more than three days. As the breeze now blew over a large body of +water, towards us, it was delightful; but when facing it on the table- +land it was so strong as materially to impede our progress, and added +considerably to the labour of travelling. Here it brought large +quantities of the plant (_Vallisneriae_), from which the natives extract +salt by burning, and which, if chewed, at once shows its saline +properties by the taste. Clouds of the kungo, or edible midges, floated +on the Lake, and many rested on the bushes on land. + +The reeds along the shores of the Lake were still crowded with fugitives, +and a great loss of life must since have taken place; for, after the corn +they had brought with them was expended, famine would ensue. Even now we +passed many women and children digging up the roots, about the size of +peas, of an aromatic grass; and their wasted forms showed that this poor +hard fare was to allay, if possible, the pangs of hunger. The babies at +the breast crowed to us as we passed, their mothers kneeling and grubbing +for the roots; the poor little things still drawing nourishment from the +natural fountain were unconscious of that sinking of heart which their +parents must have felt in knowing that the supply for the little ones +must soon fail. No one would sell a bit of food to us: fishermen, even, +would not part with the produce of their nets, except in exchange for +some other kind of food. Numbers of newly-made graves showed that many +had already perished, and hundreds were so emaciated that they had the +appearance of human skeletons swathed in brown and wrinkled leather. In +passing mile after mile, marked with these sad proofs that "man's +inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn," one experiences an +overpowering sense of helplessness to alleviate human woe, and breathes a +silent prayer to the Almighty to hasten the good time coming when "man +and man the world o'er, shall brothers be for all that." One small +redeeming consideration in all this misery could not but be felt; these +ills were inflicted by heathen Mazitu, and not by, or for, those who say +to Him who is higher than the highest, "We believe that thou shalt come +to be our Judge." + +We crossed the Mokole, rested at Chitanda, and then left the Lake, and +struck away N.W. to Chinsamba's. Our companions, who were so much +oppressed by the rarefied air of the plateau, still showed signs of +exhaustion, though now only 1300 feet above the sea, and did not recover +flesh and spirits till we again entered the Lower Shire Valley, which is +of so small an altitude, that, without simultaneous observations with the +barometer there and on the sea-coast, the difference would not be +appreciable. + +On a large plain on which we spent one night, we had the company of +eighty tobacco traders on their way from Kasungu to Chinsamba's. The +Mazitu had attacked and killed two of them, near the spot where the Zulus +fled from us without answering our questions. The traders were now so +frightened that, instead of making a straight course with us, they set +off by night to follow the shores of the Lake to Tsenga, and then turn +west. It is the sight of shields, or guns that inspires terror. The +bowmen feel perfectly helpless when the enemy comes with even the small +protection the skin shield affords, or attacks them in the open field +with guns. They may shoot a few arrows, but they are such poor shots +that ten to one if they hit. The only thing that makes the arrow +formidable is the poison; for if the poisoned barb goes in nothing can +save the wounded. A bow is in use in the lower end of Lake Nyassa, but +is more common in the Maravi country, from six to eight inches broad, +which is intended to be used as a shield as well as a bow; but we never +saw one with the mark on it of an enemy's arrow. It certainly is no +match for the Zulu shield, which is between four and five feet long, of +an oval shape, and about two feet broad. So great is the terror this +shield inspires that we sometimes doubted whether the Mazitu here were +Zulus at all, and suspected that the people of the country took advantage +of that fear, and, assuming shields, pretended to belong to that nation. + +On the 11th October we arrived at the stockade of Chinsamba in Mosapo, +and had reason to be very well satisfied with his kindness. A paraffin +candle was in his eyes the height of luxury, and the ability to make a +light instantaneously by a lucifer match, a marvel that struck him with +wonder. He brought all his relatives in different groups to see the +strange sights,--instantaneous fire-making, and a light, without the +annoyance of having fire and smoke in the middle of the floor. When they +wish to look for anything in the dark, a wisp of dried grass is lighted. + +Chinsamba gave us a great deal of his company during our visits. As we +have often remarked in other cases, a chief has a great deal to attend to +in guiding the affairs of his people. He is consulted on all occasions, +and gives his advice in a stream of words, which show a very intimate +acquaintance with the topography of his district; he knows every rood +cultivated, every weir put in the river, every hunting-net, loom, gorge, +and every child of his tribe. Any addition made to the number of these +latter is notified to him; and he sends thanks and compliments to the +parents. + +The presents which, following the custom of the country, we gave to every +headman, where we either spent a night or a longer period, varied from +four to eight yards of calico. We had some Manchester cloths made in +imitation of the native manufactured robes of the West Coast, each worth +five or six shillings. To the more important of the chiefs, for calico +we substituted one of these strong gaudy dresses, iron spoons, a knife, +needles, a tin dish, or pannikin, and found these presents to be valued +more than three times their value in cloth would have been. Eight or ten +shillings' worth gave abundant satisfaction to the greediest; but this is +to be understood as the prime cost of the articles, and a trader would +sometimes have estimated similar generosity as equal to from 30 to 50 +pounds. In some cases the presents we gave exceeded the value of what +was received in return; in others the excess of generosity was on the +native side. + +We never asked for leave to pass through the country; we simply told +where we were going, and asked for guides; if they were refused, or if +they demanded payment beforehand, we requested to be put into the +beginning of the path, and said that we were sorry we could not agree +about the guides, and usually they and we started together. Greater care +would be required on entering the Mazitu or Zulu country, for there the +Government extends over very large districts, while among the Manganja +each little district is independent of every other. The people here have +not adopted the exacting system of the Banyai, or of the people whose +country was traversed by Speke and Grant. + +In our way back from Chinsamba's to Chembi's and from his village to +Nkwinda's, and thence to Katosa's, we only saw the people working in +their gardens, near to the stockades. These strongholds were +strengthened with branches of acacias, covered with strong hooked thorns; +and were all crowded with people. The air was now clearer than when we +went north, and we could see the hills of Kirk's Range five or six miles +to the west of our path. The sun struck very hot, and the men felt it +most in their feet. Every one who could get a bit of goatskin made it +into a pair of sandals. + +While sitting at Nkwinda's, a man behind the court hedge-wall said, with +great apparent glee, that an Arab slaving party on the other side of the +confluence of the Shire and Lake were "giving readily two fathoms of +calico for a boy, and two and a half for a girl; never saw trade so +brisk, no haggling at all." This party was purchasing for the supply of +the ocean slave-trade. One of the evils of this traffic is that it +profits by every calamity that happens in a country. The slave-trader +naturally reaps advantage from every disorder, and though in the present +case some lives may have been saved that otherwise would have perished, +as a rule he intensifies hatreds, and aggravates wars between the tribes, +because the more they fight and vanquish each other the richer his +harvest becomes. Where slaving and cattle are unknown the people live in +peace. As we sat leaning against that hedge, and listened to the +harangue of the slave-trader's agent, it glanced across our mind that +this was a terrible world; the best in it unable, from conscious +imperfections, to say to the worst "Stand by! for I am holier than thou." +The slave-trader, imbued no doubt with certain kindly feelings, yet +pursuing a calling which makes him a fair specimen of a human fiend, +stands grouped with those by whom the slave-traders are employed, and +with all the workers of sin and misery in more highly-favoured lands, an +awful picture to the All-seing Eye. + +We arrived at Katosa's village on the 15th October, and found about +thirty young men and boys in slave-sticks. They had been bought by other +agents of the Arab slavers, still on the east side of the Shire. They +were resting in the village, and their owners soon removed them. The +weight of the goree seemed very annoying when they tried to sleep. This +taming instrument is kept on, until the party has crossed several rivers +and all hope of escape has vanished from the captive's mind. + +On explaining to Katosa the injury he was doing in selling his people as +slaves, he assured us that those whom we had seen belonged to the Arabs, +and added that he had far too few people already. He said he had been +living in peace at the lakelet Pamalombe; that the Ajawa, or Machinga, +under Kainka and Karamba, and a body of Babisa, under Maonga, had induced +him to ferry them over the Shire; that they had lived for a considerable +time at his expense, and at last stole his sheep, which induced him to +make his escape to the place where he now dwelt, and in this flight he +had lost many of his people. His account of the usual conduct of the +Ajawa quite agrees with what these people have narrated themselves, and +gives but a low idea of their moral tone. They have repeatedly broken +all the laws of hospitality by living for months on the bounty of the +Manganja, and then, by a sudden uprising, overcoming their hosts, and +killing or chasing them out of their inheritances. The secret of their +success is the possession of firearms. There were several of these Ajawa +here again, and on our arrival they proposed to Katosa that they should +leave; but he replied that they need not be afraid of us. They had red +beads strung so thickly on their hair that at a little distance they +appeared to have on red caps. It is curious that the taste for red hair +should be so general among the Africans here and further north; in the +south black mica, called _Sebilo_, and even soot are used to deepen the +colour of the hair; here many smear the head with red-ochre, others plait +the inner bark of a tree stained red into it; and a red powder called +_Mukuru_ is employed, which some say is obtained from the ground, and +others from the roots of a tree. + +It having been doubted whether sugar-cane is indigenous to this country +or not, we employed Katosa to procure the two varieties commonly +cultivated, with the intention of conveying them to Johanna. One is +yellow, and the other, like what we observed in the Barotse Valley, is +variegated with dark red and yellow patches, or all red. We have seen it +"arrow," or blossom. Bamboos also run to seed, and the people are said +to use the seed as food. The sugar-cane has native names, which would +lead us to believe it to be indigenous. Here it is called _Zimbi_, +further south _Mesari_, and in the centre of the country _Meshuati_. +Anything introduced in recent times, as maize, superior cotton, or +cassava, has a name implying its foreign origin. + +Katosa's village was embowered among gigantic trees of fine timber: +several caffiaceous bushes, with berries closely resembling those of the +common coffee, grew near, but no use had ever been made of them. There +are several cinchonaceous trees also in the country; and some of the wild +fruits are so good as to cause a feeling of regret that they have not +been improved by cultivation, or whatever else brought ours to their +present perfection. Katosa lamented that this locality was so inferior +to his former place at Pamalombe; there he had maize at the different +stages of growth throughout the year. To us, however, he seemed, by +digging holes, and taking advantage of the moisture beneath, to have +succeeded pretty well in raising crops at this the driest time. The +Makololo remarked that "here the maize had no season,"--meaning that the +whole year was proper for its growth and ripening. By irrigation a +succession of crops of grain might be raised anywhere within the south +intertropical region of Africa. + +When we were with Motunda, on the 20th October, he told us frankly that +all the native provisions were hidden in Kirk's Range, and his village +being the last place where a supply of grain could be purchased before we +reached the ship, we waited till he had sent to his hidden stores. The +upland country, beyond the mountains now on our right, is called Deza, +and is inhabited by Maravi, who are only another tribe of Manganja. The +paramount chief is called Kabambe, and he, having never been visited by +war, lives in peace and plenty. Goats and sheep thrive; and Nyango, the +chieftainess further to the south, has herds of horned cattle. The +country being elevated is said to be cold, and there are large grassy +plains on it which are destitute of trees. The Maravi are reported to be +brave, and good marksmen with the bow; but, throughout all the country we +have traversed, guns are enabling the trading tribes to overcome the +agricultural and manufacturing classes. + +On the ascent at the end of the valley just opposite Mount Mvai, we +looked back for a moment to impress the beauties of the grand vale on our +memory. The heat of the sun was now excessive, and Masiko, thinking that +it was overpowering, proposed to send forward to the ship and get a +hammock, in which to carry any one who might knock up. He was truly kind +and considerate. Dr. Livingstone having fallen asleep after a fatiguing +march, a hole in the roof of the hut he was in allowed the sun to beat on +his head, and caused a splitting headache and deafness: while he was +nearly insensible, he felt Masiko repeatedly lift him back to the bed off +which he had rolled, and cover him up. + +On the 24th we were again in Banda, at the village of Chasundu, and could +now see clearly the hot valley in which the Shire flows, and the +mountains of the Manganja beyond to our south-east. Instead of following +the road by which we had come, we resolved to go south along the +Lesungwe, which rises at Zunje, a peak on the same ridge as Mvai, and a +part of Kirk's Range, which bounds the country of the Maravi on our west. +This is about the limit of the beat of the Portuguese native traders, and +it is but recently that, following our footsteps, they have come so far. +It is not likely that their enterprise will lead them further north, for +Chasundu informed us that the Babisa under-sell the agents from Tette. He +had tried to deal with the latter when they first came; but they offered +only ten fathoms of calico for a tusk, for which the Babisa gave him +twenty fathoms and a little powder. Ivory was brought to us for sale +again and again, and, as far as we could judge, the price expected would +be about one yard of calico per pound, or possibly more, for there is no +scale of prices known. The rule seems to be that buyer and seller shall +spend a good deal of time in trying to cheat each other before coming to +any conclusion over a bargain. + +We found the Lesungwe a fine stream near its source, and about forty feet +wide and knee-deep, when joined by the Lekudzi, which comes down from the +Maravi country. + +Guinea-fowl abounded, but no grain could be purchased, for the people had +cultivated only the holmes along the banks with maize and pumpkins. Time +enough had not elapsed since the slave-trader's invasion, and destruction +of their stores, for them to raise crops of grain on the adjacent lands. +To deal with them for a few heads of maize was the hungry bargaining with +the famished, so we hastened on southwards as fast as the excessive heat +would allow us. It was impossible to march in the middle of the day, the +heat was so intolerable; and we could not go on at night, because, if we +had chanced to meet any of the inhabitants, we should have been taken for +marauders. + +We had now thunder every afternoon; but while occasional showers seemed +to fall at different parts, none fell on us. The air was deliciously +clear, and revealed all the landscape covered everywhere with forest, and +bounded by beautiful mountains. On the 31st October we reached the +Mukuru-Madse, after having travelled 660 geographical miles, or 760 +English miles in a straight line. This was accomplished in fifty-five +travelling days, twelve miles per diem on an average. If the numerous +bendings and windings, and ups and downs of the paths could have been +measured too, the distance would have been found at least fifteen miles a +day. + +The night we slept at the Mukuru-Madse it thundered heavily, but, as this +had been the case every afternoon, and no rain had followed, we erected +no shelter, but during this night a pouring rain came on. When very +tired a man feels determined to sleep in spite of everything, and the +sound of dropping water is said to be conducive to slumber, but that does +not refer to an African storm. If, when half asleep in spite of a heavy +shower on the back of the head, he unconsciously turns on his side, the +drops from the branches make such capital shots into his ear, that the +brain rings again. + +We were off next morning, the 1st of November, as soon as the day dawned. +In walking about seven miles to the ship, our clothes were thoroughly +dried by the hot sun, and an attack of fever followed. We relate this +little incident to point out the almost certain consequence of getting +wet in this climate, and allowing the clothes to dry on the person. Even +if we walk in the mornings when the dew is on the grass, and only get our +feet and legs wet, a very uneasy feeling and partial fever with pains in +the limbs ensue, and continue till the march onwards bathes them in +perspiration. Had Bishop Mackenzie been aware of this, which, before +experience alone had taught us, entailed many a severe lesson, we know no +earthly reason why his valuable life might not have been spared. The +difference between getting the clothes soaked in England and in Africa is +this: in the cold climate the patient is compelled, or, at any rate, +warned, by discomfort to resort at once to a change of raiment; while in +Africa it is cooling and rather pleasant to allow the clothes to dry on +the person. A Missionary in proportion as he possesses an athletic +frame, hardened by manly exercises, in addition to his other +qualifications, will excel him who is not favoured with such bodily +endowments; but in a hot climate efficiency mainly depends on husbanding +the resources. He must never forget that, in the tropics, he is an +exotic plant. + + + +CHAPTER XV. + + +Confidence of natives--Bishop Tozer--Withdrawal of the Mission party--The +English leave--Hazardous voyage to Mosambique--Dr. Livingstone's voyage +to Bombay--Return to England. + +We were delighted and thankful to find all those left at the ship in good +health, and that from the employments in which they had been occupied +they had suffered less from fever than usual during our absence. My +companion, Thomas Ward, the steward, after having performed his part in +the march right bravely, rejoined his comrades stronger than he had ever +been before. + +An Ajawa chief, named Kapeni, had so much confidence in the English name +that he, with most of his people, visited the ship; and asserted that +nothing would give his countrymen greater pleasure than to receive the +associates of Bishop Mackenzie as their teachers. This declaration, +coupled with the subsequent conduct of the Ajawa, was very gratifying, +inasmuch as it was clear that no umbrage had been taken at the check +which the Bishop had given to their slaving; their consciences had told +them that the course he had pursued was right. + +When we returned, the contrast between the vegetation about Muazi's and +that near the ship was very striking. We had come so quickly down, that +while on the plateau in latitude 12 degrees S., the young leaves had in +many cases passed from the pink or other colour they have on first coming +out to the light fresh green which succeeds it, here, on the borders of +16 degrees S., or from 150 to 180 miles distant, the trees were still +bare, the grey colour of the bark predominating over every other hue. The +trees in the tropics here have a very well-marked annual rest. On the +Rovuma even, which is only about ten degrees from the equator, in +September the slopes up from the river some sixty miles inland were of a +light ashy-grey colour; and on ascending them, we found that the majority +of the trees were without leaves; those of the bamboo even lay crisp and +crumpled on the ground. As the sun is usually hot by day, even in the +winter, this withering process may be owing to the cool nights; Africa +differing so much from Central India in the fact that, in Africa, however +hot the day may be, the air generally cools down sufficiently by the +early morning watches to render a covering or even a blanket agreeable. + +The first fortnight after our return to the ship was employed in the +delightful process of resting, to appreciate which a man must have gone +through great exertions. In our case the muscles of the limbs were as +hard as boards, and not an ounce of fat existed on any part of the body. +We now had frequent showers; but, these being only the earlier rains, the +result on the rise of the river was but a few inches. The effect of +these rains on the surrounding scenery was beautiful in the extreme. All +trace of the dry season was soon obliterated, and hills and mountains +from base to summit were covered with a mantle of living green. The sun +passed us on his way south without causing a flood, so all our hopes of a +release were centred on his return towards the Equator, when, as a rule, +the waters of inundation are made to flow. Up to this time the rains +descended simply to water the earth, fill the pools, and make ready for +the grand overflow for which we had still to wait six weeks. It is of no +use to conceal that we waited with much chagrin; for had we not been +forced to return from the highlands west of Nyassa we might have visited +Lake Bemba; but unavailing regrets are poor employment for the mind; so +we banished them to the best of our power. + +About the middle of December, 1863, we were informed that Bishop +Mackenzie's successor, after spending a few months on the top of a +mountain about as high as Ben Nevis in Scotland, at the mouth of the +Shire, where there were few or no people to be taught, had determined to +leave the country. This unfortunate decision was communicated to us at +the same time that six of the boys reared by Bishop Mackenzie were sent +back into heathenism. The boys were taken to a place about seven miles +from the ship, but immediately found their way up to us. We told them +that if they wished to remain in the country they had better so arrange +at once, for we were soon to leave. The sequel will show their choice. + +As soon as the death of Bishop Mackenzie was known at the Cape, Dr. Gray, +the excellent Bishop there, proceeded at once to England, with a view of +securing an early appointment of another head to the Mission, which in +its origin owed so much to his zeal for the spread of the gospel among +the heathen, and whose interests he had continually at heart. About the +middle of 1862 we heard that Dr. Gray's efforts had been successful, and +that another clergyman would soon take the place of our departed friend. +This pleasing intelligence was exceedingly cheering to the Missionaries, +and gratifying also to the members of the Expedition. About the +beginning of 1863 the new Bishop arrived at the mouth of the river in a +man-of-war, and after some delay proceeded inland. The Bishop of the +Cape had taken a voyage home at considerable inconvenience to himself, +for the sole object of promoting this Mission to the heathen; and it was +somehow expected that the man he would secure would be an image of +himself; and we must say, that whatever others, from the representations +that have gone abroad, may think of his character, we invariably found +Dr. Gray to be a true, warm-hearted promoter of the welfare of his fellow- +men; a man whose courage and zeal have provoked very many to good works. + +It was hoped that the presence of a new head to the Mission would infuse +new energy and life into the small band of Missionaries, whose ranks had +been thinned by death; and who, though discouraged by the disasters which +the slave war and famine had induced, and also dispirited by the +depressing influences of a low and unhealthy position in the swampy Shire +Valley, were yet bravely holding out till the much-needed moral and +material aid should arrive. + +We believe that we are uttering the sentiments of many devout members of +different sections of Christians, when we say, it was a pity that the +Mission of the Universities was abandoned. The ground had been +consecrated in the truest sense by the lives of those brave men who first +occupied it. In bare justice to Bishop Mackenzie, who was the first to +fall, it must be said, that the repudiation of all he had done, and the +sudden abandonment of all that had cost so much life and money to secure, +was a serious line of conduct for one so unversed in Missionary +operations as his successor, to inaugurate. It would have been no more +than fair that Bishop Tozer, before winding up the affairs of the +Mission, should actually have examined the highlands of the Upper Shire; +he would thus have gratified the associates of his predecessor, who +believed that the highlands had never had a fair trial, and he would have +gained from personal observation a more accurate knowledge of the country +and the people than he could possibly have become possessed of by +information gathered chiefly on the coast. With this examination, rather +than with a stay of a few months on the humid, dripping top of misty +Morambala, we should have felt much more satisfied. + +In January, 1864, the natives all confidently asserted that at next full +moon the river would have its great and permanent flood. It had several +times risen as much as a foot, but fell again as suddenly. It was +curious that their observation coincided exactly with ours, that the +flood of inundation happens when the sun comes overhead on his way back +to the Equator. We mention this more minutely because, from the +observation of several years, we believe that in this way the inundation +of the Nile is to be explained. On the 19th the Shire suddenly rose +several feet, and we started at once; and stopping only for a short time +at Chibisa's to bid adieu to the Ajawa and Makololo, who had been +extremely useful to us of late in supplying maize and fresh provisions, +we hastened on our way to the ocean. In order to keep a steerage way on +the "Pioneer," we had to go quicker than the stream, and unfortunately +carried away her rudder in passing suddenly round a bank. The delay +required for the repairs prevented our reaching Morambala till the 2nd of +February. + +The flood-water ran into a marsh some miles above the mountain, and +became as black as ink; and when it returned again to the river emitted +so strong an effluvium of sulphuretted hydrogen, that one could not +forget for an instant that the air was most offensive. The natives said +this stench did not produce disease. We spent one night in it, and +suffered no ill effects, though we fully expected an attack of fever. +Next morning every particle of white paint on both ships was so deeply +blackened, that it could not be cleaned by scrubbing with soap and water. +The brass was all turned to a bronze colour, and even the iron and ropes +had taken a new tint. This is an additional proof that malaria and +offensive effluvia are not always companions. We did not suffer more +from fever in the mangrove swamps, where we inhaled so much of the heavy +mousey smell that it was distinguishable in the odour of our shirts and +flannels, than we did elsewhere. + +We tarried in the foul and blackening emanations from the marsh because +we had agreed to receive on board about thirty poor orphan boys and +girls, and a few helpless widows whom Bishop Mackenzie had attached to +his Mission. All who were able to support themselves had been encouraged +by the Missionaries to do so by cultivating the ground, and they now +formed a little free community. But the boys and girls who were only +from seven to twelve years of age, and orphans without any one to help +them, could not be abandoned without bringing odium on the English name. +The effect of an outcry by some persons in England, who knew nothing of +the circumstances in which Bishop Mackenzie was placed, and who certainly +had not given up their own right of appeal to the sword of the +magistrate, was, that the new head of the Mission had gone to extremes in +the opposite direction from his predecessor; not even protesting against +the one monstrous evil of the country, the slave-trade. We believed that +we ought to leave the English name in the same good repute among the +natives that we had found it; and in removing the poor creatures, who had +lived with Mackenzie as children with a father, to a land where the +education he began would be completed, we had the aid and sympathy of the +best of the Portuguese, and of the whole population. The difference +between shipping slaves and receiving these free orphans struck us as +they came on board. As soon as permission to embark was given, the rush +into the boat nearly swamped her--their eagerness to be safe on the +"Pioneer's" deck had to be repressed. + +Bishop Tozer had already left for Quillimane when we took these people +and the last of the Universities' Missionaries on board and proceeded to +the Zambesi. It was in high flood. We have always spoken of this river +as if at its lowest, for fear lest we should convey an exaggerated +impression of its capabilities for navigation. Instead of from five to +fifteen feet, it was now from fifteen to thirty feet, or more, deep. All +the sandbanks and many of the islands had disappeared, and before us +rolled a river capable, as one of our naval friends thought, of carrying +a gunboat. Some of the sandy islands are annually swept away, and the +quantities of sand carried down are prodigious. + +The process by which a delta, extending eighty or one hundred miles from +the sea, has been formed may be seen going on at the present day--the +coarser particles of sand are driven out into the ocean, just in the same +way as we see they are over banks in the beds of torrents. The finer +portions are caught by the returning tide, and, accumulating by +successive ebbs and flows, become, with the decaying vegetation, arrested +by the mangrove roots. The influence of the tide in bringing back the +finer particles gives the sea near the mouth of the Zambesi a clean and +sandy bottom. This process has been going on for ages, and as the delta +has enlarged eastwards, the river has always kept a channel for itself +behind. Wherever we see an island all sand, or with only one layer of +mud in it, we know it is one of recent formation, and that it may be +swept away at any time by a flood; while those islands which are all of +mud are the more ancient, having in fact existed ever since the time when +the ebbing and flowing tides originally formed them as parts of the +delta. This mud resists the action of the river wonderfully. It is a +kind of clay on which the eroding power of water has little effect. Were +maps made, showing which banks and which islands are liable to erosion, +it would go far to settle where the annual change of the channel would +take place; and, were a few stakes driven in year by year to guide the +water in its course, the river might be made of considerable commercial +value in the hands of any energetic European nation. No canal or railway +would ever be thought of for this part of Africa. A few improvements +would make the Zambesi a ready means of transit for all the trade that, +with a population thinned by Portuguese slaving, will ever be developed +in our day. Here there is no instance on record of the natives flocking +in thousands to the colony, as they did at Natal, and even to the Arabs +on Lake Nyassa. This keeping aloof renders it unlikely that in +Portuguese hands the Zambesi will ever be of any more value to the world +than it has been. + +After a hurried visit to Senna, in order to settle with Major Sicard and +Senhor Ferrao for supplies we had drawn thence after the depopulation of +the Shire, we proceeded down to the Zambesi's mouth, and were fortunate +in meeting, on the 13th February, with H.M.S. "Orestes." She was joined +next day by H.M.S. "Ariel." The "Orestes" took the "Pioneer," and the +"Ariel" the "Lady Nyassa" in tow, for Mosambique. On the 16th a circular +storm proved the sea-going qualities of the "Lady of the Lake;" for on +this day a hurricane struck the "Ariel," and drove her nearly backwards +at a rate of six knots. The towing hawser wound round her screw and +stopped her engines. No sooner had she recovered from this shock than +she was again taken aback on the other tack, and driven stem on towards +the "Lady Nyassa's" broadside. We who were on board the little vessel +saw no chance of escape unless the crew of the "Ariel" should think of +heaving ropes when the big ship went over us; but she glided past our +bow, and we breathed freely again. We had now an opportunity of +witnessing man-of-war seamanship. Captain Chapman, though his engines +were disabled, did not think of abandoning us in the heavy gale, but +crossed the bows of the "Lady Nyassa" again and again, dropping a cask +with a line by which to give us another hawser. We might never have +picked it up, had not a Krooman jumped overboard and fastened a second +line to the cask; and then we drew the hawser on board, and were again in +tow. During the whole time of the hurricane the little vessel behaved +admirably, and never shipped a single green sea. When the "Ariel" +pitched forwards we could see a large part of her bottom, and when her +stern went down we could see all her deck. A boat, hung at her stern +davits, was stove in by the waves. The officers on board the "Ariel" +thought that it was all over with us: we imagined that they were +suffering more than we were. Nautical men may suppose that this was a +serious storm only to landsmen; but the "Orestes," which was once in +sight, and at another time forty miles off during the same gale, split +eighteen sails; and the "Pioneer" had to be lightened of parts of a sugar- +mill she was carrying; her round-house was washed away, and the cabin was +frequently knee-deep in water. When the "Orestes" came into Mosambique +harbour nine days after our arrival there, our vessel, not being anchored +close to the "Ariel," for we had run in under the lee of the fort, led to +the surmise on board the "Orestes" that we had gone to the bottom. +Captain Chapman and his officers pronounced the "Lady Nyassa" to be the +finest little sea-boat they had ever seen. She certainly was a contrast +to the "Ma-Robert," and did great credit to her builders, Ted and +Macgregor of Glasgow. We can but regret that she was not employed on the +Lake after which she was named, and for which she was intended and was so +well adapted. + +What struck us most, during the trip from the Zambesi to Mosambique, was +the admirable way in which Captain Chapman handled the "Ariel" in the +heavy sea of the hurricane; the promptitude and skill with which, when we +had broken three hawsers, others were passed to us by the rapid +evolutions of a big ship round a little one; and the ready appliance of +means shown in cutting the hawser off the screw nine feet under water +with long chisels made for the occasion; a task which it took three days +to accomplish. Captain Chapman very kindly invited us on board the +"Ariel," and we accepted his hospitality after the weather had moderated. + +The little vessel was hauled through and against the huge seas with such +force that two hawsers measuring eleven inches each in circumference +parted. Many of the blows we received from the billows made every plate +quiver from stem to stern, and the motion was so quick that we had to +hold on continually to avoid being tossed from one side to the other or +into the sea. Ten of the late Bishop's flock whom we had on board became +so sick and helpless that do what we could to aid them they were so very +much in the way that the idea broke in upon us, that the close packing +resorted to by slavers is one of the necessities of the traffic. If this +is so, it would account for the fact that even when the trade was legal +the same injurious custom was common, if not universal. If, instead of +ten such passengers, we had been carrying two hundred, with the wind +driving the rain and spray, as by night it did, nearly as hard as hail +against our faces, and nothing whatever to be seen to windward but the +occasional gleam of the crest of a wave, and no sound heard save the +whistling of the storm through the rigging, it would have been absolutely +necessary for the working of the ship and safety of the whole that the +live cargo should all have been stowed down below, whatever might have +been the consequences. + +Having delivered the "Pioneer" over to the Navy, she was towed down to +the Cape by Captain Forsyth of the "Valorous," and after examination it +was declared that with repairs to the amount of 300 pounds she would be +as serviceable as ever. Those of the Bishop's flock whom we had on board +were kindly allowed a passage to the Cape. The boys went in the +"Orestes," and we are glad of the opportunity to record our heartfelt +thanks to Captains Forsyth, Gardner, and Chapman for rendering us, at +various times, every aid in their power. Mr. Waller went in the +"Pioneer," and continued his generous services to all connected with the +Mission, whether white or black, till they were no longer needed; and we +must say that his conduct to them throughout was truly noble, and worthy +of the highest praise. + +After beaching the "Lady Nyassa" at Caboceira, opposite the house of a +Portuguese gentleman well known to all Englishmen, Joao da Costa Soares, +we put in brine cocks, and cleaned and painted her bottom. Mr. Soares +appeared to us to have been very much vilified in a publication in +England a few years ago; our experience proved him to be extremely kind +and obliging. All the members of the Expedition who passed Mosambique +were unanimous in extolling his generosity and, from the general +testimony of English visitors in his favour, we very much regret that his +character was so grievously misrepresented. To the authorities at +Mosambique our thanks are also due for obliging accommodation; and though +we differ entirely from the Portuguese officials as to the light in which +we regard the slave-trade, we trust our exposure of the system, in which +unfortunately they are engaged, will not be understood as indicating any +want of kindly feeling and good will to them personally. Senhor Canto e +Castro, who arrived at Mosambique two days after our departure to take +the office of Governor-General, was well known to us in Angola. We lived +two months in his house when he was Commandant of Golungo Alto; and, +knowing him thoroughly, believe that no better man could have been +selected for the office. We trust that his good principles may enable +him to withstand the temptations of his position; but we should be sorry +to have ours tried in a den of slave-traders with the miserable pittance +he receives for his support. + +While at Mosambique, a species of Pedalia called by Mr. Soares Dadeleira, +and by the natives--from its resemblance to Gerzilin, or sesamum--"wild +sesamum," was shown to us, and is said to be well known among native +nurses as a very gentle and tasteless aperient for children. A few +leaves of it are stirred in a cup of cold water for eight or nine +seconds, and a couple of teaspoonfuls of the liquid given as a dose. The +leaves form a sort of mucilage in the water by longer stirring, which is +said to have diuretic properties besides. + +On the 16th April we steamed out from Mosambique; and, the currents being +in our favour, in a week reached Zanzibar. Here we experienced much +hospitality from our countrymen, and especially from Dr. Seward, then +acting consul and political agent for Colonel Playfair. + +Dr. Seward was very doubtful if we could reach Bombay before what is +called the break of the monsoon took place. This break occurs usually +between the end of May and the 12th of June. The wind still blows from +Africa to India, but with so much violence, and with such a murky +atmosphere, that few or no observations for position can be taken. We +were, however, at the time very anxious to dispose of the "Lady Nyassa," +and, the only market we could reach being Bombay, we resolved to run the +risk of getting there before the stormy period commenced; and, after +taking fourteen tons of coal on board, we started on the 30th April from +Zanzibar. + +Our complement consisted of seven native Zambesians, two boys, and four +Europeans; namely, one stoker, one sailor, one carpenter, whose names +have been already mentioned, and Dr. Livingstone, as navigator. The +"Lady Nyassa" had shown herself to be a good sea-boat. The natives had +proved themselves capital sailors, though before volunteering not one of +them had ever seen the sea. They were not picked men, but, on paying a +dozen whom we had in our employment for fifteen months, they were taken +at random from several hundreds who offered to accompany us. Their wages +were ten shillings per mensem, and it was curious to observe, that so +eager were they to do their duty, that only one of them lay down from sea- +sickness during the whole voyage. They took in and set sail very +cleverly in a short time, and would climb out along a boom, reeve a rope +through the block, and come back with the rope in their teeth, though at +each lurch the performer was dipped in the sea. The sailor and +carpenter, though anxious to do their utmost, had a week's severe illness +each, and were unfit for duty. + +It is pleasant enough to take the wheel for an hour or two, or even for a +watch, but when it comes to be for every alternate four hours, it is +utterly wearisome. We set our black men to steer, showing them which arm +of the compass needle was to be kept towards the vessel's head, and soon +three of them could manage very well, and they only needed watching. In +going up the East Coast to take advantage of the current of one hundred +miles a day, we would fain have gone into the Juba or Webbe River, the +mouth of which is only 15 minutes south of the line, but we were too +shorthanded. We passed up to about ten degrees north of the Equator, and +then steamed out from the coast. Here Maury's wind chart showed that the +calm-belt had long been passed, but we were in it still; and, instead of +a current carrying us north, we had a contrary current which bore us +every day four miles to the south. We steamed as long as we dared, +knowing as we did that we must use the engines on the coast of India. + +After losing many days tossing on the silent sea, with innumerable +dolphins, flying-fish, and sharks around us, we had six days of strong +breezes, then calms again tried our patience; and the near approach of +that period, "the break of the monsoon," in which it was believed no boat +could live, made us sometimes think our epitaph would be "Left Zanzibar +on 30th April, 1864, and never more heard of." At last, in the beginning +of June, the chronometers showed that we were near the Indian coast. The +black men believed it was true because we told them it was so, but only +began to dance with joy when they saw sea-weed and serpents floating +past. These serpents are peculiar to these parts, and are mentioned as +poisonous in the sailing directions. We ventured to predict that we +should see land next morning, and at midday the high coast hove in sight, +wonderfully like Africa before the rains begin. Then a haze covered all +the land, and a heavy swell beat towards it. A rock was seen, and a +latitude showed it to be the Choule rock. Making that a fresh starting- +point, we soon found the light-ship, and then the forest of masts loomed +through the haze in Bombay harbour. We had sailed over 2500 miles. + + + +FOOTNOTES + + +{1} A remedy composed of from six to eight grains of resin of jalap, the +same of rhubarb, and three each of calomel and quinine, made up into four +pills, with tincture of cardamoms, usually relieved all the symptoms in +five or six hours. Four pills are a full dose for a man--one will +suffice for a woman. They received from our men the name of "rousers," +from their efficacy in rousing up even those most prostrated. When their +operation is delayed, a dessert-spoonful of Epsom salts should be given. +Quinine after or during the operation of the pills, in large doses every +two or three hours, until deafness or cinchonism ensued, completed the +cure. The only cases in which, we found ourselves completely helpless, +were those in which obstinate vomiting ensued. + +{2} The late Mr. Robson. + +{3} In 1865, four years after these forebodings were penned, we received +intelligence that they had all come to pass. Sekeletu died in the +beginning of 1864--a civil war broke out about the succession to the +chieftainship; a large body of those opposed to the late chief's uncle, +Impololo, being regent, departed with their cattle to Lake Ngami; an +insurrection by the black tribes followed; Impololo was slain, and the +kingdom, of which, under an able sagacious mission, a vast deal might +have been made, has suffered the usual fate of African conquests. That +fate we deeply deplore; for, whatever other faults the Makololo might +justly be charged with, they did not belong to the class who buy and sell +each other, and the tribes who have succeeded them do. + +{4} It was with sorrow that we learned by a letter from Mr. Moffat, in +1864, that poor Sekeletu was dead. As will be mentioned further on, men +were sent with us to bring up more medicine. They preferred to remain on +the Shire, and, as they were free men, we could do no more than try and +persuade them to hasten back to their chief with iodine and other +remedies. They took the parcel, but there being only two real Makololo +among them, these could neither return themselves alone or force their +attendants to leave a part of the country where they were independent, +and could support themselves with ease. Sekeletu, however, lived long +enough to receive and acknowledge goods to the value of 50 pounds, sent, +in lieu of those which remained in Tette, by Robert Moffat, jun., since +dead. + +{5} A brother, we believe, of one who accompanied Burke and Willis in the +famous but unfortunate Australian Expedition. + +{6} Genesis, chap. iii., verses 21 and 23, "make coats of skins, and +clothed them"--"sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the +ground" imply teaching. Vide Archbishop Whately's "History of Religious +Worship." John W. Parker, West Strand, London, 1849. + +{7} "In 1854 the native church at Sierra-Leone undertook to pay for +their primary schools, and thereby effected a saving to the Church +Missionary Society of 800 pounds per annum. In 1861 the contributions of +this one section of native Christians had amounted to upwards of 10,000 +pounds."--"Manual of Church Missionary Society's African Missions." + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A POPULAR ACCOUNT OF DR. +LIVINGSTONE'S EXPEDITION TO THE ZAMBESI AND ITS TRIBUTARIES*** + + +******* This file should be named 2519.txt or 2519.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/5/1/2519 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Association/Carnegie-Mellon + University" within the 60 days following each + date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) + your annual (or equivalent periodic) tax return. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, +scanning machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty +free copyright licenses, and every other sort of contribution +you can think of. Money should be paid to "Project Gutenberg +Association / Carnegie-Mellon University". + +*END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + +A POPULAR ACCOUNT OF DR. LIVINGSTONE'S EXPEDITION TO THE +ZAMBESI AND ITS TRIBUTARIES AND THE DISCOVERY OF LAKES +SHIRWA AND NYASSA 1858-1864 + + + + +TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD PALMERSTON, +K.G., G.C.B. + +My Lord, + +I beg leave to dedicate this Volume to your Lordship, as a tribute +justly due to the great Statesman who has ever had at heart the +amelioration of the African race; and as a token of admiration of the +beneficial effects of that policy which he has so long laboured to +establish on the West Coast of Africa; and which, in improving that +region, has most forcibly shown the need of some similar system on +the opposite side of the Continent. + +DAVID LIVINGSTONE. + + + +NOTICE TO THIS WORK. + + + +The name of the late Mr. Charles Livingstone takes a prominent place +amongst those who acted under the leadership of Dr. Livingstone +during the adventurous sojourn of the "Zambesi Expedition" in East +Africa. In laying the result of their discoveries before the public, +it was arranged that Mr. Charles Livingstone should place his +voluminous notes at the disposal of his brother: they are +incorporated in the present work, but in a necessarily abridged form. + + + +PREFACE. + + + +It has been my object in this work to give as clear an account as I +was able of tracts of country previously unexplored, with their river +systems, natural productions, and capabilities; and to bring before +my countrymen, and all others interested in the cause of humanity, +the misery entailed by the slave-trade in its inland phases; a +subject on which I and my companions are the first who have had any +opportunities of forming a judgment. The eight years spent in +Africa, since my last work was published, have not, I fear, improved +my power of writing English; but I hope that, whatever my +descriptions want in clearness, or literary skill, may in a measure +be compensated by the novelty of the scenes described, and the +additional information afforded on that curse of Africa, and that +shame, even now, in the 19th century, of an European nation,--the +slave-trade. + +I took the "Lady Nyassa" to Bombay for the express purpose of selling +her, and might without any difficulty have done so; but with the +thought of parting with her arose, more strongly than ever, the +feeling of disinclination to abandon the East Coast of Africa to the +Portuguese and slave-trading, and I determined to run home and +consult my friends before I allowed the little vessel to pass from my +hands. After, therefore, having put two Ajawa lads, Chuma and +Wakatani, to school under the eminent missionary the Rev. Dr. Wilson, +and having provided satisfactorily for the native crew, I started +homewards with the three white sailors, and reached London July 20th, +1864. Mr. and Mrs. Webb, my much-loved friends, wrote to Bombay +inviting me, in the event of my coming to England, to make Newstead +Abbey my headquarters, and on my arrival renewed their invitation: +and though, when I accepted it, I had no intention of remaining so +long with my kind-hearted generous friends, I stayed with them until +April, 1865, and under their roof transcribed from my own and my +brother's journal the whole of this present book. It is with +heartfelt gratitude I would record their unwearied kindness. My +acquaintance with Mr. Webb began in Africa, where he was a daring and +successful hunter, and his continued friendship is most valuable +because he has seen missionary work, and he would not accord his +respect and esteem to me had he not believed that I, and my brethren +also, were to be looked on as honest men earnestly trying to do our +duty. + +The Government have supported the proposal of the Royal Geographical +Society made by my friend Sir Roderick Murchison, and have united +with that body to aid me in another attempt to open Africa to +civilizing influences, and a valued private friend has given a +thousand pounds for the same object. I propose to go inland, north +of the territory which the Portuguese in Europe claim, and endeavour +to commence that system on the East which has been so eminently +successful on the West Coast; a system combining the repressive +efforts of H.M. cruisers with lawful trade and Christian Missions-- +the moral and material results of which have been so gratifying. I +hope to ascend the Rovuma, or some other river North of Cape Delgado, +and, in addition to my other work, shall strive, by passing along the +Northern end of Lake Nyassa and round the Southern end of Lake +Tanganyika, to ascertain the watershed of that part of Africa. In so +doing, I have no wish to unsettle what with so much toil and danger +was accomplished by Speke and Grant, but rather to confirm their +illustrious discoveries. + +I have to acknowledge the obliging readiness of Lord Russell in +lending me the drawings taken by the artist who was in the first +instance attached to the Expedition. These sketches, with +photographs by Charles Livingstone and Dr. Kirk, have materially +assisted in the illustrations. I would also very sincerely thank my +friends Professor Owen and Mr. Oswell for many valuable hints and +other aid in the preparation of this volume. + +Newstead Abbey, +April 16, 1865. + + + + +THE ZAMBESI AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. + + + + +INTRODUCTION. + + + +Objects of the Expedition--Personal Interest shown by Naval +Authorities--Members of the Zambesi Expedition. + +When first I determined on publishing the narrative of my "Missionary +Travels," I had a great misgiving as to whether the criticism my +endeavours might provoke would be friendly or the reverse, more +particularly as I felt that I had then been so long a sojourner in +the wilderness, as to be quite a stranger to the British public. But +I am now in this, my second essay at authorship, cheered by the +conviction that very many readers, who are personally unknown to me, +will receive this narrative with the kindly consideration and +allowances of friends; and that many more, under the genial +influences of an innate love of liberty, and of a desire to see the +same social and religious blessings they themselves enjoy, +disseminated throughout the world, will sympathize with me in the +efforts by which I have striven, however imperfectly, to elevate the +position and character of our fellow-men in Africa. This knowledge +makes me doubly anxious to render my narrative acceptable to all my +readers; but, in the absence of any excellence in literary +composition, the natural consequence of my pursuits, I have to offer +only a simple account of a mission which, with respect to the objects +proposed to be thereby accomplished, formed a noble contrast to some +of the earlier expeditions to Eastern Africa. I believe that the +information it will give, respecting the people visited and the +countries traversed, will not be materially gainsaid by any future +commonplace traveller like myself, who may be blest with fair health +and a gleam of sunshine in his breast. This account is written in +the earnest hope that it may contribute to that information which +will yet cause the great and fertile continent of Africa to be no +longer kept wantonly sealed, but made available as the scene of +European enterprise, and will enable its people to take a place among +the nations of the earth, thus securing the happiness and prosperity +of tribes now sunk in barbarism or debased by slavery; and, above +all, I cherish the hope that it may lead to the introduction of the +blessings of the Gospel. + +In order that the following narrative may be clearly understood, it +is necessary to call to mind some things which took place previous to +the Zambesi Expedition being sent out. Most geographers are aware +that, before the discovery of Lake Ngami and the well-watered country +in which the Makololo dwell, the idea prevailed that a large part of +the interior of Africa consisted of sandy deserts, into which rivers +ran and were lost. During my journey in 1852-6, from sea to sea, +across the south intertropical part of the continent, it was found to +be a well-watered country, with large tracts of fine fertile soil +covered with forest, and beautiful grassy valleys, occupied by a +considerable population; and one of the most wonderful waterfalls in +the world was brought to light. The peculiar form of the continent +was then ascertained to be an elevated plateau, somewhat depressed in +the centre, and with fissures in the sides by which the rivers +escaped to the sea; and this great fact in physical geography can +never be referred to without calling to mind the remarkable +hypothesis by which the distinguished President of the Royal +Geographical Society (Sir Roderick I. Murchison) clearly indicated +this peculiarity, before it was verified by actual observation of the +altitudes of the country and by the courses of the rivers. New light +was thrown on other portions of the continent by the famous travels +of Dr. Barth, by the researches of the Church of England missionaries +Krapf, Erkhardt, and Rebman, by the persevering efforts of Dr. +Baikie, the last martyr to the climate and English enterprise, by the +journey of Francis Galton, and by the most interesting discoveries of +Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria Nyanza by Captain Burton, and by +Captain Speke, whose untimely end we all so deeply deplore. Then +followed the researches of Van der Decken, Thornton, and others; and +last of all the grand discovery of the main source of the Nile, which +every Englishman must feel an honest pride in knowing was +accomplished by our gallant countrymen, Speke and Grant. The +fabulous torrid zone, of parched and burning sand, was now proved to +be a well-watered region resembling North America in its fresh-water +lakes, and India in its hot humid lowlands, jungles, ghauts, and cool +highland plains. + +The main object of this Zambesi Expedition, as our instructions from +Her Majesty's Government explicitly stated, was to extend the +knowledge already attained of the geography and mineral and +agricultural resources of Eastern and Central Africa--to improve our +acquaintance with the inhabitants, and to endeavour to engage them to +apply themselves to industrial pursuits and to the cultivation of +their lands, with a view to the production of raw material to be +exported to England in return for British manufactures; and it was +hoped that, by encouraging the natives to occupy themselves in the +development of the resources of the country, a considerable advance +might be made towards the extinction of the slave-trade, as they +would not be long in discovering that the former would eventually be +a more certain source of profit than the latter. The Expedition was +sent in accordance with the settled policy of the English Government; +and the Earl of Clarendon, being then at the head of the Foreign +Office, the Mission was organized under his immediate care. When a +change of Government ensued, we experienced the same generous +countenance and sympathy from the Earl of Malmesbury, as we had +previously received from Lord Clarendon; and, on the accession of +Earl Russell to the high office he has so long filled, we were always +favoured with equally ready attention and the same prompt assistance. +Thus the conviction was produced that our work embodied the +principles, not of any one party, but of the hearts of the statesmen +and of the people of England generally. The Expedition owes great +obligations to the Lords of the Admiralty for their unvarying +readiness to render us every assistance in their power; and to the +warm-hearted and ever-obliging hydrographer to the Admiralty, the +late Admiral Washington, as a subordinate, but most effective agent, +our heartfelt gratitude is also due; and we must ever thankfully +acknowledge that our efficiency was mainly due to the kind services +of Admirals Sir Frederick Grey, Sir Baldwin Walker, and all the naval +officers serving under them on the East Coast. Nor must I omit to +record our obligations to Mr. Skead, R.N. The Luawe was carefully +sounded and surveyed by this officer, whose skilful and zealous +labours, both on that river, and afterwards on the Lower Zambesi, +were deserving of all praise. + +In speaking of what has been done by the Expedition, it should always +be understood that Dr. Kirk, Mr. Charles Livingstone, Mr. R. +Thornton, and others composed it. In using the plural number they +are meant, and I wish to bear testimony to the untiring zeal, energy, +courage, and perseverance with which my companions laboured; +undaunted by difficulties, dangers, or hard fare. It is my firm +belief that, were their services required in any other capacity, they +might be implicitly relied on to perform their duty like men. The +reason why Dr. Kirk's name does not appear on the title-page of this +narrative is, because it is hoped that he may give an account of the +botany and natural history of the Expedition in a separate work from +his own pen. He collected above four thousand species of plants, +specimens of most of the valuable woods, of the different native +manufactures, of the articles of food, and of the different kinds of +cotton from every spot we visited, and a great variety of birds and +insects; besides making meteorological observations, and affording, +as our instructions required, medical assistance to the natives in +every case where he could be of any use. + +Charles Livingstone was also fully occupied in his duties in +following out the general objects of our mission, in encouraging the +culture of cotton, in making many magnetic and meteorological +observations, in photographing so long as the materials would serve, +and in collecting a large number of birds, insects, and other objects +of interest. The collections, being Government property, have been +forwarded to the British Museum, and to the Royal Botanic, Gardens at +Kew; and should Dr. Kirk undertake their description, three or four +years will be required for the purpose. + +Though collections were made, it was always distinctly understood +that, however desirable these and our explorations might be, "Her +Majesty's Government attached more importance to the moral influence +that might be exerted on the minds of the natives by a well-regulated +and orderly household of Europeans setting an example of consistent +moral conduct to all who might witness it; treating the people with +kindness, and relieving their wants, teaching them to make +experiments in agriculture, explaining to them the more simple arts, +imparting to them religious instruction as far as they are capable of +receiving it, and inculcating peace and good will to each other." + +It would be tiresome to enumerate in detail all the little acts which +were performed by us while following out our instructions. As a +rule, whenever the steamer stopped to take in wood, or for any other +purpose, Dr. Kirk and Charles Livingstone went ashore to their +duties: one of our party, who it was intended should navigate the +vessel and lay down the geographical positions, having failed to +answer the expectations formed of him, these duties fell chiefly to +my share. They involved a considerable amount of night work, in +which I was always cheerfully aided by my companions, and the results +were regularly communicated to our warm and ever-ready friend, Sir +Thomas Maclear of the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope. While +this work was going through the press, we were favoured with the +longitudes of several stations determined from observed occultations +of stars by the moon, and from eclipses and reappearances of +Jupiter's satellites, by Mr. Mann, the able Assistant to the Cape +Astronomer Royal; the lunars are still in the hands of Mr. G. W. H. +Maclear of the same Observatory. In addition to these, the +altitudes, variations of the compass, latitudes and longitudes, as +calculated on the spot, appear in the map by Mr. Arrowsmith, and it +is hoped may not differ much from the results of the same data in +abler bands. The office of "skipper," which, rather than let the +Expedition come to a stand, I undertook, required no great ability in +one "not too old to learn:" it saved a salary, and, what was much +more valuable than gold, saved the Expedition from the drawback of +any one thinking that he was indispensable to its further progress. +The office required attention to the vessel both at rest and in +motion. It also involved considerable exposure to the sun; and to my +regret kept me from much anticipated intercourse with the natives, +and the formation of full vocabularies of their dialects. + +I may add that all wearisome repetitions are as much as possible +avoided in the narrative; and, our movements and operations having +previously been given in a series of despatches, the attempt is now +made to give as fairly as possible just what would most strike any +person of ordinary intelligence in passing through the country. For +the sake of the freshness which usually attaches to first +impressions, the Journal of Charles Livingstone has been incorporated +in the narrative; and many remarks made by the natives, which ho put +down at the moment of translation, will convey to others the same +ideas as they did to ourselves. Some are no doubt trivial; but it is +by the little acts and words of every-day life that character is +truly and best known. And doubtless many will prefer to draw their +own conclusions from them rather than to be schooled by us. + + + +CHAPTER I. + + + +Arrival at the Zambesi--Rebel Warfare--Wild Animals--Shupanga-- +Hippopotamus Hunters--The Makololo--Crocodiles. + +The Expedition left England on the 10th of March, 1858, in Her +Majesty's Colonial Steamer "Pearl," commanded by Captain Duncan; and, +after enjoying the generous hospitality of our friends at Cape Town, +with the obliging attentions of Sir George Grey, and receiving on +board Mr. Francis Skead, R.N., as surveyor, we reached the East Coast +in the following May. + +Our first object was to explore the Zambesi, its mouths and +tributaries, with a view to their being used as highways for commerce +and Christianity to pass into the vast interior of Africa. When we +came within five or six miles of the land, the yellowish-green tinge +of the sea in soundings was suddenly succeeded by muddy water with +wrack, as of a river in flood. The two colours did not intermingle, +but the line of contact was as sharply defined as when the ocean +meets the land. It was observed that under the wrack--consisting of +reeds, sticks, and leaves.--and even under floating cuttlefish bones +and Portuguese "men-of-war" (Physalia), numbers of small fish screen +themselves from the eyes of birds of prey, and from the rays of the +torrid sun. + +We entered the river Luawe first, because its entrance is so smooth +and deep, that the "Pearl," drawing 9 feet 7 inches, went in without +a boat sounding ahead. A small steam launch having been brought out +from England in three sections on the deck of the "Pearl" was hoisted +out and screwed together at the anchorage, and with her aid the +exploration was commenced. She was called the "Ma Robert," after +Mrs. Livingstone, to whom the natives, according to their custom, +gave the name Ma (mother) of her eldest son. The harbour is deep, +but shut in by mangrove swamps; and though the water a few miles up +is fresh, it is only a tidal river; for, after ascending some seventy +miles, it was found to end in marshes blocked up with reeds and +succulent aquatic plants. As the Luawe had been called "West Luabo," +it was supposed to be a branch of the Zambesi, the main stream of +which is called "Luabo," or "East Luabo." The "Ma Robert" and +"Pearl" then went to what proved to be a real mouth of the river we +sought. + +The Zambesi pours its waters into the ocean by four mouths, namely, +the Milambe, which is the most westerly, the Kongone, the Luabo, and +the Timbwe (or Muselo). When the river is in flood, a natural canal +running parallel with the coast, and winding very much among the +swamps, forms a secret way for conveying slaves from Quillimane to +the bays Massangano and Nameara, or to the Zambesi itself. The +Kwakwa, or river of Quillimane, some sixty miles distant from the +mouth of the Zambesi, has long been represented as the principal +entrance to the Zambesi, in order, as the Portuguese now maintain, +that the English cruisers might be induced to watch the false mouth, +while slaves were quietly shipped from the true one; and, strange to +say, this error has lately been propagated by a map issued by the +colonial minister of Portugal. + +After the examination of three branches by the able and energetic +surveyor, Francis Skead, R.N., the Kongone was found to be the best +entrance. The immense amount of sand brought down by the Zambesi has +in the course of ages formed a sort of promontory, against which the +long swell of the Indian Ocean, beating during the prevailing winds, +has formed bars, which, acting against the waters of the delta, may +have led to their exit sideways. The Kongone is one of those lateral +branches, and the safest; inasmuch as the bar has nearly two fathoms +on it at low water, and the rise at spring tides is from twelve to +fourteen feet. The bar is narrow, the passage nearly straight, and, +were it buoyed and a beacon placed on Pearl Island, would always be +safe to a steamer. When the wind is from the east or north, the bar +is smooth; if from the south and south-east, it has a heavy break on +it, and is not to be attempted in boats. A strong current setting to +the east when the tide is flowing, and to the west when ebbing, may +drag a boat or ship into the breakers. If one is doubtful of his +longitude and runs east, he will soon see the land at Timbwe +disappear away to the north; and coming west again, he can easily +make out East Luabo from its great size; and Kongone follows several +miles west. East Luabo has a good but long bar, and not to be +attempted unless the wind be north-east or east. It has sometimes +been called "Barra Catrina," and was used in the embarkations of +slaves. This may have been the "River of Good Signs," of Vasco da +Gama, as the mouth is more easily seen from the seaward than any +other; but the absence of the pillar dedicated by that navigator to +"St. Raphael," leaves the matter in doubt. No Portuguese live within +eighty miles of any mouth of the Zambesi. + +The Kongone is five miles east of the Milambe, or western branch, and +seven miles west from East Luabo, which again is five miles from the +Timbwe. We saw but few natives, and these, by escaping from their +canoes into the mangrove thickets the moment they caught sight of us, +gave unmistakeable indications that they had no very favourable +opinion of white men. They were probably fugitives from Portuguese +slavery. In the grassy glades buffaloes, wart-hogs, and three kinds +of antelope were abundant, and the latter easily obtained. A few +hours' hunting usually provided venison enough for a score of men for +several days. + +On proceeding up the Kongone branch it was found that, by keeping +well in the bends, which the current had worn deep, shoals were +easily avoided. The first twenty miles are straight and deep; then a +small and rather tortuous natural canal leads off to the right, and, +after about five miles, during which the paddles almost touch the +floating grass of the sides, ends in the broad Zambesi. The rest of +the Kongone branch comes out of the main stream considerably higher +up as the outgoing branch called Doto. + +The first twenty miles of the Kongone are enclosed in mangrove +jungle; some of the trees are ornamented with orchilla weed, which +appears never to have been gathered. Huge ferns, palm bushes, and +occasionally wild date-palms peer out in the forest, which consists +of different species of mangroves; the bunches of bright yellow, +though scarcely edible fruit, contrasting prettily with the graceful +green leaves. In some spots the Milola, an umbrageous hibiscus, with +large yellowish flowers, grows in masses along the bank. Its bark is +made into cordage, and is especially valuable for the manufacture of +ropes attached to harpoons for killing the hippopotamus. The +Pandanus or screw-palm, from which sugar bags are made in the +Mauritius, also appears, and on coming out of the canal into the +Zambesi many are so tall as in the distance to remind us of the +steeples of our native land, and make us relish the remark of an old +sailor, "that but one thing was wanting to complete the picture, and +that was a 'grog-shop near the church.'" We find also a few guava +and lime-trees growing wild, but the natives claim the crops. The +dark woods resound with the lively and exultant song of the +kinghunter (Halcyon striolata), as he sits perched on high among the +trees. As the steamer moves on through the winding channel, a pretty +little heron or bright kingfisher darts out in alarm from the edge of +the bank, flies on ahead a short distance, and settles quietly down +to be again frightened off in a few seconds as we approach. The +magnificent fishhawk (Halietus vocifer) sits on the top of a +mangrove-tree, digesting his morning meal of fresh fish, and is +clearly unwilling to stir until the imminence of the danger compels +him at last to spread his great wings for flight. The glossy ibis, +acute of ear to a remarkable degree, hears from afar the unwonted +sound of the paddles, and, springing from the mud where his family +has been quietly feasting, is off, screaming out his loud, harsh, and +defiant Ha! ha! ha! long before the danger is near. + +Several native huts now peep out from the bananas and cocoa-palms on +the right bank; they stand on piles a few feet above the low damp +ground, and their owners enter them by means of ladders. The soil is +wonderfully rich, and the gardens are really excellent. Rice is +cultivated largely; sweet potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, cabbages, +onions (shalots), peas, a little cotton, and sugar-cane are also +raised. It is said that English potatoes, when planted at Quillimane +on soil resembling this, in the course of two years become in taste +like sweet potatoes (Convolvulus batatas), and are like our potato +frosted. The whole of the fertile region extending from the Kongone +canal to beyond Mazaro, some eighty miles in length, and fifty in +breadth, is admirably adapted for the growth of sugar-cane; and were +it in the hands of our friends at the Cape, would supply all Europe +with sugar. The remarkably few people seen appear to be tolerably +well fed, but there was a dearth of clothing among them; all were +blacks, and nearly all Portuguese "colonos" or serfs. They +manifested no fear of white men, and stood in groups on the bank +gazing in astonishment at the steamers, especially at the "Pearl," +which accompanied us thus far up the river. One old man who came on +board remarked that never before had he seen any vessel so large as +the "Pearl," it was like a village, "Was it made out of one tree?" +All were eager traders, and soon came off to the ship in light swift +canoes with every kind of fruit and food they possessed; a few +brought honey and beeswax, which are found in quantities in the +mangrove forests. As the ships steamed off, many anxious sellers ran +along the bank, holding up fowls, baskets of rice and meal, and +shouting "Malonda, Malonda," "things for sale," while others followed +in canoes, which they sent through the water with great velocity by +means of short broad-bladed paddles. + +Finding the "Pearl's" draught too great for that part of the river +near the island of Simbo, where the branch called the Doto is given +off to the Kongone on the right bank, and another named Chinde +departs to the secret canal already mentioned on the left, the goods +belonging to the expedition were taken out of her, and placed on one +of the grassy islands about forty miles from the bar. The "Pearl" +then left us, and we had to part with our good friends Duncan and +Skead; the former for Ceylon, the latter to return to his duties as +Government Surveyor at the Cape. + +Of those who eventually did the work of the expedition the majority +took a sober common-sense view of the enterprise in which we were +engaged. Some remained on Expedition Island from the 18th June until +the 13th August, while the launch and pinnace were carrying the goods +up to Shupanga and Senna. The country was in a state of war, our +luggage was in danger, and several of our party were exposed to +disease from inactivity in the malaria of the delta. Here some had +their first introduction to African life, and African fever. Those +alone were safe who were actively employed with the vessels, and of +course, remembering the perilous position of their fellows, they +strained every nerve to finish the work and take them away. + +Large columns of smoke rose daily from different points of the +horizon, showing that the natives were burning off the immense crops +of tall grass, here a nuisance, however valuable elsewhere. A white +cloud was often observed to rest on the head of the column, as if a +current of hot damp air was sent up by the heat of the flames and its +moisture was condensed at the top. Rain did not follow, though +theorists have imagined that in such cases it ought. + +Large game, buffaloes, and zebras, were abundant abreast the island, +but no men could be seen. On the mainland, over on the right bank of +the river, we were amused by the eccentric gyrations and evolutions +of flocks of small seed-eating birds, who in their flight wheeled +into compact columns with such military precision as to give us the +impression that they must be guided by a leader, and all directed by +the same signal. Several other kinds of small birds now go in +flocks, and among others the large Senegal swallow. The presence of +this bird, being clearly in a state of migration from the north, +while the common swallow of the country, and the brown kite are away +beyond the equator, leads to the conjecture that there may be a +double migration, namely, of birds from torrid climates to the more +temperate, as this now is, as well as from severe winters to sunny +regions; but this could not be verified by such birds of passage as +ourselves. + +On reaching Mazaro, the mouth of a narrow creek which in floods +communicates with the Quillimane river, we found that the Portuguese +were at war with a half-caste named Mariano alias Matakenya, from +whom they had generally fled, and who, having built a stockade near +the mouth of the Shire, owned all the country between that river and +Mazaro. Mariano was best known by his native name Matakenya, which +in their tongue means "trembling," or quivering as trees do in a +storm. He was a keen slave-hunter, and kept a large number of men, +well armed with muskets. It is an entire mistake to suppose that the +slave trade is one of buying and selling alone; or that engagements +can be made with labourers in Africa as they are in India; Mariano, +like other Portuguese, had no labour to spare. He had been in the +habit of sending out armed parties on slave-hunting forays among the +helpless tribes to the north-east, and carrying down the kidnapped +victims in chains to Quillimane, where they were sold by his brother- +in-law Cruz Coimbra, and shipped as "Free emigrants" to the French +island of Bourbon. So long as his robberies and murders were +restricted to the natives at a distance, the authorities did not +interfere; but his men, trained to deeds of violence and bloodshed in +their slave forays, naturally began to practise on the people nearer +at hand, though belonging to the Portuguese, and even in the village +of Senna, under the guns of the fort. A gentleman of the highest +standing told us that, while at dinner with his family, it was no +uncommon event for a slave to rush into the room pursued by one of +Mariano's men with spear in hand to murder him. + +The atrocities of this villain, aptly termed by the late governor of +Quillimane a "notorious robber and murderer," became at length +intolerable. All the Portuguese spoke of him as a rare monster of +inhumanity. It is unaccountable why half-castes, such as he, are so +much more cruel than the Portuguese, but such is undoubtedly the +case. + +It was asserted that one of his favourite modes of creating an +impression in the country, and making his name dreaded, was to spear +his captives with his own hands. On one occasion he is reported to +have thus killed forty poor wretches placed in a row before him. We +did not at first credit these statements, and thought that they were +merely exaggerations of the incensed Portuguese, who naturally enough +were exasperated with him for stopping their trade, and harbouring +their runaway slaves; but we learned afterwards from the natives, +that the accounts given us by the Portuguese had not exceeded the +truth; and that Mariano was quite as great a ruffian as they had +described him. One expects slave-owners to treat their human +chattels as well as men do other animals of value, but the slave- +trade seems always to engender an unreasoning ferocity, if not blood- +thirstiness. + +War was declared against Mariano, and a force sent to take him; he +resisted for a time; but seeing that he was likely to get the worst +of it, and knowing that the Portuguese governors have small salaries, +and are therefore "disposed to be reasonable," he went down to +Quillimane to "arrange" with the Governor, as it is termed here; but +Colonel da Silva put him in prison, and then sent him for trial to +Mozambique. When we came into the country, his people were fighting +under his brother Bonga. The war had lasted six months and stopped +all trade on the river during that period. On the 15th June we first +came into contact with the "rebels." They appeared as a crowd of +well-armed and fantastically-dressed people under the trees at +Mazaro. On explaining that we were English, some at once came on +board and called to those on shore to lay aside their arms. On +landing among them we saw that many had the branded marks of slaves +on their chests, but they warmly approved our objects, and knew well +the distinctive character of our nation on the slave question. The +shout at our departure contrasted strongly with the suspicious +questioning on our approach. Hence-forward we were recognized as +friends by both parties. + +At a later period we were taking in wood within a mile of the scene +of action, but a dense fog prevented our hearing the noise of a +battle at Mazaro; and on arriving there, immediately after, many +natives and Portuguese appeared on the bank. + +Dr. Livingstone, landing to salute some of his old friends among the +latter, found himself in the sickening smell, and among the mutilated +bodies of the slain; he was requested to take the Governor, who was +very ill of fever, across to Shupanga, and just as he gave his +assent, the rebels renewed the fight, and the balls began to whistle +about in all directions. After trying in vain to get some one to +assist the Governor down to the steamer, and unwilling to leave him +in such danger, as the officer sent to bring our Kroomen did not +appear, he went into the hut, and dragged along his Excellency to the +ship. He was a very tall man, and as he swayed hither and thither +from weakness, weighing down Dr. Livingstone, it must have appeared +like one drunken man helping another. Some of the Portuguese white +soldiers stood fighting with great bravery against the enemy in +front, while a few were coolly shooting at their own slaves for +fleeing into the river behind. The rebels soon retired, and the +Portuguese escaped to a sandbank in the Zambesi, and thence to an +island opposite Shupanga, where they lay for some weeks, looking at +the rebels on the mainland opposite. This state of inactivity on the +part of the Portuguese could not well be helped, as they had expended +all their ammunition and were waiting anxiously for supplies; hoping, +no doubt sincerely, that the enemy might not hear that their powder +had failed. Luckily their hopes were not disappointed; the rebels +waited until a supply came, and were then repulsed after three-and-a- +half hours' hard fighting. Two months afterwards Mariano's stockade +was burned, the garrison having fled in a panic; and as Bonga +declared that he did not wish to fight with this Governor, with whom +he had no quarrel, the war soon came to an end. His Excellency +meanwhile, being a disciple of Raspail, had taken nothing for the +fever but a little camphor, and after he was taken to Shupanga became +comatose. More potent remedies were administered to him, to his +intense disgust, and he soon recovered. The Colonel in attendance, +whom he never afterwards forgave, encouraged the treatment. "Give +what is right; never mind him; he is very (muito) impertinent:" and +all night long, with every draught of water the Colonel gave a +quantity of quinine: the consequence was, next morning the patient +was cinchonized and better. + +For sixty or seventy miles before reaching Mazaro, the scenery is +tame and uninteresting. On either hand is a dreary uninhabited +expanse, of the same level grassy plains, with merely a few trees to +relieve the painful monotony. The round green top of the stately +palm-tree looks at a distance, when its grey trunk cannot be seen, as +though hung in mid-air. Many flocks of busy sand-martins, which +here, and as far south as the Orange River, do not migrate, have +perforated the banks two or three feet horizontally, in order to +place their nests at the ends, and are now chasing on restless wing +the myriads of tropical insects. The broad river has many low +islands, on which are seen various kinds of waterfowl, such as geese, +spoonbills, herons, and flamingoes. Repulsive crocodiles, as with +open jaws they sleep and bask in the sun on the low banks, soon catch +the sound of the revolving paddles and glide quietly into the stream. +The hippopotamus, having selected some still reach of the river to +spend the day, rises out of the bottom, where he has been enjoying +his morning bath after the labours of the night on shore, blows a +puff of spray from his nostrils, shakes the water out of his ears, +puts his enormous snout up straight and yawns, sounding a loud alarm +to the rest of the herd, with notes as of a monster bassoon. + +As we approach Mazaro the scenery improves. We see the well-wooded +Shupanga ridge stretching to the left, and in front blue hills rise +dimly far in the distance. There is no trade whatever on the Zambesi +below Mazaro. All the merchandise of Senna and Tette is brought to +that point in large canoes, and thence carried six miles across the +country on men's heads to be reshipped on a small stream that flows +into the Kwakwa, or Quillimane river, which is entirely distinct from +the Zambesi. Only on rare occasions and during the highest floods +can canoes pass from the Zambesi to the Quillimane river through the +narrow natural canal Mutu. The natives of Maruru, or the country +around Mazaro, the word Mazaro meaning the "mouth of the creek" Mutu, +have a bad name among the Portuguese; they are said to be expert +thieves, and the merchants sometimes suffer from their adroitness +while the goods are in transit from one river to the other. In +general they are trained canoe-men, and man many of the canoes that +ply thence to Senna and Tette; their pay is small, and, not trusting +the traders, they must always have it before they start. Africans +being prone to assign plausible reasons for their conduct, like white +men in more enlightened lands, it is possible they may be good- +humouredly giving their reason for insisting on being invariably paid +in advance in the words of their favourite canoe-song, "Uachingere, +Uachingere Kale," "You cheated me of old;" or, "Thou art slippery +slippery truly." + +The Landeens or Zulus are lords of the right bank of the Zambesi; and +the Portuguese, by paying this fighting tribe a pretty heavy annual +tribute, practically admit this. Regularly every year come the Zulus +in force to Senna and Shupanga for the accustomed tribute. The few +wealthy merchants of Senna groan under the burden, for it falls +chiefly on them. They submit to pay annually 200 pieces of cloth, of +sixteen yards each, besides beads and brass wire, knowing that +refusal involves war, which might end in the loss of all they +possess. The Zulus appear to keep as sharp a look out on the Senna +and Shupanga people as ever landlord did on tenant; the more they +cultivate, the more tribute they have to pay. On asking some of them +why they did not endeavour to raise certain highly profitable +products, we were answered, "What's the use of our cultivating any +more than we do? the Landeens would only come down on us for more +tribute." + +In the forests of Shupanga the Mokundu-kundu tree abounds; its bright +yellow wood makes good boat-masts, and yields a strong bitter +medicine for fever; the Gunda-tree attains to an immense size; its +timber is hard, rather cross-grained, with masses of silica deposited +in its substance; the large canoes, capable of carrying three or four +tons, are made of its wood. For permission to cut these trees, a +Portuguese gentleman of Quillimane was paying the Zulus, in 1858, two +hundred dollars a year, and his successor now pays three hundred. + +At Shupanga, a one-storied stone house stands on the prettiest site +on the river. In front a sloping lawn, with a fine mango orchard at +its southern end, leads down to the broad Zambesi, whose green +islands repose on the sunny bosom of the tranquil waters. Beyond, +northwards, lie vast fields and forests of palm and tropical trees, +with the massive mountain of Morambala towering amidst the white +clouds; and further away more distant hills appear in the blue +horizon. This beautifully situated house possesses a melancholy +interest from having been associated in a most mournful manner with +the history of two English expeditions. Here, in 1826, poor +Kirkpatrick, of Captain Owen's Surveying Expedition, died of fever; +and here, in 1862, died, of the same fatal disease, the beloved wife +of Dr. Livingstone. A hundred yards east of the house, under a large +Baobab-tree, far from their native land, both are buried. + +The Shupanga-house was the head-quarters of the Governor during the +Mariano war. He told us that the province of Mosambique costs the +Home Government between 5000l. and 6000l. annually, and East Africa +yields no reward in return to the mother country. We met there +several other influential Portuguese. All seemed friendly, and +expressed their willingness to assist the expedition in every way in +their power; and better still, Colonel Nunes and Major Sicard put +their good-will into action, by cutting wood for the steamer and +sending men to help in unloading. It was observable that not one of +them knew anything about the Kongone Mouth; all thought that we had +come in by the "Barra Catrina," or East Luabo. Dr. Kirk remained +here a few weeks; and, besides exploring a small lake twenty miles to +the south-west, had the sole medical care of the sick and wounded +soldiers, for which valuable services he received the thanks of the +Portuguese Government. We wooded up at this place with African ebony +or black wood, and lignum vitae; the latter tree attains an immense +size, sometimes as much as four feet in diameter; our engineer, +knowing what ebony and lignum vitae cost at home, said it made his +heart sore to burn wood so valuable. Though botanically different, +they are extremely alike; the black wood as grown in some districts +is superior, and the lignum vitae inferior in quality, to these +timbers brought from other countries. Caoutchouc, or India-rubber, +is found in abundance inland from Shupanga-house, and calumba-root is +plentiful in the district; indigo, in quantities, propagates itself +close to the banks of the Aver, and was probably at some time +cultivated, for manufactured indigo was once exported. The India- +rubber is made into balls for a game resembling "fives," and calumba- +root is said to be used as a mordant for certain colours, but not as +a dye itself. + +We started for Tette on the 17th August, 1858; the navigation was +rather difficult, the Zambesi from Shupanga to Senna being wide and +full of islands; our black pilot, John Scisssors, a serf, sometimes +took the wrong channel and ran us aground. Nothing abashed, he would +exclaim in an aggrieved tone, "This is not the path, it is back +yonder." "Then why didn't you go yonder at first?" growled out our +Kroomen, who had the work of getting the vessel off. When they spoke +roughly to poor Scissors, the weak cringing slave-spirit came forth +in, "Those men scold me so, I am ready to run away." This mode of +finishing up an engagement is not at all uncommon on the Zambesi; +several cases occurred, when we were on the river, of hired crews +decamping with most of the goods in their charge. If the trader +cannot redress his own wrongs, he has to endure them. The Landeens +will not surrender a fugitive slave, even to his master. One +belonging to Mr. Azevedo fled, and was, as a great favour only, +returned after a present of much more than his value. + +We landed to wood at Shamoara, just below the confluence of the +Shire. Its quartz hills are covered with trees and gigantic grasses; +the buaze, a small forest-tree, grows abundantly; it is a species of +polygala; its beautiful clusters of sweet-scented pinkish flowers +perfume the air with a rich fragrance; its seeds produce a fine +drying oil, and the bark of the smaller branches yields a fibre finer +and stronger than flax; with which the natives make their nets for +fishing. Bonga, the brother of the rebel Mariano, and now at the +head of the revolted natives, with some of his principal men came to +see us, and were perfectly friendly, though told of our having +carried the sick Governor across to Shupanga, and of our having cured +him of fever. On our acquainting Bonga with the object of the +expedition, he remarked that we should suffer no hindrance from his +people in our good work. He sent us a present of rice, two sheep, +and a quantity of firewood. He never tried to make any use of us in +the strife; the other side showed less confidence, by carefully +cross-questioning our pilot whether we had sold any powder to the +enemy. We managed, however, to keep on good terms with both rebels +and Portuguese. + +Senna is built on a low plain, on the right bank of the Zambesi, with +some pretty detached hills in the background; it is surrounded by a +stockade of living trees to protect its inhabitants from their +troublesome and rebellious neighbours. It contains a few large +houses, some ruins of others, and a weather-beaten cross, where once +stood a church; a mound shows the site of an ancient monastery, and a +mud fort by the river is so dilapidated, that cows were grazing +peacefully over its prostrate walls. + +The few Senna merchants, having little or no trade in the village, +send parties of trusted slaves into the interior to hunt for and +purchase ivory. It is a dull place, and very conducive to sleep. +One is sure to take fever in Senna on the second day, if by chance +one escapes it on the first day of a sojourn there; but no place is +entirely bad. Senna has one redeeming feature: it is the native +village of the large-hearted and hospitable Senhor H. A. Ferrao. The +benevolence of this gentleman is unbounded. The poor black stranger +passing through the town goes to him almost as a matter of course for +food, and is never sent away hungry. In times of famine the starving +natives are fed by his generosity; hundreds of his own people he +never sees except on these occasions; and the only benefit derived +from being their master is, that they lean on him as a patriarchal +chief, and he has the satisfaction of settling their differences, and +of saving their lives in seasons of drought and scarcity. + +Senhor Ferrao received us with his usual kindness, and gave us a +bountiful breakfast. During the day the principal men of the place +called, and were unanimously of opinion that the free natives would +willingly cultivate large quantities of cotton, could they find +purchasers. They had in former times exported largely both cotton +and cloth to Manica and even to Brazil. "On their own soil," they +declared, "the natives are willing to labour and trade, provided only +they can do so to advantage: when it is for their interest, blacks +work very hard." We often remarked subsequently that this was the +opinion of men of energy; and that all settlers of activity, +enterprise, and sober habits had become rich, while those who were +much addicted to lying on their backs smoking, invariably complained +of the laziness of the negroes, and were poor, proud, and despicable. + +Beyond Pita lies the little island Nyamotobsi, where we met a small +fugitive tribe of hippopotamus hunters, who had been driven by war +from their own island in front. All were busy at work; some were +making gigantic baskets for grain, the men plaiting from the inside. +With the civility so common among them the chief ordered a mat to be +spread for us under a shed, and then showed us the weapon with which +they kill the hippopotamus; it is a short iron harpoon inserted in +the end of a long pole, but being intended to unship, it is made fast +to a strong cord of milola, or hibiscus, bark, which is wound closely +round the entire length of the shaft, and secured at its opposite +end. Two men in a swift canoe steal quietly down on the sleeping +animal. The bowman dashes the harpoon into the unconscious victim, +while the quick steersman sweeps the light craft back with his broad +paddle; the force of the blow separates the harpoon from its corded +handle, which, appearing on the surface, sometimes with an inflated +bladder attached, guides the hunters to where the wounded beast hides +below until they despatch it. + +These hippopotamus hunters form a separate people, called Akombwi, or +Mapodzo, and rarely--the women it is said never--intermarry with any +other tribe. The reason for their keeping aloof from certain of the +natives on the Zambesi is obvious enough, some having as great an +abhorrence of hippopotamus meat as Mahomedans have of swine's flesh. +Our pilot, Scissors, was one of this class; he would not even cook +his food in a pot which had contained hippopotamus meat, preferring +to go hungry till he could find another; and yet he traded eagerly in +the animal's tusks, and ate with great relish the flesh of the foul- +feeding marabout. These hunters go out frequently on long +expeditions, taking in their canoes their wives and children, +cooking-pots, and sleeping-mats. When they reach a good game +district, they erect temporary huts on the bank, and there dry the +meat they have killed. They are rather a comely-looking race, with +very black smooth skins, and never disfigure themselves with the +frightful ornaments of some of the other tribes. The chief declined +to sell a harpoon, because they could not now get the milola bark +from the coast on account of Mariano's war. He expressed some doubts +about our being children of the same Almighty Father, remarking that +"they could not become white, let them wash ever so much." We made +him a present of a bit of cloth, and he very generously gave us in +return some fine fresh fish and Indian corn. + +The heat of the weather steadily increases during this month +(August), and foggy mornings are now rare. A strong breeze ending in +a gale blows up stream every night. It came in the afternoon a few +weeks ago, then later, and at present its arrival is near midnight; +it makes our frail cabin-doors fly open before it, but continues only +for a short time, and is succeeded by a dead calm. Game becomes more +abundant; near our wooding-places we see herds of zebras, both +Burchell's and the mountain variety, pallahs (Antelope melampus), +waterbuck, and wild hogs, with the spoor of buffaloes and elephants. + +Shiramba Dembe, on the right bank, is deserted; a few old iron guns +show where a rebel stockade once stood; near the river above this, +stands a magnificent Baobab hollowed out into a good-sized hut, with +bark inside as well as without. The old oaks in Sherwood Forest, +when hollow, have the inside dead or rotten; but the Baobab, though +stripped of its bark outside, and hollowed to a cavity inside, has +the power of exuding new bark from its substance to both the outer +and inner surfaces; so, a hut made like that in the oak called the +"Forest Queen," in Sherwood, would soon all be lined with bark. + +The portions of the river called Shigogo and Shipanga are bordered by +a low level expanse of marshy country, with occasional clumps of +palm-trees and a few thorny acacias. The river itself spreads out to +a width of from three to four miles, with many islands, among which +it is difficult to navigate, except when the river is in flood. In +front, a range of high hills from the north-east crosses and +compresses it into a deep narrow channel, called the Lupata Gorge. +The Portuguese thought the steamer would not stem the current here; +but as it was not more than about three knots, and as there was a +strong breeze in our favour, steam and sails got her through with +ease. Heavy-laden canoes take two days to go up this pass. A +current sweeps round the little rocky promontories Chifura and +Kangomba, forming whirlpools and eddies dangerous for the clumsy +craft, which are dragged past with long ropes. + +The paddlers place meal on these rocks as an offering to the +turbulent deities, which they believe preside over spots fatal to +many a large canoe. We were slily told that native Portuguese take +off their hats to these river gods, and pass in solemn silence; when +safely beyond the promontories, they fire muskets, and, as we ought +to do, give the canoe-men grog. From the spoor of buffaloes and +elephants it appears that these animals frequent Lupata in +considerable numbers, and--we have often observed the association-- +the tsetse fly is common. A horse for the Governor of Tette was sent +in a canoe from Quillimane; and, lest it should be wrecked on the +Chifura and Kangomba rocks, it was put on shore and sent in the +daytime through the pass. It was of course bitten by the tsetse, and +died soon after; it was thought that the AIR of Tette had not agreed +with it. The currents above Lupata are stronger than those below; +the country becomes more picturesque and hilly, and there is a larger +population. + +The ship anchored in the stream, off Tette, on the 8th September, +1858, and Dr. Livingstone went ashore in the boat. No sooner did the +Makololo recognize him, than they rushed to the water's edge, and +manifested great joy at seeing him again. Some were hastening to +embrace him, but others cried out, "Don't touch him, you will spoil +his new clothes." The five headmen came on board and listened in +quiet sadness to the story of poor Sekwebu, who died at the Mauritius +on his way to England. "Men die in any country," they observed, and +then told us that thirty of their own number had died of smallpox, +having been bewitched by the people of Tette, who envied them +because, during the first year, none of their party had died. Six of +their young men, becoming tired of cutting firewood for a meagre +pittance, proposed to go and dance for gain before some of the +neighbouring chiefs. "Don't go," said the others, "we don't know the +people of this country;" but the young men set out and visited an +independent half-caste chief, a few miles to the north, named +Chisaka, who some years ago burned all the Portuguese villas on the +north bank of the river; afterwards the young men went to Bonga, son +of another half-caste chief, who bade defiance to the Tette +authorities, and had a stockade at the confluence of the Zambesi and +Luenya, a few miles below that village. Asking the Makololo whence +they came, Bonga rejoined, "Why do you come from my enemy to me? You +have brought witchcraft medicine to kill me." In vain they protested +that they did not belong to the country; they were strangers, and had +come from afar with an Englishman. The superstitious savage put them +all to death. "We do not grieve," said their companions, "for the +thirty victims of the smallpox, who were taken away by Morimo (God); +but our hearts are sore for the six youths who were murdered by +Bonga." Any hope of obtaining justice on the murderer was out of the +question. Bonga once caught a captain of the Portuguese army, and +forced him to perform the menial labour of pounding maize in a wooden +mortar. No punishment followed on this outrage. The Government of +Lisbon has since given Bonga the honorary title of Captain, by way of +coaxing him to own their authority; but he still holds his stockade. + +Tette stands on a succession of low sandstone ridges on the right +bank of the Zambesi, which is here nearly a thousand yards wide (960 +yards). Shallow ravines, running parallel with the river, form the +streets, the houses being built on the ridges. The whole surface of +the streets, except narrow footpaths, were overrun with self-sown +indigo, and tons of it might have been collected. In fact indigo, +senna, and stramonium, with a species of cassia, form the weeds of +the place, which are annually hoed off and burned. A wall of stone +and mud surrounds the village, and the native population live in huts +outside. The fort and the church, near the river, are the +strongholds; the natives having a salutary dread of the guns of the +one, and a superstitious fear of the unknown power of the other. The +number of white inhabitants is small, and rather select, many of them +having been considerately sent out of Portugal "for their country's +good." The military element preponderates in society; the convict +and "incorrigible" class of soldiers, receiving very little pay, +depend in great measure on the produce of the gardens of their black +wives; the moral condition of the resulting population may be +imagined. + +Droughts are of frequent occurrence at Tette, and the crops suffer +severely. This may arise partly from the position of the town +between the ranges of hills north and south, which appear to have a +strong attraction for the rain-clouds. It is often seen to rain on +these hills when not a drop falls at Tette. Our first season was one +of drought. Thrice had the women planted their gardens in vain, the +seed, after just vegetating, was killed by the intense dry heat. A +fourth planting shared the same hard fate, and then some of the +knowing ones discovered the cause of the clouds being frightened +away: our unlucky rain-gauge in the garden. We got a bad name +through that same rain-gauge, and were regarded by many as a species +of evil omen. The Makololo in turn blamed the people of Tette for +drought: "A number of witches live here, who won't let it rain." +Africans in general are sufficiently superstitious, but those of +Tette are in this particular pre-eminent above their fellows. Coming +from many different tribes, all the rays of the separate +superstitions converge into a focus at Tette, and burn out common +sense from the minds of the mixed breed. They believe that many evil +spirits live in the air, the earth, and the water. These invisible +malicious beings are thought to inflict much suffering on the human +race; but, as they have a weakness for beer and a craving for food, +they may be propitiated from time to time by offerings of meat and +drink. The serpent is an object of worship, and hideous little +images are hung in the huts of the sick and dying. The +uncontaminated Africans believe that Morungo, the Great Spirit who +formed all things, lives above the stars; but they never pray to him, +and know nothing of their relation to him, or of his interest in +them. The spirits of their departed ancestors are all good, +according to their ideas, and on special occasions aid them in their +enterprises. When a man has his hair cut, he is careful to burn it, +or bury it secretly, lest, falling into the hands of one who has an +evil eye, or is a witch, it should be used as a charm to afflict him +with headache. They believe, too, that they will live after the +death of the body, but do not know anything of the state of the +Barimo (gods, or departed spirits). + +The mango-tree grows luxuriantly above Lupata, and furnishes a +grateful shade. Its delicious fruit is superior to that on the +coast. For weeks the natives who have charge of the mangoes live +entirely on the fruit, and, as some trees bear in November and some +in March, while the main crop comes between, fruit in abundance may +easily be obtained during four months of the year; but no native can +be induced to plant a mango. A wide-spread superstition has become +riveted in the native mind, that if any one plants this tree he will +soon die. The Makololo, like other natives, were very fond of the +fruit; but when told to take up some mango-stones, on their return, +and plant them in their own country--they too having become deeply +imbued with the belief that it was a suicidal act to do so--replied +"they did not wish to die too soon." There is also a superstition +even among the native Portuguese of Tette, that if a man plants +coffee he will never afterwards be happy: they drink it, however, +and seem the happier for it. + +The Portuguese of Tette have many slaves, with all the usual vices of +their class, as theft, lying, and impurity. As a general rule the +real Portuguese are tolerably humane masters and rarely treat a slave +cruelly; this may be due as much to natural kindness of heart as to a +fear of losing the slaves by their running away. When they purchase +an adult slave they buy at the same time, if possible, all his +relations along with him. They thus contrive to secure him to his +new home by domestic ties. Running away then would be to forsake all +who hold a place in his heart, for the mere chance of acquiring a +freedom, which would probably be forfeited on his entrance into the +first native village, for the chief might, without compunction, again +sell him into slavery. + +A rather singular case of voluntary slavery came to our knowledge: a +free black, an intelligent active young fellow, called Chibanti, who +had been our pilot on the river, told us that he had sold himself +into slavery. On asking why he had done this, he replied that he was +all alone in the world, had neither father nor mother, nor any one +else to give him water when sick, or food when hungry; so he sold +himself to Major Sicard, a notoriously kind master, whose slaves had +little to do, and plenty to eat. "And how much did you get for +yourself?" we asked. "Three thirty-yard pieces of cotton cloth," he +replied; "and I forthwith bought a man, a woman, and child, who cost +me two of the pieces, and I had one piece left." This, at all +events, showed a cool and calculating spirit; he afterwards bought +more slaves, and in two years owned a sufficient number to man one of +the large canoes. His master subsequently employed him in carrying +ivory to Quillimane, and gave him cloth to hire mariners for the +voyage; he took his own slaves, of course, and thus drove a thriving +business; and was fully convinced that he had made a good speculation +by the sale of himself, for had he been sick his master must have +supported him. Occasionally some of the free blacks become slaves +voluntarily by going through the simple but significant ceremony of +breaking a spear in the presence of their future master. A +Portuguese officer, since dead, persuaded one of the Makololo to +remain in Tette, instead of returning to his own country, and tried +also to induce him to break a spear before him, and thus acknowledge +himself his slave, but the man was too shrewd for this; he was a +great elephant doctor, who accompanied the hunters, told them when to +attack the huge beast, and gave them medicine to ensure success. +Unlike the real Portuguese, many of the half-castes are merciless +slave-holders; their brutal treatment of the wretched slaves is +notorious. What a humane native of Portugal once said of them is +appropriate if not true: "God made white men, and God made black +men, but the devil made half-castes." + +The officers and merchants send parties of slaves under faithful +headmen to hunt elephants and to trade in ivory, providing them with +a certain quantity of cloth, beads, etc., and requiring so much ivory +in return. These slaves think that they have made a good thing of +it, when they kill an elephant near a village, as the natives give +them beer and meal in exchange for some of the elephant's meat, and +over every tusk that is brought there is expended a vast amount of +time, talk, and beer. Most of the Africans are natural-born traders, +they love trade more for the sake of trading than for what they make +by it. An intelligent gentleman of Tette told us that native traders +often come to him with a tusk for sale, consider the price he offers, +demand more, talk over it, retire to consult about it, and at length +go away without selling it; next day they try another merchant, talk, +consider, get puzzled and go off as on the previous day, and continue +this course daily until they have perhaps seen every merchant in the +village, and then at last end by selling the precious tusk to some +one for even less than the first merchant had offered. Their love of +dawdling in the transaction arises from the self-importance conferred +on them by their being the object of the wheedling and coaxing of +eager merchants, a feeling to which even the love of gain is +subordinate. + +The native medical profession is reasonably well represented. In +addition to the regular practitioners, who are a really useful class, +and know something of their profession, and the nature and power of +certain medicines, there are others who devote their talents to some +speciality. The elephant doctor prepares a medicine which is +considered indispensable to the hunters when attacking that noble and +sagacious beast; no hunter is willing to venture out before investing +in this precious nostrum. The crocodile doctor sells a charm which +is believed to possess the singular virtue of protecting its owner +from crocodiles. Unwittingly we offended the crocodile school of +medicine while at Tette, by shooting one of these huge reptiles as it +lay basking in the sun on a sandbank; the doctors came to the +Makololo in wrath, clamouring to know why the white man had shot +their crocodile. + +A shark's hook was baited one evening with a dog, of which the +crocodile is said to be particularly fond; but the doctors removed +the bait, on the principle that the more crocodiles the more demand +for medicine, or perhaps because they preferred to eat the dog +themselves. Many of the natives of this quarter are known, as in the +South Seas, to eat the dog without paying any attention to its +feeding. The dice doctor or diviner is an important member of the +community, being consulted by Portuguese and natives alike. Part of +his business is that of a detective, it being his duty to discover +thieves. When goods are stolen, he goes and looks at the place, +casts his dice, and waits a few days, and then, for a consideration, +tells who is the thief: he is generally correct, for he trusts not +to his dice alone; he has confidential agents all over the village, +by whose inquiries and information he is enabled to detect the +culprit. Since the introduction of muskets, gun doctors have sprung +up, and they sell the medicine which professes to make good marksmen; +others are rain doctors, etc., etc. The various schools deal in +little charms, which are hung round the purchaser's neck to avert +evil: some of them contain the medicine, others increase its power. + +Indigo, about three or four feet high, grows in great luxuriance in +the streets of Tette, and so does the senna plant. The leaves are +undistinguishable from those imported in England. A small amount of +first-rate cotton is cultivated by the native population for the +manufacture of a coarse cloth. A neighbouring tribe raises the +sugar-cane, and makes a little sugar; but they use most primitive +wooden rollers, and having no skill in mixing lime with the extracted +juice, the product is of course of very inferior quality. Plenty of +magnetic iron ore is found near Tette, and coal also to any amount; a +single cliff-seam measuring twenty-five feet in thickness. It was +found to burn well in the steamer on the first trial. Gold is washed +for in the beds of rivers, within a couple of days of Tette. The +natives are fully aware of its value, but seldom search for it, and +never dig deeper than four or five feet. They dread lest the falling +in of the sand of the river's bed should bury them. In former times, +when traders went with hundreds of slaves to the washings, the +produce was considerable. It is now insignificant. The gold- +producing lands have always been in the hands of independent tribes. +Deep cuttings near the sources of the gold-yielding streams seem +never to have been tried here, as in California and Australia, nor +has any machinery been used save common wooden basins for washing. + + + +CHAPTER II. + + + +Kebrabasa Rapids--Tette--African fever--Exploration of the Shire-- +Discovery of Lake Shirwa. + +Our curiosity had been so much excited by the reports we had heard of +the Kebrabasa rapids, that we resolved to make a short examination of +them, and seized the opportunity of the Zambesi being unusually low, +to endeavour to ascertain their character while uncovered by the +water. We reached them on the 9th of November. The country between +Tette and Panda Mokua, where navigation ends, is well wooded and +hilly on both banks. Panda Mokua is a hill two miles below the +rapids, capped with dolomite containing copper ore. + +Conspicuous among the trees, for its gigantic size, and bark coloured +exactly like Egyptian syenite, is the burly Baobab. It often makes +the other trees of the forest look like mere bushes in comparison. A +hollow one, already mentioned, is 74 feet in circumference, another +was 84, and some have been found on the West Coast which measure 100 +feet. The lofty range of Kebrabasa, consisting chiefly of conical +hills, covered with scraggy trees, crosses the Zambesi, and confines +it within a narrow, rough, and rocky dell of about a quarter of a +mile in breadth; over this, which may be called the flood-bed of the +river, large masses of rock are huddled in indescribable confusion. +The drawing, for the use of which, and of others, our thanks are due +to Lord Russell, conveys but a faint idea of the scene, inasmuch as +the hills which confine the river do not appear in the sketch. The +chief rock is syenite, some portions of which have a beautiful blue +tinge like lapis lazuli diffused through them; others are grey. +Blocks of granite also abound, of a pinkish tinge; and these with +metamorphic rocks, contorted, twisted, and thrown into every +conceivable position, afford a picture of dislocation or +unconformability which would gladden a geological lecturer's heart; +but at high flood this rough channel is all smoothed over, and it +then conforms well with the river below it, which is half a mile +wide. In the dry season the stream runs at the bottom of a narrow +and deep groove, whose sides are polished and fluted by the boiling +action of the water in flood, like the rims of ancient Eastern wells +by the draw-ropes. The breadth of the groove is often not more than +from forty to sixty yards, and it has some sharp turnings, double +channels, and little cataracts in it. As we steamed up, the masts of +the "Ma Robert," though some thirty feet high, did not reach the +level of the flood-channel above, and the man in the chains sung out, +"No bottom at ten fathoms." Huge pot-holes, as large as draw-wells, +had been worn in the sides, and were so deep that in some instances, +when protected from the sun by overhanging boulders, the water in +them was quite cool. Some of these holes had been worn right +through, and only the side next the rock remained; while the sides of +the groove of the flood-channel were polished as smooth as if they +had gone through the granite-mills of Aberdeen. The pressure of the +water must be enormous to produce this polish. It had wedged round +pebbles into chinks and crannies of the rocks so firmly that, though +they looked quite loose, they could not be moved except with a +hammer. The mighty power of the water here seen gave us an idea of +what is going on in thousands of cataracts in the world. All the +information we had been able to obtain from our Portuguese friends +amounted to this, that some three or four detached rocks jutted out +of the river in Kebrabasa, which, though dangerous to the cumbersome +native canoes, could be easily passed by a steamer, and that if one +or two of these obstructions were blasted away with gunpowder, no +difficulty would hereafter be experienced. After we had painfully +explored seven or eight miles of the rapid, we returned to the vessel +satisfied that much greater labour was requisite for the mere +examination of the cataracts than our friends supposed necessary to +remove them; we therefore went down the river for fresh supplies, and +made preparation for a more serious survey of this region. + +The steamer having returned from the bar, we set out on the 22nd of +November to examine the rapids of Kebrabasa. We reached the foot of +the hills again, late in the afternoon of the 24th, and anchored in +the stream. Canoe-men never sleep on the river, but always spend the +night on shore. The natives on the right bank, in the country called +Shidima, who are Banyai, and even at this short distance from Tette, +independent, and accustomed to lord it over Portuguese traders, +wondered what could be our object in remaining afloat, and were +naturally suspicious at our departing from the universal custom. + +They hailed us from the bank in the evening with "Why don't you come +and sleep onshore like other people?" + +The answer they received from our Makololo, who now felt as +independent as the Banyai, was, "We are held to the bottom with iron; +you may see we are not like your Bazungu." + +This hint, a little amplified, saved us from the usual exactions. It +is pleasant to give a present, but that pleasure the Banyai usually +deny to strangers by making it a fine, and demanding it in such a +supercilious way, that only a sorely cowed trader could bear it. +They often refuse to touch what is offered--throw it down and leave +it--sneer at the trader's slaves, and refuse a passage until the +tribute is raised to the utmost extent of his means. + +Leaving the steamer next morning, we proceeded on foot, accompanied +by a native Portuguese and his men and a dozen Makololo, who carried +our baggage. The morning was pleasant, the hills on our right +furnished for a time a delightful shade; but before long the path +grew frightfully rough, and the hills no longer shielded us from the +blazing sun. Scarcely a vestige of a track was now visible; and, +indeed, had not our guide assured us to the contrary, we should have +been innocent of even the suspicion of a way along the patches of +soft yielding sand, and on the great rocks over which we so painfully +clambered. These rocks have a singular appearance, from being +dislocated and twisted in every direction, and covered with a thin +black glaze, as if highly polished and coated with lamp-black +varnish. This seems to have been deposited while the river was in +flood, for it covers only those rocks which lie between the highest +water-mark and a line about four feet above the lowest. Travellers +who have visited the rapids of the Orinoco and the Congo say that the +rocks there have a similar appearance, and it is attributed to some +deposit from the water, formed only when the current is strong. This +may account for it in part here, as it prevails only where the narrow +river is confined between masses of rock, backed by high hills, and +where the current in floods is known to be the strongest; and it does +not exist where the rocks are only on one side, with a sandy beach +opposite, and a broad expanse of river between. The hot rocks burnt +the thick soles of our men's feet, and sorely fatigued ourselves. +Our first day's march did not exceed four miles in a straight line, +and that we found more than enough to be pleasant. + +The state of insecurity in which the Badema tribe live is indicated +by the habit of hiding their provisions in the hills, and keeping +only a small quantity in their huts; they strip a particular species +of tree of its bitter bark, to which both mice and monkeys are known +to have an antipathy, and, turning the bark inside out, sew it into +cylindrical vessels for their grain, and bury them in holes and in +crags on the wooded hill-sides. By this means, should a marauding +party plunder their huts, they save a supply of corn. They "could +give us no information, and they had no food; Chisaka's men had +robbed them a few weeks before." + +"Never mind," said our native Portuguese, "they will sell you plenty +when you return, they are afraid of you now, as yet they do not know +who you are." We slept under trees in the open air, and suffered no +inconvenience from either mosquitoes or dew: and no prowling wild +beast troubled us; though one evening, while we were here, a native +sitting with some others on the opposite bank was killed by a +leopard. + +One of the Tette slaves, who wished to be considered a great +traveller, gave us, as we sat by our evening fire, an interesting +account of a strange race of men whom he had seen in the interior; +they were only three feet high, and had horns growing out of their +heads; they lived in a large town and had plenty of food. The +Makololo pooh-poohed this story, and roundly told the narrator that +he was telling a downright lie. "WE come from the interior," cried +out a tall fellow, measuring some six feet four, "are WE dwarfs? have +WE horns on our heads?" and thus they laughed the fellow to scorn. +But he still stoutly maintained that he had seen these little people, +and had actually been in their town; thus making himself the hero of +the traditional story, which before and since the time of Herodotus +has, with curious persistency, clung to the native mind. The mere +fact that such absurd notions are permanent, even in the entire +absence of literature, invests the religious ideas of these people +also with importance, as fragments of the wreck of the primitive +faith floating down the stream of time. + +We waded across the rapid Luia, which took us up to the waist, and +was about forty yards wide. The water was discoloured at the time, +and we were not without apprehension that a crocodile might chance to +fancy a white man for dinner. Next day one of the men crawled over +the black rocks to within ten yards of a sleeping hippopotamus, and +shot him through the brain. The weather being warm, the body floated +in a few hours, and some of us had our first trial of hippopotamus +flesh. It is a cross-grained meat, something between pork and beef,- +-pretty good food when one is hungry and can get nothing better. +When we reached the foot of the mountain named Chipereziwa, whose +perpendicular rocky sides are clothed with many-coloured lichens, our +Portuguese companion informed us there were no more obstructions to +navigation, the river being all smooth above; he had hunted there and +knew it well. Supposing that the object of our trip was accomplished +we turned back; but two natives, who came to our camp at night, +assured us that a cataract, called Morumbwa, did still exist in +front. Drs. Livingstone and Kirk then decided to go forward with +three Makololo and settle the question for themselves. It was as +tough a bit of travel as they ever had in Africa, and after some +painful marching the Badema guides refused to go further; "the +Banyai," they said, "would be angry if they showed white men the +country; and there was besides no practicable approach to the spot, +neither elephant, nor hippopotamus, nor even a crocodile could reach +the cataract." The slopes of the mountains on each side of the +river, now not 300 yards wide, and without the flattish flood-channel +and groove, were more than 3000 feet from the sky-line down, and were +covered either with dense thornbush or huge black boulders; this deep +trough-like shape caused the sun's rays to converge as into a focus, +making the surface so hot that the soles of the feet of the Makololo +became blistered. Around, and up and down, the party clambered among +these heated blocks, at a pace not exceeding a mile an hour; the +strain upon the muscles in jumping from crag to boulder, and +wriggling round projections, took an enormous deal out of them, and +they were often glad to cower in the shadow formed by one rock +overhanging and resting on another; the shelter induced the +peculiarly strong and overpowering inclination to sleep, which too +much sun sometimes causes. This sleep is curative of what may be +incipient sunstroke: in its first gentle touches, it caused the +dream to flit over the boiling brain, that they had become lunatics +and had been sworn in as members of the Alpine club; and then it +became so heavy that it made them feel as if a portion of existence +had been cut out from their lives. The sun is excessively hot, and +feels sharp in Africa; but, probably from the greater dryness of the +atmosphere, we never heard of a single case of sunstroke, so common +in India. The Makololo told Dr. Livingstone they "always thought he +had a heart, but now they believed he had none," and tried to +persuade Dr. Kirk to return, on the ground that it must be evident +that, in attempting to go where no living foot could tread, his +leader had given unmistakeable signs of having gone mad. All their +efforts of persuasion, however, were lost upon Dr. Kirk, as he had +not yet learned their language, and his leader, knowing his companion +to be equally anxious with himself to solve the problem of the +navigableness of Kebrabasa, was not at pains to enlighten him. At +one part a bare mountain spur barred the way, and had to be +surmounted by a perilous and circuitous route, along which the crags +were so hot that it was scarcely possible for the hand to hold on +long enough to ensure safety in the passage; and had the foremost of +the party lost his hold, he would have hurled all behind him into the +river at the foot of the promontory; yet in this wild hot region, as +they descended again to the river, they met a fisherman casting his +hand-net into the boiling eddies, and he pointed out the cataract of +Morumbwa; within an hour they were trying to measure it from an +overhanging rock, at a height of about one hundred feet. When you +stand facing the cataract, on the north bank, you see that it is +situated in a sudden bend of the river, which is flowing in a short +curve; the river above it is jammed between two mountains in a +channel with perpendicular sides, and less than fifty yards wide; one +or two masses of rock jut out, and then there is a sloping fall of +perhaps twenty feet in a distance of thirty yards. It would stop all +navigation, except during the highest floods; the rocks showed that +the water then rises upwards of eighty feet perpendicularly. + +Still keeping the position facing the cataract, on its right side +rises Mount Morumbwa from 2000 to 3000 feet high, which gives the +name to the spot. On the left of the cataract stands a noticeable +mountain which may be called onion-shaped, for it is partly conical +and a large concave flake has peeled off, as granite often does, and +left a broad, smooth convex face as if it were an enormous bulb. +These two mountains extend their bases northwards about half a mile, +and the river in that distance, still very narrow, is smooth, with a +few detached rocks standing out from its bed. They climbed as high +up the base of Mount Morumbwa, which touches the cataract, as they +required. The rocks were all water-worn and smooth, with huge +potholes, even at 100 feet above low water. When at a later period +they climbed up the north-western base of this same mountain, the +familiar face of the onion-shaped one opposite was at once +recognised; one point of view on the talus of Mount Morumbwa was not +more than 700 or 800 yards distant from the other, and they then +completed the survey of Kebrabasa from end to end. + +They did not attempt to return by the way they came, but scaled the +slope of the mountain on the north. It took them three hours' hard +labour in cutting their way up through the dense thornbush which +covered the ascent. The face of the slope was often about an angle +of 70 degrees, yet their guide Shokumbenla, whose hard, horny soles, +resembling those of elephants, showed that he was accustomed to this +rough and hot work, carried a pot of water for them nearly all the +way up. They slept that night at a well in a tufaceous rock on the +N.W. of Chipereziwa, and never was sleep more sweet. + +A band of native musicians came to our camp one evening, on our own +way down, and treated us with their wild and not unpleasant music on +the Marimba, an instrument formed of bars of hard wood of varying +breadth and thickness, laid on different-sized hollow calabashes, and +tuned to give the notes; a few pieces of cloth pleased them, and they +passed on. + +The rainy season of Tette differs a little from that of some of the +other intertropical regions; the quantity of rain-fall being +considerably less. It begins in November and ends in April. During +our first season in that place, only a little over nineteen inches of +rain fell. In an average year, and when the crops are good, the fall +amounts to about thirty-five inches. On many days it does not rain +at all, and rarely is it wet all day; some days have merely a passing +shower, preceded and followed by hot sunshine; occasionally an +interval of a week, or even a fortnight, passes without a drop of +rain, and then the crops suffer from the sun. These partial droughts +happen in December and January. The heat appears to increase to a +certain point in the different latitudes so as to necessitate a +change, by some law similar to that which regulates the intense cold +in other countries. After several days of progressive heat here, on +the hottest of which the thermometer probably reaches 103 degrees in +the shade, a break occurs in the weather, and a thunderstorm cools +the air for a time. At Kuruman, when the thermometer stood above 84 +degrees, rain might be expected; at Kolobeng, the point at which we +looked for a storm was 96 degrees. The Zambesi is in flood twice in +the course of the year; the first flood, a partial one, attains its +greatest height about the end of December or beginning of January; +the second, and greatest, occurs after the river inundates the +interior, in a manner similar to the overflow of the Nile, this rise +not taking place at Tette until March. The Portuguese say that the +greatest height which the March floods attain is thirty feet at +Tette, and this happens only about every fourth year; their +observations, however, have never been very accurate on anything but +ivory, and they have in this case trusted to memory alone. The only +fluviometer at Tette, or anywhere else on the river, was set up at +our suggestion; and the first flood was at its greatest height of +thirteen feet six inches on the 17th January, 1859, and then +gradually fell a few feet, until succeeded by the greater flood of +March. The river rises suddenly, the water is highly discoloured and +impure, and there is a four-knot current in many places; but in a day +or two after the first rush of waters is passed, the current becomes +more equally spread over the whole bed of the river, and resumes its +usual rate in the channel, although continuing in flood. The Zambesi +water at other times is almost chemically pure, and the photographer +would find that it is nearly as good as distilled water for the +nitrate of silver bath. + +A third visit to Kebrabasa was made for the purpose of ascertaining +whether it might be navigable when the Zambesi was in flood, the +chief point of interest being of course Morumbwa; it was found that +the rapids observed in our first trip had disappeared, and that while +they were smoothed over, in a few places the current had increased in +strength. As the river fell rapidly while we were on the journey, +the cataract of Morumbwa did not differ materially from what it was +when discovered. Some fishermen assured us that it was not visible +when the river was at its fullest, and that the current was then not +very strong. On this occasion we travelled on the right bank, and +found it, with the additional inconvenience of rain, as rough and +fatiguing as the left had been. Our progress was impeded by the tall +wet grass and dripping boughs, and consequent fever. During the +earlier part of the journey we came upon a few deserted hamlets only; +but at last in a pleasant valley we met some of the people of the +country, who were miserably poor and hungry. The women were +gathering wild fruits in the woods. A young man having consented for +two yards of cotton cloth to show us a short path to the cataract led +us up a steep hill to a village perched on the edge of one of its +precipices; a thunderstorm coming on at the time, the headman invited +us to take shelter in a hut until it had passed. Our guide having +informed him of what he knew and conceived to be our object, was +favoured in return with a long reply in well-sounding blank verse; at +the end of every line the guide, who listened with deep attention, +responded with a grunt, which soon became so ludicrous that our men +burst into a loud laugh. Neither the poet nor the responsive guide +took the slightest notice of their rudeness, but kept on as +energetically as ever to the end. The speech, or more probably our +bad manners, made some impression on our guide, for he declined, +although offered double pay, to go any further. + +A great deal of fever comes in with March and April; in March, if +considerable intervals take place between the rainy days, and in +April always, for then large surfaces of mud and decaying vegetation +are exposed to the hot sun. In general an attack does not continue +long, but it pulls one down quickly; though when the fever is checked +the strength is as quickly restored. It had long been observed that +those who were stationed for any length of time in one spot, and +lived sedentary lives, suffered more from fever than others who moved +about and had both mind and body occupied; but we could not all go in +the small vessel when she made her trips, during which the change of +place and scenery proved so conducive to health; and some of us were +obliged to remain in charge of the expedition's property, making +occasional branch trips to examine objects of interest in the +vicinity. Whatever may be the cause of the fever, we observed that +all were often affected at the same time, as if from malaria. This +was particularly the case during a north wind: it was at first +commonly believed that a daily dose of quinine would prevent the +attack. For a number of months all our men, except two, took quinine +regularly every morning. The fever some times attacked the believers +in quinine, while the unbelievers in its prophylactic powers escaped. +Whether we took it daily, or omitted it altogether for months, made +no difference; the fever was impartial, and seized us on the days of +quinine as regularly and as severely as when it remained undisturbed +in the medicine chest, and we finally abandoned the use of it as a +prophylactic altogether. The best preventive against fever is plenty +of interesting work to do, and abundance of wholesome food to eat. +To a man well housed and clothed, who enjoys these advantages, the +fever at Tette will not prove a more formidable enemy than a common +cold; but let one of these be wanting--let him be indolent, or guilty +of excesses in eating or drinking, or have poor, scanty fare,--and +the fever will probably become a more serious matter. It is of a +milder type at Tette than at Quillimane or on the low sea-coast; and, +as in this part of Africa one is as liable to fever as to colds in +England, it would be advisable for strangers always to hasten from +the coast to the high lands, in order that when the seizure does take +place, it may be of the mildest type. Although quinine was not found +to be a preventive, except possibly in the way of acting as a tonic, +and rendering the system more able to resist the influence of +malaria, it was found invaluable in the cure of the complaint, as +soon as pains in the back, sore bones, headache, yawning, quick and +sometimes intermittent pulse, noticeable pulsations of the jugulars, +with suffused eyes, hot skin, and foul tongue, began. {1} + +Very curious are the effects of African fever on certain minds. +Cheerfulness vanishes, and the whole mental horizon is overcast with +black clouds of gloom and sadness. The liveliest joke cannot provoke +even the semblance of a smile. The countenance is grave, the eyes +suffused, and the few utterances are made in the piping voice of a +wailing infant. An irritable temper is often the first symptom of +approaching fever. At such times a man feels very much like a fool, +if he does not act like one. Nothing is right, nothing pleases the +fever-stricken victim. He is peevish, prone to find fault and to +contradict, and think himself insulted, and is exactly what an Irish +naval surgeon before a court-martial defined a drunken man to be: "a +man unfit for society." + +Finding that it was impossible to take our steamer of only ten-horse +power through Kebrabasa, and convinced that, in order to force a +passage when the river was in flood, much greater power was required, +due information was forwarded to Her Majesty's Government, and +application made for a more suitable vessel. Our attention was in +the mean time turned to the exploration of the river Shire, a +northern tributary of the Zambesi, which joins it about a hundred +miles from the sea. We could learn nothing satisfactory from the +Portuguese regarding this affluent; no one, they said, had ever been +up it, nor could they tell whence it came. Years ago a Portuguese +expedition is said, however, to have attempted the ascent, but to +have abandoned it on account of the impenetrable duckweed (Pistia +stratiotes.) We could not learn from any record that the Shire had +ever been ascended by Europeans. As far, therefore, as we were +concerned, the exploration was absolutely new. All the Portuguese +believed the Manganja to be brave but bloodthirsty savages; and on +our return we found that soon after our departure a report was widely +spread that our temerity had been followed by fatal results, Dr. +Livingstone having been shot, and Dr. Kirk mortally wounded by +poisoned arrows. + +Our first trip to the Shire was in January, 1859. A considerable +quantity of weed floated down the river for the first twenty-five +miles, but not sufficient to interrupt navigation with canoes or with +any other craft. Nearly the whole of this aquatic plant proceeds +from a marsh on the west, and comes into the river a little beyond a +lofty hill called Mount Morambala. Above that there is hardly any. +As we approached the villages, the natives collected in large +numbers, armed with bows and poisoned arrows; and some, dodging +behind trees, were observed taking aim as if on the point of +shooting. All the women had been sent out of the way, and the men +were evidently prepared to resist aggression. At the village of a +chief named Tingane, at least five hundred natives collected and +ordered us to stop. Dr. Livingstone went ashore; and on his +explaining that we were English and had come neither to take slaves +nor to fight, but only to open a path by which our countrymen might +follow to purchase cotton, or whatever else they might have to sell, +except slaves, Tingane became at once quite friendly. The presence +of the steamer, which showed that they had an entirely new people to +deal with, probably contributed to this result; for Tingane was +notorious for being the barrier to all intercourse between the +Portuguese black traders and the natives further inland; none were +allowed to pass him either way. He was an elderly, well-made man, +grey-headed, and over six feet high. Though somewhat excited by our +presence, he readily complied with the request to call his people +together, in order that all might know what our objects were. + +In commencing intercourse with any people we almost always referred +to the English detestation of slavery. Most of them already possess +some information respecting the efforts made by the English at sea to +suppress the slave-trade; and our work being to induce them to raise +and sell cotton, instead of capturing and selling their fellow-men, +our errand appears quite natural; and as they all have clear ideas of +their own self-interest, and are keen traders, the reasonableness of +the proposal is at once admitted; and as a belief in a Supreme Being, +the Maker and Ruler of all things, and in the continued existence of +departed spirits, is universal, it becomes quite appropriate to +explain that we possess a Book containing a Revelation of the will of +Him to whom in their natural state they recognise no relationship. +The fact that His Son appeared among men, and left His words in His +Book, always awakens attention; but the great difficulty is to make +them feel that they have any relationship to Him, and that He feels +any interest in them. The numbness of moral perception exhibited, is +often discouraging; but the mode of communication, either by +interpreters, or by the imperfect knowledge of the language, which +not even missionaries of talent can overcome save by the labour of +many years, may, in part, account for the phenomenon. However, the +idea of the Father of all being displeased with His children, for +selling or killing each other, at once gains their ready assent: it +harmonizes so exactly with their own ideas of right and wrong. But, +as in our own case at home, nothing less than the instruction and +example of many years will secure their moral elevation. + +The dialect spoken here closely resembles that used at Senna and +Tette. We understood it at first only enough to know whether our +interpreter was saying what we bade him, or was indulging in his own +version. After stating pretty nearly what he was told, he had an +inveterate tendency to wind up with "The Book says you are to grow +cotton, and the English are to come and buy it," or with some joke of +his own, which might have been ludicrous, had it not been seriously +distressing. + +In the first ascent of the Shire our attention was chiefly directed +to the river itself. The delight of threading out the meanderings of +upwards of 200 miles of a hitherto unexplored river must be felt to +be appreciated. All the lower part of the river was found to be at +least two fathoms in depth. It became shallower higher up, where +many departing and re-entering branches diminished the volume of +water, but the absence of sandbanks made it easy of navigation. We +had to exercise the greatest care lest anything we did should be +misconstrued by the crowds who watched us. After having made, in a +straight line, one hundred miles, although the windings of the river +had fully doubled the distance, we found further progress with the +steamer arrested, in 15 degrees 55 minutes south, by magnificent +cataracts, which we called, "The Murchison," after one whose name has +already a world-wide fame, and whose generous kindness we can never +repay. The native name of that figured in the woodcut is Mamvira. +It is that at which the progress of the steamer was first stopped. +The angle of descent is much smaller than that of the five cataracts +above it; indeed, so small as compared with them, that after they +were discovered this was not included in the number. + +A few days were spent here in the hope that there might be an +opportunity of taking observations for longitude, but it rained most +of the time, or the sky was overcast. It was deemed imprudent to +risk a land journey whilst the natives were so very suspicious as to +have a strong guard on the banks of the river night and day; the +weather also was unfavourable. After sending presents and messages +to two of the chiefs, we returned to Tette. In going down stream our +progress was rapid, as we were aided by the current. The hippopotami +never made a mistake, but got out of our way. The crocodiles, not so +wise, sometimes rushed with great velocity at us, thinking that we +were some huge animal swimming. They kept about a foot from the +surface, but made three well-defined ripples from the feet and body, +which marked their rapid progress; raising the head out of the water +when only a few yards from the expected feast, down they went to the +bottom like a stone, without touching the boat. + +In the middle of March of the same year (1859), we started again for +a second trip on the Shire. The natives were now friendly, and +readily sold us rice, fowls, and corn. We entered into amicable +relations with the chief, Chibisa, whose village was about ten miles +below the cataract. He had sent two men on our first visit to invite +us to drink beer; but the steamer was such a terrible apparition to +them, that, after shouting the invitation, they jumped ashore, and +left their canoe to drift down the stream. Chibisa was a remarkably +shrewd man, the very image, save his dark hue, of one of our most +celebrated London actors, {2} and the most intelligent chief, by far, +in this quarter. A great deal of fighting had fallen to his lot, he +said; but it was always others who began; he was invariably in the +right, and they alone were to blame. He was moreover a firm believer +in the divine right of kings. He was an ordinary man, he said, when +his father died, and left him the chieftainship; but directly he +succeeded to the high office, he was conscious of power passing into +his head, and down his back; he felt it enter, and knew that he was a +chief, clothed with authority, and possessed of wisdom; and people +then began to fear and reverence him. He mentioned this, as one +would a fact of natural history, any doubt being quite out of the +question. His people, too, believed in him, for they bathed in the +river without the slightest fear of crocodiles, the chief having +placed a powerful medicine there, which protected them from the bite +of these terrible reptiles. + +Leaving the vessel opposite Chibisa's village, Drs. Livingstone and +Kirk and a number of the Makololo started on foot for Lake Shirwa. +They travelled in a northerly direction over a mountainous country. +The people were far from being well-disposed to them, and some of +their guides tried to mislead them, and could not be trusted. +Masakasa, a Makololo headman, overheard some remarks which satisfied +him that the guide was leading them into trouble. He was quiet till +they reached a lonely spot, when he came up to Dr. Livingstone, and +said, "That fellow is bad, he is taking us into mischief; my spear is +sharp, and there is no one here; shall I cast him into the long +grass?" Had the Doctor given the slightest token of assent, or even +kept silence, never more would any one have been led by that guide, +for in a twinkling he would have been where "the wicked cease from +troubling." It was afterwards found that in this case there was no +treachery at all, but a want of knowledge on their part of the +language and of the country. They asked to be led to "Nyanja +Mukulu," or Great Lake, meaning, by this, Lake Shirwa; and the guide +took them round a terribly rough piece of mountainous country, +gradually edging away towards a long marsh, which from the numbers of +those animals we had seen there we had called the Elephant Marsh, but +which was really the place known to him by the name "Nyanja Mukulu," +or Great Lake. Nyanja or Nyanza means, generally, a marsh, lake, +river, or even a mere rivulet. + +The party pushed on at last without guides, or only with crazy ones; +for, oddly enough, they were often under great obligations to the +madmen of the different villages: one of these honoured them, as +they slept in the open air, by dancing and singing at their feet the +whole night. These poor fellows sympathized with the explorers, +probably in the belief that they belonged to their own class; and, +uninfluenced by the general opinion of their countrymen, they really +pitied, and took kindly to the strangers, and often guided them +faithfully from place to place, when no sane man could be hired for +love or money. + +The bearing of the Manganja at this time was very independent; a +striking contrast to the cringing attitude they afterwards assumed, +when the cruel scourge of slave-hunting passed over their country. +Signals were given from the different villages by means of drums, and +notes of defiance and intimidation were sounded in the travellers' +ears by day; and occasionally they were kept awake the whole night, +in expectation of an instant attack. Drs. Livingstone and Kirk were +desirous that nothing should occur to make the natives regard them as +enemies; Masakasa, on the other hand, was anxious to show what he +could do in the way of fighting them. + +The perseverance of the party was finally crowned with success; for +on the 18th of April they discovered Lake Shirwa, a considerable body +of bitter water, containing leeches, fish, crocodiles, and +hippopotami. From having probably no outlet, the water is slightly +brackish, and it appears to be deep, with islands like hills rising +out of it. Their point of view was at the base of Mount Pirimiti or +Mopeu-peu, on its S.S.W. side. Thence the prospect northwards ended +in a sea horizon with two small islands in the distance--a larger +one, resembling a hill-top and covered with trees, rose more in the +foreground. Ranges of hills appeared on the east; and on the west +stood Mount Chikala, which seems to be connected with the great +mountain-mass called Zomba. + +The shore, near which they spent two nights, was covered with reeds +and papyrus. Wishing to obtain the latitude by the natural horizon, +they waded into the water some distance towards what was reported to +be a sand-bank, but were so assaulted by leeches, they were fain to +retreat; and a woman told them that in enticing them into the water +the men only wanted to kill them. The information gathered was that +this lake was nothing in size compared to another in the north, from +which it is separated by only a tongue of land. The northern end of +Shirwa has not been seen, though it has been passed; the length of +the lake may probably be 60 or 80 miles, and about 20 broad. The +height above the sea is 1800 feet, and the taste of the water is like +a weak solution of Epsom salts. The country around is very +beautiful, and clothed with rich vegetation; and the waves, at the +time they were there breaking and foaming over a rock on the south- +eastern side, added to the beauty of the picture. Exceedingly lofty +mountains, perhaps 8000 feet above the sea-level, stand near the +eastern shore. When their lofty steep-sided summits appear, some +above, some below the clouds, the scene is grand. This range is +called Milanje; on the west stands Mount Zomba, 7000 feet in height, +and some twenty miles long. + +Their object being rather to gain the confidence of the people by +degrees than to explore, they considered that they had advanced far +enough into the country for one trip; and believing that they could +secure their end by a repetition of their visit, as they had done on +the Shire, they decided to return to the vessel at Dakanamoio island; +but, instead of returning by the way they came, they passed down +southwards close by Mount Chiradzuru, among the relatives of Chibisa, +and thence by the pass Zedi, down to the Shire. The Kroomen had, +while we were away, cut a good supply of wood for steaming, and we +soon proceeded down the river. + +The steamer reached Tette on the 23rd of June, and, after undergoing +repairs, proceeded to the Kongone to receive provisions from one of +H.M. cruisers. We had been very abundantly supplied with first-rate +stores, but were unfortunate enough to lose a considerable portion of +them, and had now to bear the privation as best we could. On the way +down, we purchased a few gigantic cabbages and pumpkins at a native +village below Mazaro. Our dinners had usually consisted of but a +single course; but we were surprised the next day by our black cook +from Sierra Leone bearing in a second course. "What have you got +there?" was asked in wonder. "A tart, sir." "A tart! of what is it +made?" "Of cabbage, sir." As we had no sugar, and could not "make +believe," as in the days of boyhood, we did not enjoy the feast that +Tom's genius had prepared. Her Majesty's brig "Persian," Lieutenant +Saumarez commanding, called on her way to the Cape; and, though +somewhat short of provisions herself, generously gave us all she +could spare. We now parted with our Kroomen, as, from their +inability to march, we could not use them in our land journeys. A +crew was picked out from the Makololo, who, besides being good +travellers, could cut wood, work the ship, and required only native +food. + +While at the Kongone it was found necessary to beach the steamer for +repairs. She was built of a newly invented sort of steel plates, +only a sixteenth of an inch in thickness, patented, but unfortunately +never tried before. To build an exploring ship of untried material +was a mistake. Some chemical action on this preparation of steel +caused a minute hole; from this point, branches like lichens, or the +little ragged stars we sometimes see in thawing ice, radiated in all +directions. Small holes went through wherever a bend occurred in +these branches. The bottom very soon became like a sieve, completely +full of minute holes, which leaked perpetually. The engineer stopped +the larger ones, but the vessel was no sooner afloat, than new ones +broke out. The first news of a morning was commonly the unpleasant +announcement of another leak in the forward compartment, or in the +middle, which was worse still. + +Frequent showers fell on our way up the Zambesi, in the beginning of +August. On the 8th we had upwards of three inches of rain, which +large quantity, more than falls in any single rainy day during the +season at Tette, we owed to being near the sea. Sometimes the cabin +was nearly flooded; for, in addition to the leakage from below, rain +poured through the roof, and an umbrella had to be used whenever we +wished to write: the mode of coupling the compartments, too, was a +new one, and the action of the hinder compartment on the middle one +pumped up the water of the river, and sent it in streams over the +floor and lockers, where lay the cushions which did double duty as +chairs and beds. In trying to form an opinion of the climate, it +must be recollected that much of the fever, from which we suffered, +was caused by sleeping on these wet cushions. Many of the botanical +specimens, laboriously collected and carefully prepared by Dr. Kirk, +were destroyed, or double work imposed, by their accidentally falling +into wet places in the cabin. + +About the middle of August, after cutting wood at Shamoara, we again +steamed up the Shire, with the intention of becoming better +acquainted with the people, and making another and longer journey on +foot to the north of Lake Shirwa, in search of Lake Nyassa, of which +we had already received some information, under the name Nyinyesi +(the stars). The Shire is much narrower than the Zambesi, but +deeper, and more easily navigated. It drains a low and exceedingly +fertile valley of from fifteen to twenty miles in breadth. Ranges of +wooded hills bound this valley on both sides. For the first twenty +miles the hills on the left bank are close to the river; then comes +Morambala, a detached mountain 500 yards from the river's brink, +which rises, with steep sides on the west, to 4000 feet in height, +and is about seven miles in length. It is wooded up to the very top, +and very beautiful. The southern end, seen from a distance, has a +fine gradual slope, and looks as if it might be of easy ascent; but +the side which faces the Shire is steep and rocky, especially in the +upper half. A small village peeps out about halfway up the mountain; +it has a pure and bracing atmosphere; and is perched above mosquito +range. The people on the summit have a very different climate and +vegetation from those of the plains; but they have to spend a great +portion of their existence amidst white fleecy clouds, which, in the +rainy season, rest daily on the top of their favourite mountain. We +were kindly treated by these mountaineers on our first ascent; before +our second they were nearly all swept away by Mariano. Dr. Kirk +found upwards of thirty species of ferns on this and other mountains, +and even good-sized tree-ferns; though scarcely a single kind is to +be met with on the plains. Lemon and orange trees grew wild, and +pineapples had been planted by the people. Many large hornbills, +hawks, monkeys, antelopes, and rhinoceroses found a home and food +among the great trees round its base. A hot fountain boils up on the +plain near the north end. It bubbles out of the earth, clear as +crystal, at two points, or eyes, a few yards apart from each other, +and sends off a fine flowing stream of hot water. The temperature +was found to be 174 degrees Fahr., and it boiled an egg in about the +usual time. Our guide threw in a small branch to show us how +speedily the Madse-awira (boiling water) could kill the leaves. +Unlucky lizards and insects did not seem to understand the nature of +a hot-spring, as many of their remains were lying at the bottom. A +large beetle had alighted on the water, and been killed before it had +time to fold its wings. An incrustation, smelling of sulphur, has +been deposited by the water on the stones. About a hundred feet from +the eye of the fountain the mud is as hot as can be borne by the +body. In taking a bath there, it makes the skin perfectly clean, and +none of the mud adheres: it is strange that the Portuguese do not +resort to it for the numerous cutaneous diseases with which they are +so often afflicted. + +A few clumps of the palm and acacia trees appear west of Morambala, +on the rich plain forming the tongue of land between the rivers Shire +and Zambesi. This is a good place for all sorts of game. The +Zambesi canoe-men were afraid to sleep on it from the idea of lions +being there; they preferred to pass the night on an island. Some +black men, who accompanied us as volunteer workmen from Shupanga, +called out one evening that a lion stood on the bank. It was very +dark, and we could only see two sparkling lights, said to be the +lion's eyes looking at us; for here, as elsewhere, they have a theory +that the lion's eyes always flash fire at night. Not being +fireflies--as they did not move when a shot was fired in their +direction--they were probably glowworms. + +Beyond Morambala the Shire comes winding through an extensive marsh. +For many miles to the north a broad sea of fresh green grass extends, +and is so level, that it might be used for taking the meridian +altitude of the sun. Ten or fifteen miles north of Morambala, stands +the dome-shaped mountain Makanga, or Chi-kanda; several others with +granitic-looking peaks stretch away to the north, and form the +eastern boundary of the valley; another range, but of metamorphic +rocks, commencing opposite Senna, bounds the valley on the west. +After streaming through a portion of this marsh, we came to a broad +belt of palm and other trees, crossing the fine plain on the right +bank. Marks of large game were abundant. Elephants had been feeding +on the palm nuts, which have a pleasant fruity taste, and are used as +food by man. Two pythons were observed coiled together among the +branches of a large tree, and were both shot. The larger of the two, +a female, was ten feet long. They are harmless, and said to be good +eating. The Makololo having set fire to the grass where they were +cutting wood, a solitary buffalo rushed out of the conflagration, and +made a furious charge at an active young fellow named Mantlanyane. +Never did his fleet limbs serve him better than during the few +seconds of his fearful flight before the maddened animal. When he +reached the bank, and sprang into the river, the infuriated beast was +scarcely six feet behind him. Towards evening, after the day's +labour in wood-cutting was over, some of the men went fishing. They +followed the common African custom of agitating the water, by giving +it a few sharp strokes with the top of the fishing-rod, immediately +after throwing in the line, to attract the attention of the fish to +the bait. Having caught nothing, the reason assigned was the same as +would have been given in England under like circumstances, namely, +that "the wind made the fish cold, and they would not bite." Many +gardens of maize, pumpkins, and tobacco, fringed the marshy banks as +we went on. They belong to natives of the hills, who come down in +the dry season, and raise a crop on parts at other times flooded. +While the crops are growing, large quantities of fish are caught, +chiefly Clarias capensis, and Mugil Africanus; they are dried for +sale or future consumption. + +As we ascended, we passed a deep stream about thirty yards wide, +flowing in from a body of open water several miles broad. Numbers of +men were busy at different parts of it, filling their canoes with the +lotus root, called Nyika, which, when boiled or roasted, resembles +our chestnuts, and is extensively used in Africa as food. Out of +this lagoon, and by this stream, the chief part of the duckweed of +the Shire flows. The lagoon itself is called Nyanja ea Motope (Lake +of Mud). It is also named Nyanja Pangono (Little Lake), while the +elephant marsh goes by the name of Nyanja Mukulu (Great Lake). It is +evident from the shore line still to be observed on the adjacent +hills, that in ancient times these were really lakes, and the +traditional names thus preserved are only another evidence of the +general desiccation which Africa has undergone. + + + +CHAPTER III. + + + +The Steamer in difficulties--Elephant hunting--Arrival at Chibisa's-- +Search for Lake Nyassa--The Manganja country--Weavers and smelters-- +Lake Pamalombe. + +Late in the afternoon of the first day's steaming, after we left the +wooding-place, we called at the village of Chikanda-Kadze, a female +chief, to purchase rice for our men; but we were now in the blissful +region where time is absolutely of no account, and where men may sit +down and rest themselves when tired; so they requested us to wait +till next day, and they would then sell us some food. As our forty +black men, however, had nothing to cook for supper, we were obliged +to steam on to reach a village a few miles above. When we meet those +who care not whether we purchase or let it alone, or who think men +ought only to be in a hurry when fleeing from an enemy, our ideas +about time being money, and the power of the purse, receives a shock. +The state of eager competition, which in England wears out both mind +and body, and makes life bitter, is here happily unknown. The +cultivated spots are mere dots compared to the broad fields of rich +soil which is never either grazed or tilled. Pity that the plenty in +store for all, from our Father's bountiful hands, is not enjoyed by +more. + +The wretched little steamer could not carry all the hands we needed; +so, to lighten her, we put some into the boats and towed them astern. +In the dark, one of the boats was capsized; but all in it, except one +poor fellow who could not swim, were picked up. His loss threw a +gloom over us all, and added to the chagrin we often felt at having +been so ill-served in our sorry craft. + +Next day we arrived at the village of Mboma (16 degrees 56 minutes 30 +seconds S.), where the people raised large quantities of rice, and +were eager traders; the rice was sold at wonderfully low rates, and +we could not purchase a tithe of the food brought for sale. + +A native minstrel serenaded us in the evening, playing several quaint +tunes on a species of one stringed fiddle, accompanied by wild, but +not unmusical songs. He told the Makololo that he intended to play +all night to induce us to give him a present. The nights being cold, +the thermometer falling to 47 degrees, with occasional fogs, he was +asked if he was not afraid of perishing from cold; but, with the +genuine spirit of an Italian organ-grinder, he replied, "Oh, no; I +shall spend the night with my white comrades in the big canoe; I have +often heard of the white men, but have never seen them till now, and +I must sing and play well to them." A small piece of cloth, however, +bought him off, and he moved away in good humour. The water of the +river was 70 degrees at sunrise, which was 23 degrees warmer than the +air at the same time, and this caused fogs, which rose like steam off +the river. When this is the case cold bathing in the mornings at +this time of the year is improper, for, instead of a glow on coming +out, one is apt to get a chill; the air being so much colder than the +water. + +A range of hills, commencing opposite Senna, comes to within two or +three miles of Mboma village, and then runs in a north-westerly +direction; the principal hill is named Malawe; a number of villages +stand on its tree-covered sides, and coal is found cropping out in +the rocks. The country improves as we ascend, the rich valley +becoming less swampy, and adorned with a number of trees. + +Both banks are dotted with hippopotamus traps, over every track which +these animals have made in going up out of the water to graze. The +hippopotamus feeds on grass alone, and, where there is any danger, +only at night. Its enormous lips act like a mowing-machine, and form +a path of short-cropped grass as it feeds. We never saw it eat +aquatic plants or reeds. The tusks seem weapons of both offence and +defence. The hippopotamus trap consists of a beam five or six feet +long, armed with a spear-head or hard-wood spike, covered with +poison, and suspended to a forked pole by a cord, which, coming down +to the path, is held by a catch, to be set free when the beast treads +on it. Being wary brutes, they are still very numerous. One got +frightened by the ship, as she was steaming close to the bank. In +its eager hurry to escape it rushed on shore, and ran directly under +a trap, when down came the heavy beam on its back, driving the +poisoned spear-head a foot deep into its flesh. In its agony it +plunged back into the river, to die in a few hours, and afterwards +furnished a feast for the natives. The poison on the spear-head does +not affect the meat, except the part around the wound, and that is +thrown away. In some places the descending beam is weighted with +heavy stones, but here the hard heavy wood is sufficient. + +"She is leaking worse than ever forward, sir, and there is a foot of +water in the hold," was our first salutation on the morning of the +20th. But we have become accustomed to these things now; the cabin- +floor is always wet, and one is obliged to mop up the water many +times a day, giving some countenance to the native idea that +Englishmen live in or on the water, and have no houses but ships. +The cabin is now a favourite breeding-place for mosquitoes, and we +have to support both the ship-bred and shore-bred bloodsuckers, of +which several species show us their irritating attentions. A large +brown sort, called by the Portuguese mansos (tame), flies straight to +its victim, and goes to work at once, as though it were an invited +guest. Some of the small kinds carry uncommonly sharp lancets, and +very potent poison. "What would these insects eat, if we did not +pass this way?" becomes a natural question. + +The juices of plants, and decaying vegetable matter in the mud, +probably form the natural food of mosquitoes, and blood is not +necessary for their existence. They appear so commonly at malarious +spots, that their presence may be taken as a hint to man to be off to +more healthy localities. None appear on the high lands. On the low +lands they swarm in myriads. The females alone are furnished with +the biting apparatus, and their number appears to be out of all +proportion in excess of the males. At anchor, on a still evening, +they were excessively annoying; and the sooner we took refuge under +our mosquito curtains, the better. The miserable and sleepless night +that only one mosquito inside the curtain can cause, is so well +known, and has been so often described, that it is needless to +describe it here. One soon learns, from experience, that to beat out +the curtains thoroughly before entering them, so that not one of +these pests can possibly be harboured within, is the only safeguard +against such severe trials to one's tranquillity and temper. + +A few miles above Mboma we came again to the village (16 degrees 44 +minutes 30 seconds S.) of the chief Tingane, the beat of whose war- +drums can speedily muster some hundreds of armed men. The bows and +poisoned arrows here are of superior workmanship to those below. +Mariano's slave-hunting parties stood in great awe of these barbed +arrows, and long kept aloof from Tingane's villages. His people were +friendly enough with us now, and covered the banks with a variety of +articles for sale. The majestic mountain, Chipirone, to which we +have given the name of Mount Clarendon, now looms in sight, and +further to the N.W. the southern end of the grand Milanje range rises +in the form of an unfinished sphinx looking down on Lake Shirwa. The +Ruo (16 degrees 31 minutes 0 seconds S.) is said to have its source +in the Milanje mountains, and flows to the S.W., to join the Shire +some distance above Tingane's. A short way beyond the Ruo lies the +Elephant marsh, or Nyanja Mukulu, which is frequented by vast herds +of these animals. We believe that we counted eight hundred elephants +in sight at once. In the choice of such a strong hold, they have +shown their usual sagacity, for no hunter can get near them through +the swamps. They now keep far from the steamer; but, when she first +came up, we steamed into the midst of a herd, and some were shot from +the ship's deck. A single lesson was sufficient to teach them that +the steamer was a thing to be avoided; and at the first glimpse they +are now off two or three miles to the midst of the marsh, which is +furrowed in every direction by wandering branches of the Shire. A +fine young elephant was here caught alive, as he was climbing up the +bank to follow his retreating dam. When laid hold of, he screamed +with so much energy that, to escape a visit from the enraged mother, +we steamed off, and dragged him through the water by the proboscis. +As the men were holding his trunk over the gunwale, Monga, a brave +Makololo elephant-hunter, rushed aft, and drew his knife across it in +a sort of frenzy peculiar to the chase. The wound was skilfully sewn +up, and the young animal soon became quite tame, but, unfortunately +the breathing prevented the cut from healing, and he died in a few +days from loss of blood. Had he lived, and had we been able to bring +him home, he would have been the first AFRICAN elephant ever seen in +England. The African male elephant is from ten to a little over +eleven feet in height, and differs from the Asiatic species more +particularly in the convex shape of his forehead, and the enormous +size of his ears. In Asia many of the males, and all the females, +are without tusks, but in Africa both sexes are provided with these +weapons. The enamel in the molar teeth is arranged differently in +the two species. By an admirable provision, new teeth constantly +come up at the part where in man the wisdom teeth appear, and these +push the others along, and out at the front end of the jaws, thus +keeping the molars sound by renewal, till the animal attains a very +great age. The tusks of animals from dry rocky countries are very +munch more dense and heavier than those from wet and marshy +districts, but the latter attain much the larger size. + +The Shire marshes support prodigious numbers of many kinds of water- +fowl. An hour at the mast-head unfolds novel views of life in an +African marsh. Near the edge, and on the branches of some favourite +tree, rest scores of plotuses and cormorants, which stretch their +snake-like necks, and in mute amazement turn one eye and then another +towards the approaching monster. By and-by the timid ones begin to +fly off, or take "headers" into the stream; but a few of the bolder, +or more composed, remain, only taking the precaution to spread their +wings ready for instant flight. The pretty ardetta (Herodias +bubulcus), of a light yellow colour when at rest, but seemingly of a +pure white when flying, takes wing, and sweeps across the green grass +in large numbers, often showing us where buffaloes and elephants are, +by perching on their backs. Flocks of ducks, of which the kind +called "Soriri" (Dendrocygna personata) is most abundant, being night +feeders, meditate quietly by the small lagoons, until startled by the +noise of the steam machinery. Pelicans glide over the water, +catching fish, while the Scopus (Scopus umbretta) and large herons +peer intently into pools. The large black and white spur-winged +goose (a constant marauder of native gardens) springs up, and circles +round to find out what the disturbance can be, and then settles down +again with a splash. Hundreds of Linongolos (Anastomus lamelligerus) +rise on the wing from the clumps of reeds, or low trees (the +Eschinomena, from which pith hats are made), on which they build in +colonies, and are speedily high in mid-air. Charming little red and +yellow weavers (Ploceidae) remind one of butterflies, as they fly in +and out of the tall grass, or hang to the mouths of their pendent +nests, chattering briskly to their mates within. These weavers seem +to have "cock nests," built with only a roof, and a perch beneath, +with a doorway on each side. The natives say they are made to +protect the bird from the rain. Though her husband is very +attentive, we have seen the hen bird tearing her mate's nest to +pieces, but why we cannot tell. Kites and vultures are busy +overhead, beating the ground for their repast of carrion; and the +solemn-looking, stately-stepping Marabout, with a taste for dead +fish, or men, stalks slowly along the almost stagnant channels. +Groups of men and boys are searching diligently in various places for +lotus and other roots. Some are standing in canoes, on the weed- +covered ponds, spearing fish, while others are punting over the small +intersecting streams, to examine their sunken fish-baskets. + +Towards evening, hundreds of pretty little hawks (Erythropus +vespertinus) are seen flying in a southerly direction, and feeding on +dragon-flies and locusts. They come, apparently, from resting on the +palm-trees during the heat of the day. Flocks of scissor-bills +(Rhyncops) are then also on the wing, and in search of food, +ploughing the water with their lower mandibles, which are nearly half +an inch longer than the upper ones. + +At the north-eastern end of the marsh, and about three miles from the +river, commences a great forest of palm-trees (Borassus Aethiopium). +It extends many miles, and at one point comes close to the river. +The grey trunks and green tops of this immense mass of trees give a +pleasing tone of colour to the view. The mountain-range, which rises +close behind the palms, is generally of a cheerful green, and has +many trees, with patches of a lighter tint among them, as if spots of +land had once been cultivated. The sharp angular rocks and dells on +its sides have the appearance of a huge crystal broken; and this is +so often the case in Africa, that one can guess pretty nearly at +sight whether a range is of the old crystalline rocks or not. The +Borassus, though not an oil-bearing palm, is a useful tree. The +fibrous pulp round the large nuts is of a sweet fruity taste, and is +eaten by men and elephants. The natives bury the nuts until the +kernels begin to sprout; when dug up and broken, the inside resembles +coarse potatoes, and is prized in times of scarcity as nutritious +food. During several months of the year, palm-wine, or sura, is +obtained in large quantities; when fresh, it is a pleasant drink, +somewhat like champagne, and not at all intoxicating; though, after +standing a few hours, it becomes highly so. Sticks, a foot long, are +driven into notches in the hard outside of the tree--the inside being +soft or hollow--to serve as a ladder; the top of the fruit-shoot is +cut off, and the sap, pouring out at the fresh wound, is caught in an +earthen pot, which is hung at the point. A thin slice is taken off +the end, to open the pores, and make the juice flow every time the +owner ascends to empty the pot. Temporary huts are erected in the +forest, and men and boys remain by their respective trees day and +night; the nuts, fish, and wine, being their sole food. The +Portuguese use the palm-wine as yeast, and it makes bread so light, +that it melts in the mouth like froth. + +Beyond the marsh the country is higher, and has a much larger +population. We passed a long line of temporary huts, on a plain on +the right bank, with crowds of men and women hard at work making +salt. They obtain it by mixing the earth, which is here highly +saline, with water, in a pot with a small hole in it, and then +evaporating the liquid, which runs through, in the sun. From the +number of women we saw carrying it off in bags, we concluded that +vast quantities must be made at these works. It is worth observing +that on soils like this, containing salt, the cotton is of larger and +finer staple than elsewhere. We saw large tracts of this rich +brackish soil both in the Shire and Zambesi valleys, and hence, +probably, sea-island cotton would do well; a single plant of it, +reared by Major Sicard, flourished and produced the long staple and +peculiar tinge of this celebrated variety, though planted only in the +street at Tette; and there also a salt efflorescence appears, +probably from decomposition of the rock, off which the people scrape +it for use. + +The large village of the chief, Mankokwe, occupies a site on the +right bank; he owns a number of fertile islands, and is said to be +the Rundo, or paramount chief, of a large district. Being of an +unhappy suspicious disposition, he would not see us; so we thought it +best to move on, rather than spend time in seeking his favour. + +On the 25th August we reached Dakanamoio island, opposite the +perpendicular bluff on which Chibisa's village stands; he had gone, +with most of his people, to live near the Zambesi, but his headman +was civil, and promised us guides and whatever else we needed. A few +of the men were busy cleaning, sorting, spinning, and weaving cotton. +This is a common sight in nearly every village, and each family +appears to have its patch of cotton, as our own ancestors in Scotland +had each his patch of flax. Near sunset an immense flock of the +large species of horn-bill (Buceros cristatus) came here to roost on +the great trees which skirt the edge of the cliff. They leave early +in the morning, often before sunrise, for their feeding-places, +coming and going in pairs. They are evidently of a loving +disposition, and strongly attached to each other, the male always +nestling close beside his mate. A fine male fell to the ground, from +fear, at the report of Dr. Kirk's gun; it was caught and kept on +board; the female did not go off in the mornings to feed with the +others, but flew round the ship, anxiously trying, by her plaintive +calls, to induce her beloved one to follow her: she came again in +the evenings to repeat the invitations. The poor disconsolate +captive soon refused to eat, and in five days died of grief, because +he could not have her company. No internal injury could be detected +after death. + +Chibisa and his wife, with a natural show of parental feeling, had +told the Doctor, on his previous visit, that a few years before some +of Chisaka's men had kidnapped and sold their little daughter, and +that she was now a slave to the padre at Tette. On his return to +Tette, the Doctor tried hard to ransom and restore the girl to her +parents, and offered twice the value of a slave; the padre seemed +willing, but she could not be found. This padre was better than the +average men of the country; and, being always civil and obliging, +would probably have restored her gratuitously, but she had been sold, +it might be to the distant tribe Bazizulu, or he could not tell +where. Custom had rendered his feelings callous, and Chibisa had to +be told that his child would never return. It is this callous state +of mind which leads some of our own blood to quote Scripture in +support of slavery. If we could afford to take a backward step in +civilization, we might find men among ourselves who would in like +manner prove Mormonism or any other enormity to be divine. + +We left the ship on the 28th of August, 1859, for the discovery of +Lake Nyassa. Our party numbered forty-two in all--four whites, +thirty-six Makololo, and two guides. We did not actually need so +many, either for carriage or defence; but took them because we +believed that, human nature being everywhere the same, blacks are as +ready as whites to take advantage of the weak, and are as civil and +respectful to the powerful. We armed our men with muskets, which +gave us influence, although it did not add much to our strength, as +most of the men had never drawn a trigger, and in any conflict would +in all probability have been more dangerous to us than the enemy. + +Our path crossed the valley, in a north-easterly direction, up the +course of a beautiful flowing stream. Many of the gardens had +excellent cotton growing in them. An hour's march brought us to the +foot of the Manganja hills, up which lay the toilsome road. The +vegetation soon changed; as we rose bamboos appeared, and new trees +and plants were met with, which gave such incessant employment to Dr. +Kirk, that he travelled the distance three times over. Remarkably +fine trees, one of which has oil-yielding seeds, and belongs to the +mahogany family, grow well in the hollows along the rivulet courses. +The ascent became very fatiguing, and we were glad of a rest. +Looking back from an elevation of a thousand feet, we beheld a lovely +prospect. The eye takes in at a glance the valley beneath, and the +many windings of its silver stream Makubula, or Kubvula, from the +shady hill-side, where it emerges in foaming haste, to where it +slowly glides into the tranquil Shire; then the Shire itself is seen +for many a mile above and below Chibisa's, and the great level +country beyond, with its numerous green woods; until the prospect, +west and north-west, is bounded far away by masses of peaked and +dome-shaped blue mountains, that fringe the highlands of the Maravi +country. + +After a weary march we halted at Makolongwi, the village of Chitimba. +It stands in a woody hollow on the first of the three terraces of the +Manganja hills, and, like all other Manganja villages, is surrounded +by an impenetrable hedge of poisonous euphorbia. This tree casts a +deep shade, which would render it difficult for bowmen to take aim at +the villagers inside. The grass does not grow beneath it, and this +may be the reason why it is so universally used, for when dry the +grass would readily convey fire to the huts inside; moreover, the +hedge acts as a fender to all flying sparks. As strangers are wont +to do, we sat down under some fine trees near the entrance of the +village. A couple of mats, made of split reeds, were spread for the +white men to sit on; and the headman brought a seguati, or present, +of a small goat and a basket of meal. The full value in beads and +cotton cloth was handed to him in return. He measured the cloth, +doubled it, and then measured that again. The beads were +scrutinized; he had never seen beads of that colour before, and +should like to consult with his comrades before accepting them, and +this, after repeated examinations and much anxious talk, he concluded +to do. Meal and peas were then brought for sale. A fathom of blue +cotton cloth, a full dress for man or woman, was produced. Our +Makololo headman, Sininyane, thinking a part of it was enough for the +meal, was proceeding to tear it, when Chitimba remarked that it was a +pity to cut such a nice dress for his wife, he would rather bring +more meal. "All right," said Sininyane; "but look, the cloth is very +wide, so see that the basket which carries the meal be wide too, and +add a cock to make the meal taste nicely." A brisk trade sprang up +at once, each being eager to obtain as fine things as his neighbour,- +-and all were in good humour. Women and girls began to pound and +grind meal, and men and boys chased the screaming fowls over the +village, until they ran them down. In a few hours the market was +completely glutted with every sort of native food; the prices, +however, rarely fell, as they could easily eat what was not sold. + +We slept under the trees, the air being pheasant, and no mosquitoes +on the hills. According to our usual plan of marching, by early dawn +our camp was in motion. After a cup of coffee and a bit of biscuit +we were on the way. The air was deliciously cool, and the path a +little easier than that of yesterday. We passed a number of +villages, occupying very picturesque spots among the hills, and in a +few hours gained the upper terrace, 3000 feet above the level of the +sea. The plateau lies west of the Milanje mountains, and its north- +eastern border slopes down to Lake Shirwa. We were all charmed with +the splendid country, and looked with never-failing delight on its +fertile plains, its numerous hills, and majestic mountains. In some +of the passes we saw bramble-berries growing; and the many other +flowers, though of great beauty, did not remind us of youth and of +home like the ungainly thorny bramble-bushes. We were a week in +crossing the high-lands in a northerly direction; then we descended +into the Upper Shire Valley, which is nearly 1200 feet above the +level of the sea. This valley is wonderfully fertile, and supports a +large population. After leaving the somewhat flat-topped southern +portion, the most prominent mountain of the Zomba range is Njongone, +which has a fine stream running past its northern base. We were +detained at the end of the chain some days by one of our companions +being laid up with fever. One night we were suddenly aroused by +buffaloes rushing close by the sick-bed. We were encamped by a wood +on the border of a marsh, but our patient soon recovered, +notwithstanding the unfavourable situation, and the poor +accommodation. + +The Manganja country is delightfully well watered. The clear, cool, +gushing streams are very numerous. Once we passed seven fine brooks +and a spring in a single hour, and this, too, near the close of the +dry season. Mount Zomba, which is twenty miles long, and from 7000 +to 8000 feet high, has a beautiful stream flowing through a verdant +valley on its summit, and running away down into Lake Shirwa. The +highlands are well wooded, and many trees, admirable for their height +and timber, grow on the various watercourses. "Is this country good +for cattle?" we inquired of a Makololo herdsman, whose occupation had +given him skill in pasturage. "Truly," he replied, "do you not see +abundance of those grasses which the cattle love, and get fat upon?" +Yet the people have but few goats, and fewer sheep. With the +exception of an occasional leopard, there are no beasts of prey to +disturb domestic animals. Wool-sheep would, without doubt, thrive on +these highlands. Part of the Upper Shire valley has a lady +paramount, named Nyango; and in her dominions women rank higher and +receive more respectful treatment than their sisters on the hills. + +The hill chief, Mongazi, called his wife to take charge of a present +we had given him. She dropped down on her knees, clapping her hands +in reverence, before and after receiving our presents from his lordly +hands. It was painful to see the abject manner in which the women of +the hill tribes knelt beside the path as we passed; but a great +difference took place when we got into Nyango's country. + +On entering a village, we proceeded, as all strangers do, at once to +the Boalo: mats of split reeds or bamboo were usually spread for us +to sit on. Our guides then told the men who might be there, who we +were, whence we had come, whither we wanted to go, and what were our +objects. This information was duly carried to the chief, who, if a +sensible man, came at once; but, if he happened to be timid and +suspicious, waited until he had used divination, and his warriors had +time to come in from outlying hamlets. When he makes his appearance, +all the people begin to clap their hands in unison, and continue +doing so till he sits down opposite to us. His counsellors take +their places beside him. He makes a remark or two, and is then +silent for a few seconds. Our guides then sit down in front of the +chief and his counsellors, and both parties lean forward, looking +earnestly at each other; the chief repeats a word, such as "Ambuiatu" +(our Father, or master)--or "moio" (life), and all clap their hands. +Another word is followed by two claps, a third by still more +clapping, when each touches the ground with both hands placed +together. Then all rise and lean forward with measured clap, and sit +down again with clap, clap, clap, fainter, and still fainter, till +the last dies away, or is brought to an end by a smart loud clap from +the chief. They keep perfect time in this species of court +etiquette. Our guides now tell the chief, often in blank verse, all +they have already told his people, with the addition perhaps of their +own suspicions of the visitors. He asks some questions, and then +converses with us through the guides. Direct communication between +the chief and the head of the stranger party is not customary. In +approaching they often ask who is the spokesman, and the spokesman of +the chief addresses the person indicated exclusively. There is no +lack of punctilious good manners. The accustomed presents are +exchanged with civil ceremoniousness; until our men, wearied and +hungry, call out, "English do not buy slaves, they buy food," and +then the people bring meal, maize, fowls, batatas, yams, beans, beer, +for sale. + +The Manganja are an industrious race; and in addition to working in +iron, cotton, and basket-making, they cultivate the soil extensively. +All the people of a village turn out to labour in the fields. It is +no uncommon thing to see men, women, and children hard at work, with +the baby lying close by beneath a shady bush. When a new piece of +woodland is to be cleared, they proceed exactly as farmers do in +America. The trees are cut down with their little axes of soft +native iron; trunks and branches are piled up and burnt, and the +ashes spread on the soil. The corn is planted among the standing +stumps which are left to rot. If grass land is to be brought under +cultivation, as much tall grass as the labourer can conveniently lay +hold of is collected together and tied into a knot. He then strikes +his hoe round the tufts to sever the roots, and leaving all standing, +proceeds until the whole ground assumes the appearance of a field +covered with little shocks of corn in harvest. A short time before +the rains begin, these grass shocks are collected in small heaps, +covered with earth, and burnt, the ashes and burnt soil being used to +fertilize the ground. Large crops of the mapira, or Egyptian dura +(Holcus sorghum), are raised, with millet, beans, and ground-nuts; +also patches of yams, rice, pumpkins, cucumbers, cassava, sweet +potatoes, tobacco, and hemp, or bang (Cannabis setiva). Maize is +grown all the year round. Cotton is cultivated at almost every +village. Three varieties of cotton have been found in the country, +namely, two foreign and one native. The "tonje manga," or foreign +cotton, the name showing that it has been introduced, is of excellent +quality, and considered at Manchester to be nearly equal to the best +New Orleans. It is perennial, but requires replanting once in three +years. A considerable amount of this variety is grown in the Upper +and Lower Shire valleys. Every family of any importance owns a +cotton patch which, from the entire absence of weeds, seemed to be +carefully cultivated. Most were small, none seen on this journey +exceeding half an acre; but on the former trip some were observed of +more than twice that size. + +The "tonje cadja," or indigenous cotton, is of shorter staple, and +feels in the hand like wool. This kind has to be planted every +season in the highlands; yet, because it makes stronger cloth, many +of the people prefer it to the foreign cotton; the third variety is +not found here. It was remarked to a number of men near the Shire +Lakelet, a little further on towards Nyassa, "You should plant plenty +of cotton, and probably the English will come and buy it." "Truly," +replied a far-travelled Babisa trader to his fellows, "the country is +full of cotton, and if these people come to buy they will enrich us." +Our own observation on the cotton cultivated convinced us that this +was no empty flourish, but a fact. Everywhere we met with it, and +scarcely ever entered a village without finding a number of men +cleaning, spinning, and weaving. It is first carefully separated +from the seed by the fingers, or by an iron roller, on a little block +of wood, and rove out into long soft bands without twist. Then it +receives its first twist on the spindle, and becomes about the +thickness of coarse candlewick; after being taken off and wound into +a large ball, it is given the final hard twist, and spun into a firm +cop on the spindle again: all the processes being painfully slow. + +Iron ore is dug out of the hills, and its manufacture is the staple +trade of the southern highlands. Each village has its smelting- +house, its charcoal-burners, and blacksmiths. They make good axes, +spears, needles, arrowheads, bracelets and anklets, which, +considering the entire absence of machinery, are sold at surprisingly +low rates; a hoe over two pounds in weight is exchanged for calico of +about the value of fourpence. In villages near Lake Shirwa and +elsewhere, the inhabitants enter pretty largely into the manufacture +of crockery, or pottery, making by hand all sorts of cooking, water, +and grain pots, which they ornament with plumbago found in the hills. +Some find employment in weaving neat baskets from split bamboos, and +others collect the fibre of the buaze, which grows abundantly on the +hills, and make it into fish-nets. These they either use themselves, +or exchange with the fishermen on the river or lakes for dried fish +and salt. A great deal of native trade is carried on between the +villages, by means of barter in tobacco, salt, dried fish, skins, and +iron. Many of the men are intelligent-looking, with well-shaped +heads, agreeable faces, and high foreheads. We soon learned to +forget colour, and we frequently saw countenances resembling those of +white people we had known in England, which brought back the looks of +forgotten ones vividly before the mind. The men take a good deal of +pride in the arrangement of their hair; the varieties of style are +endless. One trains his long locks till they take the admired form +of the buffalo's horns; others prefer to let their hair hang in a +thick coil down their backs, like that animal's tail; while another +wears it in twisted cords, which, stiffened by fillets of the inner +bark of a tree wound spirally round each curl, radiate from the head +in all directions. Some have it hanging all round the shoulders in +large masses; others shave it off altogether. Many shave part of it +into ornamental figures, in which the fancy of the barber crops out +conspicuously. About as many dandies run to seed among the blacks as +among the whites. The Man ganja adorn their bodies extravagantly, +wearing rings on their fingers and thumbs, besides throatlets, +bracelets, and anklets of brass, copper, or iron. But the most +wonderful of ornaments, if such it may be called, is the pelele, or +upper-lip ring of the women. The middle of the upper lip of the +girls is pierced close to the septum of the nose, and a small pin +inserted to prevent the puncture closing up. After it has healed, +the pin is taken out and a larger one is pressed into its place, and +so on successively for weeks, and months, and years. The process of +increasing the size of the lip goes on till its capacity becomes so +great that a ring of two inches diameter can be introduced with ease. +All the highland women wear the pelele, and it is common on the Upper +and Lower Shire. The poorer classes make them of hollow or of solid +bamboo, but the wealthier of ivory or tin. The tin pelele is often +made in the form of a small dish. The ivory one is not unlike a +napkin-ring. No woman ever appears in public without the pelele, +except in times of mourning for the dead. It is frightfully ugly to +see the upper lip projecting two inches beyond the tip of the nose. +When an old wearer of a hollow bamboo ring smiles, by the action of +the muscles of the cheeks, the ring and lip outside it are dragged +back and thrown above the eyebrows. The nose is seen through the +middle of the ring, amid the exposed teeth show how carefully they +have been chipped to look like those of a cat or crocodile. The +pelele of an old lady, Chikanda Kadze, a chieftainess, about twenty +miles north of Morambala, hung down below her chin, with, of course, +a piece of the upper lip around its border. The labial letters +cannot be properly pronounced, but the under lip has to do its best +for them, against the upper teeth and gum. Tell them it makes them +ugly; they had better throw it away; they reply, "Kodi! Really! it +is the fashion." How this hideous fashion originated is an enigma. +Can thick lips ever have been thought beautiful, and this mode of +artificial enlargement resorted to in consequence? The constant +twiddling of the pelele with the tongue by the younger women +suggested the irreverent idea that it might have been invented to +give safe employment to that little member. "Why do the women wear +these things?" we inquired of the old chief, Chinsunse. Evidently +surprised at such a stupid question, he replied, "For beauty, to be +sure! Men have beards and whiskers; women have none; and what kind +of creature would a woman be without whiskers, and without the +pelele? She would have a mouth like a man, and no beard; ha! ha! +ha!" Afterwards on the Rovuma, we found men wearing the pelele, as +well as women. An idea suggested itself on seeing the effects of the +slight but constant pressure exerted on the upper gum and front +teeth, of which our medical brethren will judge the value. In many +cases the upper front teeth, instead of the natural curve outwards, +which the row presents, had been pressed so as to appear as if the +line of alveoli in which they were planted had an inward curve. As +this was produced by the slight pressure of the pelele backwards, +persons with too prominent teeth might by slight, but long-continued +pressure, by some appliance only as elastic as the lip, have the +upper gum and teeth depressed, especially in youth, more easily than +is usually imagined. The pressure should be applied to the upper gum +more than to the teeth. + +The Manganja are not a sober people: they brew large quantities of +beer, and like it well. Having no hops, or other means of checking +fermentation, they are obliged to drink the whole brew in a few days, +or it becomes unfit for use. Great merry-makings take place on these +occasions, and drinking, drumming, and dancing continue day and +night, till the beer is gone. In crossing the hills we sometimes +found whole villages enjoying this kind of mirth. The veteran +traveller of the party remarked, that he had not seen so much +drunkenness during all the sixteen years he had spent in Africa. As +we entered a village one afternoon, not a man was to be seen; but +some women were drinking beer under a tree. In a few moments the +native doctor, one of the innocents, "nobody's enemy but his own," +staggered out of a hut, with his cupping-horn dangling from his neck, +and began to scold us for a breach of etiquette. "Is this the way to +come into a man's village, without sending him word that you are +coming?" Our men soon pacified the fuddled but good-humoured medico, +who, entering his beer-cellar, called on two of them to help him to +carry out a huge pot of beer, which he generously presented to us. +While the "medical practitioner" was thus hospitably employed, the +chief awoke in a fright, and shouted to the women to run away, or +they would all be killed. The ladies laughed at the idea of their +being able to run away, and remained beside the beer-pots. We +selected a spot for our camp, our men cooked the dinner as usual, and +we were quietly eating it, when scores of armed men, streaming with +perspiration, came pouring into the village. They looked at us, then +at each other, and turning to the chief upbraided him for so +needlessly sending for them. "These people are peaceable; they do +not hurt you; you are killed with beer:" so saying, they returned to +their homes. + +Native beer has a pinkish colour, and the consistency of gruel. The +grain is made to vegetate, dried in the sun, pounded into meal, and +gently boiled. When only a day or two old, the beer is sweet, with a +slight degree of acidity, which renders it a most grateful beverage +in a hot climate, or when fever begets a sore craving for acid +drinks. A single draught of it satisfies this craving at once. Only +by deep and long-continued potations can intoxication be produced: +the grain being in a minutely divided state, it is a good way of +consuming it, and the decoction is very nutritious. At Tette a +measure of beer is exchanged for an equal-sized pot full of grain. A +present of this beer, so refreshing to our dark comrades, was brought +to us in nearly every village. Beer-drinking does not appear to +produce any disease, or to shorten life on the hills. Never before +did we see so many old, grey-headed men and women; leaning on their +staves they came with the others to see the white men. The aged +chief, Muata Manga, could hardly have been less than ninety years of +age; his venerable appearance struck the Makololo. "He is an old +man," said they, "a very old man; his skin hangs in wrinkles, just +like that on elephants' hips." "Did you never," he was asked, "have +a fit of travelling come over you; a desire to see other lands and +people?" No, he had never felt that, and had never been far from +home in his life. For long life they are not indebted to frequent +ablutions. An old man told us that he remembered to have washed once +in his life, but it was so long since that he had forgotten how it +felt. "Why do you wash?" asked Chinsunse's women of the Makololo; +"our men never do." + +The superstitious ordeal, by drinking the poisonous muave, obtains +credit here; and when a person is suspected of crime, this ordeal is +resorted to. If the stomach rejects the poison, the accused is +pronounced innocent; but if it is retained, guilt is believed to be +demonstrated. Their faith is so firm in its discriminating power, +that the supposed criminal offers of his own accord to drink it, and +even chiefs are not exempted. Chibisa, relying on its efficacy, +drank it several times, in order to vindicate his character. When +asserting that all his wars had been just, it was hinted that, as +every chief had the same tale of innocence to tell, we ought to +suspend our judgment. "If you doubt my word," said he, "give me the +muave to drink." A chief at the foot of Mount Zomba successfully +went through the ordeal the day we reached his village; and his +people manifested their joy at his deliverance by drinking beer, +dancing, and drumming for two days and nights. It is possible that +the native doctor, who mixes the ingredients of the poisoned bowl, +may be able to save those whom he considers innocent; but it is +difficult to get the natives to speak about the matter, and no one is +willing to tell what the muave poison consists of. We have been +shown trees said to be used, but had always reason to doubt the +accuracy of our informants. We once found a tree in a village, with +many pieces of the bark chipped off, closely allied to the Tangena or +Tanghina, the ordeal poison tree of Madagascar; but we could not +ascertain any particulars about it. Death is inflicted on those +found guilty of witchcraft, by the muave. + +The women wail for the dead two days. Seated on the ground they +chant a few plaintive words, and end each verse with the prolonged +sound of a-a, or o-o, or ea-ea-ea--a. Whatever beer is in the house +of the deceased, is poured out on the ground with the meal, and all +cooking and water pots are broken, as being of no further use. Both +men and women wear signs of mourning for their dead relatives. These +consist of narrow strips of the palm-leaf wound round the head, the +arms, legs, neck, and breasts, and worn till they drop off from +decay. They believe in the existence of a supreme being, called +Mpambe, and also Morungo, and in a future state. "We live only a few +days here," said old Chinsunse, "but we live again after death: we +do not know where, or in what condition, or with what companions, for +the dead never return to tell us. Sometimes the dead do come back, +and appear to us in dreams; but they never speak nor tell us where +they have gone, nor how they fare." + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + + +The Upper Shire--Discovery of Lake Nyassa--Distressing exploration-- +Return to Zambesi--Unpleasant visitors--Start for Sekeletu's Country +in the interior. + +Our path followed the Shire above the cataracts, which is now a broad +deep river, with but little current. It expands in one place into a +lakelet, called Pamalombe, full of fine fish, and ten or twelve miles +long by five or six in breadth. Its banks are low, and a dense wall +of papyrus encircles it. On its western shore rises a range of hills +running north. On reaching the village of the chief Muana-Moesi, and +about a day's march distant from Nyassa, we were told that no lake +had ever been heard of there; that the River Shire stretched on as we +saw it now to a distance of "two months," and then came out from +between perpendicular rocks, which towered almost to the skies. Our +men looked blank at this piece of news, and said, "Let us go back to +the ship, it is of no use trying to find the lake." "We shall go and +see those wonderful rocks at any rate," said the Doctor. "And when +you see them," replied Masakasa, "you will just want to see something +else. But there IS a lake," rejoined Masakasa, "for all their +denying it, for it is down in a book." Masakasa, having unbounded +faith in whatever was in a book, went and scolded the natives for +telling him an untruth. "There is a lake," said he, "for how could +the white men know about it in a book if it did not exist?" They +then admitted that there was a lake a few miles off. Subsequent +inquiries make it probable that the story of the "perpendicular +rocks" may have had reference to a fissure, known to both natives and +Arabs, in the north-eastern portion of the lake. The walls rise so +high that the path along the bottom is said to be underground. It is +probably a crack similar to that which made the Victoria Falls, and +formed the Shire Valley. + +The chief brought a small present of meal in the evening, and sat +with us for a few minutes. On leaving us he said that he wished we +might sleep well. Scarce had he gone, when a wild sad cry arose from +the river, followed by the shrieking of women. A crocodile had +carried off his principal wife, as she was bathing. The Makololo +snatched up their arms, and rushed to the bank, but it was too late, +she was gone. The wailing of the women continued all night, and next +morning we met others coming to the village to join in the general +mourning. Their grief was evidently heartfelt, as we saw the tears +coursing down their cheeks. In reporting this misfortune to his +neighbours, Muana-Moesi said, "that white men came to his village; +washed themselves at the place where his wife drew water and bathed; +rubbed themselves with a white medicine (soap); and his wife, having +gone to bathe afterwards, was taken by a crocodile; he did not know +whether in consequence of the medicine used or not." This we could +not find fault with. On our return we were viewed with awe, and all +the men fled at our approach; the women remained; and this elicited +the remark from our men, "The women have the advantage of men, in not +needing to dread the spear." The practice of bathing, which our +first contact with Chinsunse's people led us to believe was unknown +to the natives, we afterwards found to be common in other parts of +the Manganja country. + +We discovered Lake Nyassa a little before noon of the 16th September, +1859. Its southern end is in 14 degrees 25 minutes S. Lat., and 35 +degrees 30 minutes E. Long. At this point the valley is about twelve +miles wide. There are hills on both sides of the lake, but the haze +from burning grass prevented us at the time from seeing far. A long +time after our return from Nyassa, we received a letter from Captain +R. B. Oldfield, R.N., then commanding H.M.S. "Lyra," with the +information that Dr. Roscher, an enterprising German who +unfortunately lost his life in his zeal for exploration, had also +reached the Lake, but on the 19th November following our discovery; +and on his arrival had been informed by the natives that a party of +white men were at the southern extremity. On comparing dates (16th +September and 19th November) we were about two months before Dr. +Roscher. + +It is not known where Dr. Roscher first saw its waters; as the exact +position of Nusseewa on the borders of the Lake, where he lived some +time, is unknown. He was three days north-east of Nusseewa, and on +the Arab road back to the usual crossing-place of the Rovuma, when he +was murdered. The murderers were seized by one of the chiefs, sent +to Zanzibar, and executed. He is said to have kept his discoveries +to himself, with the intention of publishing in Europe the whole at +once, in a splendid book of travels. + +The chief of the village near the confluence of the Lake and River +Shire, an old man, called Mosauka, hearing that we were sitting under +a tree, came and kindly invited us to his village. He took us to a +magnificent banyan-tree, of which he seemed proud. The roots had +been trained down to the ground into the form of a gigantic arm- +chair, without the seat. Four of us slept in the space betwixt its +arms. Mosauka brought us a present of a goat and basket of meal "to +comfort our hearts." He told us that a large slave party, led by +Arabs, were encamped close by. They had been up to Cazembe's country +the past year, and were on their way back, with plenty of slaves, +ivory, and malachite. In a few minutes half a dozen of the leaders +came over to see us. They were armed with long muskets, and, to our +mind, were a villanous-looking lot. They evidently thought the same +of us, for they offered several young children for sale, but, when +told that we were English, showed signs of fear, and decamped during +the night. On our return to the Kongone, we found that H.M.S. "Lynx" +had caught some of these very slaves in a dhow; for a woman told us +she first saw us at Mosauka's, and that the Arabs had fled for fear +of an UNCANNY sort of Basungu. + +This is one of the great slave-paths from the interior, others cross +the Shire a little below, and some on the lake itself. We might have +released these slaves but did not know what to do with them +afterwards. On meeting men, led in slave-sticks, the Doctor had to +bear the reproaches of the Makololo, who never slave, "Ay, you call +us bad, but are we yellow-hearted, like these fellows--why won't you +let us choke them?" To liberate and leave them, would have done but +little good, as the people of the surrounding villages would soon +have seized them, and have sold them again into slavery. The +Manganja chiefs sell their own people, for we met Ajawa and slave- +dealers in several highland villages, who had certainly been +encouraged to come among them for slaves. The chiefs always seemed +ashamed of the traffic, and tried to excuse themselves. "We do not +sell many, and only those who have committed crimes." As a rule the +regular trade is supplied by the low and criminal classes, and hence +the ugliness of slaves. Others are probably sold besides criminals, +as on the accusation of witchcraft. Friendless orphans also +sometimes disappear suddenly, and no one inquires what has become of +them. The temptation to sell their people is peculiarly great, as +there is but little ivory on the hills, and often the chief has +nothing but human flesh with which to buy foreign goods. The Ajawa +offer cloth, brass rings, pottery, and sometimes handsome young +women, and agree to take the trouble of carrying off by night all +those whom the chief may point out to them. They give four yards of +cotton cloth for a man, three for a woman, and two for a boy or girl, +to be taken to the Portuguese at Mozambique, Iboe, and Quillimane. + +The Manganja were more suspicious and less hospitable than the tribes +on the Zambesi. They were slow to believe that our object in coming +into their country was really what we professed it to be. They +naturally judge us by the motives which govern themselves. A chief +in the Upper Shire Valley, whose scared looks led our men to christen +him Kitlabolawa (I shall be killed), remarked that parties had come +before, with as plausible a story as ours, and, after a few days, had +jumped up and carried off a number of his people as slaves. We were +not allowed to enter some of the villages in the valley, nor would +the inhabitants even sell us food; Zimika's men, for instance, stood +at the entrance of the euphorbia hedge, and declared we should not +pass in. We sat down under a tree close by. A young fellow made an +angry oration, dancing from side to side with his bow and poisoned +arrows, and gesticulating fiercely in our faces. He was stopped in +the middle of his harangue by an old man, who ordered him to sit +down, and not talk to strangers in that way; he obeyed reluctantly, +scowling defiance, and thrusting out his large lips very +significantly. The women were observed leaving the village; and, +suspecting that mischief might ensue, we proceeded on our journey, to +the great disgust of our men. They were very angry with the natives +for their want of hospitality to strangers, and with us, because we +would not allow them to give "the things a thrashing." "This is what +comes of going with white men," they growled out; "had we been with +our own chief, we should have eaten their goats to-night, and had +some of themselves to carry the bundles for us to-morrow." On our +return by a path which left his village on our right, Zimika sent to +apologize, saying that "he was ill, and in another village at the +time; it was not by his orders we were sent away; his men did not +know that we were a party wishing the land to dwell in peace." + +We were not able, when hastening back to the men left in the ship, to +remain in the villages belonging to this chief; but the people came +after us with things for sale, and invited us to stop, and spend the +night with them, urging, "Are we to have it said that white people +passed through our country and we did not see them?" We rested by a +rivulet to gratify these sight-seers. We appear to them to be red +rather than white; and, though light colour is admired among +themselves, our clothing renders us uncouth in aspect. Blue eyes +appear savage, and a red beard hideous. From the numbers of aged +persons we saw on the highlands, and the increase of mental and +physical vigour we experienced on our ascent from the lowlands, we +inferred that the climate was salubrious, and that our countrymen +might there enjoy good health, and also be of signal benefit, by +leading the multitude of industrious inhabitants to cultivate cotton, +buaze, sugar, and other valuable produce, to exchange for goods of +European manufacture; at the same time teaching them, by precept and +example, the great truths of our Holy Religion. + +Our stay at the Lake was necessarily short. We had found that the +best plan for allaying any suspicions, that might arise in the minds +of a people accustomed only to slave-traders, was to pay a hasty +visit, and then leave for a while, and allow the conviction to form +among the people that, though our course of action was so different +from that of others, we were not dangerous, but rather disposed to be +friendly. We had also a party at the vessel, and any indiscretion on +their part might have proved fatal to the character of the +Expedition. + +The trade of Cazembe and Katanga's country, and of other parts of the +interior, crosses Nyassa and the Shire, on its way to the Arab port, +Kilwa, and the Portuguese ports of Iboe and Mozambique. At present, +slaves, ivory, malachite, and copper ornaments, are the only articles +of commerce. According to information collected by Colonel Rigby at +Zanzibar, and from other sources, nearly all the slaves shipped from +the above-mentioned ports come from the Nyassa district. By means of +a small steamer, purchasing the ivory of the Lake and River above the +cataracts, which together have a shore-line of at least 600 miles, +the slave-trade in this quarter would be rendered unprofitable,--for +it is only by the ivory being carried by the slaves, that the latter +do not eat up all the profits of a trip. An influence would be +exerted over an enormous area of country, for the Mazitu about the +north end of the Lake will not allow slave-traders to pass round that +way through their country. They would be most efficient allies to +the English, and might themselves be benefited by more intercourse. +As things are now, the native traders in ivory and malachite have to +submit to heavy exactions; and if we could give them the same prices +which they at present get after carrying their merchandise 300 miles +beyond this to the Coast, it might induce them to return without +going further. It is only by cutting off the supplies in the +interior, that we can crush the slave-trade on the Coast. The plan +proposed would stop the slave-trade from the Zambesi on one side and +Kilwa on the other; and would leave, beyond this tract, only the +Portuguese port of Inhambane on the south, and a portion of the +Sultan of Zanzibar's dominion on the north, for our cruisers to look +after. The Lake people grow abundance of cotton for their own +consumption, and can sell it for a penny a pound or even less. +Water-carriage exists by the Shire and Zambesi all the way to +England, with the single exception of a portage of about thirty-five +miles past the Murchison Cataracts, along which a road of less than +forty miles could be made at a trifling expense; and it seems +feasible that a legitimate and thriving trade might, in a short time, +take the place of the present unlawful traffic. + +Colonel Rigby, Captains Wilson, Oldfield, and Chapman, and all the +most intelligent officers on the Coast, were unanimous in the belief, +that one small vessel on the Lake would have decidedly more +influence, and do more good in suppressing the slave-trade, than half +a dozen men-of-war on the ocean. By judicious operations, therefore, +on a small scale inland, little expense would be incurred, and the +English slave-trade policy on the East would have the same fair +chance of success, as on the West Coast. + +After a land-journey of forty days, we returned to the ship on the +6th of October, 1859, in a somewhat exhausted condition, arising more +from a sort of poisoning, than from the usual fatigue of travel. We +had taken a little mulligatawney paste, for making soup, in case of +want of time to cook other food. Late one afternoon, at the end of +an unusually long march, we reached Mikena, near the base of Mount +Njongone to the north of Zomba, and the cook was directed to use a +couple of spoonfuls of the paste; but, instead of doing so, he put in +the whole potful. The soup tasted rather hot, but we added boiled +rice to it, and, being very hungry, partook freely of it; and, in +consequence of the overdose, we were delayed several days in severe +suffering, and some of the party did not recover till after our +return to the ship. Our illness may partly have arisen from another +cause. One kind of cassava (Jatropha maligna) is known to be, in its +raw state, poisonous, but by boiling it carefully in two waters, +which must be thrown off, the poison is extracted and the cassava +rendered fit for food. The poisonous sort is easily known by raising +a bit of the bark of the root, and putting the tongue to it. A +bitter taste shows poison, but it is probable that even the sweet +kind contains an injurious principle. The sap, which, like that of +our potatoes, is injurious as an article of food, is used in the +"Pepper-pot" of the West Indies, under the name of "Cassereep," as a +perfect preservative of meat. This juice put into an earthen vessel +with a little water and Chili pepper is said to keep meat, that is +immersed in it, good for a great length of time; even for years. No +iron or steel must touch the mixture, or it will become sour. This +"Pepper-pot," of which we first heard from the late Archbishop +Whately, is a most economical meat-safe in a hot climate; any beef, +mutton, pork, or fowl that may be left at dinner, if put into the +mixture and a little fresh cassereep added, keeps perfectly, though +otherwise the heat of the climate or flies would spoil it. Our cook, +however, boiled the cassava root as he was in the habit of cooking +meat, namely, by filling the pot with it, and then pouring in water, +which he allowed to stand on the fire until it had become absorbed +and boiled away. This method did not expel the poisonous properties +of the root, or render it wholesome; for, notwithstanding our +systematic caution in purchasing only the harmless sort, we suffered +daily from its effects, and it was only just before the end of our +trip that this pernicious mode of boiling it was discovered by us. + +In ascending 3000 feet from the lowlands to the highlands, or on +reaching the low valley of the Shire from the higher grounds, the +change of climate was very marked. The heat was oppressive below, +the thermometer standing at from 84 degrees to 103 degrees in the +shade; and our spirits were as dull and languid as they had been +exhilarated on the heights in a temperature cooler by some 20 +degrees. The water of the river was sometimes 84 degrees or higher, +whilst that we had been drinking in the hill streams was only 65 +degrees. + +It was found necessary to send two of our number across from the +Shire to Tette; and Dr. Kirk, with guides from Chibisa, and +accompanied by Mr. Rae, the engineer, accomplished the journey. We +had found the country to the north and east so very well watered, +that no difficulty was anticipated in this respect in a march of less +than a hundred miles; but on this occasion our friends suffered +severely. The little water to be had at this time of the year, by +digging in the beds of dry watercourses, was so brackish as to +increase thirst--some of the natives indeed were making salt from it; +and when at long intervals a less brackish supply was found, it was +nauseous and muddy from the frequent visits of large game. The +tsetse abounded. The country was level, and large tracts of it +covered with mopane forest, the leaves of which afford but scanty +shade to the baked earth, so that scarcely any grass grows upon it. +The sun was so hot, that the men frequently jumped from the path, in +the vain hope of cooling, for a moment, their scorched feet under the +almost shadeless bushes; and the native who carried the provision of +salt pork got lost, and came into Tette two days after the rest of +the party, with nothing but the fibre of the meat left, the fat, +melted by the blazing sun, having all run down his back. This path +was soon made a highway for slaving parties by Captain Raposo, the +Commandant. The journey nearly killed our two active young friends; +and what the slaves must have since suffered on it no one can +conceive; but slaving probably can never be conducted without +enormous suffering and loss of life. + +Mankokwe now sent a message to say that he wished us to stop at his +village on our way down. He came on board on our arrival there with +a handsome present, and said that his young people had dissuaded him +from visiting us before; but now he was determined to see what every +one else was seeing. A bald square-headed man, who had been his +Prime Minister when we came up, was now out of office, and another +old man, who had taken his place accompanied the chief. In passing +the Elephant Marsh, we saw nine large herds of elephants; they +sometimes formed a line two miles long. + +On the 2nd of November we anchored off Shamoara, and sent the boat to +Senna for biscuit and other provisions. Senhor Ferrao, with his +wonted generosity, gave us a present of a bullock, which he sent to +us in a canoe. Wishing to know if a second bullock would be +acceptable to us, he consulted his Portuguese and English dictionary, +and asked the sailor in charge if he would take ANOTHER; but Jack, +mistaking the Portuguese pronunciation of the letter h, replied, "Oh +no, sir, thank you, I don't want an OTTER in the boat, they are such +terrible biters!" + +We had to ground the vessel on a shallow sandbank every night; she +leaked so fast, that in deep water she would have sunk, and the pump +had to be worked all day to keep her afloat. Heavy rains fell daily, +producing the usual injurious effects in the cabin; and, unable to +wait any longer for our associates, who had gone overland from the +Shire to Tette, we ran down the Kongone and beached her for repairs. +Her Majesty's ship "Lynx," Lieut. Berkeley commanding, called shortly +afterwards with supplies; the bar, which had been perfectly smooth +for some time before, became rather rough just before her arrival, so +that it was two or three days before she could communicate with us. +Two of her boats tried to come in on the second day, and one of them, +mistaking the passage, capsized in the heavy breakers abreast of the +island. Mr. Hunt, gunner, the officer in charge of the second boat, +behaved nobly, and by his skilful and gallant conduct succeeded in +rescuing every one of the first boat's crew. Of course the things +that they were bringing to us were lost, but we were thankful that +all the men were saved. The loss of the mail-bags, containing +Government despatches and our friends' letters for the past year, was +felt severely, as we were on the point of starting on an expedition +into the interior, which might require eight or nine months; and +twenty months is a weary time to be without news of friends and +family. In the repairing of our crazy craft, we received kind and +efficient aid from Lieutenant Berkeley, and we were enabled to leave +for Tette on December 16th. + +We had now frequent rains, and the river rose considerably; our +progress up the stream was distressingly slow, and it was not until +the 2nd of February, 1860, that we reached Tette. Mr. Thornton +returned on the same day from a geological tour, by which some +Portuguese expected that a fabulous silver-mine would be +rediscovered. The tradition in the country is, that the Jesuits +formerly knew and worked a precious lode at Chicova. Mr. Thornton +had gone beyond Zumbo, in company with a trader of colour; he soon +after this left the Zambesi and, joining the expedition of the Baron +van der Decken, explored the snow mountain Kilimanjaro, north-west of +Zanzibar. Mr. Thornton's companion, the trader, brought back much +ivory, having found it both abundant and cheap. He was obliged, +however, to pay heavy fines to the Banyai and other tribes, in the +country which is coolly claimed in Europe as Portuguese. During this +trip of six mouths 200 pieces of cotton cloth of sixteen yards each, +besides beads and brass wire, were paid to the different chiefs, for +leave to pass through their country. In addition to these +sufficiently weighty exactions, the natives of THIS DOMINION have got +into the habit of imposing fines for alleged milandos, or crimes, +which the traders' men may have unwittingly committed. The +merchants, however, submit rather than run the risk of fighting. + +The general monotony of existence at Tette is sometimes relieved by +an occasional death or wedding. When the deceased is a person of +consequence, the quantity of gunpowder his slaves are allowed to +expend is enormous. The expense may, in proportion to their means, +resemble that incurred by foolishly gaudy funerals in England. When +at Tette, we always joined with sympathizing hearts in aiding, by our +presence at the last rites, to soothe the sorrows of the surviving +relatives. We are sure that they would have done the same to us had +we been the mourners. We never had to complain of want of +hospitality. Indeed, the great kindness shown by many of whom we +have often spoken, will never be effaced from our memory till our +dying day. When we speak of their failings it is in sorrow, not in +anger. Their trading in slaves is an enormous mistake. Their +Government places them in a false position by cutting them off from +the rest of the world; and of this they always speak with a +bitterness which, were it heard, might alter the tone of the +statesmen of Lisbon. But here there is no press, no booksellers' +shops, and scarcely a schoolmaster. Had we been born in similar +untoward circumstances--we tremble to think of it! + +The weddings are celebrated with as much jollity as weddings are +anywhere. We witnessed one in the house of our friend the Padre. It +being the marriage of his goddaughter, he kindly invited us to be +partakers in his joy; and we there became acquainted with old Donna +Engenia, who was a married wife and had children, when the slaves +came from Cassange, before any of us were born. The whole merry- +making was marked by good taste amid propriety. + +About the only interesting object in the vicinity of Tette is the +coal a few miles to the north. There, in the feeders of the stream +Revubue, it crops out in cliff sections. The seams are from four to +seven feet in thickness; one measured was found to be twenty-five +feet thick. + +Learning that it would be difficult for our party to obtain food +beyond Kebrabasa before the new crop came in and knowing the +difficulty of hunting for so many men in the wet season, we decided +on deferring our departure for the interior until May, and in the +mean time to run down once more to the Kongone, in the hopes of +receiving letters and despatches from the man-of-war that was to call +in March. We left Tette on the 10th, and at Senna heard that our +lost mail had been picked up on the beach by natives, west of the +Milambe; carried to Quillimane, sent thence to Senna, and, passing us +somewhere on the river, on to Tette. At Shupanga the governor +informed us that it was a very large mail; no great comfort, seeing +it was away up the river. + +Mosquitoes were excessively troublesome at the harbour, and +especially when a light breeze blew from the north over the +mangroves. We lived for several weeks in small huts, built by our +men. Those who did the hunting for the party always got wet, and +were attacked by fever, but generally recovered in time to be out +again before the meat was all consumed. No ship appearing, we +started off on the 15th of March, and stopped to wood on the Luabo, +near an encampment of hippopotamus hunters; our men heard again, +through them, of the canoe path from this place to Quillimane, but +they declined to point it out. + +We found our friend Major Sicard at Mazaro with picks, shovels, +hurdles, and slaves, having come to build a fort and custom-house at +the Kongone. As we had no good reason to hide the harbour, but many +for its being made known, we supplied him with a chart of the +tortuous branches, which, running among the mangroves, perplex the +search; and with such directions as would enable him to find his way +down to the river. He had brought the relics of our fugitive mail, +and it was a disappointment to find that all had been lost, with the +exception of a bundle of old newspapers, two photographs, and three +letters, which had been written before we left England. + +The distance from Mazaro, on the Zambesi side, to the Kwakwa at +Nterra, is about six miles, over a surprisingly rich dark soil. We +passed the night in the long shed, erected at Nterra, on the banks of +this river, for the use of travellers, who have often to wait several +days for canoes; we tried to sleep, but the mosquitoes and rats were +so troublesome as to render sleep impossible. The rats, or rather +large mice, closely resembling Mus pumilio (Smith), of this region, +are quite facetious, and, having a great deal of fun in them, often +laugh heartily. Again and again they woke us up by scampering over +our faces, and then bursting into a loud laugh of He! he! he! at +having performed the feat. Their sense of the ludicrous appears to +be exquisite; they screamed with laughter at the attempts which +disturbed and angry human nature made in the dark to bring their ill- +timed merriment to a close. Unlike their prudent European cousins, +which are said to leave a sinking ship, a party of these took up +their quarters in our leaky and sinking vessel. Quiet and invisible +by day, they emerged at night, and cut their funny pranks. No sooner +were we all asleep, than they made a sudden dash over the lockers and +across our faces for the cabin door, where all broke out into a loud +He! he! he! he! he! he! showing how keenly they enjoyed the joke. +They next went forward with as much delight, and scampered over the +men. Every night they went fore and aft, rousing with impartial feet +every sleeper, and laughing to scorn the aimless blows, growls, and +deadly rushes of outraged humanity. We observed elsewhere a species +of large mouse, nearly allied to Euryotis unisulcatus (F. Cuvier), +escaping up a rough and not very upright wall, with six young ones +firmly attached to the perineum. They were old enough to be well +covered with hair, and some were not detached by a blow which +disabled the dam. We could not decide whether any involuntary +muscles were brought into play in helping the young to adhere. Their +weight seemed to require a sort of cataleptic state of the muscles of +the jaw, to enable them to hold on. + +Scorpions, centipedes, and poisonous spiders also were not +unfrequently brought into the ship with the wood, and occasionally +found their way into our beds; but in every instance we were +fortunate enough to discover and destroy them before they did any +harm. Naval officers on this coast report that, when scorpions and +centipedes remain a few weeks after being taken on board in a similar +manner, their poison loses nearly all its virulence; but this we did +not verify. Snakes sometimes came in with the wood, but oftener +floated down the river to us, climbing on board with ease by the +chain-cable, and some poisonous ones were caught in the cabin. A +green snake lived with us several weeks, concealing himself behind +the casing of the deckhouse in the daytime. To be aroused in the +dark by five feet of cold green snake gliding over one's face is +rather unpleasant, however rapid the movement may be. Myriads of two +varieties of cockroaches infested the vessel; they not only ate round +the roots of our nails, but even devoured and defiled our food, +flannels, and boots. Vain were all our efforts to extirpate these +destructive pests; if you kill one, say the sailors, a hundred come +down to his funeral! In the work of Commodore Owen it is stated that +cockroaches, pounded into a paste, form a powerful carminative; this +has not been confirmed, but when monkeys are fed on them they are +sure to become lean. + +On coming to Senna, we found that the Zulus had arrived in force for +their annual tribute. These men are under good discipline, and never +steal from the people. The tax is claimed on the ground of conquest, +the Zulus having formerly completely overcome the Senna people, and +chased them on to the islands in the Zambesi. Fifty-four of the +Portuguese were slain on the occasion, and, notwithstanding the mud +fort, the village has never recovered its former power. Fever was +now very prevalent, and most of the Portuguese were down with it. + +For a good view of the adjacent scenery, the hill, Baramuana, behind +the village, was ascended. A caution was given about the probability +of an attack of fever from a plant that grows near the summit. Dr. +Kirk discovered it to be the Paedevia foetida, which, when smelt, +actually does give headache and fever. It has a nasty fetor, as its +name indicates. This is one instance in which fever and a foul smell +coincide. In a number of instances offensive effluvia and fever +seems to have no connection. Owing to the abundant rains, the crops +in the Senna district were plentiful; this was fortunate, after the +partial failure of the past two years. It was the 25th of April, +1860, before we reached Tette; here also the crops were luxuriant, +and the people said that they had not had such abundance since 1856, +the year when Dr. Livingstone came down the river. It is astonishing +to any one who has seen the works for irrigation in other countries, +as at the Cape and in Egypt, that no attempt has ever been made to +lead out the water either of the Zambesi or any of its tributaries; +no machinery has ever been used to raise it even from the stream, but +droughts and starvations are endured, as if they were inevitable +dispensations of Providence, incapable of being mitigated. + +Feeling in honour bound to return with those who had been the +faithful companions of Dr. Livingstone, in 1856, and to whose +guardianship and services was due the accomplishment of a journey +which all the Portuguese at Tette had previously pronounced +impossible, the requisite steps were taken to convey them to their +homes. + +We laid the ship alongside of the island Kanyimbe, opposite Tette; +and, before starting for the country of the Makololo, obtained a +small plot of land, to form a garden for the two English sailors who +were to remain in charge during our absence. We furnished them with +a supply of seeds, and they set to work with such zeal, that they +certainly merited success. Their first attempt at African +horticulture met with failure from a most unexpected source; every +seed was dug up and the inside of it eaten by mice. "Yes," said an +old native, next morning, on seeing the husks, "that is what happens +this month; for it is the mouse month, and the seed should have been +sown last mouth, when I sowed mine." The sailors, however, sowed +more next day; and, being determined to outwit the mice, they this +time covered the beds over with grass. The onions, with other seeds +of plants cultivated by the Portuguese, are usually planted in the +beginning of April, in order to have the advantage of the cold +season; the wheat a little later, for the same reason. If sown at +the beginning of the rainy season in November, it runs, as before +remarked, entirely to straw; but as the rains are nearly over in May, +advantage is taken of low-lying patches, which have been flooded by +the river. A hole is made in the mud with a hoe, a few seeds dropped +in, and the earth shoved back with the foot. If not favoured with +certain misty showers, which, lower down the river, are simply fogs, +water is borne from the river to the roots of the wheat in earthern +pots; and in about four months the crop is ready for the sickle. The +wheat of Tette is exported, as the best grown in the country; but a +hollow spot at Maruru, close by Mazaro, yielded very good crops, +though just at the level of the sea, as a few inches rise of tide +shows. + +A number of days were spent in busy preparation for our journey; the +cloth, beads, and brass wire, for the trip were sewn up in old +canvas, and each package had the bearer's name printed on it. The +Makololo, who had worked for the Expedition, were paid for their +services, and every one who had come down with the Doctor from the +interior received a present of cloth and ornaments, in order to +protect them from the greater cold of their own country, and to show +that they had not come in vain. Though called Makololo by courtesy, +as they were proud of the name, Kanyata, the principal headman, was +the only real Makololo of the party; and he, in virtue of his birth, +had succeeded to the chief place on the death of Sekwebu. The others +belonged to the conquered tribes of the Batoka, Bashubia, Ba-Selea, +and Barotse. Some of these men had only added to their own vices +those of the Tette slaves; others, by toiling during the first two +years in navigating canoes, and hunting elephants, had often managed +to save a little, to take back to their own country, but had to part +with it all for food to support the rest in times of hunger, and, +latterly, had fallen into the improvident habits of slaves, and spent +their surplus earnings in beer and agua ardiente. + +Everything being ready on the 15th of May, we started at 2 p.m. from +the village where the Makololo had dwelt. A number of the men did +not leave with the goodwill which their talk for months before had +led us to anticipate; but some proceeded upon being told that they +were not compelled to go unless they liked, though others altogether +declined moving. Many had taken up with slave-women, whom they +assisted in hoeing, and in consuming the produce of their gardens. +Some fourteen children had been born to them; and in consequence of +now having no chief to order them, or to claim their services, they +thought that they were about as well off as they had been in their +own country. They knew and regretted that they could call neither +wives nor children their own; the slave-owners claimed the whole; but +their natural affections had been so enchained, that they clave to +the domestic ties. By a law of Portugal the baptized children of +slave women are all free; by the custom of the Zambesi that law is +void. When it is referred to, the officers laugh and say, "These +Lisbon-born laws are very stringent, but somehow, possibly from the +heat of the climate, here they lose all their force." Only one woman +joined our party--the wife of a Batoka man: she had been given to +him, in consideration of his skilful dancing, by the chief, Chisaka. +A merchant sent three of his men along with us, with a present for +Sekeletu, and Major Sicard also lent us three more to assist us on +our return, and two Portuguese gentleman kindly gave us the loan of a +couple of donkeys. We slept four miles above Tette, and hearing that +the Banyai, who levy heavy fines on the Portuguese traders, lived +chiefly on the right bank, we crossed over to the left, as we could +not fully trust our men. If the Banyai had come in a threatening +manner, our followers might, perhaps, from having homes behind them, +have even put down their bundles and run. Indeed, two of them at +this point made up their minds to go no further, and turned back to +Tette. Another, Monga, a Batoka, was much perplexed, and could not +make out what course to pursue, as he had, three years previously, +wounded Kanyata, the headman, with a spear. This is a capital +offence among the Makololo, and he was afraid of being put to death +for it on his return. He tried, in vain, to console himself with the +facts that he had neither father, mother, sisters, nor brothers to +mourn for him, and that he could die but once. He was good, and +would go up to the stars to Yesu, and therefore did not care for +death. In spite, however, of these reflections, he was much cast +down, until Kanyata assured him that he would never mention his +misdeed to the chief; indeed, he had never even mentioned it to the +Doctor, which he would assuredly have done had it lain heavy on his +heart. We were right glad of Monga's company, for he was a merry +good-tempered fellow, and his lithe manly figure had always been in +the front in danger; and, from being left-handed, had been easily +recognized in the fight with elephants. + +We commenced, for a certain number of days, with short marches, +walking gently until broken in to travel. This is of so much +importance, that it occurs to us that more might be made out of +soldiers if the first few days' marches were easy, and gradually +increased in length and quickness. The nights were cold, with heavy +dews and occasional showers, and we had several cases of fever. Some +of the men deserted every night, and we fully expected that all who +had children would prefer to return to Tette, for little ones are +well known to prove the strongest ties, even to slaves. It was +useless informing them, that if they wanted to return they had only +to come and tell us so; we should not be angry with them for +preferring Tette to their own country. Contact with slaves had +destroyed their sense of honour; they would not go in daylight, but +decamped in the night, only in one instance, however, taking our +goods, though, in two more, they carried off their comrades' +property. By the time we had got well into the Kebrabasa hills +thirty men, nearly a third of the party, had turned back, and it +became evident that, if many more left us, Sekeletu's goods could not +be carried up. At last, when the refuse had fallen away, no more +desertions took place. + +Stopping one afternoon at a Kebrabasa village, a man, who pretended +to be able to change himself into a lion, came to salute us. +Smelling the gunpowder from a gun which had been discharged, he went +on one side to get out of the wind of the piece, trembling in a most +artistic manner, but quite overacting his part. The Makololo +explained to us that he was a Pondoro, or a man who can change his +form at will, and added that he trembles when he smells gunpowder. +"Do you not see how he is trembling now?" We told them to ask him to +change himself at once into a lion, and we would give him a cloth for +the performance. "Oh no," replied they; "if we tell him so, he may +change himself and come when we are asleep and kill us." Having +similar superstitions at home, they readily became as firm believers +in the Pondoro as the natives of the village. We were told that he +assumes the form of a lion and remains in the woods for days, and is +sometimes absent for a whole month. His considerate wife had built +him a hut or den, in which she places food and beer for her +transformed lord, whose metamorphosis does not impair his human +appetite. No one ever enters this hut except the Pondoro and his +wife, and no stranger is allowed even to rest his gun against the +baobab-tree beside it: the Mfumo, or petty chief, of another small +village wished to fine our men for placing their muskets against an +old tumble-down hut, it being that of the Pondoro. At times the +Pondoro employs his acquired powers in hunting for the benefit of the +village; and after an absence of a day or two, his wife smells the +lion, takes a certain medicine, places it in the forest, and there +quickly leaves it, lest the lion should kill even her. This medicine +enables the Pondoro to change himself back into a man, return to the +village, and say, "Go and get the game that I have killed for you." +Advantage is of course taken of what a lion has done, and they go and +bring home the buffalo or antelope killed when he was a lion, or +rather found when he was patiently pursuing his course of deception +in the forest. We saw the Pondoro of another village dressed in a +fantastic style, with numerous charms hung round him, and followed by +a troop of boys who were honouring him with rounds of shrill +cheering. + +It is believed also that the souls of departed chiefs enter into +lions, and render them sacred. On one occasion, when we had shot a +buffalo in the path beyond the Kafue, a hungry lion, attracted +probably by the smell of the meat, came close to our camp, and roused +up all hands by his roaring. Tuba Mokoro, imbued with the popular +belief that the beast was a chief in disguise, scolded him roundly +during his brief intervals of silence. "You a chief, eh? You call +yourself a chief, do you? What kind of chief are you to come +sneaking about in the dark, trying to steal our buffalo meat! Are +you not ashamed of yourself? A pretty chief truly; you are like the +scavenger beetle, and think of yourself only. You have not the heart +of a chief; why don't you kill your own beef? You must have a stone +in your chest, and no heart at all, indeed!" Tuba Mokoro producing +no impression on the transformed chief, one of the men, the most +sedate of the party, who seldom spoke, took up the matter, and tried +the lion in another strain. In his slow quiet way he expostulated +with him on the impropriety of such conduct to strangers, who had +never injured him. "We were travelling peaceably through the country +back to our own chief. We never killed people, nor stole anything. +The buffalo meat was ours, not his, and it did not become a great +chief like him to be prowling round in the dark, trying, like a +hyena, to steal the meat of strangers. He might go and hunt for +himself, as there was plenty of game in the forest." The Pondoro, +being deaf to reason, and only roaring the louder, the men became +angry, and threatened to send a ball through him if he did not go +away. They snatched up their guns to shoot him, but he prudently +kept in the dark, outside the luminous circle made by our camp fires, +and there they did not like to venture. A little strychnine was put +into a piece of meat, and thrown to him, when he soon departed, and +we heard no more of the majestic sneaker. + +The Kebrabasa people were now plumper and in better condition than on +our former visits; the harvest had been abundant; they had plenty to +eat and drink, and they were enjoying life as much as ever they +could. At Defwe's village, near where the ship lay on her first +ascent, we found two Mfumos or headmen, the son and son-in-law of the +former chief. A sister's son has much more chance of succeeding to a +chieftainship than the chief's own offspring, it being unquestionable +that the sister's child has the family blood. The men are all marked +across the nose and up the middle of the forehead with short +horizontal bars or cicatrices; and a single brass earring of two or +three inches diameter, like the ancient Egyptian, is worn by the men. +Some wear the hair long like the ancient Assyrians and Egyptians, and +a few have eyes with the downward and inward slant of the Chinese. + +After fording the rapid Luia, we left our former path on the banks of +the Zambesi, and struck off in a N.W. direction behind one of the +hill ranges, the eastern end of which is called Mongwa, the name of +an acacia, having a peculiarly strong fetor, found on it. Our route +wound up a valley along a small mountain-stream which was nearly dry, +and then crossed the rocky spurs of some of the lofty hills. The +country was all very dry at the time, and no water was found except +in an occasional spring and a few wells dug in the beds of +watercourses. The people were poor, and always anxious to convince +travellers of the fact. The men, unlike those on the plains, spend a +good deal of their time in hunting; this may be because they have but +little ground on the hill-sides suitable for gardens, and but little +certainty of reaping what may be sown in the valleys. No women came +forward in the hamlet, east of Chiperiziwa, where we halted for the +night. Two shots had been fired at guinea-fowl a little way off in +the valley; the women fled into the woods, and the men came to know +if war was meant, and a few of the old folks only returned after +hearing that we were for peace. The headman, Kambira, apologized for +not having a present ready, and afterwards brought us some meal, a +roasted coney (Hyrax capensis), and a pot of beer; he wished to be +thought poor. The beer had come to him from a distance; he had none +of his own. Like the Manganja, these people salute by clapping their +hands. When a man comes to a place where others are seated, before +sitting down he claps his hands to each in succession, and they do +the same to him. If he has anything to tell, both speaker and hearer +clap their hands at the close of every paragraph, and then again +vigorously at the end of the speech. The guide, whom the headman +gave us, thus saluted each of his comrades before he started off with +us. There is so little difference in the language, that all the +tribes of this region are virtually of one family. + +We proceeded still in the same direction, and passed only two small +hamlets during the day. Except the noise our men made on the march, +everything was still around us: few birds were seen. The appearance +of a whydahbird showed that he had not yet parted with his fine long +plumes. We passed immense quantities of ebony and lignum-vitae, and +the tree from whose smooth and bitter bark granaries are made for +corn. The country generally is clothed with a forest of ordinary- +sized trees. We slept in the little village near Sindabwe, where our +men contrived to purchase plenty of beer, and were uncommonly +boisterous all the evening. We breakfasted next morning under green +wild date-palms, beside the fine flowery stream, which runs through +the charming valley of Zibah. We now had Mount Chiperiziwa between +us, and part of the river near Morumbwa, having in fact come north +about in order to avoid the difficulties of our former path. The +last of the deserters, a reputed thief, took French leave of us here. +He left the bundle of cloth he was carrying in the path a hundred +yards in front of where we halted, but made off with the musket and +most of the brass rings and beads of his comrade Shirimba, who had +unsuspectingly intrusted them to his care. + +Proceeding S.W. up this lovely valley, in about an hour's time we +reached Sandia's village. The chief was said to be absent hunting, +and they did not know when he would return. This is such a common +answer to the inquiry after a headman, that one is inclined to think +that it only means that they wish to know the stranger's object +before exposing their superior to danger. As some of our men were +ill, a halt was made here. + +As we were unable to march next morning, six of our young men, +anxious to try their muskets, went off to hunt elephants. For +several hours they saw nothing, and some of them, getting tired, +proposed to go to a village and buy food. "No!" said Mantlanyane, +"we came to hunt, so let us go on." In a short time they fell in +with a herd of cow elephants and calves. As soon as the first cow +caught sight of the hunters on the rocks above her, she, with true +motherly instinct, placed her young one between her fore-legs for +protection. The men were for scattering, and firing into the herd +indiscriminately. "That won't do," cried Mantlanyane, "let us all +fire at this one." The poor beast received a volley, and ran down +into the plain, where another shot killed her; the young one escaped +with the herd. The men were wild with excitement, and danced round +the fallen queen of the forest, with loud shouts and exultant songs. +They returned, bearing as trophies the tail and part of the trunk, +and marched into camp as erect as soldiers, and evidently feeling +that their stature had increased considerably since the morning. + +Sandia's wife was duly informed of their success, as here a law +decrees that half the elephant belongs to the chief on whose ground +it has been killed. The Portuguese traders always submit to this +tax, and, were it of native origin, it could hardly be considered +unjust. A chief must have some source of revenue; and, as many +chiefs can raise none except from ivory or slaves, this tax is more +free from objections than any other that a black Chancellor of the +Exchequer could devise. It seems, however, to have originated with +the Portuguese themselves, and then to have spread among the adjacent +tribes. The Governors look sharply after any elephant that may be +slain on the Crown lands, and demand one of the tusks from their +vassals. We did not find the law in operation in any tribe beyond +the range of Portuguese traders, or further than the sphere of travel +of those Arabs who imitated Portuguese customs in trade. At the +Kafue in 1855 the chiefs bought the meat we killed, and demanded +nothing as their due; and so it was up the Shire during our visits. +The slaves of the Portuguese, who are sent by their masters to shoot +elephants, probably connive at the extension of this law, for they +strive to get the good will of the chiefs to whose country they come, +by advising them to make a demand of half of each elephant killed, +and for this advice they are well paid in beer. When we found that +the Portuguese argued in favour of this law, we told the natives that +they might exact tusks from THEM, but that the English, being +different, preferred the pure native custom. It was this which made +Sandia, as afterwards mentioned, hesitate; but we did not care to +insist on exemption in our favour, where the prevalence of the custom +might have been held to justify the exaction. + +The cutting up of an elephant is quite a unique spectacle. The men +stand remind the animal in dead silence, while the chief of the +travelling party declares that, according to ancient law, the head +and right hind-leg belong to him who killed the beast, that is, to +him who inflicted the first wound; the left leg to bins who delivered +the second, or first touched the animal after it fell. The meat +around the eye to the English, or chief of the travellers, and +different parts to the headmen of the different fires, or groups, of +which the camp is composed; not forgetting to enjoin the preservation +of the fat and bowels for a second distribution. This oration +finished, the natives soon become excited, and scream wildly as they +cut away at the carcass with a score of spears, whose long handles +quiver in the air above their heads. Their excitement becomes +momentarily more and more intense, and reaches the culminating point +when, as denoted by a roar of gas, the huge mass is laid fairly open. +Some jump inside, and roll about there in their eagerness to seize +the precious fat, while others run off, screaming, with pieces of the +bloody meat, throw it on the grass, and run back for more: all keep +talking and shouting at the utmost pitch of their voices. Sometimes +two or three, regardless of all laws, seize the same piece of meat, +and have a brief fight of words over it. Occasionally an agonized +yell bursts forth, and a native emerges out of the moving mass of +dead elephant and wriggling humanity, with his hand badly cut by the +spear of his excited friend and neighbour: this requires a rag and +some soothing words to prevent bad blood. In an incredibly short +time tons of meat are cut up, and placed in separate heaps around. + +Sandia arrived soon after the beast was divided: he is an elderly +man, and wears a wig made of "ife" fibre (sanseviera) dyed black, and +of a fine glossy appearance. This plant is allied to the aloes, and +its thick fleshy leaves, in shape somewhat like our sedges, when +bruised yield much fine strong fibre, which is made into ropes, nets, +and wigs. It takes dyes readily, and the fibre might form a good +article of commerce. "Ife" wigs, as we afterwards saw, are not +uncommon in this country, though perhaps not so common as hair wigs +at home. Sandia's mosamela, or small carved wooden pillow, exactly +resembling the ancient Egyptian one, was hung from the back of his +neck; this pillow and a sleeping mat are usually carried by natives +when on hunting excursions. + +We had the elephant's fore-foot cooked for ourselves, in native +fashion. A large hole was dug in the ground, in which a fire was +made; and, when the inside was thoroughly heated, the entire foot was +placed in it, and covered over with the hot ashes and soil; another +fire was made above the whole, and kept burning all night. We had +the foot thus cooked for breakfast next morning, and found it +delicious. It is a whitish mass, slightly gelatinous, and sweet, +like marrow. A long march, to prevent biliousness, is a wise +precaution after a meal of elephant's foot. Elephant's trunk and +tongue are also good, and, after long simmering, much resemble the +hump of a buffalo and the tongue of an ox; but all the other meat is +tough, and, from its peculiar flavour, only to be eaten by a hungry +man. The quantities of meat our men devour is quite astounding. +They boil as much as their pots will hold, and eat till it becomes +physically impossible for them to stow away any more. An uproarious +dance follows, accompanied with stentorian song; and as soon as they +have shaken their first course down, and washed off the sweat and +dust of the after performance, they go to work to roast more: a +short snatch of sleep succeeds, and they are up and at it again; all +night long it is boil and eat, roast and devour, with a few brief +interludes of sleep. Like other carnivora, these men can endure +hunger for a much longer period than the mere porridge-eating tribes. +Our men can cook meat as well as any reasonable traveller could +desire; and, boiled in earthen pots, like Indian chatties, it tastes +much better than when cooked in iron ones. + + + +CHAPTER V. + + + +Magnificent scenery--Method of marching--Hippopotamus killed--Lions +and buffalo--Sequasha the ivory-trader. + +Sandia gave us two guides; and on the 4th of June we left the +Elephant valley, taking a westerly course; and, after crossing a few +ridges, entered the Chingerere or Paguruguru valley, through which, +in the rainy season, runs the streamlet Pajodze. The mountains on +our left, between us and the Zambesi, our guides told us have the +same name as the valley, but that at the confluence of the Pajodze is +called Morumbwa. We struck the river at less than half a mile to the +north of the cataract Morumbwa. On climbing up the base of this +mountain at Pajodze, we found that we were distant only the diameter +of the mountain from the cataract. In measuring the cataract we +formerly stood on its southern flank; now we were perched on its +northern flank, and at once recognized the onion-shaped mountain, +here called Zakavuma, whose smooth convex surface overlooks the +broken water. Its bearing by compass was l80 degrees from the spot +to which we had climbed, and 700 or 800 yards distant. We now, from +this standing-point, therefore, completed our inspection of all +Kebrabasa, and saw what, as a whole, was never before seen by +Europeans so far as any records show. + +The remainder of the Kebrabasa path, on to Chicova, was close to the +compressed and rocky river. Ranges of lofty tree-covered mountains, +with deep narrow valleys, in which are dry watercourses, or flowing +rivulets, stretch from the north-west, and are prolonged on the +opposite side of the river in a south-easterly direction. Looking +back, the mountain scenery in Kebrabasa was magnificent; conspicuous +from their form and steep sides, are the two gigantic portals of the +cataract; the vast forests still wore their many brilliant autumnal- +coloured tints of green, yellow, red, purple, and brown, thrown into +relief by the grey bark of the trunks in the background. Among these +variegated trees were some conspicuous for their new livery of fresh +light-green leaves, as though the winter of others was their spring. +The bright sunshine in these mountain forests, and the ever-changing +forms of the cloud shadows, gliding over portions of the surface, +added fresh charms to scenes already surpassingly beautiful. + +From what we have seen of the Kebrabasa rocks and rapids, it appears +too evident that they must always form a barrier to navigation at the +ordinary low water of the river; but the rise of the water in this +gorge being as much as eighty feet perpendicularly, it is probable +that a steamer might be taken up at high flood, when all the rapids +are smoothed over, to run on the Upper Zambesi. The most formidable +cataract in it, Morumbwa, has only about twenty feet of fall, in a +distance of thirty yards, and it must entirely disappear when the +water stands eighty feet higher. Those of the Makololo who worked on +board the ship were not sorry at the steamer being left below, as +they had become heartily tired of cutting the wood that the +insatiable furnace of the "Asthmatic" required. Mbia, who was a bit +of a wag, laughingly exclaimed in broken English, "Oh, Kebrabasa +good, very good; no let shippee up to Sekeletu, too muchee work, +cuttee woodyee, cuttee woodyee: Kebrabasa good." It is currently +reported, and commonly believed, that once upon a time a Portuguese +named Jose Pedra,--by the natives called Nyamatimbira,--chief, or +capitao mor, of Zumbo, a man of large enterprise and small humanity,- +-being anxious to ascertain if Kebrabasa could be navigated, made two +slaves fast to a canoe, and launched it from Chicova into Kebrabasa, +in order to see if it would come out at the other end. As neither +slaves nor canoe ever appeared again, his Excellency concluded that +Kebrabasa was unnavigable. A trader had a large canoe swept away by +a sudden rise of the river, and it was found without damage below; +but the most satisfactory information was that of old Sandia, who +asserted that in flood all Kebrabasa became quite smooth, and he had +often seen it so. + +We emerged from the thirty-five or forty miles of Kebrabasa hills +into the Chicova plains on the 7th of June, 1860, having made short +marches all the way. The cold nights caused some of our men to cough +badly, and colds in this country almost invariably become fever. The +Zambesi suddenly expands at Chicova, and assumes the size and +appearance it has at Tette. Near this point we found a large seam of +coal exposed in the left bank. + +We met with native travellers occasionally. Those on a long journey +carry with them a sleeping-mat and wooden pillow, cooking-pot and bag +of meal, pipe and tobacco-pouch, a knife, bow, and arrows, and two +small sticks, of from two to three feet in length, for making fire, +when obliged to sleep away from human habitations. Dry wood is +always abundant, and they get fire by the following method. A notch +is cut in one of the sticks, which, with a close-grained outside, has +a small core of pith, and this notched stick is laid horizontally on +a knife-blade on the ground; the operator squatting, places his great +toes on each end to keep all steady, and taking the other wand which +is of very hard wood cut to a blunt point, fits it into the notch at +right angles; the upright wand is made to spin rapidly backwards and +forwards between the palms of the hands, drill fashion, and at the +same time is pressed downwards; the friction, in the course of a +minute or so, ignites portions of the pith of the notched stick, +which, rolling over like live charcoal on to the knife-blade, are +lifted into a handful of fine dry grass, and carefully blown, by +waving backwards and forwards in the air. It is hard work for the +hands to procure fire by this process, as the vigorous drilling and +downward pressure requisite soon blister soft palms. + +Having now entered a country where lions were numerous, our men began +to pay greater attention to the arrangements of the camp at night. +As they are accustomed to do with their chiefs, they place the white +men in the centre; Kanyata, his men, and the two donkeys, camp on our +right; Tuba Mokoro's party of Bashubia are in front; Masakasa, and +Sininyane's body of Batoka, on the left; and in the rear six Tette +men have their fires. In placing their fires they are careful to put +them where the smoke will not blow in our faces. Soon after we halt, +the spot for the English is selected, and all regulate their places +accordingly, and deposit their burdens. The men take it by turns to +cut some of the tall dry grass, and spread it for our beds on a spot, +either naturally level, or smoothed by the hoe; some, appointed to +carry our bedding, then bring our rugs and karosses, and place the +three rugs in a row on the grass; Dr. Livingstone's being in the +middle, Dr. Kirk's on the right, and Charles Livingstone's on the +left. Our bags, rifles, and revolvers are carefully placed at our +heads, and a fire made near our feet. We have no tent nor covering +of any kind except the branches of the tree under which we may happen +to lie; and it is a pretty sight to look up and see every branch, +leaf, and twig of the tree stand out, reflected against the clear +star-spangled and moonlit sky. The stars of the first magnitude have +names which convey the same meaning over very wide tracts of country. +Here when Venus comes out in the evenings, she is called Ntanda, the +eldest or first-born, and Manjika, the first-born of morning, at +other times: she has so much radiance when shining alone, that she +casts a shadow. Sirius is named Kuewa usiko, "drawer of night," +because supposed to draw the whole night after it. The moon has no +evil influence in this country, so far as we know. We have lain and +looked up at her, till sweet sleep closed our eyes, unharmed. Four +or five of our men were affected with moon-blindness at Tette; though +they had not slept out of doors there, they became so blind that +their comrades had to guide their hands to the general dish of food; +the affection is unknown in their own country. When our posterity +shall have discovered what it is which, distinct from foul smells, +causes fever, and what, apart from the moon, causes men to be moon- +struck, they will pity our dulness of perception. + +The men cut a very small quantity of grass for themselves, and sleep +in fumbas or sleeping-bags, which are double mats of palm-leaf, six +feet long by four wide, and sewn together round three parts of the +square, and left open only on one side. They are used as a +protection from the cold, wet, and mosquitoes, and are entered as we +should get into our beds, were the blankets nailed to the top, +bottom, and one side of the bedstead. + +A dozen fires are nightly kindled in the camp; and these, being +replenished from time to time by the men who are awakened by the +cold, are kept burning until daylight. Abundance of dry hard wood is +obtained with little trouble; and burns beautifully. After the great +business of cooking and eating is over, all sit round the camp-fires, +and engage in talking or singing. Every evening one of the Batoka +plays his "sansa," and continues at it until far into the night; he +accompanies it with an extempore song, in which he rehearses their +deeds ever since they left their own country. At times animated +political discussions spring up, and the amount of eloquence expended +on these occasions is amazing. The whole camp is aroused, and the +men shout to one another from the different fires; whilst some, whose +tongues are never heard on any other subject, burst forth into +impassioned speech. + +As a specimen of our mode of marching, we rise about five, or as soon +as dawn appears, take a cup of tea and a bit of biscuit; the servants +fold up the blankets and stow them away in the bags they carry; the +others tie their fumbas and cooking-pots to each end of their +carrying-sticks, which are borne on the shoulder; the cook secures +the dishes, and all are on the path by sunrise. If a convenient spot +can be found we halt for breakfast about nine a.m. To save time, +this meal is generally cooked the night before, and has only to be +warmed. We continue the march after breakfast, rest a little in the +middle of the day, and break off early in the afternoon. We average +from two to two-and-a-half miles an hour in a straight line, or as +the crow flies, and seldom have more than five or six hours a day of +actual travel. This in a hot climate is as much as a man can +accomplish without being oppressed; and we always tried to make our +progress more a pleasure than a toil. To hurry over the ground, +abuse, and look ferocious at one's native companions, merely for the +foolish vanity of boasting how quickly a distance was accomplished, +is a combination of silliness with absurdity quite odious; while +kindly consideration for the feelings of even blacks, the pleasure of +observing scenery and everything new as one moves on at an ordinary +pace, and the participation in the most delicious rest with our +fellows, render travelling delightful. Though not given to over +haste, we were a little surprised to find that we could tire our men +out; and even the headman, who carried but little more than we did, +and never, as we often had to do, hunted in the afternoon, was no +better than his comrades. Our experience tends to prove that the +European constitution has a power of endurance, even in the tropics, +greater than that of the hardiest of the meat-eating Africans. + +After pitching our camp, one or two of us usually go off to hunt, +more as a matter of necessity than of pleasure, for the men, as well +as ourselves, must have meat. We prefer to take a man with us to +carry home the game, or lead the others to where it lies; but as they +frequently grumble and complain of being tired, we do not +particularly object to going alone, except that it involves the extra +labour of our making a second trip to show the men where the animal +that has been shot is to be found. When it is a couple of miles off +it is rather fatiguing to have to go twice; more especially on the +days when it is solely to supply their wants that, instead of resting +ourselves, we go at all. Like those who perform benevolent deeds at +home, the tired hunter, though trying hard to live in charity with +all men, is strongly tempted to give it up by bringing only +sufficient meat for the three whites and leaving the rest; thus +sending the "idle ungrateful poor" supperless to bed. And yet it is +only by continuance in well-doing, even to the length of what the +worldly-wise call weakness, that the conviction is produced anywhere, +that our motives are high enough to secure sincere respect. + +A jungle of mimosa, ebony, and "wait-a-bit" thorn lies between the +Chicova flats and the cultivated plain, on which stand the villages +of the chief, Chitora. He brought us a present of food and drink, +because, as he, with the innate politeness of an African, said, he +"did not wish us to sleep hungry: he had heard of the Doctor when he +passed down, and had a great desire to see and converse with him; but +he was a child then, and could not speak in the presence of great +men. He was glad that he had seen the English now, and was sorry +that his people were away, or he should have made them cook for us." +All his subsequent conduct showed him to be sincere. + +Many of the African women are particular about the water they use for +drinking and cooking, and prefer that which is filtered through sand. +To secure this, they scrape holes in the sandbanks beside the stream, +and scoop up the water, which slowly filters through, rather than +take it from the equally clear and limpid river. This practice is +common in the Zambesi, the Rovuma, and Lake Nyassa; and some of the +Portuguese at Tette have adopted the native custom, and send canoes +to a low island in the middle of the river for water. Chitora's +people also obtained their supply from shallow wells in the sandy bed +of a small rivulet close to the village. The habit may have arisen +from observing the unhealthiness of the main stream at certain +seasons. During nearly nine months in the year, ordure is deposited +around countless villages along the thousands of miles drained by the +Zambesi. When the heavy rains come down, and sweep the vast fetid +accumulation into the torrents, the water is polluted with filth; +and, but for the precaution mentioned, the natives would prove +themselves as little fastidious as those in London who drink the +abomination poured into the Thames by Reading and Oxford. It is no +wonder that sailors suffered so much from fever after drinking +African river water, before the present admirable system of +condensing it was adopted in our navy. + +The scent of man is excessively terrible to game of all kinds, much +more so, probably, than the sight of him. A herd of antelopes, a +hundred yards off, gazed at us as we moved along the winding path, +and timidly stood their ground until half our line had passed, but +darted off the instant they "got the wind," or caught the flavour of +those who had gone by. The sport is all up with the hunter who gets +to the windward of the African beast, as it cannot stand even the +distant aroma of the human race, so much dreaded by all wild animals. +Is this the fear and the dread of man, which the Almighty said to +Noah was to be upon every beast of the field? A lion may, while +lying in wait for his prey, leap on a human being as he would on any +other animal, save a rhinoceros or an elephant, that happened to +pass; or a lioness, when she has cubs, might attack a man, who, +passing "up the wind of her," had unconsciously, by his scent, +alarmed her for the safety of her whelps; or buffaloes, amid other +animals, might rush at a line of travellers, in apprehension of being +surrounded by them; but neither beast nor snake will, as a general +rule, turn on man except when wounded, or by mistake. If gorillas, +unwounded, advance to do battle with him, and beat their breasts in +defiance, they are an exception to all wild beasts known to us. From +the way an elephant runs at the first glance of man, it is inferred +that this huge brute, though really king of beasts, would run even +from a child. + +Our two donkeys caused as much admiration as the three white men. +Great was the astonishment when one of the donkeys began to bray. +The timid jumped more than if a lion had roared beside them. All +were startled, and stared in mute amazement at the harsh-voiced one, +till the last broken note was uttered; then, on being assured that +nothing in particular was meant, they looked at each other, and burst +into a loud laugh at their common surprise. When one donkey +stimulated the other to try his vocal powers, the interest felt by +the startled visitors, must have equalled that of the Londoners, when +they first crowded to see the famous hippopotamus. + +We were now, when we crossed the boundary rivulet Nyamatarara, out of +Chicova and amongst sandstone rocks, similar to those which prevail +between Lupata and Kebrabasa. In the latter gorge, as already +mentioned, igneous and syenitic masses have been acted on by some +great fiery convulsion of nature; the strata are thrown into a +huddled heap of confusion. The coal has of course disappeared in +Kebrabasa, but is found again in Chicova. Tette grey sandstone is +common about Sinjere, and wherever it is seen with fossil wood upon +it, coal lies beneath; and here, as at Chicova, some seams crop out +on the banks of the Zambesi. Looking southwards, the country is open +plain and woodland, with detached hills and mountains in the +distance; but the latter are too far off, the natives say, for them +to know their names. The principal hills on our right, as we look up +stream, are from six to twelve miles away, and occasionally they send +down spurs to the river, with brooks flowing through their narrow +valleys. The banks of the Zambesi show two well-defined terraces; +the first, or lowest, being usually narrow, and of great fertility, +while the upper one is a dry grassy plain, a thorny jungle, or a +mopane (Bauhinia) forest. One of these plains, near the Kafue, is +covered with the large stumps and trunks of a petrified forest. We +halted a couple of days by the fine stream Sinjere, which comes from +the Chiroby-roby hills, about eight miles to the north. Many lumps +of coal, brought down by the rapid current, lie in its channel. The +natives never seem to have discovered that coal would burn, and, when +informed of the fact, shook their heads, smiled incredulously, and +said "Kodi" (really), evidently regarding it as a mere traveller's +tale. They were astounded to see it burning freely on our fire of +wood. They told us that plenty of it was seen among the hills; but, +being long ago aware that we were now in an immense coalfield, we did +not care to examine it further. + +A dyke of black basaltic rock, called Kakolole, crosses the river +near the mouth of the Sinjere; but it has two open gateways in it of +from sixty to eighty yards in breadth, and the channel is very deep. + +On a shallow sandbank, under the dyke, lay a herd of hippopotami in +fancied security. The young ones were playing with each other like +young puppies, climbing on the backs of their dams, trying to take +hold of one another by the jaws and tumbling over into the water. +Mbia, one of the Makololo, waded across to within a dozen yards of +the drowsy beasts, and shot the father of the herd; who, being very +fat, soon floated, and was secured at the village below. The headman +of the village visited us while we were at breakfast. He wore a +black "ife" wig and a printed shirt. After a short silence he said +to Masakasa, "You are with the white people, so why do you not tell +them to give me a cloth?" "We are strangers," answered Masakasa, +"why do you not bring us some food?" He took the plain hint, and +brought us two fowls, in order that we should not report that in +passing him we got nothing to eat; and, as usual, we gave a cloth in +return. In reference to the hippopotamus he would make no demand, +but said he would take what we chose to give him. The men gorged +themselves with meat for two days, and cut large quantities into long +narrow strips, which they half-dried and half-roasted on wooden +frames over the fire. Much game is taken in this neighbourhood in +pitfalls. Sharp-pointed stakes are set in the bottom, on which the +game tumbles and gets impaled. The natives are careful to warn +strangers of these traps, and also of the poisoned beams suspended on +the tall trees for the purpose of killing elephants and hippopotami. +It is not difficult to detect the pitfalls after one's attention has +been called to them; but in places where they are careful to carry +the earth off to a distance, and a person is not thinking of such +things, a sudden descent of nine feet is an experience not easily +forgotten by the traveller. The sensations of one thus +instantaneously swallowed up by the earth are peculiar. A momentary +suspension of consciousness is followed by the rustling sound of a +shower of sand and dry grass, and the half-bewildered thought of +where he is, and how he came into darkness. Reason awakes to assure +him that he must have come down through that small opening of +daylight overhead, and that he is now where a hippopotamus ought to +have been. The descent of a hippopotamus pitfall is easy, but to get +out again into the upper air is a work of labour. The sides are +smooth and treacherous, and the cross reeds, which support the +covering, break in the attempt to get out by clutching them. A cry +from the depths is unheard by those around, and it is only by +repeated and most desperate efforts that the buried alive can regain +the upper world. At Tette we are told of a white hunter, of +unusually small stature, who plumped into a pit while stalking a +guinea-fowl on a tree. It was the labour of an entire forenoon to +get out; and he was congratulating himself on his escape, and +brushing off the clay from his clothes, when down he went into a +second pit, which happened, as is often the case, to be close beside +the first, and it was evening before he could work himself out of +THAT. + +Elephants and buffaloes seldom return to the river by the same path +on two successive nights, they become so apprehensive of danger from +this human art. An old elephant will walk in advance of the herd, +and uncover the pits with his trunk, that the others may see the +openings and tread on firm ground. Female elephants are generally +the victims: more timid by nature than the males, and very motherly +in their anxiety for their calves, they carry their trunks up, trying +every breeze for fancied danger, which often in reality lies at their +feet. The tusker, fearing less, keeps his trunk down, and, warned in +time by that exquisitely sensitive organ, takes heed to his ways. + +Our camp on the Sinjere stood under a wide-spreading wild fig-tree. +From the numbers of this family, of large size, dotted over the +country, the fig or banyan species would seem to have been held +sacred in Africa from the remotest times. The soil teemed with white +ants, whose clay tunnels, formed to screen them from the eyes of +birds, thread over the ground, up the trunks of trees, and along the +branches, from which the little architects clear away all rotten or +dead wood. Very often the exact shape of branches is left in tunnels +on the ground and not a bit of the wood inside. The first night we +passed here these destructive insects ate through our grass-beds, and +attacked our blankets, and certain large red-headed ones even bit our +flesh. + +On some days not a single white ant is to be seen abroad; and on +others, and during certain hours, they appear out of doors in +myriads, and work with extraordinary zeal and energy in carrying bits +of dried grass down into their nests. During these busy reaping-fits +the lizards and birds have a good time of it, and enjoy a rich feast +at the expense of thousands of hapless workmen; and when they swarm +they are caught in countless numbers by the natives, and their +roasted bodies are spoken of in an unctuous manner as resembling +grains of soft rice fried in delicious fresh oil. + +A strong marauding party of large black ants attacked a nest of white +ones near the camp: as the contest took place beneath the surface, +we could not see the order of the battle; but it soon became apparent +that the blacks had gained the day, and sacked the white town, for +they returned in triumph, bearing off the eggs, and choice bits of +the bodies of the vanquished. A gift, analogous to that of language, +has not been withheld from ants: if part of their building is +destroyed, an official is seen coming out to examine the damage; and, +after a careful survey of the ruins, he chirrups a few clear and +distinct notes, and a crowd of workers begin at once to repair the +breach. When the work is completed, another order is given, and the +workmen retire, as will appear on removing the soft freshly-built +portion. We tried to sleep one rainy might in a native hut, but +could not because of attacks by the fighting battalions of a very +small species of formica, not more than one-sixteenth of an inch in +length. It soon became obvious that they were under regular +discipline, and even attempting to carry out the skilful plans and +stratagems of some eminent leader. Our hands and necks were the +first objects of attack. Large bodies of these little pests were +massed in silence round the point to be assaulted. We could hear the +sharp shrill word of command two or three times repeated, though +until then we had not believed in the vocal power of an ant; the +instant after we felt the storming hosts range over head and neck, +biting the tender skin, clinging with a death-grip to the hair, and +parting with their jaws rather than quit their hold. On our lying +down again in the hope of their having been driven off, no sooner was +the light out, and all still, than the manoeuvre was repeated. Clear +and audible orders were issued, and the assault renewed. It was as +hard to sleep in that hut as in the trenches before Sebastopol. The +white ant, being a vegetable feeder, devours articles of vegetable +origin only, and leather, which, by tanning, is imbued with a +vegetable flavour. "A man may be rich to-day and poor to-morrow, +from the ravages of white ants," said a Portuguese merchant. "If he +gets sick, and unable to look after his goods, his slaves neglect +them, and they are soon destroyed by these insects." The reddish +ant, in the west called drivers, crossed our path daily, in solid +columns an inch wide, and never did the pugnacity of either man or +beast exceed theirs. It is a sufficient cause of war if you only +approach them, even by accident. Some turn out of the ranks and +stand with open mandibles, or, charging with extended jaws, bite with +savage ferocity. When hunting, we lighted among them too often; +while we were intent on the game, and without a thought of ants, they +quietly covered us from head to foot, then all began to bite at the +same instant; seizing a piece of the skin with their powerful +pincers, they twisted themselves round with it, as if determined to +tear it out. Their bites are so terribly sharp that the bravest must +run, and then strip to pick off those that still cling with their +hooked jaws, as with steel forceps. This kind abounds in damp +places, and is usually met with on the banks of streams. We have not +heard of their actually killing any animal except the Python, and +that only when gorged and quite lethargic, but they soon clear away +any dead animal matter; this appears to be their principal food, and +their use in the economy of nature is clearly in the scavenger line. + +We started from the Sinjere on the 12th of June, our men carrying +with them bundles of hippopotamus meat for sale, and for future use. +We rested for breakfast opposite the Kakolole dyke, which confines +the channel, west of the Manyerere mountain. A rogue monkey, the +largest by far that we ever saw, and very fat and tame, walked off +leisurely from a garden as we approached. The monkey is a sacred +animal in this region, and is never molested or killed, because the +people believe devoutly that the souls of their ancestors now occupy +these degraded forms, and anticipate that they themselves must, +sooner or later, be transformed in like manner; a future as cheerless +for the black as the spirit-rapper's heaven is for the whites. The +gardens are separated from each other by a single row of small +stones, a few handfuls of grass, or a slight furrow made by the hoe. +Some are enclosed by a reed fence of the flimsiest construction, yet +sufficient to keep out the ever wary hippopotamus, who dreads a trap. +His extreme caution is taken advantage of by the women, who hang, as +a miniature trap-beam, a kigelia fruit with a bit of stick in the +end. This protects the maize, of which he is excessively fond. + +The quantity of hippopotamus meat eaten by our men made some of them +ill, and our marches were necessarily short. After three hours' +travel on the 13th, we spent the remainder of the day at the village +of Chasiribera, on a rivulet flowing through a beautiful valley to +the north, which is bounded by magnificent mountain-ranges. Pinkwe, +or Mbingwe, otherwise Moeu, forms the south-eastern angle of the +range. On the 16th June we were at the flourishing village of Senga, +under the headman Manyame, which lies at the foot of the mount +Motemwa. Nearly all the mountains in this country are covered with +open forest and grass, in colour, according to the season, green or +yellow. Many are between 2000 and 3000 feet high, with the sky line +fringed with trees; the rocks show just sufficiently for one to +observe their stratification, or their granitic form, and though not +covered with dense masses of climbing plants, like those in moister +eastern climates, there is still the idea conveyed that most of the +steep sides are fertile, and none give the impression of that +barrenness which, in northern mountains, suggests the idea that the +bones of the world are sticking through its skin. + +The villagers reported that we were on the footsteps of a Portuguese +half-caste, who, at Senga, lately tried to purchase ivory, but, in +consequence of his having murdered a chief near Zumbo and twenty of +his men, the people declined to trade with him. He threatened to +take the ivory by force, if they would not sell it; but that same +night the ivory and the women were spirited out of the village, and +only a large body of armed men remained. The trader, fearing that he +might come off second best if it came to blows, immediately departed. +Chikwanitsela, or Sekuanangila, is the paramount chief of some fifty +miles of the northern bank of the Zambesi in this locality. He lives +on the opposite, or southern side, and there his territory is still +more extensive. We sent him a present from Senga, and were informed +by a messenger next morning that he had a cough and could not come +over to see us. "And has his present a cough too," remarked one of +our party, "that it does not come to us? Is this the way your chief +treats strangers, receives their present, and sends them no food in +return?" Our men thought Chikwanitsela an uncommonly stingy fellow; +but, as it was possible that some of them might yet wish to return +this way, they did not like to scold him more than this, which was +sufficiently to the point. + +Men and women were busily engaged in preparing the ground for the +November planting. Large game was abundant; herds of elephants and +buffaloes came down to the river in the night, but were a long way +off by daylight. They soon adopt this habit in places where they are +hunted. + +The plains we travel over are constantly varying in breadth, +according as the furrowed and wooded hills approach or recede from +the river. On the southern side we see the hill Bungwe, and the +long, level, wooded ridge Nyangombe, the first of a series bending +from the S.E. to the N.W. past the Zambesi. We shot an old pallah on +the 16th, and found that the poor animal had been visited with more +than the usual share of animal afflictions. He was stone-blind in +both eyes, had several tumours, and a broken leg, which showed no +symptoms of ever having begun to heal. Wild animals sometimes suffer +a great deal from disease, and wearily drag on a miserable existence +before relieved of it by some ravenous beast. Once we drove off a +maneless lion and lioness from a dead buffalo, which had been in the +last stage of a decline. They had watched him staggering to the +river to quench his thirst, and sprang on him as he was crawling up +the bank. One had caught him by the throat, and the other by his +high projecting backbone, which was broken by the lion's powerful +fangs. The struggle, if any, must have been short. They had only +eaten the intestines when we frightened them off. It is curious that +this is the part that wild animals always begin with, and that it is +also the first choice of our men. Were it not a wise arrangement +that only the strongest males should continue the breed, one could +hardly help pitying the solitary buffalo expelled from the herd for +some physical blemish, or on account of the weakness of approaching +old age. Banished from female society, he naturally becomes morose +and savage; the necessary watchfulness against enemies is now never +shared by others; disgusted, he passes into a state of chronic war +with all who enjoy life, and the sooner after his expulsion that he +fills the lion's or the wild-dog's maw, the better for himself and +for the peace of the country. + +We encamped on the 20th of June at a spot where Dr. Livingstone, on +his journey from the West to the East Coast, was formerly menaced by +a chief named Mpende. No offence had been committed against him, but +he had firearms, and, with the express object of showing his power, +he threatened to attack the strangers. Mpende's counsellors having, +however, found out that Dr. Livingstone belonged to a tribe of whom +they had heard that "they loved the black man and did not make +slaves," his conduct at once changed from enmity to kindness, and, as +the place was one well selected for defence, it was perhaps quite as +well for Mpende that he decided as he did. Three of his counsellors +now visited us, and we gave them a handsome present for their chief, +who came himself next morning and made us a present of a goat, a +basket of boiled maize, and another of vetches. A few miles above +this the headman, Chilondo of Nyamasusa, apologized for not formerly +lending us canoes. "He was absent, and his children were to blame +for not telling him when the Doctor passed; he did not refuse the +canoes." The sight of our men, now armed with muskets, had a great +effect. Without any bullying, firearms command respect, and lead men +to be reasonable who might otherwise feel disposed to be troublesome. +Nothing, however, our fracas with Mpende excepted, could be more +peaceful than our passage through this tract of country in 1856. We +then had nothing to excite the cupidity of the people, and the men +maintained themselves, either by selling elephant's meat, or by +exhibiting feats of foreign dancing. Most of the people were very +generous and friendly; but the Banyai, nearer to Tette than this, +stopped our march with a threatening war-dance. One of our party, +terrified at this, ran away, as we thought, insane, and could not, +after a painful search of three days, be found. The Banyai, +evidently touched by our distress, allowed us to proceed. Through a +man we left on an island a little below Mpende's, we subsequently +learned that poor Monaheng had fled thither, and had been murdered by +the headman for no reason except that he was defenceless. This +headman had since become odious to his countrymen, and had been put +to death by them. + +On the 23rd of June we entered Pangola's principal village, which is +upwards of a mile from the river. The ruins of a mud wall showed +that a rude attempt had been made to imitate the Portuguese style of +building. We established ourselves under a stately wild fig-tree, +round whose trunk witchcraft medicine had been tied, to protect from +thieves the honey of the wild bees, which had their hive in one of +the limbs. This is a common device. The charm, or the medicine, is +purchased of the dice doctors, and consists of a strip of palm-leaf +smeared with something, and adorned with a few bits of grass, wood, +or roots. It is tied round the tree, and is believed to have the +power of inflicting disease and death on the thief who climbs over +it. Superstition is thus not without its uses in certain states of +society; it prevents many crimes and misdemeanours, which would occur +but for the salutary fear that it produces. + +Pangola arrived, tipsy and talkative.--"We are friends, we are great +friends; I have brought you a basket of green maize--here it is!" We +thanked him, and handed him two fathoms of cotton cloth, four times +the market-value of his present. No, he would not take so small a +present; he wanted a double-barrelled rifle--one of Dixon's best. +"We are friends, you know; we are all friends together." But +although we were willing to admit that, we could not give him our +best rifle, so he went off in high dudgeon. Early next morning, as +we were commencing Divine service, Pangola returned, sober. We +explained to him that we wished to worship God, and invited him to +remain; he seemed frightened, and retired: but after service he +again importuned us for the rifle. It was of no use telling him that +we had a long journey before us, and needed it to kill game for +ourselves.--"He too must obtain meat for himself and people, for they +sometimes suffered from hunger." He then got sulky, and his people +refused to sell food except at extravagant prices. Knowing that we +had nothing to eat, they felt sure of starving us into compliance. +But two of our young men, having gone off at sunrise, shot a fine +water-buck, and down came the provision market to the lower figure; +they even became eager to sell, but our men were angry with them for +trying compulsion, and would not buy. Black greed had outwitted +itself, as happens often with white cupidity; and not only here did +the traits of Africans remind us of Anglo-Saxons elsewhere: the +notoriously ready world-wide disposition to take an unfair advantage +of a man's necessities shows that the same mean motives are pretty +widely diffused among all races. It may not be granted that the same +blood flows in all veins, or that all have descended from the same +stock; but the traveller has no doubt that, practically, the white +rogue and black are men and brothers. + +Pangola is the child or vassal of Mpende. Sandia and Mpende are the +only independent chiefs from Kebrabasa to Zumbo, and belong to the +tribe Manganja. The country north of the mountains here in sight +from the Zambesi is called Senga, and its inhabitants Asenga, or +Basenga, but all appear to be of the same family as the rest of the +Manganja and Maravi. Formerly all the Manganja were united under the +government of their great chief, Undi, whose empire extended from +Lake Shirwa to the River Loangwa; but after Undi's death it fell to +pieces, and a large portion of it on the Zambesi was absorbed by +their powerful southern neighbours the Banyai. This has been the +inevitable fate of every African empire from time immemorial. A +chief of more than ordinary ability arises and, subduing all his less +powerful neighbours, founds a kingdom, which he governs more or less +wisely till he dies. His successor not having the talents of the +conqueror cannot retain the dominion, and some of the abler under- +chiefs set up for themselves, and, in a few years, the remembrance +only of the empire remains. This, which may be considered as the +normal state of African society, gives rise to frequent and +desolating wars, and the people long in vain for a power able to make +all dwell in peace. In this light, a European colony would be +considered by the natives as an inestimable boon to intertropical +Africa. Thousands of industrious natives would gladly settle round +it, and engage in that peaceful pursuit of agriculture and trade of +which they are so fond, and, undistracted by wars or rumours of wars, +might listen to the purifying and ennobling truths of the gospel of +Jesus Christ. The Manganja on the Zambesi, like their countrymen on +the Shire, are fond of agriculture; and, in addition to the usual +varieties of food, cultivate tobacco and cotton in quantities more +than equal to their wants. To the question, "Would they work for +Europeans?" an affirmative answer may be given, if the Europeans +belong to the class which can pay a reasonable price for labour, and +not to that of adventurers who want employment for themselves. All +were particularly well clothed from Sandia's to Pangola's; and it was +noticed that all the cloth was of native manufacture, the product of +their own looms. In Senga a great deal of iron is obtained from the +ore and manufactured very cleverly. + +As is customary when a party of armed strangers visits the village, +Pangola took the precaution of sleeping in one of the outlying +hamlets. No one ever knows, or at any rate will tell, where the +chief sleeps. He came not next morning, so we went our way; but in a +few moments we saw the rifle-loving chief approaching with some armed +men. Before meeting us, he left the path and drew up his "following" +under a tree, expecting us to halt, and give him a chance of +bothering us again; but, having already had enough of that, we held +right on: he seemed dumbfoundered, and could hardly believe his own +eyes. For a few seconds he was speechless, but at last recovered so +far as to be able to say, "You are passing Pangola. Do you not see +Pangola?" Mbia was just going by at the time with the donkey, and, +proud of every opportunity of airing his small stock of English, +shouted in reply, "All right! then get on." "Click, click, click." + +On the 26th June we breakfasted at Zumbo, on the left bank of the +Loangwa, near the ruins of some ancient Portuguese houses. The +Loangwa was too deep to be forded, and there were no canoes on our +side. Seeing two small ones on the opposite shore, near a few +recently erected huts of two half-castes from Tette, we halted for +the ferry-men to come over. From their movements it was evident that +they were in a state of rollicking drunkenness. Having a waterproof +cloak, which could be inflated into a tiny boat, we sent Mantlanyane +across in it. Three half-intoxicated slaves then brought us the +shaky canoes, which we lashed together and manned with our own canoe- +men. Five men were all that we could carry over at a time; and after +four trips had been made the slaves began to clamour for drink; not +receiving any, as we had none to give, they grew more insolent, and +declared that not another man should cross that day. Sininyane was +remonstrating with them, when a loaded musket was presented at him by +one of the trio. In an instant the gun was out of the rascal's +hands, a rattling shower of blows fell on his back, and he took an +involuntary header into the river. He crawled up the bank a sad and +sober man, and all three at once tumbled from the height of saucy +swagger to a low depth of slavish abjectness. The musket was found +to have an enormous charge, and might have blown our man to pieces, +but for the promptitude with which his companions administered +justice in a lawless land. We were all ferried safely across by 8 +o'clock in the evening. + +In illustration of what takes place where no government, or law +exists, the two half-castes, to whom these men belonged, left Tette, +with four hundred slaves, armed with the old Sepoy Brown Bess, to +hunt elephants and trade in ivory. On our way up, we heard from +natives of their lawless deeds, and again, on our way down, from +several, who had been eyewitnesses of the principal crime, and all +reports substantially agreed. The story is a sad one. After the +traders reached Zumbo, one of them, called by the natives Sequasha, +entered into a plot with the disaffected headman, Namakusuru, to kill +his chief, Mpangwe, in order that Namakusuru might seize upon the +chieftainship; and for the murder of Mpangwe the trader agreed to +receive ten large tusks of ivory. Sequasha, with a picked party of +armed slaves, went to visit Mpangwe who received him kindly, and +treated him with all the honour and hospitality usually shown to +distinguished strangers, and the women busied themselves in cooking +the best of their provisions for the repast to be set before him. Of +this, and also of the beer, the half-caste partook heartily. Mpangwe +was then asked by Sequasha to allow his men to fire their guns in +amusement. Innocent of any suspicion of treachery, and anxious to +hear the report of firearms, Mpangwe at once gave his consent; and +the slaves rose and poured a murderous volley into the merry group of +unsuspecting spectators, instantly killing the chief and twenty of +his people. The survivors fled in horror. The children and young +women were seized as slaves, and the village sacked. Sequasha sent +the message to Namakusuru: "I have killed the lion that troubled +you; come and let us talk over the matter." He came and brought the +ivory. "No," said the half-caste, "let us divide the land:" and he +took the larger share for himself, and compelled the would-be usurper +to deliver up his bracelets, in token of subjection on becoming the +child or vassal of Sequasha. These were sent in triumph to the +authorities at Tette. The governor of Quillimane had told us that he +had received orders from Lisbon to take advantage of our passing to +re-establish Zumbo; and accordingly these traders had built a small +stockade on the rich plain of the right bank of Loangwa, a mile above +the site of the ancient mission church of Zumbo, as part of the royal +policy. The bloodshed was quite unnecessary, because, the land at +Zumbo having of old been purchased, the natives would have always of +their own accord acknowledged the right thus acquired; they pointed +it out to Dr. Livingstone in 1856 that, though they were cultivating +it, is was not theirs, but white man's land. Sequasha and his mate +had left their ivory in charge of some of their slaves, who, in the +absence of their masters, were now having a gay time of it, and +getting drunk every day with the produce of the sacked villages. The +head slave came and begged for the musket of the delinquent ferryman, +which was returned. He thought his master did perfectly right to +kill Mpangwe, when asked to do it for the fee of ten tusks, and he +even justified it thus: "If a man invites you to eat, will you not +partake?" + +We continued our journey on the 28th of June. Game was extremely +abundant, and there were many lions. Mbia drove one off from his +feast on a wild pig, and appropriated what remained of the pork to +his own use. Lions are particularly fond of the flesh of wild pigs +and zebras, and contrive to kill a large number of these animals. In +the afternoon we arrived at the village of the female chief, Ma- +mburuma, but she herself was now living on the opposite side of the +river. Some of her people called, and said she had been frightened +by seeing her son and other children killed by Sequasha, and had fled +to the other bank; but when her heart was healed, she would return +and live in her own village, and among her own people. She +constantly inquired of the black traders, who came up the river, if +they had any news of the white man who passed with the oxen. "He has +gone down into the sea," was their reply, "but we belong to the same +people." "Oh no; you need not tell me that; he takes no slaves, but +wishes peace: you are not of his tribe." This antislavery character +excites such universal attention, that any missionary who winked at +the gigantic evils involved in the slave-trade would certainly fail +to produce any good impression on the native mind. + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + + +Illness--The Honey-guide--Abundance of game--The Baenda pezi--The +Batoka. + +We left the river here, and proceeded up the valley which leads to +the Mburuma or Mohango pass. The nights were cold, and on the 30th +of June the thermometer was as low as 39 degrees at sunrise. We +passed through a village of twenty large huts, which Sequasha had +attacked on his return from the murder of the chief, Mpangwe. He +caught the women and children for slaves, and carried off all the +food, except a huge basket of bran, which the natives are wont to +save against a time of famine. His slaves had broken all the water- +pots and the millstones for grinding meal. + +The buaze-trees and bamboos are now seen on the hills; but the jujube +or zisyphus, which has evidently been introduced from India, extends +no further up the river. We had been eating this fruit, which, +having somewhat the taste of apples, the Portuguese call Macaas, all +the way from Tette; and here they were larger than usual, though +immediately beyond they ceased to be found. No mango-tree either is +to be met with beyond this point, because the Portuguese traders +never established themselves anywhere beyond Zumbo. Tsetse flies are +more numerous and troublesome than we have ever before found them. +They accompany us on the march, often buzzing round our heads like a +swarm of bees. They are very cunning, and when intending to bite, +alight so gently that their presence is not perceived till they +thrust in their lance-like proboscis. The bite is acute, but the +pain is over in a moment; it is followed by a little of the +disagreeable itching of the mosquito's bite. This fly invariably +kills all domestic animals except goats and donkeys; man and the wild +animals escape. We ourselves were severely bitten on this pass, and +so were our donkeys, but neither suffered from any after effects. + +Water is scarce in the Mburuma pass, except during the rainy season. +We however halted beside some fine springs in the bed of the now dry +rivulet, Podebode, which is continued down to the end of the pass, +and yields water at intervals in pools. Here we remained a couple of +days in consequence of the severe illness of Dr. Kirk. He had +several times been attacked by fever; and observed that when we were +on the cool heights he was comfortable, but when we happened to +descend from a high to a lower altitude, he felt chilly, though the +temperature in the latter case was 25 degrees higher than it was +above; he had been trying different medicines of reputed efficacy +with a view to ascertain whether other combinations might not be +superior to the preparation we generally used; in halting by this +water he suddenly became blind, and unable to stand from faintness. +The men, with great alacrity, prepared a grassy bed, on which we laid +our companion, with the sad forebodings which only those who have +tended the sick in a wild country can realize. We feared that in +experimenting he had over-drugged himself; but we gave him a dose of +our fever pills; on the third day he rode the one of the two donkeys +that would allow itself to be mounted, and on the sixth he marched as +well as any of us. This case is mentioned in order to illustrate +what we have often observed, that moving the patient from place to +place is most conducive to the cure; and the more pluck a man has-- +the less he gives in to the disease--the less likely he is to die. + +Supplied with water by the pools in the Podebode, we again joined the +Zambesi at the confluence of the rivulet. When passing through a dry +district the native hunter knows where to expect water by the animals +he sees. The presence of the gemsbuck, duiker or diver, springbucks, +or elephants, is no proof that water is near; for these animals roam +over vast tracts of country, and may be met scores of miles from it. +Not so, however, the zebra, pallah, buffalo, and rhinoceros; their +spoor gives assurance that water is not far off, as they never stray +any distance from its neighbourhood. But when amidst the solemn +stillness of the woods, the singing of joyous birds falls upon the +ear, it is certain that water is close at hand. + +Our men in hunting came on an immense herd of buffaloes, quietly +resting in the long dry grass, and began to blaze away furiously at +the astonished animals. In the wild excitement of the hunt, which +heretofore had been conducted with spears, some forgot to load with +ball, and, firing away vigorously with powder only, wondered for the +moment that the buffaloes did not fall. The slayer of the young +elephant, having buried his four bullets in as many buffaloes, fired +three charges of No. 1 shot he had for killing guinea-fowl. The +quaint remarks and merriment after these little adventures seemed to +the listener like the pleasant prattle of children. Mbia and +Mantlanyane, however, killed one buffalo each; both the beasts were +in prime condition; the meat was like really excellent beef, with a +smack of venison. A troop of hungry, howling hyenas also thought the +savour tempting, as they hung round the camp at night, anxious to +partake of the feast. They are, fortunately, arrant cowards, and +never attack either men or beasts except they can catch them asleep, +sick, or at some other disadvantage. With a bright fire at our feet +their presence excites no uneasiness. A piece of meat hung on a +tree, high enough to make him jump to reach it, and a short spear, +with its handle firmly planted in the ground beneath, are used as a +device to induce the hyena to commit suicide by impalement. + +The honey-guide is an extraordinary bird; how is it that every member +of its family has learned that all men, white or black, are fond of +honey? The instant the little fellow gets a glimpse of a man, he +hastens to greet him with the hearty invitation to come, as Mbia +translated it, to a bees' hive, and take some honey. He flies on in +the proper direction, perches on a tree, and looks back to see if you +are following; then on to another and another, until he guides you to +the spot. If you do not accept his first invitation he follows you +with pressing importunities, quite as anxious to lure the stranger to +the bees' hive as other birds are to draw him away from their own +nest. Except while on the march, our men were sure to accept the +invitation, and manifested the same by a peculiar responsive whistle, +meaning, as they said, "All right, go ahead; we are coming." The +bird never deceived them, but always guided them to a hive of bees, +though some had but little honey in store. Has this peculiar habit +of the honey-guide its origin, as the attachment of dogs, in +friendship for man, or in love for the sweet pickings of the plunder +left on the ground? Self-interest aiding in preservation from danger +seems to be the rule in most cases, as, for instance, in the bird +that guards the buffalo and rhinoceros. The grass is often so tall +and dense that one could go close up to these animals quite +unperceived; but the guardian bird, sitting on the beast, sees the +approach of danger, flaps its wings and screams, which causes its +bulky charge to rush off from a foe he has neither seen nor heard; +for his reward the vigilant little watcher has the pick of the +parasites on his fat friend. In other cases a chance of escape must +be given even by the animal itself to its prey; as in the rattle- +snake, which, when excited to strike, cannot avoid using his rattle, +any more than the cat can resist curling its tail when excited in the +chase of a mouse, or the cobra can refrain from inflating the loose +skin of the neck and extending it laterally, before striking its +poison fangs into its victim. There are many snakes in parts of this +pass; they basked in the warm sunshine, but rustled off through the +leaves as we approached. We observed one morning a small one of a +deadly poisonous species, named Kakone, on a bush by the wayside, +quietly resting in a horizontal position, digesting a lizard for +breakfast. Though openly in view, its colours and curves so closely +resembled a small branch that some failed to see it, even after being +asked if they perceived anything on the bush. Here also one of our +number had a glance at another species, rarely seen, and whose swift +lightning-like motion has given rise to the native proverb, that when +a man sees this snake he will forthwith become a rich man. + +We slept near the ruined village of the murdered chief, Mpangwe, a +lovely spot, with the Zambesi in front, and extensive gardens behind, +backed by a semicircle of hills receding up to lofty mountains. Our +path kept these mountains on our right, and crossed several +streamlets, which seemed to be perennial, and among others the +Selole, which apparently flows past the prominent peak Chiarapela. +These rivulets have often human dwellings on their banks; but the +land can scarcely be said to be occupied. The number of all sorts of +game increases wonderfully every day. As a specimen of what may be +met with where there are no human habitations, and where no firearms +have been introduced, we may mention what at times has actually been +seen by us. On the morning of July 3rd a herd of elephants passed +within fifty yards of our sleeping-place, going down to the river +along the dry bed of a rivulet. Starting a few minutes before the +main body, we come upon large flocks of guinea-fowl, shoot what may +be wanted for dinner, or next morning's breakfast, and leave them in +the path to be picked up by the cook and his mates behind. As we +proceed, francolins of three varieties run across the path, and +hundreds of turtle-doves rise, with great blatter of wing, and fly +off to the trees. Guinea-fowls, francolins, turtle-doves, ducks, and +geese are the game birds of this region. At sunrise a herd of +pallahs, standing like a flock of sheep, allow the first man of our +long Indian file to approach within about fifty yards; but having +meat, we let them trot off leisurely and unmolested. Soon afterwards +we come upon a herd of waterbucks, which here are very much darker in +colour, and drier in flesh, than the same species near the sea. They +look at us and we at them; and we pass on to see a herd of doe +koodoos, with a magnificently horned buck or two, hurrying off to the +dry hill-sides. We have ceased shooting antelopes, as our men have +been so often gorged with meat that they have become fat and dainty. +They say that they do not want more venison, it is so dry and +tasteless, and ask why we do not give them shot to shoot the more +savoury guinea-fowl. + +About eight o'clock the tsetse commence to buzz about us, and bite +our hands and necks sharply. Just as we are thinking of breakfast, +we meet some buffaloes grazing by the path; but they make off in a +heavy gallop at the sight of man. We fire, and the foremost, badly +wounded, separates from the herd, and is seen to stop amongst the +trees; but, as it is a matter of great danger to follow a wounded +buffalo, we hold on our way. It is this losing of wounded animals +which makes firearms so annihilating to these beasts of the field, +and will in time sweep them all away. The small Enfield bullet is +worse than the old round one for this. It often goes through an +animal without killing him, and he afterwards perishes, when he is of +no value to man. After breakfast we draw near a pond of water; a +couple of elephants stand on its bank, and, at a respectful distance +behind these monarchs of the wilderness, is seen a herd of zebras, +and another of waterbucks. On getting our wind the royal beasts make +off at once; but the zebras remain till the foremost man is within +eighty yards of them, when old and young canter gracefully away. The +zebra has a great deal of curiosity; and this is often fatal to him, +for he has the habit of stopping to look at the hunter. In this +particular he is the exact opposite of the diver antelope, which +rushes off like the wind, and never for a moment stops to look +behind, after having once seen or smelt danger. The finest zebra of +the herd is sometimes shot, our men having taken a sudden fancy to +the flesh, which all declare to be the "king of good meat." On the +plains of short grass between us and the river many antelopes of +different species are calmly grazing, or reposing. Wild pigs are +common, and walk abroad during the day; but are so shy as seldom to +allow a close approach. On taking alarm they erect their slender +tails in the air, and trot off swiftly in a straight line, keeping +their bodies as steady as a locomotive on a railroad. A mile beyond +the pool three cow buffaloes with their calves come from the woods, +and move out into the plain. A troop of monkeys, on the edge of the +forest, scamper back to its depths on hearing the loud song of +Singeleka, and old surly fellows, catching sight of the human party, +insult it with a loud and angry bark. Early in the afternoon we may +see buffaloes again, or other animals. We camp on the dry higher +ground, after, as has happened, driving off a solitary elephant. The +nights are warmer now, and possess nearly as much of interest and +novelty as the days. A new world awakes and comes forth, more +numerous, if we may judge by the noise it makes, than that which is +abroad by sunlight. Lions and hyenas roar around us, and sometimes +come disagreeably near, though they have never ventured into our +midst. Strange birds sing their agreeable songs, while others scream +and call harshly as if in fear or anger. Marvellous insect-sounds +fall upon the ear; one, said by natives to proceed from a large +beetle, resembles a succession of measured musical blows upon an +anvil, while many others are perfectly indescribable. A little lemur +was once seen to leap about from branch to branch with the agility of +a frog; it chirruped like a bird, and is not larger than a robin red- +breast. Reptiles, though numerous, seldom troubled us; only two men +suffered from stings, and that very slightly, during the entire +journey, the one supposed that he was bitten by a snake, and the +other was stung by a scorpion. + +Grass-burning has begun, and is producing the blue hazy atmosphere of +the American Indian summer, which in Western Africa is called the +"smokes." Miles of fire burn on the mountain-sides in the evenings, +but go out during the night. From their height they resemble a broad +zigzag line of fire in the heavens. + +We slept on the night of the 6th of July on the left bank of the +Chongwe, which comes through a gap in the hills on our right, and is +twenty yards wide. A small tribe of the Bazizulu, from the south, +under Dadanga, have recently settled here and built a village. Some +of their houses are square, and they seem to be on friendly terms +with the Bakoa, who own the country. They, like the other natives, +cultivate cotton, but of a different species from any we have yet +seen in Africa, the staple being very long, and the boll larger than +what is usually met with; the seeds cohere as in the Pernambuco kind. +They brought the seed with them from their own country, the distant +mountains of which in the south, still inhabited by their fellow- +countrymen, who possess much cattle and use shields, can be seen from +this high ground. These people profess to be children of the great +paramount chief, Kwanyakarombe, who is said to be lord of all the +Bazizulu. The name of this tribe is known to geographers, who derive +their information from the Portuguese, as the Morusurus, and the +hills mentioned above are said to have been the country of +Changamira, the warrior-chief of history, whom no Portuguese ever +dared to approach. The Bazizulu seem, by report, to be brave +mountaineers; nearer the river, the Sidima inhabit the plains; just +as on the north side, the Babimpe live on the heights, about two days +off, and the Makoa on or near the river. The chief of the Bazizulu +we were now with was hospitable and friendly. A herd of buffaloes +came trampling through the gardens and roused up our men; a feat that +roaring lions seldom achieved. + +Our course next day passed over the upper terrace and through a dense +thorn jungle. Travelling is always difficult where there is no path, +but it is even more perplexing where the forest is cut up by many +game-tracks. Here we got separated from one another, and a +rhinoceros with angry snort dashed at Dr. Livingstone as he stooped +to pick up a specimen of the wild fruit morula; but she strangely +stopped stock-still when less than her own length distant, and gave +him time to escape; a branch pulled out his watch as he ran, and +turning half round to grasp it, he got a distant glance of her and +her calf still standing on the selfsame spot, as if arrested in the +middle of her charge by an unseen hand. When about fifty yards off, +thinking his companions close behind, he shouted "Look out there!" +when off she rushed, snorting loudly, in another direction. The +Doctor usually went unarmed before this, but never afterwards. + +A fine eland was shot by Dr. Kirk this afternoon, the first we have +killed. It was in first-rate condition, and remarkably fat; but the +meat, though so tempting in appearance, severely deranged all who +partook of it heartily, especially those who ate of the fat. Natives +who live in game countries, and are acquainted with the different +kinds of wild animals, have a prejudice against the fat of the eland, +the pallah, the zebra, hippopotamus, and pig; they never reject it, +however, the climate making the desire for all animal food very +strong; but they consider that it causes ulcers and leprosy, while +the fat of sheep and of oxen never produces any bad effects, unless +the animal is diseased. + +On the morning of the 9th, after passing four villages, we +breakfasted at an old friend's, Tombanyama, who lives now on the +mainland, having resigned the reedy island, where he was first seen, +to the buffaloes, which used to take his crops and show fight to his +men. He keeps a large flock of tame pigeons, and some fine fat +capons, one of which he gave us, with a basket of meal. They have +plenty of salt in this part of the country, obtaining it from the +plains in the usual way. + +The half-caste partner of Sequasha and a number of his men were +staying near. The fellow was very munch frightened when he saw us, +and trembled so much when he spoke, that the Makololo and other +natives noticed and remarked on it. His fears arose from a sense of +guilt, as we said nothing to frighten him, and did not allude to the +murder till a few minutes before starting; when it was remarked that +Dr. Livingstone having been accredited to the murdered chief, it +would be his duty to report on it; and that not even the Portuguese +Government would approve of the deed. He defended it by saying that +they had put in the right man, the other was a usurper. He was +evidently greatly relieved when we departed. In the afternoon we +came to an outlying hamlet of Kambadzo, whose own village is on an +island, Nyampungo, or Nyangalule, at the confluence of the Kafue. +The chief was on a visit here, and they had been enjoying a regular +jollification. There had been much mirth, music, drinking, and +dancing. The men, and women too, had taken "a wee drap too much," +but had not passed the complimentary stage. The wife of the headman, +after looking at us a few moments, called out to the others, "Black +traders have come before, calling themselves Bazungu, or white men, +but now, for the first time, have we seen the real Bazungu." +Kambadzo also soon appeared; he was sorry that we had not come before +the beer was all done, but he was going back to see if it was all +really and entirely finished, and not one little potful left +somewhere. + +This was, of course, mere characteristic politeness, as he was +perfectly aware that every drop had been swallowed; so we proceeded +on to the Kafue, or Kafuje, accompanied by the most intelligent of +his headmen. A high ridge, just before we reached the confluence, +commands a splendid view of the two great rivers, and the rich +country beyond. Behind, on the north and east, is the high mountain- +range, along whose base we have been travelling; the whole range is +covered with trees, which appear even on the prominent peaks, +Chiarapela, Morindi, and Chiava; at this last the chain bends away to +the N.W., and we could see the distant mountains where the chief, +Semalembue, gained all our hearts in 1856. + +On the 9th of July we tried to send Semalembue a present, but the +people here refused to incur the responsibility of carrying it. We, +who have the art of writing, cannot realize the danger one incurs of +being accused of purloining a portion of goods sent from one person +to another, when the carrier cannot prove that he delivered all +committed to his charge. Rumours of a foray having been made, either +by Makololo or Batoka, as far as the fork of the Kafue, were received +here by our men with great indignation, as it looked as if the +marauders were shutting up the country, which they had been trying so +much to open. Below the junction of the rivers, on a shallow +sandbank, lay a large herd of hippopotami, their bodies out of the +water, like masses of black rock. Kambadzo's island, called +Nyangalule, a name which occurs again at the mouth of the Zambesi, +has many choice Motsikiri (Trachelia) trees on it; and four very +conspicuous stately palms growing out of a single stem. The Kafue +reminds us a little of the Shire, flowing between steep banks, with +fertile land on both sides. It is a smaller river, and has less +current. Here it seems to come from the west. The headman of the +village, near which we encamped, brought a present of meal, fowls, +and sweet potatoes. They have both the red and white varieties of +this potato. We have, on several occasions during this journey, felt +the want of vegetables, in a disagreeable craving which our diet of +meat and native meal could not satisfy. It became worse and worse +till we got a meal of potatoes, which allayed it at once. A great +scarcity of vegetables prevails in these parts of Africa. The +natives collect several kinds of wild plants in the woods, which they +use no doubt for the purpose of driving off cravings similar to those +we experienced. + +Owing to the strength of the wind, and the cranky state of the +canoes, it was late in the afternoon of the 11th before our party was +ferried over the Kafue. After crossing, we were in the Bawe country. +Fishhooks here, of native workmanship, were observed to have barbs +like the European hooks: elsewhere the point of the hook is merely +bent in towards the shank, to have the same effect in keeping on the +fish as the barb. We slept near a village a short distance above the +ford. The people here are of Batoka origin, the same as many of our +men, and call themselves Batonga (independents), or Balengi, and +their language only differs slightly from that of the Bakoa, who live +between the two rivers Kafue and Loangwa. The paramount chief of the +district lives to the west of this place, and is called Nchomokela-- +an hereditary title: the family burying-place is on a small hill +near this village. The women salute us by clapping their hands and +lullilooing as we enter and leave a village, and the men, as they +think, respectfully clap their hands on their hips. Immense crops of +mapira (holcus sorghum) are raised; one species of it forms a natural +bend on the seed-stalk, so that the massive ear hangs down. The +grain was heaped up on wooden stages, and so was a variety of other +products. The men are skilful hunters, and kill elephants and +buffaloes with long heavy spears. We halted a few minutes on the +morning of the 12th July, opposite the narrow island of Sikakoa, +which has a village on its lower end. We were here told that +Moselekatse's chief town is a month's distance from this place. They +had heard, moreover, that the English had come to Moselekatse, and +told him it was wrong to kill men; and he had replied that he was +born to kill people, but would drop the habit; and, since the English +came, he had sent out his men, not to kill as of yore, but to collect +tribute of cloth and ivory. This report referred to the arrival of +the Rev. R. Moffat, of Kuruman, who, we afterwards found, had +established a mission. The statement is interesting as showing that, +though imperfectly expressed, the purport of the missionaries' +teaching had travelled, in a short time, over 300 miles, and we know +not how far the knowledge of the English operations on the coast +spread inland. + +When abreast of the high wooded island Kalabi we came in contact with +one of the game-laws of the country, which has come down from the +most ancient times. An old buffalo crossed the path a few yards in +front of us; our guide threw his small spear at its hip, and it was +going off scarcely hurt, when three rifle balls knocked it over. "It +is mine," said the guide. He had wounded it first, and the +established native game-law is that the animal belongs to the man who +first draws blood; the two legs on one side, by the same law, +belonged to us for killing it. This beast was very old, blind of one +eye, and scabby; the horns, mere stumps, not a foot long, must have +atrophied, when by age he lost the strength distinctive of his sex; +some eighteen or twenty inches of horn could not well be worn down by +mere rubbing against the trees. We saw many buffaloes next day, +standing quietly amidst a thick thorn-jungle, through which we were +passing. They often stood until we were within fifty or a hundred +yards of them. + +On the 14th July we left the river at the mountain-range, which, +lying north-east and south-west across the river, forms the Kariba +gorge. Near the upper end of the Kariba rapids, the stream Sanyati +enters from the south, and is reported to have Moselekatse's +principal cattle-posts at its sources; our route went round the end +of the mountains, and we encamped beside the village of the generous +chief Moloi, who brought us three immense baskets of fine mapira +meal, ten fowls, and two pots of beer. On receiving a present in +return, he rose, and, with a few dancing gestures, said or sang, +"Motota, Motota, Motota," which our men translated into "thanks." He +had visited Moselekatse a few months before our arrival, and saw the +English missionaries, living in their wagons. "They told +Moselekatse," said he, "they were of his family, or friends, and +would plough the land and live at their own expense;" and he had +replied, "The land is before you, and I shall come and see you +plough." This again was substantially what took place, when Mr. +Moffat introduced the missionaries to his old friend, and shows still +further that the notion of losing their country by admitting +foreigners does not come as the first idea to the native mind. One +might imagine that, as mechanical powers are unknown to the heathen, +the almost magic operations of machinery, the discoveries of modern +science and art, or the presence of the prodigious force which, for +instance, is associated with the sight of a man-of-war, would have +the effect which miracles once had of arresting the attention and +inspiring awe. But, though we have heard the natives exclaim in +admiration at the sight of even small illustrations of what science +enables us to do--"Ye are gods, and not men"--the heart is +unaffected. In attempting their moral elevation, it is always more +conducive to the end desired, that the teacher should come +unaccompanied by any power to cause either jealousy or fear. The +heathen, who have not become aware of the greed and hate which too +often characterize the advancing tide of emigration, listen with most +attention to the message of Divine love when delivered by men who +evidently possess the same human sympathies with themselves. A chief +is rather envied his good fortune in first securing foreigners in his +town. Jealousy of strangers belongs more to the Arab than to the +African character; and if the women are let alone by the traveller, +no danger need be apprehended from any save the slave-trading tribes, +and not often even from them. + +We passed through a fertile country, covered with open forest, +accompanied by the friendly Bawe. They are very hospitable; many of +them were named, among themselves, "the Baenda pezi," or "Go-nakeds," +their only clothing being a coat of red ochre. Occasionally stopping +at their villages we were duly lullilooed, and regaled with sweet +new-made beer, which, being yet unfermented, was not intoxicating. +It is in this state called Liting or Makonde. Some of the men carry +large shields of buffalo-hide, and all are well supplied with heavy +spears. The vicinity of the villages is usually cleared and +cultivated in large patches; but nowhere can the country be said to +be stocked with people. At every village stands were erected, and +piles of the native corn, still unthrashed, placed upon them; some +had been beaten out, put into oblong parcels made of grass, and +stacked in wooden frames. + +We crossed several rivulets in our course, as the Mandora, the Lofia, +the Manzaia (with brackish water), the Rimbe, the Chibue, the Chezia, +the Chilola (containing fragments of coal), which did little more +than mark our progress. The island and rapid of Nakansalo, of which +we had formerly heard, were of no importance, the rapid being but +half a mile long, and only on one side of the island. The island +Kaluzi marks one of the numerous places where astronomical +observations were made; Mozia, a station where a volunteer poet left +us; the island Mochenya, and Mpande island, at the mouth of the +Zungwe rivulet, where we left the Zambesi. + +When favoured with the hospitality and company of the "Go-nakeds," we +tried to discover if nudity were the badge of a particular order +among the Bawe, but they could only refer to custom. Some among them +had always liked it for no reason in particular: shame seemed to lie +dormant, and the sense could not be aroused by our laughing and +joking them on their appearance. They evidently felt no less decent +than we did with our clothes on; but, whatever may be said in favour +of nude statues, it struck us that man, in a state of nature, is a +most ungainly animal. Could we see a number of the degraded of our +own lower classes in like guise, it is probable that, without the +black colour which acts somehow as a dress, they would look worse +still. + +In domestic contentions the Bawe are careful not to kill each other; +but, when one village goes to war with another, they are not so +particular. The victorious party are said to quarter one of the +bodies of the enemies they may have killed, and to perform certain +ceremonies over the fragments. The vanquished call upon their +conquerors to give them a portion also; and, when this request is +complied with, they too perform the same ceremonies, and lament over +their dead comrade, after which the late combatants may visit each +other in peace. Sometimes the head of the slain is taken and buried +in an ant-hill, till all the flesh is gone; and the lower jaw is then +worn as a trophy by the slayer; but this we never saw, and the +foregoing information was obtained only through an interpreter. + +We left the Zambesi at the mouth of the Zungwe or Mozama or Dela +rivulet, up which we proceeded, first in a westerly and then in a +north-westerly direction. The Zungwe at this time had no water in +its sandy channel for the first eight or ten miles. Willows, +however, grow on the banks, and water soon began to appear in the +hollows; and a few miles further up it was a fine flowing stream +deliciously cold. As in many other streams from Chicova to near +Sinamane shale and coal crop out in the bank; and here the large +roots of stigmaria or its allied plants were found. We followed the +course of the Zungwe to the foot of the Batoka highlands, up whose +steep and rugged sides of red and white quartz we climbed till we +attained an altitude of upwards of 3000 feet. Here, on the cool and +bracing heights, the exhilaration of mind and body was delightful, as +we looked back at the hollow beneath covered with a hot sultry glare, +not unpleasant now that we were in the mild radiance above. We had a +noble view of the great valley in which the Zambesi flows. The +cultivated portions are so small in comparison to the rest of the +landscape that the valley appears nearly all forest, with a few +grassy glades. We spent the night of the 28th July high above the +level of the sea, by the rivulet Tyotyo, near Tabacheu or +Chirebuechina, names both signifying white mountain; in the morning +hoar frost covered the ground, and thin ice was on the pools. +Skirting the southern flank of Tabacheu, we soon passed from the +hills on to the portion of the vast table-land called Mataba, and +looking back saw all the way across the Zambesi valley to the lofty +ridge some thirty miles off, which, coming from the Mashona, a +country in the S.E., runs to the N.W. to join the ridge at the angle +of which are the Victoria Falls, and then bends far to the N.E. from +the same point. Only a few years since these extensive highlands +were peopled by the Batoka; numerous herds of cattle furnished +abundance of milk, and the rich soil amply repaid the labour of the +husbandman; now large herds of buffaloes, zebras, and antelopes +fatten on the excellent pasture; and on that land, which formerly +supported multitudes, not a man is to been seen. In travelling from +Monday morning till late on Saturday afternoon, all the way from +Tabacheu to Moachemba, which is only twenty-one miles of latitude +from the Victoria Falls, and constantly passing the ruined sites of +utterly deserted Botoka villages, we did not fall in with a single +person. The Batoka were driven out of their noble country by the +invasions of Moselekatse and Sebetuane. Several tribes of Bechuana +and Basutu, fleeing from the Zulu or Matebele chief Moselekatse +reached the Zambesi above the Falls. Coming from a land without +rivers, none of them knew how to swim; and one tribe, called the +Bamangwato, wishing to cross the Zambesi, was ferried over, men and +women separately, to different islands, by one of the Batoka chiefs; +the men were then left to starve and the women appropriated by the +ferryman and his people. Sekomi, the present chief of the +Bamangwato, then an infant in his mother's arms, was enabled, through +the kindness of a private Batoka, to escape. This act seems to have +made an indelible impression on Sekomi's heart, for though otherwise +callous, he still never fails to inquire after the welfare of his +benefactor. + +Sebetuane, with his wonted ability, outwitted the treacherous Batoka, +by insisting in the politest manner on their chief remaining at his +own side until the people and cattle were all carried safe across; +the chief was then handsomely rewarded, both with cattle and brass +rings off Sebetuane's own wives. No sooner were the Makololo, then +called Basuto, safely over, than they were confronted by the whole +Batoka nation; and to this day the Makololo point with pride to the +spot on the Lekone, near to which they were encamped, where +Sebetuane, with a mere handful of warriors in comparison to the vast +horde that surrounded him, stood waiting the onslaught, the warriors +in one small body, the women and children guarding the cattle behind +them. The Batoka, of course, melted away before those who had been +made veterans by years of continual fighting, and Sebetuane always +justified his subsequent conquests in that country by alleging that +the Batoka had come out to fight with a man fleeing for his life, who +had never done them any wrong. They seem never to have been a +warlike race; passing through their country, we once observed a large +stone cairn, and our guide favoured us with the following account of +it:- "Once upon a time, our forefathers were going to fight another +tribe, and here they halted and sat down. After a long consultation, +they came to the unanimous conclusion that, instead of proceeding to +fight and kill their neighbours, and perhaps be killed themselves, it +would be more like men to raise this heap of stones, as their protest +against the wrong the other tribe had done them, which, having +accomplished, they returned quietly home." Such men of peace could +not stand before the Makololo, nor, of course, the more warlike +Matebele, who coming afterwards, drove even their conquerors, the +Makololo, out of the country. Sebetuane, however, profiting by the +tactics which he had learned of the Batoka, inveigled a large body of +this new enemy on to another island, and after due starvation there +overcame the whole. A much greater army of "Moselekatse's own" +followed with canoes, but were now baffled by Sebetuane's placing all +his people and cattle on an island and so guarding it that none could +approach. Dispirited, famished, borne down by fever, they returned +to the Falls, and all except five were cut off. + +But though the Batoka appear never to have had much inclination to +fight with men, they are decidedly brave hunters of buffaloes and +elephants. They go fearlessly close up to these formidable animals, +and kill them with large spears. The Banyai, who have long bullied +all Portuguese traders, were amazed at the daring and bravery of the +Batoka in coming at once to close quarters with the elephant; and +Chisaka, a Portuguese rebel, having formerly induced a body of this +tribe to settle with him, ravaged all the Portuguese villas around +Tette. They bear the name of Basimilongwe, and some of our men found +relations among them. Sininyane and Matenga also, two of our party, +were once inveigled into a Portuguese expedition against Mariano, by +the assertion that the Doctor had arrived and had sent for them to +come down to Senna. On finding that they were entrapped to fight, +they left, after seeing an officer with a large number of Tette +slaves killed. + +The Batoka had attained somewhat civilized ideas, in planting and +protecting various fruit and oil-seed yielding trees of the country. +No other tribe either plants or abstains from cutting down fruit +trees, but here we saw some which had been planted in regular rows, +and the trunks of which were quite two feet in diameter. The grand +old Mosibe, a tree yielding a bean with a thin red pellicle, said to +be very fattening, had probably seen two hundred summers. Dr. Kirk +found that the Mosibe is peculiar, in being allied to a species met +with only in the West Indies. The Motsikiri, sometimes called +Mafuta, yields a hard fat, and an oil which is exported from +Inhambane. It is said that two ancient Batoka travellers went down +as far as the Loangwa, and finding the Macaa tree (jujube or +zisyphus) in fruit, carried the seed all the way back to the great +Falls, in order to plant them. Two of these trees are still to be +seen there, the only specimens of the kind in that region. + +The Batoka had made a near approach to the custom of more refined +nations and had permanent graveyards, either on the sides of hills, +thus rendered sacred, or under large old shady trees; they reverence +the tombs of their ancestors, and plant the largest elephants' tusks, +as monuments at the head of the grave, or entirely enclose it with +the choicest ivory. Some of the other tribes throw the dead body +into the river to be devoured by crocodiles, or, sewing it up in a +mat, place it on the branch of a baobab, or cast it in some lonely +gloomy spot, surrounded by dense tropical vegetation, where it +affords a meal to the foul hyenas; but the Batoka reverently bury +their dead, and regard the spot henceforth as sacred. The ordeal by +the poison of the muave is resorted to by the Batoka, as well as by +the other tribes; but a cock is often made to stand proxy for the +supposed witch. Near the confluence of the Kafue the Mambo, or +chief, with some of his headmen, came to our sleeping-place with a +present; their foreheads were smeared with white flour, and an +unusual seriousness marked their demeanour. Shortly before our +arrival they had been accused of witchcraft; conscious of innocence, +they accepted the ordeal, and undertook to drink the poisoned muave. +For this purpose they made a journey to the sacred hill of +Nchomokela, on which repose the bodies of their ancestors; and, after +a solemn appeal to the unseen spirits to attest the innocence of +their children, they swallowed the muave, vomited, and were therefore +declared not guilty. It is evident that they believe that the soul +has a continued existence; and that the spirits of the departed know +what those they have left behind them are doing, and are pleased or +not according as their deeds are good or evil; this belief is +universal. The owner of a large canoe refused to sell it, because it +belonged to the spirit of his father, who helped him when he killed +the hippopotamus. Another, when the bargain for his canoe was nearly +completed, seeing a large serpent on a branch of the tree overhead, +refused to complete the sale, alleging that this was the spirit of +his father come to protest against it. + +Some of the Batoka chiefs must have been men of considerable +enterprise; the land of one, in the western part of this country, was +protected by the Zambesi on the S., and on the N. and E. lay an +impassable reedy marsh, filled with water all the year round, leaving +only his western border open to invasion: he conceived the idea of +digging a broad and deep canal nearly a mile in length, from the +reedy marsh to the Zambesi, and, having actually carried the scheme +into execution, he formed a large island, on which his cattle grazed +in safety, and his corn ripened from year to year secure from all +marauders. + +Another chief, who died a number of years ago, believed that he had +discovered a remedy for tsetse-bitten cattle; his son Moyara showed +us a plant, which was new to our botanist, and likewise told us how +the medicine was prepared; the bark of the root, and, what might +please our homoeopathic friends, a dozen of the tsetse are dried, and +ground together into a fine powder. This mixture is administered +internally; and the cattle are fumigated by burning under them the +rest of the plant collected. The treatment must be continued for +weeks, whenever the symptoms of poison appear. This medicine, he +frankly admitted, would not cure all the bitten cattle. "For," said +he, "cattle, and men too, die in spite of medicine; but should a herd +by accident stray into a tsetse district and be bitten, by this +medicine of my father, Kampa-kampa, some of them could be saved, +while, without it, all would inevitably die." He stipulated that we +were not to show the medicine to other people, and if ever we needed +it in this region we must employ him; but if we were far off we might +make it ourselves; and when we saw it cure the cattle think of him, +and send him a present. + +Our men made it known everywhere that we wished the tribes to live in +peace, and would use our influence to induce Sekeletu to prevent the +Batoka of Moshobotwane and the Makololo under-chiefs making forays +into their country: they had already suffered severely, and their +remonstrances with their countryman, Moshobotwane, evoked only the +answer, "The Makololo have given me a spear; why should I not use +it?" He, indeed, it was who, being remarkably swift of foot, first +guided the Makololo in their conquest of the country. In the +character of peacemakers, therefore, we experienced abundant +hospitality; and, from the Kafue to the Falls, none of our party was +allowed to suffer hunger. The natives sent to our sleeping-places +generous presents of the finest white meal, and fat capons to give it +a relish, great pots of beer to comfort our hearts, together with +pumpkins, beans, and tobacco, so that we "should sleep neither hungry +nor thirsty." + +In travelling from the Kafue to the Zungwe we frequently passed +several villages in the course of a day's march. In the evening came +deputies from the villages, at which we could not stay to sleep, with +liberal presents of food. It would have pained them to have allowed +strangers to pass without partaking of their hospitality; repeatedly +were we hailed from huts, and asked to wait a moment and drink a +little of the beer, which was brought with alacrity. Our march +resembled a triumphant procession. We entered and left every village +amidst the cheers of its inhabitants; the men clapping their hands, +and the women lullilooing, with the shrill call, "Let us sleep," or +"Peace." Passing through a hamlet one day, our guide called to the +people, "Why do you not clap your hands and salute when you see men +who are wishing to bring peace to the land?" When we halted for the +night it was no uncommon thing for the people to prepare our camp +entirely of their own accord; some with hoes quickly smoothed the +ground for our beds, others brought dried grass and spread it +carefully over the spot; some with their small axes speedily made a +bush fence to shield us from the wind; and if, as occasionally +happened, the water was a little distance off, others hastened and +brought it with firewood to cook our food with. They are an +industrious people, and very fond of agriculture. For hours together +we marched through unbroken fields of mapira, or native corn, of a +great width; but one can give no idea of the extent of land under the +hoe as compared with any European country. The extent of surface is +so great that the largest fields under culture, when viewed on a wide +landscape, dwindle to mere spots. When taken in connection with the +wants of the people, the cultivation on the whole is most creditable +to their industry. They erect numerous granaries which give their +villages the appearance of being large; and, when the water of the +Zambesi has subsided, they place large quantities of grain, tied up +in bundles of grass, and well plastered over with clay, on low sand +islands for protection from the attacks of marauding mice and men. +Owing to the ravages of the weevil, the native corn can hardly be +preserved until the following crop comes in. However largely they +may cultivate, and however abundant the harvest, it must all be +consumed in a year. This may account for their making so much of it +into beer. The beer these Batoka or Bawe brew is not the sour and +intoxicating boala or pombe found among some other tribes, but sweet, +and highly nutritive, with only a slight degree of acidity, +sufficient to render it a pleasant drink. The people were all plump, +and in good condition; and we never saw a single case of intoxication +among them, though all drank abundance of this liting, or sweet beer. +Both men and boys were eager to work for very small pay. Our men +could hire any number of them to carry their burdens for a few beads +a day. Our miserly and dirty ex-cook had an old pair of trousers +that some one had given to him; after he had long worn them himself, +with one of the sorely decayed legs he hired a man to carry his heavy +load a whole day; a second man carried it the next day for the other +leg, and what remained of the old garment, without the buttons, +procured the labour of another man for the third day. + +Men of remarkable ability have risen up among the Africans from time +to time, as amongst other portions of the human family. Some have +attracted the attention, and excited the admiration of large +districts by their wisdom. Others, apparently by the powers of +ventriloquism, or by peculiar dexterity in throwing the spear, or +shooting with the bow, have been the wonder of their generation; but +the total absence of literature leads to the loss of all former +experience, and the wisdom of the wise has not been handed down. +They have had their minstrels too, but mere tradition preserves not +their effusions. One of these, and apparently a genuine poet, +attached himself to our party for several days, and whenever we +halted, sang our praises to the villagers, in smooth and harmonious +numbers. It was a sort of blank verse, and each line consisted of +five syllables. The song was short when it first began, but each day +he picked up more information about us, and added to the poem until +our praises became an ode of respectable length. When distance from +home compelled his return he expressed his regret at leaving us, and +was, of course, paid for his useful and pleasant flatteries. +Another, though a less gifted son of song, belonged to the Batoka of +our own party. Every evening, while the others were cooking, +talking, or sleeping, he rehearsed his songs, containing a history of +everything he had seen in the land of the white men, and on the way +back. In composing, extempore, any new piece, he was never at a +loss; for if the right word did not come he halted not, but eked out +the measure with a peculiar musical sound meaning nothing at all. He +accompanied his recitations on the sansa, an instrument figured in +the woodcut, the nine iron keys of which are played with the thumbs, +while the fingers pass behind to hold it. The hollow end and +ornaments face the breast of the player. Persons of a musical turn, +if too poor to buy a sansa, may be seen playing vigorously on an +instrument made with a number of thick corn-stalks sewn together, as +a sansa frame, and keys of split bamboo, which, though making but +little sound, seems to soothe the player himself. When the +instrument is played with a calabash as a sounding board, it emits a +greater volume of sound. Pieces of shells and tin are added to make +a jingling accompaniment, and the calabash is also ornamented. + +After we had passed up, a party of slaves, belonging to the two +native Portuguese who assassinated the chief, Mpangwe, and took +possession of his lands at Zumbo, followed on our footsteps, and +representing themselves to be our "children," bought great quantities +of ivory from the Bawe, for a few coarse beads a tusk. They also +purchased ten large new canoes to carry it, at the rate of six +strings of red or white beads, or two fathoms of grey calico, for +each canoe, and, at the same cheap rate, a number of good-looking +girls. + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + + +The Victoria Falls of the Zambesi--Marvellous grandeur of the +Cataracts--The Makololo's town--The Chief Sekeletu. + +During the time we remained at Motunta a splendid meteor was observed +to lighten the whole heavens. The observer's back was turned to it, +but on looking round the streak of light was seen to remain on its +path some seconds. This streak is usually explained to be only the +continuance of the impression made by the shining body on the retina. +This cannot be, as in this case the meteor was not actually seen and +yet the streak was clearly perceived. The rays of planets and stars +also require another explanation than that usually given. + +Fruit-trees and gigantic wild fig-trees, and circles of stones on +which corn safes were placed, with worn grindstones, point out where +the villages once stood. The only reason now assigned for this fine +country remaining desolate is the fear of fresh visitations by the +Matebele. The country now slopes gradually to the west into the +Makololo Valley. Two days' march from the Batoka village nearest the +highlands, we met with some hunters who were burning the dry grass, +in order to attract the game by the fresh vegetation which speedily +springs up afterwards. The grass, as already remarked, is excellent +for cattle. One species, with leaves having finely serrated edges, +and of a reddish-brown colour, we noticed our men eating: it tastes +exactly like liquorice-root, and is named kezu-kezu. The tsetse, +known to the Batoka by the name "ndoka," does not exist here, though +buffaloes and elephants abound. + +A small trap in the path, baited with a mouse, to catch spotted cats +(F. Genetta), is usually the first indication that we are drawing +near to a village; but when we get within the sounds of pounding +corn, cockcrowing, or the merry shouts of children at play, we know +that the huts are but a few yards off, though the trees conceal them +from view. We reached, on the 4th of August, Moachemba, the first of +the Batoka villages which now owe allegiance to Sekeletu, and could +see distinctly with the naked eye, in the great valley spread out +before us, the columns of vapour rising from the Victoria Falls, +though upwards of 20 miles distant. We were informed that, the rains +having failed this year, the corn crops had been lost, and great +scarcity and much hunger prevailed from Sesheke to Linyanti. Some of +the reports which the men had heard from the Batoka of the hills +concerning their families, were here confirmed. Takelang's wife had +been killed by Mashotlane, the headman at the Falls, on a charge, as +usual, of witchcraft. Inchikola's two wives, believing him to be +dead, had married again; and Masakasa was intensely disgusted to hear +that two years ago his friends, upon a report of his death, threw his +shield over the Falls, slaughtered all his oxen, and held a species +of wild Irish wake, in honour of his memory: he said he meant to +disown them, and to say, when they come to salute him, "I am dead. I +am not here. I belong to another world, and should stink if I came +among you." + +All the sad news we had previously heard, of the disastrous results +which followed the attempt of a party of missionaries, under the Rev. +H. Helmore, to plant the gospel at Linyanti, were here fully +confirmed. Several of the missionaries and their native attendants, +from Kuruman, had succumbed to the fever, and the survivors had +retired some weeks before our arrival. We remained the whole of the +7th beside the village of the old Batoka chief, Moshobotwane, the +stoutest man we have seen in Africa. The cause of our delay here was +a severe attack of fever in Charles Livingstone. He took a dose of +our fever pills; was better on the 8th, and marched three hours; then +on the 9th marched eight miles to the Great Falls, and spent the rest +of the day in the fatiguing exercise of sight-seeing. We were in the +very same valley as Linyanti, and this was the same fever which +treated, or rather maltreated, with only a little Dover's powder, +proved so fatal to poor Helmore; the symptoms, too, were identical +with those afterwards described by non-medical persons as those of +poison. + +We gave Moshobotwane a present, and a pretty plain exposition of what +we thought of his bloody forays among his Batoka brethren. A +scolding does most good to the recipient, when put alongside some +obliging act. He certainly did not take it ill, as was evident from +what he gave us in return; which consisted of a liberal supply of +meal, milk, and an ox. He has a large herd of cattle, and a tract of +fine pasture-land on the beautiful stream Lekone. A home-feeling +comes over one, even in the interior of Africa, at seeing once more +cattle grazing peacefully in the meadows. The tsetse inhabits the +trees which bound the pasture-land on the west; so, should the +herdsman forget his duty, the cattle straying might be entirely lost. +The women of this village were more numerous than the men, the result +of the chief's marauding. The Batoko wife of Sima came up from the +Falls, to welcome her husband back, bringing a present of the best +fruits of the country. Her husband was the only one of the party who +had brought a wife from Tette, namely, the girl whom he obtained from +Chisaka for his feats of dancing. According to our ideas, his first +wife could hardly have been pleased at seeing the second and younger +one; but she took her away home with her, while the husband remained +with us. In going down to the Fall village we met several of the +real Makololo. They are lighter in colour than the other tribes, +being of a rich warm brown; and they speak in a slow deliberate +manner, distinctly pronouncing every word. On reaching the village +opposite Kalai, we had an interview with the Makololo headman, +Mashotlane: he came to the shed in which we were seated, a little +boy carrying his low three-legged stool before him: on this he sat +down with becoming dignity, looked round him for a few seconds, then +at us, and, saluting us with "Rumela" (good morning, or hail), he +gave us some boiled hippopotamus meat, took a piece himself, and then +handed the rest to his attendants, who soon ate it up. He defended +his forays on the ground that, when he went to collect tribute, the +Batoka attacked him, and killed some of his attendants. The excuses +made for their little wars are often the very same as those made by +Caesar in his "Commentaries." Few admit, like old Moshobotwane, that +they fought because they had the power, and a fair prospect of +conquering. We found here Pitsane, who had accompanied the Doctor to +St. Paul de Loanda. He had been sent by Sekeletu to purchase three +horses from a trading party of Griquas from Kuruman, who charged nine +large tusks apiece for very wretched animals. + +In the evening, when all was still, one of our men, Takelang, fired +his musket, and cried out, "I am weeping for my wife: my court is +desolate: I have no home;" and then uttered a loud wail of anguish. + +We proceeded next morning, 9th August, 1860, to see the Victoria +Falls. Mosi-oa-tunya is the Makololo name and means smoke sounding; +Seongo or Chongwe, meaning the Rainbow, or the place of the Rainbow, +was the more ancient term they bore. We embarked in canoes, +belonging to Tuba Mokoro, "smasher of canoes," an ominous name; but +he alone, it seems, knew the medicine which insures one against +shipwreck in the rapids above the Falls. For some miles the river +was smooth and tranquil, and we glided pleasantly over water clear as +crystal, and past lovely islands densely covered with a tropical +vegetation. Noticeable among the many trees were the lofty Hyphaene +and Borassus palms; the graceful wild date-palm, with its fruit in +golden clusters, and the umbrageous mokononga, of cypress form, with +its dark-green leaves and scarlet fruit. Many flowers peeped out +near the water's edge, some entirely new to us, and others, as the +convolvulus, old acquaintances. + +But our attention was quickly called from the charming islands to the +dangerous rapids, down which Tuba might unintentionally shoot us. To +confess the truth, the very ugly aspect of these roaring rapids could +scarcely fail to cause some uneasiness in the minds of new-comers. +It is only when the river is very low, as it was now, that any one +durst venture to the island to which we were bound. If one went +during the period of flood, and fortunately hit the island, he would +be obliged to remain there till the water subsided again, if he lived +so long. Both hippopotami and elephants have been known to be swept +over the Falls, and of course smashed to pulp. + +Before entering the race of waters, we were requested not to speak, +as our talking might diminish the virtue of the medicine; and no one +with such boiling eddying rapids before his eyes, would think of +disobeying the orders of a "canoe-smasher." It soon became evident +that there was sound sense in this request of Tuba's, although the +reason assigned was not unlike that of the canoe-man from Sesheke, +who begged one of our party not to whistle, because whistling made +the wind come. It was the duty of the man at the bow to look out +ahead for the proper course, and when he saw a rock or snag, to call +out to the steersman. Tuba doubtless thought that talking on board +might divert the attention of his steersman, at a time when the +neglect of an order, or a slight mistake, would be sure to spill us +all into the chafing river. There were places where the utmost +exertions of both men had to be put forth in order to force the canoe +to the only safe part of the rapid, and to prevent it from sweeping +down broadside on, where in a twinkling we should have found +ourselves floundering among the plotuses and cormorants, which were +engaged in diving for their breakfast of small fish. At times it +seemed as if nothing could save us from dashing in our headlong race +against the rocks which, now that the river was low, jutted out of +the water; but just at the very nick of time, Tuba passed the word to +the steersman, and then with ready pole turned the canoe a little +aside, and we glided swiftly past the threatened danger. Never was +canoe more admirably managed: once only did the medicine seem to +have lost something of its efficacy. We were driving swiftly down, a +black rock over which the white foam flew, lay directly in our path, +the pole was planted against it as readily as ever, but it slipped, +just as Tuba put forth his strength to turn the bow off. We struck +hard, and were half-full of water in a moment; Tuba recovered himself +as speedily, shoved off the bow, and shot the canoe into a still +shallow place, to bale out the water. Here we were given to +understand that it was not the medicine which was at fault; that had +lost none of its virtue; the accident was owing entirely to Tuba +having started without his breakfast. Need it be said we never let +Tuba go without that meal again? + +We landed at the head of Garden Island, which is situated near the +middle of the river and on the lip of the Falls. On reaching that +lip, and peering over the giddy height, the wondrous and unique +character of the magnificent cascade at once burst upon us. + +It is rather a hopeless task to endeavour to convey an idea of it in +words, since, as was remarked on the spot, an accomplished painter, +even by a number of views, could but impart a faint impression of the +glorious scene. The probable mode of its formation may perhaps help +to the conception of its peculiar shape. Niagara has been formed by +a wearing back of the rock over which the river falls; and during a +long course of ages, it has gradually receded, and left a broad, +deep, and pretty straight trough in front. It goes on wearing back +daily, and may yet discharge the lakes from which its river--the St. +Lawrence--flows. But the Victoria Falls have been formed by a crack +right across the river, in the hard, black, basaltic rock which there +formed the bed of the Zambesi. The lips of the crack are still quite +sharp, save about three feet of the edge over which the river rolls. +The walls go sheer down from the lips without any projecting crag, or +symptoms of stratification or dislocation. When the mighty rift +occurred, no change of level took place in the two parts of the bed +of the river thus rent asunder, consequently, in coming down the +river to Garden Island, the water suddenly disappears, and we see the +opposite side of the cleft, with grass and trees growing where once +the river ran, on the same level as that part of its bed on which we +sail. The first crack is, in length, a few yards more than the +breadth of the Zambesi, which by measurement we found to be a little +over 1860 yards, but this number we resolved to retain as indicating +the year in which the Fall was for the first time carefully examined. +The main stream here runs nearly north and south, and the cleft +across it is nearly east and west. The depth of the rift was +measured by lowering a line, to the end of which a few bullets and a +foot of white cotton cloth were tied. One of us lay with his head +over a projecting crag, and watched the descending calico, till, +after his companions had paid out 310 feet, the weight rested on a +sloping projection, probably 50 feet from the water below, the actual +bottom being still further down. The white cloth now appeared the +size of a crown-piece. On measuring the width of this deep cleft by +sextant, it was found at Garden Island, its narrowest part, to be +eighty yards, and at its broadest somewhat more. Into this chasm, of +twice the depth of Niagara-fall, the river, a full mile wide, rolls +with a deafening roar; and this is Mosi-oa-tunya, or the Victoria +Falls. + +Looking from Garden Island, down to the bottom of the abyss, nearly +half a mile of water, which has fallen over that portion of the Falls +to our right, or west of our point of view, is seen collected in a +narrow channel twenty or thirty yards wide, and flowing at exactly +right angles to its previous course, to our left; while the other +half, or that which fell over the eastern portion of the Falls, is +seen in the left of the narrow channel below, coming towards our +right. Both waters unite midway, in a fearful boiling whirlpool, and +find an outlet by a crack situated at right angles to the fissure of +the Falls. This outlet is about 1170 yards from the western end of +the chasm, and some 600 from its eastern end; the whirlpool is at its +commencement. The Zambesi, now apparently not more than twenty or +thirty yards wide, rushes and surges south, through the narrow +escape-channel for 130 yards; then enters a second chasm somewhat +deeper, and nearly parallel with the first. Abandoning the bottom of +the eastern half of this second chasm to the growth of large trees, +it turns sharply off to the west, and forms a promontory, with the +escape-channel at its point, of 1170 yards long, and 416 yards broad +at the base. After reaching this base, the river runs abruptly round +the head of another promontory, and flows away to the east, in a +third chasm; then glides round a third promontory, much narrower than +the rest, and away back to the west, in a fourth chasm; and we could +see in the distance that it appeared to round still another +promontory, and bend once more in another chasm towards the east. In +this gigantic, zigzag, yet narrow trough, the rocks are all so +sharply cut and angular, that the idea at once arises that the hard +basaltic trap must have been riven into its present shape by a force +acting from beneath, and that this probably took place when the +ancient inland seas were let off by similar fissures nearer the +ocean. + +The land beyond, or on the south of the Falls, retains, as already +remarked, the same level as before the rent was made. It is as if +the trough below Niagara were bent right and left, several times +before it reached the railway bridge. The land in the supposed bends +being of the same height as that above the Fall, would give standing- +places, or points of view, of the same nature as that from the +railway-bridge, but the nearest would be only eighty yards, instead +of two miles (the distance to the bridge) from the face of the +cascade. The tops of the promontories are in general flat, smooth, +and studded with trees. The first, with its base on the east, is at +one place so narrow, that it would be dangerous to walk to its +extremity. On the second, however, we found a broad rhinoceros path +and a hut; but, unless the builder were a hermit, with a pet +rhinoceros, we cannot conceive what beast or man ever went there for. +On reaching the apex of this second eastern promontory we saw the +great river, of a deep sea-green colour, now sorely compressed, +gliding away, at least 400 feet below us. + +Garden Island, when the river is low, commands the best view of the +Great Fall chasm, as also of the promontory opposite, with its grove +of large evergreen trees, and brilliant rainbows of three-quarters of +a circle, two, three, and sometimes even four in number, resting on +the face of the vast perpendicular rock, down which tiny streams are +always running to be swept again back by the upward rushing vapour. +But as, at Niagara, one has to go over to the Canadian shore to see +the chief wonder--the Great Horse-shoe Fall--so here we have to cross +over to Moselekatse's side to the promontory of evergreens, for the +best view of the principal Falls of Mosi-oa-tunya. Beginning, +therefore, at the base of this promontory, and facing the Cataract, +at the west end of the chasm, there is, first, a fall of thirty-six +yards in breadth, and of course, as they all are, upwards of 310 feet +in depth. Then Boaruka, a small island, intervenes, and next comes a +great fall, with a breadth of 573 yards; a projecting rock separates +this from a second grand fall of 325 yards broad; in all, upwards of +900 yards of perennial Falls. Further east stands Garden Island; +then, as the river was at its lowest, came a good deal of the bare +rock of its bed, with a score of narrow falls, which, at the time of +flood, constitute one enormous cascade of nearly another half-mile. +Near the east end of the chasm are two larger falls, but they are +nothing at low water compared to those between the islands. + +The whole body of water rolls clear over, quite unbroken; but, after +a descent of ten or more feet, the entire mass suddenly becomes like +a huge sheet of driven snow. Pieces of water leap off it in the form +of comets with tails streaming behind, till the whole snowy sheet +becomes myriads of rushing, leaping, aqueous comets. This +peculiarity was not observed by Charles Livingstone at Niagara, and +here it happens, possibly from the dryness of the atmosphere, or +whatever the cause may be which makes every drop of Zambesi water +appear to possess a sort of individuality. It runs off the ends of +the paddles, and glides in beads along the smooth surface, like drops +of quicksilver on a table. Here we see them in a conglomeration, +each with a train of pure white vapour, racing down till lost in +clouds of spray. A stone dropped in became less and less to the eye, +and at last disappeared in the dense mist below. + +Charles Livingstone had seen Niagara, and gave Mosi-oa-tunya the +palm, though now at the end of a drought, and the river at its very +lowest. Many feel a disappointment on first seeing the great +American Falls, but Mosi-oa-tunya is so strange, it must ever cause +wonder. In the amount of water, Niagara probably excels, though not +during the months when the Zambesi is in flood. The vast body of +water, separating in the comet-like forms described, necessarily +encloses in its descent a large volume of air, which, forced into the +cleft, to an unknown depth, rebounds, and rushes up loaded with +vapour to form the three or even six columns, as if of steam, visible +at the Batoka village Moachemba, twenty-one miles distant. On +attaining a height of 200, or at most 300 feet from the level of the +river above the cascade, this vapour becomes condensed into a +perpetual shower of fine rain. Much of the spray, rising to the west +of Garden Island, falls on the grove of evergreen trees opposite; and +from their leaves, heavy drops are for ever falling, to form sundry +little rills, which, in running down the steep face of rock, are +blown off and turned back, or licked off their perpendicular bed, up +into the column from which they have just descended. + +The morning sun gilds these columns of watery smoke with all the +glowing colours of double or treble rainbows. The evening sun, from +a hot yellow sky, imparts a sulphureous hue, and gives one the +impression that the yawning gulf might resemble the mouth of the +bottomless pit. No bird sits and sings on the branches of the grove +of perpetual showers, or ever builds its nest there. We saw +hornbills and flocks of little black weavers flying across from the +mainland to the islands, and from the islands to the points of the +promontories and back again, but they uniformly shunned the region of +perpetual rain, occupied by the evergreen grove. The sunshine, +elsewhere in this land so overpowering, never penetrates the deep +gloom of that shade. In the presence of the strange Mosi-oa-tunya, +we can sympathize with those who, when the world was young, peopled +earth, air, and river, with beings not of mortal form. Sacred to +what deity would be this awful chasm and that dark grove, over which +hovers an ever-abiding "pillar of cloud"? + +The ancient Batoka chieftains used Kazeruka, now Garden Island, and +Boaruka, the island further west, also on the lip of the Falls, as +sacred spots for worshipping the Deity. It is no wonder that under +the cloudy columns, and near the brilliant rainbows, with the +ceaseless roar of the cataract, with the perpetual flow, as if +pouring forth from the hand of the Almighty, their souls should be +filled with reverential awe. It inspired wonder in the native mind +throughout the interior. Among the first questions asked by +Sebituane of Mr. Oswell and Dr. Livingstone, in 1851, was, "Have you +any smoke soundings in your country," and "what causes the smoke to +rise for ever so high out of water?" In that year its fame was heard +200 miles off, and it was approached within two days; but it was seen +by no European till 1855, when Dr. Livingstone visited it on his way +to the East Coast. Being then accompanied as far as this Fall by +Sekeletu and 200 followers, his stay was necessarily short; and the +two days there were employed in observations for fixing the +geographical position of the place, and turning the showers, that at +times sweep from the columns of vapour across the island, to account, +in teaching the Makololo arboriculture, and making that garden from +which the natives named the island; so that he did not visit the +opposite sides of the cleft, nor see the wonderful course of the +river beyond the Falls. The hippopotami had destroyed the trees +which were then planted; and, though a strong stockaded hedge was +made again, and living orange-trees, cashew-nuts, and coffee seeds +put in afresh, we fear that the perseverance of the hippopotami will +overcome the obstacle of the hedge. It would require a resident +missionary to rear European fruit-trees. The period at which the +peach and apricot come into blossom is about the end of the dry +season, and artificial irrigation is necessary. The Batoka, the only +arboriculturists in the country, rear native fruit-trees alone--the +mosibe, the motsikiri, the boma, and others. When a tribe takes an +interest in trees, it becomes more attached to the spot on which they +are planted, and they prove one of the civilizing influences. + +Where one Englishman goes, others are sure to follow. Mr. Baldwin, a +gentleman from Natal, succeeded in reaching the Falls guided by his +pocket-compass alone. On meeting the second subject of Her Majesty, +who had ever beheld the greatest of African wonders, we found him a +sort of prisoner at large. He had called on Mashotlane to ferry him +over to the north side of the river, and, when nearly over, he took a +bath, by jumping in and swimming ashore. "If," said Mashotlane, "he +had been devoured by one of the crocodiles which abound there, the +English would have blamed us for his death. He nearly inflicted a +great injury upon us, therefore, we said, he must pay a fine." As +Mr. Baldwin had nothing with him wherewith to pay, they were taking +care of him till he should receive beads from his wagon, two days +distant. + +Mashotlane's education had been received in the camp of Sebituane, +where but little regard was paid to human life. He was not yet in +his prime, and his fine open countenance presented to us no +indication of the evil influences which unhappily, from infancy, had +been at work on his mind. The native eye was more penetrating than +ours; for the expression of our men was, "He has drunk the blood of +men--you may see it in his eyes." He made no further difficulty +about Mr. Baldwin; but the week after we left he inflicted a severe +wound on the head of one of his wives with his rhinoceros-horn club. +She, being of a good family, left him, and we subsequently met her +and another of his wives proceeding up the country. + +The ground is strewn with agates for a number of miles above the +Falls; but the fires, which burn off the grass yearly, have injured +most of those on the surface. Our men were delighted to hear that +they do as well as flints for muskets; and this with the new ideas of +the value of gold (dalama) and malachite, that they had acquired at +Tette, made them conceive that we were not altogether silly in +picking up and looking at stones. + +Marching up the river, we crossed the Lekone at its confluence, about +eight miles above the island Kalai, and went on to a village opposite +the Island Chundu. Nambowe, the headman, is one of the Matebele or +Zulus, who have had to flee from the anger of Moselekatse, to take +refuge with the Makololo. + +We spent Sunday, the 12th, at the village of Molele, a tall old +Batoka, who was proud of having formerly been a great favourite with +Sebituane. In coming hither we passed through patches of forest +abounding in all sorts of game. The elephants' tusks, placed over +graves, are now allowed to decay, and the skulls, which the former +Batoka stuck on poles to ornament their villages, not being renewed, +now crumble into dust. Here the famine, of which we had heard, +became apparent, Molele's people being employed in digging up the +tsitla root out of the marshes, and cutting out the soft core of the +young palm-trees, for food. + +The village, situated on the side of a wooded ridge, commands an +extensive view of a great expanse of meadow and marsh lying along the +bank of the river. On these holmes herds of buffaloes and waterbucks +daily graze in security, as they have in the reedy marshes a refuge +into which they can run on the approach of danger. The pretty little +tianyane or ourebi is abundant further on, and herds of blue +weldebeests or brindled gnus (Katoblepas Gorgon) amused us by their +fantastic capers. They present a much more ferocious aspect than the +lion himself, but are quite timid. We never could, by waving a red +handkerchief, according to the prescription, induce them to venture +near to us. It may therefore be that the red colour excites their +fury only when wounded or hotly pursued. Herds of lechee or lechwe +now enliven the meadows; and they and their younger brother, the +graceful poku, smaller, and of a rounder contour, race together +towards the grassy fens. We venture to call the poku after the late +Major Vardon, a noble-hearted African traveller; but fully anticipate +that some aspiring Nimrod will prefer that his own name should go +down to posterity on the back of this buck. + +Midway between Tabacheu and the Great Falls the streams begin to flow +westward. On the other side they begin to flow east. Large round +masses of granite, somewhat like old castles, tower aloft about the +Kalomo. The country is an elevated plateau, and our men knew and +named the different plains as we passed them by. + +On the 13th we met a party from Sekeletu, who was now at Sesheke. +Our approach had been reported, and they had been sent to ask the +Doctor what the price of a horse ought to be; and what he said, that +they were to give and no more. In reply they were told that by their +having given nine large tusks for one horse before the Doctor came, +the Griquas would naturally imagine that the price was already +settled. It was exceedingly amusing to witness the exact imitation +they gave of the swagger of a certain white with whom they had been +dealing, and who had, as they had perceived, evidently wished to +assume an air of indifference. Holding up the head and scratching +the beard it was hinted might indicate not indifference, but vermin. +It is well that we do not always know what they say about us. The +remarks are often not quite complimentary, and resemble closely what +certain white travellers say about the blacks. + +We made our camp in the afternoon abreast of the large island called +Mparira, opposite the mouth of the Chobe. Francolins, quails, and +guinea-fowls, as well as larger game, were abundant. The Makololo +headman, Mokompa, brought us a liberal present; and in the usual way, +which is considered politeness, regretted he had no milk, as his cows +were all dry. We got some honey here from the very small stingless +bee, called, by the Batoka, moandi, and by others, the kokomatsane. +This honey is slightly acid, and has an aromatic flavour. The bees +are easily known from their habit of buzzing about the eyes, and +tickling the skin by sucking it as common flies do. The hive has a +tube of wax like a quill, for its entrance, and is usually in the +hollows of trees. + +Mokompa feared that the tribe was breaking up, and lamented the +condition into which they had fallen in consequence of Sekeletu's +leprosy; he did not know what was to become of them. He sent two +canoes to take us up to Sesheke; his best canoe had taken ivory up to +the chief, to purchase goods of some native traders from Benguela. +Above the Falls the paddlers always stand in the canoes, using long +paddles, ten feet in length, and changing from side to side without +losing the stroke. + +Mochokotsa, a messenger from Sekeletu, met us on the 17th, with +another request for the Doctor to take ivory and purchase a horse. +He again declined to interfere. None were to come up to Sekeletu but +the Doctor; and all the men who had had smallpox at Tette, three +years ago, were to go back to Moshobotwane, and he would sprinkle +medicine over them, to drive away the infection, and prevent it +spreading in the tribe. Mochokotsa was told to say to Sekeletu that +the disease was known of old to white men, and we even knew the +medicine to prevent it; and, were there any danger now, we should be +the first to warn him of it. Why did not he go himself to have +Moshobotwane sprinkle medicine to drive away his leprosy. We were +not afraid of his disease, nor of the fever that had killed the +teachers and many Makololo at Linyanti. As this attempt at +quarantine was evidently the suggestion of native doctors to increase +their own importance, we added that we had no food, and would hunt +next day for game, and the day after; and, should we be still ordered +purification by their medicine, we should then return to our own +country. + +The message was not all of our dictation, our companions interlarded +it with their own indignant protests, and said some strong things in +the Tette dialect about these "doctor things" keeping them back from +seeing their father; when to their surprise Mochokotsa told them he +knew every word they were saying, as he was of the tribe Bazizulu, +and defied them to deceive him by any dialect, either of the Mashona +on the east, or of the Mambari on the west. Mochokotsa then repeated +our message twice, to be sure that he had it every word, and went +back again. These chiefs' messengers have most retentive memories; +they carry messages of considerable length great distances, and +deliver them almost word for word. Two or three usually go together, +and when on the way the message is rehearsed every night, in order +that the exact words may be kept to. One of the native objections to +learning to write is, that these men answer the purpose of +transmitting intelligence to a distance as well as a letter would; +and, if a person wishes to communicate with any one in the town, the +best way to do so is either to go to or send for him. And as for +corresponding with friends very far off, that is all very well for +white people, but the blacks have no friends to whom to write. The +only effective argument for the learning to read is, that it is their +duty to know the revelation from their Father in Heaven, as it stands +in the Book. + +Our messenger returned on the evening of the following day with "You +speak truly," says Sekeletu, "the disease is old, come on at once, do +not sleep in the path; for I am greatly desirous (tlologelecoe) to +see the Doctor." + +After Mochokotsa left us, we met some of Mokompa's men bringing back +the ivory, as horses were preferred to the West-Coast goods. They +were the bearers of instructions to Mokompa, and as these +instructions illustrate the government of people who have learned +scarcely anything from Europeans, they are inserted, though otherwise +of no importance. Mashotlane had not behaved so civilly to Mr. +Baldwin as Sekeletu had ordered him to do to all Englishmen. He had +been very uncivil to the messengers sent by Moselekatse with letters +from Mr. Moffat, treated them as spies, and would not land to take +the bag until they moved off. On our speaking to him about this, he +justified his conduct on the plea that he was set at the Falls for +the very purpose of watching these, their natural enemies; and how +was he to know that they had been sent by Mr. Moffat? Our men +thereupon reported at head-quarters that Mashotlane had cursed the +Doctor. The instructions to Mokompa, from Sekeletu, were to "go and +tell Mashotlane that he had offended greatly. He had not cursed +Monare (Dr. Livingstone) but Sebituane, as Monare was now in the +place of Sebituane, and he reverenced him as he had done his father. +Any fine taken from Mr. Baldwin was to be returned at once, as he was +not a Boer but an Englishman. Sekeletu was very angry, and Mokompa +must not conceal the message." + +On finding afterwards that Mashotlane's conduct had been most +outrageous to the Batoka, Sekeletu sent for him to come to Sesheke, +in order that he might have him more under his own eye; but +Mashotlane, fearing that this meant the punishment of death, sent a +polite answer, alleging that he was ill and unable to travel. +Sekeletu tried again to remove Mashotlane from the Falls, but without +success. In theory the chief is absolute and quite despotic; in +practice his authority is limited, and he cannot, without +occasionally putting refractory headmen to death, force his +subordinates to do his will. + +Except the small rapids by Mparira island, near the mouth of the +Chobe, the rest of the way to Sesheke by water is smooth. Herds of +cattle of two or three varieties graze on the islands in the river: +the Batoka possessed a very small breed of beautiful shape, and +remarkably tame, and many may still be seen; a larger kind, many of +which have horns pendent, and loose at the roots; and a still larger +sort, with horns of extraordinary dimensions,--apparently a burden +for the beast to carry. This breed was found in abundance at Lake +Ngami. We stopped at noon at one of the cattle-posts of Mokompa, and +had a refreshing drink of milk. Men of his standing have usually +several herds placed at different spots, and the owner visits each in +turn, while his head-quarters are at his village. His son, a boy of +ten, had charge of the establishment during his father's absence. +According to Makololo ideas, the cattle-post is the proper school in +which sons should be brought up. Here they receive the right sort of +education--the knowledge of pasture and how to manage cattle. + +Strong easterly winds blow daily from noon till midnight, and +continue till the October or November rains set in. Whirlwinds, +raising huge pillars of smoke from burning grass and weeds, are +common in the forenoon. We were nearly caught in an immense one. It +crossed about twenty yards in front of us, the wind apparently +rushing into it from all points of the compass. Whirling round and +round in great eddies, it swept up hundreds of feet into the air a +continuous dense dark cloud of the black pulverized soil, mixed with +dried grass, off the plain. Herds of the new antelopes, lechwe, and +poku, with the kokong, or gnus, and zebras stood gazing at us as we +passed. The mirage lifted them at times halfway to the clouds, and +twisted them and the clumps of palms into strange unearthly forms. +The extensive and rich level plains by the banks, along the sides of +which we paddled, would support a vast population, and might be +easily irrigated from the Zambesi. If watered, they would yield +crops all the year round, and never suffer loss by drought. The +hippopotamus is killed here with long lance-like spears. We saw two +men, in a light canoe, stealing noiselessly down on one of these +animals thought to be asleep; but it was on the alert, and they had +quickly to retreat. Comparatively few of these animals now remain +between Sesheke and the Falls, and they are uncommonly wary, as it is +certain death for one to be caught napping in the daytime. + +On the 18th we entered Sesheke. The old town, now in ruins, stands +on the left bank of the river. The people have built another on the +same side, a quarter of a mile higher up, since their headman +Moriantsiane was put to death for bewitching the chief with leprosy. +Sekeletu was on the right bank, near a number of temporary huts. A +man hailed us from the chiefs quarters, and requested us to rest +under the old Kotla, or public meeting-place tree. A young Makololo, +with the large thighs which Zulus and most of this tribe have, +crossed over to receive orders from the chief, who had not shown +himself to the people since he was affected with leprosy. On +returning he ran for Mokele, the headman of the new town, who, after +going over to Sekeletu, came back and conducted us to a small but +good hut, and afterwards brought us a fine fat ox, as a present from +the chief. "This is a time of hunger," he said, "and we have no +meat, but we expect some soon from the Barotse Valley." We were +entirely out of food when we reached Sesheke. Never was better meat +than that of the ox Sekeletu sent, and infinitely above the flesh of +all kinds of game is beef! + +A constant stream of visitors rolled in on us the day after our +arrival. Several of them, who had suffered affliction during the +Doctor's absence, seemed to be much affected on seeing him again. +All were in low spirits. A severe drought had cut off the crops, and +destroyed the pasture of Linyanti, and the people were scattered over +the country in search of wild fruits, and the hospitality of those +whose ground-nuts (Arachis hypogoea) had not failed. Sekeletu's +leprosy brought troops of evils in its train. Believing himself +bewitched, he had suspected a number of his chief men, and had put +some, with their families, to death; others had fled to distant +tribes, and were living in exile. The chief had shut himself up, and +allowed no one to come into his presence but his uncle Mamire. +Ponwane, who had been as "head and eyes" to him, had just died; +evidence, he thought, of the potent spells of those who hated all who +loved the chief. The country was suffering grievously, and +Sebituane's grand empire was crumbling to pieces. A large body of +young Barotse had revolted and fled to the north; killing a man by +the way, in order to put a blood-feud between Masiko, the chief to +whom they were going, and Sekeletu. The Batoka under Sinamane, and +Muemba, were independent, and Mashotlane at the Falls was setting +Sekeletu's authority virtually at defiance. Sebituane's wise policy +in treating the conquered tribes on equal terms with his own +Makololo, as all children of the chief, and equally eligible to the +highest honours, had been abandoned by his son, who married none but +Makololo women, and appointed to office none but Makololo men. He +had become unpopular among the black tribes, conquered by the spear +but more effectually won by the subsequent wise and just government +of his father. + +Strange rumours were afloat respecting the unseen Sekeletu; his +fingers were said to have grown like eagle's claws, and his face so +frightfully distorted that no one could recognize him. Some had +begun to hint that he might not really be the son of the great +Sebituane, the founder of the nation, strong in battle, and wise in +the affairs of state. "In the days of the Great Lion" (Sebituane), +said his only sister, Moriantsiane's widow, whose husband Sekeletu +had killed, "we had chiefs and little chiefs and elders to carry on +the government, and the great chief, Sebituane, knew them all, and +everything they did, and the whole country was wisely ruled; but now +Sekeletu knows nothing of what his underlings do, and they care not +for him, and the Makololo power is fast passing away." {3} + +The native doctors had given the case of Sekeletu up. They could not +cure him, and pronounced the disease incurable. An old doctress from +the Manyeti tribe had come to see what she could do for him, and on +her skill he now hung his last hopes. She allowed no one to see him, +except his mother and uncle, making entire seclusion from society an +essential condition of the much longed-for cure. He sent, +notwithstanding, for the Doctor; and on the following day we all +three were permitted to see him. He was sitting in a covered wagon, +which was enclosed by a high wall of close-set reeds; his face was +only slightly disfigured by the thickening of the skin in parts, +where the leprosy had passed over it; and the only peculiarity about +his hands was the extreme length of his finger-nails, which, however, +was nothing very much out of the way, as all the Makololo gentlemen +wear them uncommonly long. He has the quiet, unassuming manners of +his father, Sebituane, speaks distinctly, in a low pleasant voice, +and appears to be a sensible man, except perhaps on the subject of +his having been bewitched; and in this, when alluded to, he exhibits +as firm a belief as if it were his monomania. "Moriantsiane, my +aunt's husband, tried the bewitching medicine first on his wife, and +she is leprous, and so is her head-servant; then, seeing that it +succeeded, he gave me a stronger dose in the cooked flesh of a goat, +and I have had the disease ever since. They have lately killed +Ponwane, and, as you see, are now killing me." Ponwane had died of +fever a short time previously. Sekeletu asked us for medicine and +medical attendance, but we did not like to take the case out of the +hands of the female physician already employed, it being bad policy +to appear to undervalue any of the profession; and she, being anxious +to go on with her remedies, said "she had not given him up yet, but +would try for another month; if he was not cured by that time, then +she would hand him over to the white doctors." But we intended to +leave the country before a month was up; so Mamire, with others, +induced the old lady to suspend her treatment for a little. She +remained, as the doctors stipulated, in the chief's establishment, +and on full pay. + +Sekeletu was told plainly that the disease was unknown in our +country, and was thought exceedingly obstinate of cure; that we did +not believe in his being bewitched, and we were willing to do all we +could to help him. This was a case for disinterested benevolence; no +pay was expected, but considerable risk incurred; yet we could not +decline it, as we had the trading in horses. Having, however, none +of the medicines usually employed in skin diseases with us, we tried +the local application of lunar caustic, and hydriodate of potash +internally; and with such gratifying results, that Mamire wished the +patient to be smeared all over with a solution of lunar caustic, +which he believed to be of the same nature as the blistering fluid +formerly applied to his own knee by Mr. Oswell. ITS power he +considered irresistible, and he would fain have had anything like it +tried on Sekeletu. + +It was a time of great scarcity and hunger, but Sekeletu treated us +hospitably, preparing tea for us at every visit we paid him. With +the tea we had excellent American biscuit and preserved fruits, which +had been brought to him all the way from Benguela. The fruits he +most relished were those preserved in their own juices; plums, +apples, pears, strawberries, and peaches, which we have seen only +among Portuguese and Spaniards. It made us anxious to plant the +fruit-tree seeds we had brought, and all were pleased with the idea +of having these same fruits in their own country. + +Mokele, the headman of Sesheke, and Sebituane's sister, Manchunyane, +were ordered to provide us with food, as Sekeletu's wives, to whom +this duty properly belonged, were at Linyanti. We found a black +trader from the West Coast, and some Griqua traders from the South, +both in search of ivory. Ivory is dear at Sesheke; but cheaper in +the Batoka country, from Sinamane's to the Kafue, than anywhere else. +The trader from Benguela took orders for goods for his next year's +trip, and offered to bring tea, coffee, and sugar at cent. per cent. +prices. As, in consequence of a hint formerly given, the Makololo +had secured all the ivory in the Batoga country to the east, by +purchasing it with hoes, the Benguela traders found it unprofitable +to go thither for slaves. They assured us that without ivory the +trade in slaves did not pay. In this way, and by the orders of +Sekeletu, an extensive slave-mart was closed. These orders were +never infringed except secretly. We discovered only two or three +cases of their infraction. + +Sekeletu was well pleased with the various articles we brought for +him, and inquired if a ship could not bring his sugar-mill and the +other goods we had been obliged to leave behind at Tette. On hearing +that there was a possibility of a powerful steamer ascending as far +as Sinamane's, but never above the Grand Victoria Falls, he asked, +with charming simplicity, if a cannon could not blow away the Falls, +so as to allow the vessel to come up to Sesheke. + +To save the tribe from breaking up, by the continual loss of real +Makololo, it ought at once to remove to the healthy Batoka highlands, +near the Kafue. Fully aware of this, Sekeletu remarked that all his +people, save two, were convinced that, if they remained in the +lowlands, a few years would suffice to cut off all the real Makololo; +they came originally from the healthy South, near the confluence of +the Likwa and Namagari, where fever is almost unknown, and its +ravages had been as frightful among them here, as amongst Europeans +on the Coast. Sebituane's sister described its first appearance +among the tribe, after their settling in the Barotse Valley on the +Zambesi. Many of them were seized with a shivering sickness, as if +from excessive cold; they had never seen the like before. They made +great fires, and laid the shivering wretches down before them; but, +pile on wood as they might, they could not raise heat enough to drive +the cold out of the bodies of the sufferers, and they shivered on +till they died. But, though all preferred the highlands, they were +afraid to go there, lest the Matebele should come and rob them of +their much-loved cattle. Sebituane, with all his veterans, could not +withstand that enemy; and how could they be resisted, now that most +of the brave warriors were dead? The young men would break, and run +away the moment they saw the terrible Matebele, being as much afraid +of them as the black conquered tribes are of the Makololo. "But if +the Doctor and his wife," said the chiefs and counsellors, "would +come and live with us, we would remove to the highlands at once, as +Moselekatse would not attack a place where the daughter of his +friend, Moffat, was living." + +The Makololo are by far the most intelligent and enterprising of the +tribes we have met. None but brave and daring men remained long with +Sebituane, his stern discipline soon eradicated cowardice from his +army. Death was the inevitable doom of the coward. If the chief saw +a man running away from the fight, he rushed after him with amazing +speed, and cut him down; or waited till he returned to the town, and +then summoned the deserter into his presence. "You did not wish to +die on the field, you wished to die at home, did you? you shall have +your wish!" and he was instantly led off and executed. The present +race of young men are inferior in most respects to their fathers. +The old Makololo had many manly virtues; they were truthful, and +never stole, excepting in what they considered the honourable way of +lifting cattle in fair fight. But this can hardly be said of their +sons; who, having been brought up among the subjected tribes, have +acquired some of the vices peculiar to a menial and degraded race. A +few of the old Makololo cautioned us not to leave any of our property +exposed, as the blacks were great thieves; and some of our own men +advised us to be on our guard, as the Makololo also would steal. A +very few trifling articles were stolen by a young Makololo; and he, +on being spoken to on the subject, showed great ingenuity in excusing +himself, by a plausible and untruthful story. The Makololo of old +were hard workers, and did not consider labour as beneath them; but +their sons never work, regarding it as fit only for the Mashona and +Makalaka servants. Sebituane, seeing that the rival tribes had the +advantage over his, in knowing how to manage canoes, had his warriors +taught to navigate; and his own son, with his companions, paddled the +chief's canoe. All the dishes, baskets, stools, and canoes are made +by the black tribes called Manyeti and Matlotlora. The houses are +built by the women and servants. The Makololo women are vastly +superior to any we have yet seen. They are of a light warm brown +complexion, have pleasant countenances, and are remarkably quick of +apprehension. They dress neatly, wearing a kilt and mantle, and have +many ornaments. Sebituane's sister, the head lady of Sesheke, wore +eighteen solid brass rings, as thick as one's finger, on each leg, +and three of copper under each knee; nineteen brass rings on her left +arm, and eight of brass and copper on her right, also a large ivory +ring above each elbow. She had a pretty bead necklace, and a bead +sash encircled her waist. The weight of the bright brass rings round +her legs impeded her walking, and chafed her ankles; but, as it was +the fashion, she did not mind the inconvenience, and guarded against +the pain by putting soft rag round the lower rings. + +Justice appears upon the whole to be pretty fairly administered among +the Makololo. A headman took some beads and a blanket from one of +his men who had been with us; the matter was brought before the +chief, and he immediately ordered the goods to be restored, and +decreed, moreover, that no headman should take the property of the +men who had returned. In theory, all the goods brought back belonged +to the chief; the men laid them at his feet, and made a formal offer +of them all; he looked at the articles, and told the men to keep +them. This is almost invariably the case. Tuba Mokoro, however, +fearing lest Sekeletu might take a fancy to some of his best goods, +exhibited only a few of his old and least valuable acquisitions. +Masakasa had little to show; he had committed some breach of native +law in one of the villages on the way, and paid a heavy fine rather +than have the matter brought to the Doctor's ears. Each carrier is +entitled to a portion of the goods in his bundle, though purchased by +the chief's ivory, and they never hesitate to claim their rights; but +no wages can be demanded from the chief, if he fails to respond to +the first application. + +Our men, accustomed to our ways, thought that the English system of +paying a man for his labour was the only correct one, and some even +said it would be better to live under a government where life and +labour were more secure and valuable than here. While with us, they +always conducted themselves with propriety during Divine service, and +not only maintained decorum themselves, but insisted on other natives +who might be present doing the same. When Moshobotwane, the Batoka +chief, came on one occasion with a number of his men, they listened +in silence to the reading of the Bible in the Makololo tongue; but, +as soon as we all knelt down to pray, they commenced a vigorous +clapping of hands, their mode of asking a favour. Our indignant +Makololo soon silenced their noisy accompaniment, and looked with +great contempt on this display of ignorance. Nearly all our men had +learned to repeat the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles' Creed in their +own language, and felt rather proud of being able to do so; and when +they reached home, they liked to recite them to groups of admiring +friends. Their ideas of right and wrong differ in no respect from +our own, except in their professed inability to see how it can be +improper for a man to have more than one wife. A year or two ago +several of the wives of those who had been absent with us petitioned +the chief for leave to marry again. They thought that it was of no +use waiting any longer, their husbands must be dead; but Sekeletu +refused permission; he himself had bet a number of oxen that the +Doctor would return with their husbands, and he had promised the +absent men that their wives should be kept for them. The impatient +spouses had therefore to wait a little longer. Some of them, +however, eloped with other men; the wife of Mantlanyane, for +instance, ran off and left his little boy among strangers. +Mantlanyane was very angry when he heard of it, not that he cared +much about her deserting him, for he had two other wives at Tette, +but he was indignant at her abandoning his boy. + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + + +Life amongst the Makololo--Return journey--Native hospitality--A +canoe voyage on the Zambesi. + +While we were at Sesheke, an ox was killed by a crocodile; a man +found the carcass floating in the river, and appropriated the meat. +When the owner heard of this, he requested him to come before the +chief, as he meant to complain of him; rather than go, the delinquent +settled the matter by giving one of his own oxen in lieu of the lost +one. A headman from near Linyanti came with a complaint that all his +people had run off, owing to the "hunger." Sekeletu said, "You must +not be left to grow lean alone, some of them must come back to you." +He had thus an order to compel their return, if he chose to put it in +force. Families frequently leave their own headman and flee to +another village, and sometimes a whole village decamps by night, +leaving the headman by himself. Sekeletu rarely interfered with the +liberty of the subject to choose his own headman, and, as it is often +the fault of the latter which causes the people to depart, it is +punishment enough for him to be left alone. Flagrant disobedience to +the chief's orders is punished with death. A Moshubia man was +ordered to cut some reeds for Sekeletu: he went off, and hid himself +for two days instead. For this he was doomed to die, and was carried +in a canoe to the middle of the river, choked, and tossed into the +stream. The spectators hooted the executioners, calling out to them +that they too would soon be carried out and strangled. Occasionally +when a man is sent to beat an offender, he tells him his object, +returns, and assures the chief he has nearly killed him. The +transgressor then keeps for a while out of sight, and the matter is +forgotten. The river here teems with monstrous crocodiles, and women +are frequently, while drawing water, carried off by these reptiles. + +We met a venerable warrior, sole survivor, probably, of the Mantatee +host which threatened to invade the colony in 1824. He retained a +vivid recollection of their encounter with the Griquas: "As we +looked at the men and horses, puffs of smoke arose, and some of us +dropped down dead!" "Never saw anything like it in my life, a man's +brains lying in one place and his body in another!" They could not +understand what was killing them; a ball struck a man's shield at an +angle; knocked his arm out of joint at the shoulder; and leaving a +mark, or burn, as he said, on the shield, killed another man close +by. We saw the man with his shoulder still dislocated. Sebetuane +was present at the fight, and had an exalted opinion of the power of +white people ever afterwards. + +The ancient costume of the Makololo consisted of the skin of a lamb, +kid, jackal, ocelot, or other small animal, worn round and below the +loins: and in cold weather a kaross, or skin mantle, was thrown over +the shoulders. The kaross is now laid aside, and the young men of +fashion wear a monkey-jacket and a skin round the hips; but no +trousers, waistcoat, or shirt. The river and lake tribes are in +general very cleanly, bathing several times a day. The Makololo +women use water rather sparingly, rubbing themselves with melted +butter instead: this keeps off parasites, but gives their clothes a +rancid odour. One stage of civilization often leads of necessity to +another--the possession of clothes creates a demand for soap; give a +man a needle, and he is soon back to you for thread. + +This being a time of mourning, on account of the illness of the +chief, the men were negligent of their persons, they did not cut +their hair, or have merry dances, or carry spear and shield when they +walked abroad. The wife of Pitsane was busy making a large hut, +while we were in the town: she informed us that the men left house- +building entirely to the women and servants. A round tower of stakes +and reeds, nine or ten feet high, is raised and plastered; a floor is +next made of soft tufa, or ant-hill material and cowdung. This +plaster prevents the poisonous insects, called tumpans, whose bite +causes fever in some, and painful sores in all, from harbouring in +the cracks or soil. The roof, which is much larger in diameter than +the tower, is made on the ground, and then, many persons assisting, +lifted up and placed on the tower, and thatched. A plastered reed +fence is next built up to meet the outer part of the roof, which +still projects a little over this fence, and a space of three feet +remains between it and the tower. We slept in this space, instead of +in the tower, as the inner door of the hut we occupied was +uncomfortably small, being only nineteen inches high, and twenty-two +inches wide at the floor. A foot from the bottom it measured +seventeen inches in breadth, and close to the top only twelve inches, +so it was a difficult matter to get through it. The tower has no +light or ventilation, except through this small door. The reason a +lady assigned for having the doors so very small was to keep out the +mice! + +The children have merry times, especially in the cool of the evening. +One of their games consists of a little girl being carried on the +shoulders of two others. She sits with outstretched arms, as they +walk about with her, and all the rest clap their hands, and stopping +before each hut sing pretty airs, some beating time on their little +kilts of cowskin, others making a curious humming sound between the +songs. Excepting this and the skipping-rope, the play of the girls +consists in imitation of the serious work of their mothers, building +little huts, making small pots, and cooking, pounding corn in +miniature mortars, or hoeing tiny gardens. The boys play with spears +of reeds pointed with wood, and small shields, or bows and arrows; or +amuse themselves in making little cattle-pens, or in moulding cattle +in clay; they show great ingenuity in the imitation of various-shaped +horns. Some too are said to use slings, but as soon as they can +watch the goats, or calves, they are sent to the field. We saw many +boys riding on the calves they had in charge, but this is an +innovation since the arrival of the English with their horses. +Tselane, one of the ladies, on observing Dr. Livingstone noting +observations on the wet and dry bulb thermometers, thought that he +too was engaged in play; for on receiving no reply to her question, +which was rather difficult to answer, as the native tongue has no +scientific terms, she said with roguish glee, "Poor thing, playing +like a little child!" + +Like other Africans, the Makololo have great faith in the power of +medicine; they believe that there is an especial medicine for every +ill that flesh is heir to. Mamire is anxious to have children; he +has six wives, and only one boy, and he begs earnestly for "child +medicine." The mother of Sekeletu came from the Barotse Valley to +see her son. Thinks she has lost flesh since Dr. Livingstone was +here before, and asks for "the medicine of fatness." The Makololo +consider plumpness an essential part of beauty in women, but the +extreme stoutness, mentioned by Captain Speke, in the north, would be +considered hideous here, for the men have been overheard speaking of +a lady whom we call "inclined to embonpoint," as "fat unto ugliness." + +Two packages from the Kuruman, containing letters and newspapers, +reached Linyanti previous to our arrival, and Sekeletu, not knowing +when we were coming, left them there; but now at once sent a +messenger for them. This man returned on the seventh day, having +travelled 240 geographical miles. One of the packages was too heavy +for him, and he left it behind. As the Doctor wished to get some +more medicine and papers out of the wagon left at Linyanti in 1853, +he decided upon going thither himself. The chief gave him his own +horse, now about twelve years old, and some men. He found everything +in his wagon as safe as when he left it seven years before. The +headmen, Mosale and Pekonyane, received him cordially, and lamented +that they had so little to offer him. Oh! had he only arrived the +year previous, when there was abundance of milk and corn and beer. + +Very early the next morning the old town-crier, Ma-Pulenyane, of his +own accord made a public proclamation, which, in the perfect +stillness of the town long before dawn, was striking: "I have +dreamed! I have dreamed! I have dreamed! Thou Mosale and thou +Pekonyane, my lords, be not faint-hearted, nor let your hearts be +sore, but believe all the words of Monare (the Doctor) for his heart +is white as milk towards the Makololo. I dreamed that he was coming, +and that the tribe would live, if you prayed to God and give heed to +the word of Monare." Ma-Pulenyane showed Dr. Livingstone the +burying-place where poor Helmore and seven others were laid, +distinguishing those whom he had put to rest, and those for whom +Mafale had performed that last office. Nothing whatever marked the +spot, and with the native idea of HIDING the dead, it was said, "it +will soon be all overgrown with bushes, for no one will cultivate +there." None but Ma-Pulenyane approached the place, the others stood +at a respectful distance; they invariably avoid everything connected +with the dead, and no such thing as taking portions of human bodies +to make charms of, as is the custom further north, has ever been +known among the Makololo. + +Sekeletu's health improved greatly during our visit, the melancholy +foreboding left his spirits, and he became cheerful, but resolutely +refused to leave his den, and appear in public till he was perfectly +cured, and had regained what he considered his good looks. He also +feared lest some of those who had bewitched him originally might +still be among the people, and neutralize our remedies. {4} + +As we expected another steamer to be at Kongone in November, it was +impossible for us to remain in Sesheke more than one month. Before +our departure, the chief and his principal men expressed in a formal +manner their great desire to have English people settled on the +Batoka highlands. At one time he proposed to go as far as Phori, in +order to select a place of residence; but as he afterwards saw +reasons for remaining where he was, till his cure was completed, he +gave orders to those sent with us, in the event of our getting, on +our return, past the rapids near Tette, not to bring us to Sesheke, +but to send forward a messenger, and he with the whole tribe would +come to us. Dr. Kirk being of the same age, Sekeletu was +particularly anxious that he should come and live with him. He said +that he would cut off a section of the country for the special use of +the English; and on being told that in all probability their +descendants would cause disturbance in his country, he replied, +"These would be only domestic feuds, and of no importance." The +great extent of uncultivated land on the cool and now unpeopled +highlands has but to be seen to convince the spectator how much room +there is, and to spare, for a vastly greater population than ever, in +our day, can be congregated there. + +On the last occasion of our holding Divine service at Sesheke, the +men were invited to converse on the subject on which they had been +addressed. So many of them had died since we were here before, that +not much probability existed of our all meeting again, and this had +naturally led to the subject of a future state. They replied that +they did not wish to offend the speaker, but they could not believe +that all the dead would rise again: "Can those who have been killed +in the field and devoured by the vultures; or those who have been +eaten by the hyenas or lions; or those who have been tossed into the +river, and eaten by more than one crocodile,--can they all be raised +again to life?" They were told that men could take a leaden bullet, +change it into a salt (acetate of lead), which could be dissolved as +completely in water as our bodies in the stomachs of animals, and +then reconvert it into lead; or that the bullet could be transformed +into the red and white paint of our wagons, and again be reconverted +into the original lead; and that if men exactly like themselves could +do so much, how much more could He do who has made the eye to see, +and the ear to hear! We added, however, that we believed in a +resurrection, not because we understood how it would be brought +about, but because our Heavenly Father assured us of it in His Book. +The reference to the truth of the Book and its Author seems always to +have more influence on the native mind than the cleverness of the +illustration. The knowledge of the people is scanty, but their +reasoning is generally clear as far as their information goes. + +We left Sesheke on the 17th September, 1860, convoyed by Pitsane and +Leshore with their men. Pitsane was ordered by Sekeletu to make a +hedge round the garden at the Falls, to protect the seeds we had +brought; and also to collect some of the tobacco tribute below the +Falls. Leshore, besides acting as a sort of guard of honour to us, +was sent on a diplomatic mission to Sinamane. No tribute was exacted +by Sekeletu from Sinamane; but, as he had sent in his adhesion, he +was expected to act as a guard in case of the Matebele wishing to +cross and attack the Makololo. As we intended to purchase canoes of +Sinamane in which to descend the river, Leshore was to commend us to +whatever help this Batoka chief could render. It must be confessed +that Leshore's men, who were all of the black subject tribes, really +needed to be viewed by us in the most charitable light; for Leshore, +on entering any village, called out to the inhabitants, "Look out for +your property, and see that my thieves don't steal it." + +Two young Makololo with their Batoka servants accompanied us to see +if Kebrabasa could be surmounted, and to bring a supply of medicine +for Sekeletu's leprosy; and half a dozen able canoe-men, under +Mobito, who had previously gone with Dr. Livingstone to Loanda, were +sent to help us in our river navigation. Some men on foot drove six +oxen which Sekeletu had given us as provisions for the journey. It +was, as before remarked, a time of scarcity; and, considering the +dearth of food, our treatment had been liberal. + +By day the canoe-men are accustomed to keep close under the river's +bank from fear of the hippopotami; by night, however, they keep in +the middle of the stream, as then those animals are usually close to +the bank on their way to their grazing grounds. Our progress was +considerably impeded by the high winds, which at this season of the +year begin about eight in the morning, and blow strongly up the river +all day. The canoes were poor leaky affairs, and so low in parts of +the gunwale, that the paddlers were afraid to follow the channel when +it crossed the river, lest the waves might swamp us. A rough sea is +dreaded by all these inland canoe-men; but though timid, they are by +no means unskilful at their work. The ocean rather astonished them +afterwards; and also the admirable way that the Nyassa men managed +their canoes on a rough lake, and even amongst the breakers, where no +small boat could possibly live. + +On the night of the 17th we slept on the left bank of the Majeele, +after having had all the men ferried across. An ox was slaughtered, +and not an ounce of it was left next morning. Our two young Makololo +companions, Maloka and Ramakukane, having never travelled before, +naturally clung to some of the luxuries they had been accustomed to +at home. When they lay down to sleep, their servants were called to +spread their blankets over their august persons, not forgetting their +feet. This seems to be the duty of the Makololo wife to her husband, +and strangers sometimes receive the honour. One of our party, having +wandered, slept at the village of Nambowe. When he laid down, to his +surprise two of Nambowe's wives came at once, and carefully and +kindly spread his kaross over him. + +A beautiful silvery fish with reddish fins, called Ngwesi, is very +abundant in the river; large ones weigh fifteen or twenty pounds +each. Its teeth are exposed, and so arranged that, when they meet, +the edges cut a hook like nippers. The Ngwesi seems to be a very +ravenous fish. It often gulps down the Konokono, a fish armed with +serrated bones more than an inch in length in the pectoral and dorsal +fins, which, fitting into a notch at the roots, can be put by the +fish on full cock or straight out,--they cannot be folded down, +without its will, and even break in resisting. The name "Konokono," +elbow-elbow, is given it from a resemblance its extended fins are +supposed to bear to a man's elbows stuck out from his body. It often +performs the little trick of cocking its fins in the stomach of the +Ngwesi, and, the elbows piercing its enemy's sides, he is frequently +found floating dead. The fin bones seem to have an acrid secretion +on them, for the wound they make is excessively painful. The +Konokono barks distinctly when landed with the hook. Our canoe-men +invariably picked up every dead fish they saw on the surface of the +water, however far gone. An unfragrant odour was no objection; the +fish was boiled and eaten, and the water drunk as soup. It is a +curious fact that many of the Africans keep fish as we do woodcocks, +until they are extremely offensive, before they consider them fit to +eat. Our paddlers informed us on our way down that iguanas lay their +eggs in July and August, and crocodiles in September. The eggs +remain a month or two under the sand where they are laid, and the +young come out when the rains have fairly commenced. The canoe-men +were quite positive that crocodiles frequently stun men by striking +them with their tails, and then squat on them till they are drowned. +We once caught a young crocodile, which certainly did use its tail to +inflict sharp blows, and led us to conclude that the native opinion +is correct. They believed also that, if a person shuts the beast's +eyes, it lets go its hold. Crocodiles have been known to unite and +kill a large one of their own species and eat it. Some fishermen +throw the bones of the fish into the river but in most of the fishing +villages there are heaps of them in various places. The villagers +can walk over them without getting them into their feet; but the +Makololo, from having softer soles, are unable to do so. The +explanation offered was, that the fishermen have a medicine against +fish-bones, but that they will not reveal it to the Makololo. + +We spent a night on Mparira island, which is four miles long and +about one mile broad. Mokompa, the headman, was away hunting +elephants. His wife sent for him on our arrival, and he returned +next morning before we left. Taking advantage of the long-continued +drought, he had set fire to the reeds between the Chobe and Zambesi, +in such a manner as to drive the game out at one corner, where his +men laid in wait with their spears. He had killed five elephants and +three buffaloes, wounding several others which escaped. + +On our land party coming up, we were told that the oxen were bitten +by the tsetse: they could see a great difference in their looks. +One was already eaten, and they now wished to slaughter another. A +third fell into a buffalo-pit next day, so our stock was soon +reduced. + +The Batoka chief, Moshobotwane, again treated us with his usual +hospitality, giving us an ox, some meal, and milk. We took another +view of the grand Mosi-oa-tunya, and planted a quantity of seeds in +the garden on the island; but, as no one will renew the hedge, the +hippopotami will, doubtless, soon destroy what we planted. +Mashotlane assisted us. So much power was allowed to this under- +chief, that he appeared as if he had cast off the authority of +Sekeletu altogether. He did not show much courtesy to his +messengers; instead of giving them food, as is customary, he took the +meat out of a pot in their presence, and handed it to his own +followers. This may have been because Sekeletu's men bore an order +to him to remove to Linyanti. He had not only insulted Baldwin, but +had also driven away the Griqua traders; but this may all end in +nothing. Some of the natives here, and at Sesheke, know a few of the +low tricks of more civilized traders. A pot of milk was brought to +us one evening, which was more indebted to the Zambesi than to any +cow. Baskets of fine-looking white meal, elsewhere, had occasionally +the lower half filled with bran. Eggs are always a perilous +investment. The native idea of a good egg differs as widely from our +own as is possible on such a trifling subject. An egg is eaten here +with apparent relish, though an embryo chick be inside. + +We left Mosi-oa-tunya on the 27th, and slept close to the village of +Bakwini. It is built on a ridge of loose red soil, which produces +great crops of mapira and ground-nuts; many magnificent mosibe-trees +stand near the village. Machimisi, the headman of the village, +possesses a herd of cattle and a large heart; he kept us company for +a couple of days to guide us on our way. + +We had heard a good deal of a stronghold some miles below the Falls, +called Kalunda. Our return path was much nearer the Zambesi than +that of our ascent,--in fact, as near as the rough country would +allow,--but we left it twice before we reached Sinamane's, in order +to see Kalunda and a Fall called Moomba, or Moamba. The Makololo had +once dispossessed the Batoka of Kalunda, but we could not see the +fissure, or whatever it is, that rendered it a place of security, as +it was on the southern bank. The crack of the Great Falls was here +continued: the rocks are the same as further up, but perhaps less +weather-worn--and now partially stratified in great thick masses. +The country through which we were travelling was covered with a +cindery-looking volcanic tufa, and might be called "Katakaumena." + +The description we received of the Moamba Falls seemed to promise +something grand. They were said to send up "smoke" in the wet +season, like Mosi-oa-tunya; but when we looked down into the cleft, +in which the dark-green narrow river still rolls, we saw, about 800 +or 1000 feet below us, what, after Mosi-oa-tunya, seemed two +insignificant cataracts. It was evident that Pitsane, observing our +delight at the Victoria Falls, wished to increase our pleasure by a +second wonder. One Mosi-oa-tunya, however, is quite enough for a +continent. + +We had now an opportunity of seeing more of the Batoka, than we had +on the highland route to our north. They did not wait till the +evening before offering food to the strangers. The aged wife of the +headman of a hamlet, where we rested at midday, at once kindled a +fire, and put on the cooking-pot to make porridge. Both men and +women are to be distinguished by greater roundness of feature than +the other natives, and the custom of knocking out the upper front +teeth gives at once a distinctive character to the face. Their +colour attests the greater altitude of the country in which many of +them formerly lived. Some, however, are as dark as the Bashubia and +Barotse of the great valley to their west, in which stands Sesheke, +formerly the capital of the Balui, or Bashubia. + +The assertion may seem strange, yet it is none the less true, that in +all the tribes we have visited we never saw a really black person. +Different shades of brown prevail, and often with a bright bronze +tint, which no painter, except Mr. Angus, seems able to catch. Those +who inhabit elevated, dry situations, and who are not obliged to work +much in the sun, are frequently of a light warm brown, "dark but +comely." Darkness of colour is probably partly caused by the sun, +and partly by something in the climate or soil which we do not yet +know. We see something of the same sort in trout and other fish +which take their colour from the ponds or streams in which they live. +The members of our party were much less embrowned by free exposure to +the sun for years than Dr. Livingstone and his family were by passing +once from Kuruman to Cape Town, a journey which occupied only a +couple of months. + +We encamped on the Kalomo, on the 1st of October, and found the +weather very much warmer than when we crossed this stream in August. +At 3 p.m. the thermometer, four feet from the ground, was 101 degrees +in the shade; the wet bulb only 61 degrees: a difference of 40 +degrees. Yet, notwithstanding this extreme dryness of the +atmosphere, without a drop of rain having fallen for months, and +scarcely any dew, many of the shrubs and trees were putting forth +fresh leaves of various hues, while others made a profuse display of +lovely blossoms. + +Two old and very savage buffaloes were shot for our companions on the +3rd October. Our Volunteers may feel an interest in knowing that +balls sometimes have but little effect: one buffalo fell, on +receiving a Jacob's shell; it was hit again twice, and lost a large +amount of blood; and yet it sprang up, and charged a native, who, by +great agility, had just time to climb a tree, before the maddened +beast struck it, battering-ram fashion, hard enough almost to have +split both head and tree. It paused a few seconds--drew back several +paces--glared up at the man--and then dashed at the tree again and +again, as if determined to shake him out of it. It took two more +Jacob's shells, and five other large solid rifle-balls to finish the +beast at last. These old surly buffaloes had been wandering about in +a sort of miserable fellowship; their skins were diseased and scabby, +as if leprous, and their horns atrophied or worn down to stumps--the +first was killed outright, by one Jacob's shell, the second died +hard. There is so much difference in the tenacity of life in wounded +animals of the same species, that the inquiry is suggested where the +seat of life can be?--We have seen a buffalo live long enough, after +a large bullet had passed right through the heart, to allow firm +adherent clots to be formed in the two holes. + +One day's journey above Sinamane's, a mass of mountain called +Gorongue, or Golongwe, is said to cross the river, and the rent +through which the river passes is, by native report, quite fearful to +behold. The country round it is so rocky, that our companions +dreaded the fatigue, and were not much to blame, if, as is probably +the case, the way be worse than that over which we travelled. As we +trudged along over the black slag-like rocks, the almost leafless +trees affording no shade, the heat was quite as great as Europeans +could bear. It was 102 degrees in the shade, and a thermometer +placed under the tongue or armpit showed that our blood was 99.5 +degrees, or 1.5 degrees hotter than that of the natives, which stood +at 98 degrees. Our shoes, however, enable us to pass over the hot +burning soil better than they can. Many of those who wear sandals +have corns on the sides of the feet, and on the heels, where the +straps pass. We have seen instances, too, where neither sandals nor +shoes were worn, of corns on the soles of the feet. It is, moreover, +not at all uncommon to see toes cocked up, as if pressed out of their +proper places; at home, we should have unhesitatingly ascribed this +to the vicious fashions perversely followed by our shoemakers. + +On the 5th, after crossing some hills, we rested at the village of +Simariango. The bellows of the blacksmith here were somewhat +different from the common goatskin bags, and more like those seen in +Madagascar. They consisted of two wooden vessels, like a lady's +bandbox of small dimensions, the upper ends of which were covered +with leather, and looked something like the heads of drums, except +that the leather bagged in the centre. They were fitted with long +nozzles, through which the air was driven by working the loose +covering of the tops up and down by means of a small piece of wood +attached to their centres. The blacksmith said that tin was obtained +from a people in the north, called Marendi, and that he had made it +into bracelets; we had never heard before of tin being found in the +country. + +Our course then lay down the bed of a rivulet, called Mapatizia, in +which there was much calc spar, with calcareous schist, and then the +Tette grey sandstone, which usually overlies coal. On the 6th we +arrived at the islet Chilombe, belonging to Sinamane, where the +Zambesi runs broad and smooth again, and were well received by +Sinamane himself. Never was Sunday more welcome to the weary than +this, the last we were to spend with our convoy. + +We now saw many good-looking young men and women. The dresses of the +ladies are identical with those of Nubian women in Upper Egypt. To a +belt on the waist a great number of strings are attached to hang all +round the person. These fringes are about six or eight inches long. +The matrons wear in addition a skin cut like the tails of the coatee +formerly worn by our dragoons. The younger girls wear the waist-belt +exhibited in the woodcut, ornamented with shells, and have the +fringes only in front. Marauding parties of Batoka, calling +themselves Makololo, have for some time had a wholesome dread of +Sinamane's "long spears." Before going to Tette our Batoka friend, +Masakasa, was one of a party that came to steal some of the young +women; but Sinamane, to their utter astonishment, attacked them so +furiously that the survivors barely escaped with their lives. +Masakasa had to flee so fast that he threw away his shield, his +spear, and his clothes, and returned home a wiser and a sadder man. + +Sinamane's people cultivate large quantities of tobacco, which they +manufacture into balls for the Makololo market. Twenty balls, +weighing about three-quarters of a pound each, are sold for a hoe. +The tobacco is planted on low moist spots on the banks of the +Zambesi; and was in flower at the time we were there, in October. +Sinamane's people appear to have abundance of food, and are all in +good condition. He could sell us only two of his canoes; but lent us +three more to carry us as far as Moemba's, where he thought others +might be purchased. They were manned by his own canoe-men, who were +to bring them back. The river is about 250 yards wide, and flows +serenely between high banks towards the North-east. Below Sinamane's +the banks are often worn down fifty feet, and composed of shingle and +gravel of igneous rocks, sometimes set in a ferruginous matrix. The +bottom is all gravel and shingle, how formed we cannot imagine, +unless in pot-holes in the deep fissure above. The bottom above the +Falls, save a few rocks close by them, is generally sandy or of soft +tufa. Every damp spot is covered with maize, pumpkins, water-melons, +tobacco, and hemp. There is a pretty numerous Batoka population on +both sides of the river. As we sailed slowly down, the people +saluted us from the banks, by clapping their hands. A headman even +hailed us, and brought a generous present of corn and pumpkins. + +Moemba owns a rich island, called Mosanga, a mile in length, on which +his village stands. He has the reputation of being a brave warrior, +and is certainly a great talker; but he gave us strangers something +better than a stream of words. We received a handsome present of +corn, and the fattest goat we had ever seen; it resembled mutton. +His people were as liberal as their chief. They brought two large +baskets of corn, and a lot of tobacco, as a sort of general +contribution to the travellers. One of Sinamane's canoe-men, after +trying to get his pay, deserted here, and went back before the +stipulated time, with the story, that the Englishman had stolen the +canoes. Shortly after sunrise next morning, Sinamane came into the +village with fifty of his "long spears," evidently determined to +retake his property by force; he saw at a glance that his man had +deceived him. Moemba rallied him for coming on a wildgoose chase. +"Here are your canoes left with me, your men have all been paid, and +the Englishmen are now asking me to sell my canoes." Sinamane said +little to us; only observing that he had been deceived by his +follower. A single remark of his chief's caused the foolish fellow +to leave suddenly, evidently much frightened and crestfallen. +Sinamane had been very kind to us, and, as he was looking on when we +gave our present to Moemba, we made him also an additional offering +of some beads, and parted good friends. Moemba, having heard that we +had called the people of Sinamane together to tell them about our +Saviour's mission to man, and to pray with them, associated the idea +of Sunday with the meeting, and, before anything of the sort was +proposed, came and asked that he and his people might be "sundayed" +as well as his neighbours; and be given a little seed wheat, and +fruit-tree seeds; with which request of course we very willingly +complied. The idea of praying direct to the Supreme Being, though +not quite new to all, seems to strike their minds so forcibly that it +will not be forgotten. Sinamane said that he prayed to God, Morungo, +and made drink-offerings to him. Though he had heard of us, he had +never seen white men before. + +Beautiful crowned cranes, named from their note "ma-wang," were seen +daily, and were beginning to pair. Large flocks of spur-winged +geese, or machikwe, were common. This goose is said to lay her eggs +in March. We saw also pairs of Egyptian geese, as well as a few of +the knob-nosed, or, as they are called in India, combed geese. When +the Egyptian geese, as at the present time, have young, the goslings +keep so steadily in the wake of their mother, that they look as if +they were a part of her tail; and both parents, when on land, +simulate lameness quite as well as our plovers, to draw off pursuers. +The ostrich also adopts the lapwing fashion, but no quadrupeds do: +they show fight to defend their young instead. In some places the +steep banks were dotted with the holes which lead into the nests of +bee-eaters. These birds came out in hundreds as we passed. When the +red-breasted species settle on the trees, they give them the +appearance of being covered with red foliage. + +On the morning of the 12th October we passed through a wild, hilly +country, with fine wooded scenery on both sides, but thinly +inhabited. The largest trees were usually thorny acacias, of great +size and beautiful forms. As we sailed by several villages without +touching, the people became alarmed, and ran along the banks, spears +in hand. We employed one to go forward and tell Mpande of our +coming. This allayed their fears, and we went ashore, and took +breakfast near the large island with two villages on it, opposite the +mouth of the Zungwe, where we had left the Zambesi on our way up. +Mpande was sorry that he had no canoes of his own to sell, but he +would lend us two. He gave us cooked pumpkins and a water-melon. +His servant had lateral curvature of the spine. We have often seen +cases of humpback, but this was the only case of this kind of +curvature we had met with. Mpande accompanied us himself in his own +vessel, till we had an opportunity of purchasing a fine large canoe +elsewhere. We paid what was considered a large price for it: twelve +strings of blue cut glass neck beads, an equal number of large blue +ones of the size of marbles, and two yards of grey calico. Had the +beads been coarser, they would have been more valued, because such +were in fashion. Before concluding the bargain the owner said "his +bowels yearned for his canoe, and we must give a little more to stop +their yearning." This was irresistible. The trading party of +Sequasha, which we now met, had purchased ten large new canoes for +six strings of cheap coarse white beads each, or their equivalent, +four yards of calico, and had bought for the merest trifle ivory +enough to load them all. They were driving a trade in slaves also, +which was something new in this part of Africa, and likely soon to +change the character of the inhabitants. These men had been living +in clover, and were uncommonly fat and plump. When sent to trade, +slaves wisely never stint themselves of beer or anything else, which +their master's goods can buy. + +The temperature of the Zambesi had increased 10 degrees since August, +being now 80 degrees. The air was as high as 96 degrees after +sunset; and, the vicinity of the water being the coolest part, we +usually made our beds close by the river's brink, though there in +danger of crocodiles. Africa differs from India in the air always +becoming cool and refreshing long before the sun returns, and there +can be no doubt that we can in this country bear exposure to the sun, +which would be fatal in India. It is probably owing to the greater +dryness of the African atmosphere that sunstroke is so rarely met +with. In twenty-two years Dr. Livingstone never met or heard of a +single case, though the protective head-dresses of India are rarely +seen. + +When the water is nearly at its lowest, we occasionally meet with +small rapids which are probably not in existence during the rest of +the year. Having slept opposite the rivulet Bume, which comes from +the south, we passed the island of Nakansalo, and went down the +rapids of the same name on the 17th, and came on the morning of the +19th to the more serious ones of Nakabele, at the entrance to Kariba. +The Makololo guided the canoes admirably through the opening in the +dyke. When we entered the gorge we came on upwards of thirty +hippopotami: a bank near the entrance stretches two-thirds across +the narrowed river, and in the still place behind it they were +swimming about. Several were in the channel, and our canoe-men were +afraid to venture down among them, because, as they affirm, there is +commonly an ill-natured one in a herd, which takes a malignant +pleasure in upsetting canoes. Two or three boys on the rocks +opposite amused themselves by throwing stones at the frightened +animals, and hit several on the head. It would have been no +difficult matter to have shot the whole herd. We fired a few shots +to drive them off; the balls often glance off the skull, and no more +harm is done than when a schoolboy gets a bloody nose; we killed one, +which floated away down the rapid current, followed by a number of +men on the bank. A native called to us from the left bank, and said +that a man on his side knew how to pray to the Kariba gods, and +advised us to hire him to pray for our safety, while we were going +down the rapids, or we should certainly all be drowned. No one ever +risked his life in Kariba without first paying the river-doctor, or +priest, for his prayers. Our men asked if there was a cataract in +front, but he declined giving any information; they were not on his +side of the river; if they would come over, then he might be able to +tell them. We crossed, but he went off to the village. We then +landed and walked over the hills to have a look at Karaba before +trusting our canoes in it. The current was strong, and there was +broken water in some places, but the channel was nearly straight, and +had no cataract, so we determined to risk it. Our men visited the +village while we were gone, and were treated to beer and tobacco. +The priest who knows how to pray to the god that rules the rapids +followed us with several of his friends, and they were rather +surprised to see us pass down in safety, without the aid of his +intercession. The natives who followed the dead hippopotamus caught +it a couple of miles below, and, having made it fast to a rock, were +sitting waiting for us on the bank beside the dead animal. As there +was a considerable current there, and the rocky banks were unfit for +our beds, we took the hippopotamus in tow, telling the villagers to +follow, and we would give them most of the meat. The crocodiles +tugged so hard at the carcass, that we were soon obliged to cast it +adrift, to float down in the current, to avoid upsetting the canoe. +We had to go on so far before finding a suitable spot to spend the +night in, that the natives concluded we did not intend to share the +meat with them, and returned to the village. We slept two nights at +the place where the hippopotamus was cut up. The crocodiles had a +busy time of it in the dark, tearing away at what was left in the +river, and thrashing the water furiously with their powerful tails. +The hills on both sides of Kariba are much like those of Kebrabasa, +the strata tilted and twisted in every direction, with no level +ground. + +Although the hills confine the Zambesi within a narrow channel for a +number of miles, there are no rapids beyond those near the entrance. +The river is smooth and apparently very deep. Only one single human +being was seen in the gorge, the country being too rough for culture. +Some rocks in the water, near the outlet of Kariba, at a distance +look like a fort; and such large masses dislocated, bent, and even +twisted to a remarkable degree, at once attest some tremendous +upheaving and convulsive action of nature, which probably caused +Kebrabasa, Kariba, and the Victoria Falls to assume their present +forms; it took place after the formation of the coal, that mineral +having then been tilted up. We have probably nothing equal to it in +the present quiet operations of nature. + +On emerging we pitched our camp by a small stream, the Pendele, a few +miles below the gorge. The Palabi mountain stands on the western +side of the lower end of the Kariba strait; the range to which it +belongs crosses the river, and runs to the south-east. Chikumbula, a +hospitable old headman, under Nchomokela, the paramount chief of a +large district, whom we did not see, brought us next morning a great +basket of meal, and four fowls, with some beer, and a cake of salt, +"to make it taste good." Chikumbula said that the elephants plagued +them, by eating up the cotton-plants; but his people seem to be well +off. + +A few days before we came, they caught three buffaloes in pitfalls in +one night, and, unable to eat them all, left one to rot. During the +night the wind changed and blew from the dead buffalo to our +sleeping-place; and a hungry lion, not at all dainty in his food, +stirred up the putrid mass, and growled and gloated over his feast, +to the disturbance of our slumbers. Game of all kinds is in most +extraordinary abundance, especially from this point to below the +Kafue, and so it is on Moselekatso's side, where there are no +inhabitants. The drought drives all the game to the river to drink. +An hour's walk on the right bank, morning or evening, reveals a +country swarming with wild animals: vast herds of pallahs, many +waterbucks, koodoos, buffaloes, wild pigs, elands, zebras, and +monkeys appear; francolins, guinea-fowls, and myriads of turtledoves +attract the eye in the covers, with the fresh spoor of elephants and +rhinoceroses, which had been at the river during the night. Every +few miles we came upon a school of hippopotami, asleep on some +shallow sandbank; their bodies, nearly all out of the water, appeared +like masses of black rock in the river. When these animals are +hunted much, they become proportionably wary, but here no hunter ever +troubles them, and they repose in security, always however taking the +precaution of sleeping just above the deep channel, into which they +can plunge when alarmed. When a shot is fired into a sleeping herd, +all start up on their feet, and stare with peculiar stolid looks of +hippopotamic surprise, and wait for another shot before dashing into +deep water. A few miles below Chikumbula's we saw a white +hippopotamus in a herd. Our men had never seen one like it before. +It was of a pinkish white, exactly like the colour of the Albino. It +seemed to be the father of a number of others, for there were many +marked with large light patches. The so-called WHITE elephant is +just such a pinkish Albino as this hippopotamus. A few miles above +Kariba we observed that, in two small hamlets, many of the +inhabitants had a similar affection of the skin. The same influence +appeared to have affected man and beast. A dark coloured +hippopotamus stood alone, as if expelled from the herd, and bit the +water, shaking his head from side to side in a most frantic manner. +When the female has twins, she is said to kill one of them. + +We touched at the beautiful tree-covered island of Kalabi, opposite +where Tuba-mokoro lectured the lion in our way up. The ancestors of +the people who now inhabit this island possessed cattle. The tsetse +has taken possession of the country since "the beeves were lifted." +No one knows where these insects breed; at a certain season all +disappear, and as suddenly come back, no one knows whence. The +natives are such close observers of nature, that their ignorance in +this case surprised us. A solitary hippopotamus had selected the +little bay in which we landed, and where the women drew water, for +his dwelling-place. Pretty little lizards, with light blue and red +tails, run among the rocks, catching flies and other insects. These +harmless--though to new-comers repulsive--creatures sometimes perform +good service to man, by eating great numbers of the destructive white +ants. + +At noon on the 24th October, we found Sequasha in a village below the +Kafue, with the main body of his people. He said that 210 elephants +had been killed during his trip; many of his men being excellent +hunters. The numbers of animals we saw renders this possible. He +reported that, after reaching the Kafue, he went northwards into the +country of the Zulus, whose ancestors formerly migrated from the +south and set up a sort of Republican form of government. Sequasha +is the greatest Portuguese traveller we ever became acquainted with, +and he boasts that he is able to speak a dozen different dialects; +yet, unfortunately, he can give but a very meagre account of the +countries and people he has seen, and his statements are not very +much to be relied on. But considering the influence among which he +has been reared, and the want of the means of education at Tette, it +is a wonder that he possesses the good traits that he sometimes +exhibits. Among his wares were several cheap American clocks; a +useless investment rather, for a part of Africa where no one cares +for the artificial measurement of time. These clocks got him into +trouble among the Banyai: he set them all agoing in the presence of +a chief, who became frightened at the strange sounds they made, and +looked upon them as so many witchcraft agencies at work to bring all +manner of evils upon himself and his people. Sequasha, it was +decided, had been guilty of a milando, or crime, and he had to pay a +heavy fine of cloth and beads for his exhibition. He alluded to our +having heard that he had killed Mpangwe, and he denied having +actually done so; but in his absence his name had got mixed up in the +affair, in consequence of his slaves, while drinking beer one night +with Namakusuru, the man who succeeded Mpangwe, saying that they +would kill the chief for him. His partner had not thought of this +when we saw him on the way up, for he tried to excuse the murder, by +saying that now they had put the right man into the chieftainship. + +After three hours' sail, on the morning of the 29th, the river was +narrowed again by the mountains of Mburuma, called Karivua, into one +channel, and another rapid dimly appeared. It was formed by two +currents guided by rocks to the centre. In going down it, the men +sent by Sekeletu behaved very nobly. The canoes entered without +previous survey, and the huge jobbling waves of mid-current began at +once to fill them. With great presence of mind, and without a +moment's hesitation, two men lightened each by jumping overboard; +they then ordered a Botoka man to do the same, as "the white men must +be saved." "I cannot swim," said the Batoka. "Jump out, then, and +hold on to the canoe;" which he instantly did. Swimming alongside, +they guided the swamping canoes down the swift current to the foot of +the rapid, and then ran them ashore to bale them out. A boat could +have passed down safely, but our canoes were not a foot above the +water at the gunwales. + +Thanks to the bravery of these poor fellows, nothing was lost, +although everything was well soaked. This rapid is nearly opposite +the west end of the Mburuma mountains or Karivua. Another soon +begins below it. They are said to be all smoothed over when the +river rises. The canoes had to be unloaded at this the worst rapid, +and the goods carried about a hundred yards. By taking the time in +which a piece of stick floated past 100 feet, we found the current to +be running six knots, by far the greatest velocity noted in the +river. As the men were bringing the last canoe down close to the +shore, the stern swung round into the current, and all except one man +let go, rather than be dragged off. He clung to the bow, and was +swept out into the middle of the stream. Having held on when he +ought to have let go, he next put his life in jeopardy by letting go +when he ought to have held on; and was in a few seconds swallowed up +by a fearful whirlpool. His comrades launched out a canoe below, and +caught him as he rose the third time to the surface, and saved him, +though much exhausted and very cold. + +The scenery of this pass reminded us of Kebrabasa, although it is +much inferior. A band of the same black shining glaze runs along the +rocks about two feet from the water's edge. There was not a blade of +grass on some of the hills, it being the end of the usual dry season +succeeding a previous severe drought; yet the hill-sides were dotted +over with beautiful green trees. A few antelopes were seen on the +rugged slopes, where some people too appeared lying down, taking a +cup of beer. The Karivua narrows are about thirty miles in length. +They end at the mountain Roganora. Two rocks, twelve or fifteen feet +above the water at the time we were there, may in flood be covered +and dangerous. Our chief danger was the wind, a very slight ripple +being sufficient to swamp canoes. + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + + +The waterbuck--Disaster in Kebrabasa rapids--The "Ma Robert" +founders--Arrival of the "Pioneer" and Bishop Mackenzie's party-- +Portuguese slave-trade--Interference and liberation. + +We arrived at Zumbo, at the mouth of the Loangwa, on the 1st of +November. The water being scarcely up to the knee, our land party +waded this river with ease. A buffalo was shot on an island opposite +Pangola's, the ball lodging in the spleen. It was found to have been +wounded in the same organ previously, for an iron bullet was imbedded +in it, and the wound entirely healed. A great deal of the plant +Pistia stratiotes was seen floating in the river. Many people +inhabit the right bank about this part, yet the game is very +abundant. + +As we were taking our breakfast on the morning of the 2nd, the Mambo +Kazai, of whom we knew nothing, and his men came with their muskets +and large powder-horns to levy a fine, and obtain payment for the +wood we used in cooking. But on our replying to his demand that we +were English, "Oh! are you?" he said; "I thought you were Bazungu +(Portuguese). They are the people I take payments from:" and he +apologized for his mistake. Bazungu, or Azungu, is a term applied to +all foreigners of a light colour, and to Arabs; even to trading +slaves if clothed; it probably means foreigners, or visitors,--from +zunga, to visit or wander,--and the Portuguese were the only +foreigners these men had ever seen. As we had no desire to pass for +people of that nation--quite the contrary--we usually made a broad +line of demarcation by saying that we were English, and the English +neither bought, sold, nor held black people as slaves, but wished to +put a stop to the slave-trade altogether. + +We called upon our friend, Mpende, in passing. He provided a hut for +us, with new mats spread on the floor. Having told him that we were +hurrying on because the rains were near, "Are they near?" eagerly +inquired an old counsellor, "and are we to have plenty of rain this +year?" We could only say that it was about the usual time for the +rains to commence; and that there were the usual indications in great +abundance of clouds floating westwards, but that we knew nothing more +than they did themselves. + +The hippopotami are more wary here than higher up, as the natives +hunt them with guns. Having shot one on a shallow sandbank, our men +undertook to bring it over to the left bank, in order to cut it up +with greater ease. It was a fine fat one, and all rejoiced in the +hope of eating the fat for butter, with our hard dry cakes of native +meal. Our cook was sent over to cut a choice piece for dinner, but +returned with the astonishing intelligence that the carcass was gone. +They had been hoodwinked, and were very much ashamed of themselves. +A number of Banyai came to assist in rolling it ashore, and asserted +that it was all shallow water. They rolled it over and over towards +the land, and, finding the rope we had made fast to it, as they said, +an encumbrance, it was unloosed. All were shouting and talking as +loud as they could bawl, when suddenly our expected feast plumped +into a deep hole, as the Banyai intended it should do. When sinking, +all the Makololo jumped in after it. One caught frantically at the +tail; another grasped a foot; a third seized the hip; "but, by +Sebituane, it would go down in spite of all that we could do." +Instead of a fat hippopotamus we had only a lean fowl for dinner, and +were glad enough to get even that. The hippopotamus, however, +floated during the night, and was found about a mile below. The +Banyai then assembled on the bank, and disputed our right to the +beast: "It might have been shot by somebody else." Our men took a +little of it and then left it, rather than come into collision with +them. + +A fine waterbuck was shot in the Kakolole narrows, at Mount +Manyerere; it dropped beside the creek where it was feeding; an +enormous crocodile, that had been watching it at the moment, seized +and dragged it into the water, which was not very deep. The mortally +wounded animal made a desperate plunge, and hauling the crocodile +several yards tore itself out of the hideous jaws. To escape the +hunter, the waterbuck jumped into the river, and was swimming across, +when another crocodile gave chase, but a ball soon sent it to the +bottom. The waterbuck swam a little longer, the fine head dropped, +the body turned over, and one of the canoes dragged it ashore. Below +Kakolole, and still at the base of Manyerere mountain, several coal- +seams, not noticed on our ascent, were now seen to crop out on the +right bank of the Zambesi. + +Chitora, of Chicova, treated us with his former hospitality. Our men +were all much pleased with his kindness, and certainly did not look +upon it as a proof of weakness. They meant to return his +friendliness when they came this way on a marauding expedition to eat +the sheep of the Banyai, for insulting them in the affair of the +hippopotamus; they would then send word to Chitora not to run away, +for they, being his friends, would do such a good-hearted man no +harm. + +We entered Kebrabasa rapids, at the east end of Chicova, in the +canoes, and went down a number of miles, until the river narrowed +into a groove of fifty or sixty yards wide, of which we have already +spoken in describing the flood-bed and channel of low water. The +navigation then became difficult and dangerous. A fifteen feet fall +of the water in our absence had developed many cataracts. Two of our +canoes passed safely down a narrow channel, which, bifurcating, had +an ugly whirlpool at the rocky partition between the two branches, +the deep hole in the whirls at times opening and then shutting. The +Doctor's canoe came next, and seemed to be drifting broadside into +the open vortex, in spite of the utmost exertions of the paddlers. +The rest were expecting to have to pull to the rescue; the men +saying, "Look where these people are going!--look, look!"--when a +loud crash burst on our ears. Dr. Kirk's canoe was dashed on a +projection of the perpendicular rocks, by a sudden and mysterious +boiling up of the river, which occurs at irregular intervals. Dr. +Kirk was seen resisting the sucking-down action of the water, which +must have been fifteen fathoms deep, and raising himself by his arms +on to the ledge, while his steersman, holding on to the same rocks, +saved the canoe; but nearly all its contents were swept away down the +stream. Dr. Livingstone's canoe, meanwhile, which had distracted the +men's attention, was saved by the cavity in the whirlpool filling up +as the frightful eddy was reached. A few of the things in Dr. Kirk's +canoe were left; but all that was valuable, including a chronometer, +a barometer, and, to our great sorrow, his notes of the journey and +botanical drawings of the fruit-trees of the interior, perished. + +We now left the river, and proceeded on foot, sorry that we had not +done so the day before. The men were thoroughly frightened, they had +never seen such perilous navigation. They would carry all the loads, +rather than risk Kebrabasa any longer; but the fatigue of a day's +march over the hot rocks and burning sand changed their tune before +night; and then they regretted having left the canoes; they thought +they should have dragged them past the dangerous places, and then +launched them again. One of the two donkeys died from exhaustion +near the Luia. Though the men eat zebras and quaggas, blood +relations of the donkey, they were shocked at the idea of eating the +ass; "it would be like eating man himself, because the donkey lives +with man, and is his bosom companion." We met two large trading +parties of Tette slaves on their way to Zumbo, leading, to be sold +for ivory, a number of Manganja women, with ropes round their necks, +and all made fast to one long rope. + +Panzo, the headman of the village east of Kebrabasa, received us with +great kindness. After the usual salutation he went up the hill, and, +in a loud voice, called across the valley to the women of several +hamlets to cook supper for us. About eight in the evening he +returned, followed by a procession of women, bringing the food. +There were eight dishes of nsima, or porridge, six of different sorts +of very good wild vegetables, with dishes of beans and fowls; all +deliciously well cooked, and scrupulously clean. The wooden dishes +were nearly as white as the meal itself: food also was brought for +our men. Ripe mangoes, which usually indicate the vicinity of the +Portuguese, were found on the 21st November; and we reached Tette +early on the 23rd, having been absent a little over six months. + +The two English sailors, left in charge of the steamer, were well, +had behaved well, and had enjoyed excellent health all the time we +were away. Their farm had been a failure. We left a few sheep, to +be slaughtered when they wished for fresh meat, and two dozen fowls. +Purchasing more, they soon had double the number of the latter, and +anticipated a good supply of eggs; but they also bought two monkeys, +and THEY ate all the eggs. A hippopotamus came up one night, and +laid waste their vegetable garden; the sheep broke into their cotton +patch, when it was in flower, and ate it all, except the stems; then +the crocodiles carried off the sheep, and the natives stole the +fowls. Nor were they more successful as gun-smiths: a Portuguese +trader, having an exalted opinion of the ingenuity of English +sailors, showed them a double-barrelled rifle, and inquired if they +could put on the BROWNING, which had rusted off. "I think I knows +how," said one, whose father was a blacksmith, "it's very easy; you +have only to put the barrels in the fire." A great fire of wood was +made on shore, and the unlucky barrels put over it, to secure the +handsome rifle colour. To Jack's utter amazement the barrels came +asunder. To get out of the scrape, his companion and he stuck the +pieces together with resin, and sent it to the owner, with the +message, "It was all they could do for it, and they would not charge +him anything for the job!" They had also invented an original mode +of settling a bargain; having ascertained the market price of +provisions, they paid that, but no more. If the traders refused to +leave the ship till the price was increased, a chameleon, of which +the natives have a mortal dread, was brought out of the cabin; and +the moment the natives saw the creature, they at once sprang +overboard. The chameleon settled every dispute in a twinkling. + +But besides their good-humoured intercourse, they showed humanity +worthy of English sailors. A terrible scream roused them up one +night, and they pushed off in a boat to the rescue. A crocodile had +caught a woman, and was dragging her across a shallow sandbank. Just +as they came up to her, she gave a fearful shriek: the horrid +reptile had snapped off her leg at the knee. They took her on board, +bandaged the limb as well as they could, and, not thinking of any +better way of showing their sympathy, gave her a glass of rum, and +carried her to a hut in the village. Next morning they found the +bandages torn off, and the unfortunate creature left to die. "I +believe," remarked Rowe, one of the sailors, "her master was angry +with us for saving her life, seeing as how she had lost her leg." + +The Zambesi being unusually low, we remained at Tette till it rose a +little, and then left on the 3rd of December for the Kongone. It was +hard work to keep the vessel afloat; indeed, we never expected her to +remain above water. New leaks broke out every day; the engine pump +gave way; the bridge broke down; three compartments filled at night; +except the cabin and front compartment all was flooded; and in a few +days we were assured by Rowe that "she can't be worse than she is, +sir." He and Hutchins had spent much of their time, while we were +away, in patching her bottom, puddling it with clay, and shoring it, +and it was chiefly to please them that we again attempted to make use +of her. We had long been fully convinced that the steel plates were +thoroughly unsuitable. On the morning of the 21st the uncomfortable +"Asthmatic" grounded on a sandbank and filled. She could neither be +emptied nor got off. The river rose during the night, and all that +was visible of the worn-out craft next day was about six feet of her +two masts. Most of the property we had on board was saved; and we +spent the Christmas of 1860 encamped on the island of Chimba. Canoes +were sent for from Senna; and we reached it on the 27th, to be again +hospitably entertained by our friend, Senhor Ferrao. + +We reached the Kongone on the 4th of January, 1861. A flagstaff and +a Custom-house had been erected during our absence; a hut, also, for +a black lance-corporal and three privates. By the kind permission of +the lance-corporal, who came to see us as soon as he had got into his +trousers and shirt, we took up our quarters in the Custom-house, +which, like the other buildings, is a small square floorless hut of +mangrove stakes overlaid with reeds. The soldiers complained of +hunger, they had nothing to eat but a little mapira, and were making +palm wine to deaden their cravings. While waiting for a ship, we had +leisure to read the newspapers and periodicals we found in the mail +which was waiting our arrival at Tette. Several were a year and a +half old. + +Our provisions began to run short; and towards the end of the month +there was nothing left but a little bad biscuit and a few ounces of +sugar. Coffee and tea were expended, but scarcely missed, as our +sailors discovered a pretty good substitute in roasted mapira. Fresh +meat was obtained in abundance from our antelope preserves on the +large island made by a creek between the Kongone and East Luabo. + +In this focus of decaying vegetation, nothing is so much to be +dreaded as inactivity. We had, therefore, to find what exercise and +amusement we could, when hunting was not required, in peering about +in the fetid swamps; to have gone mooning about, in listless +idleness, would have ensured fever in its worst form, and probably +with fatal results. + +A curious little blenny-fish swarms in the numerous creeks which +intersect the mangrove topes. When alarmed, it hurries across the +surface of the water in a series of leaps. It may be considered +amphibious, as it lives as much out of the water as in it, and its +most busy time is during low water. Then it appears on the sand or +mud, near the little pools left by the retiring tide; it raises +itself on its pectoral fins into something of a standing attitude, +and with its large projecting eyes keeps a sharp look-out for the +light-coloured fly, on which it feeds. Should the fly alight at too +great a distance for even a second leap, the blenny moves slowly +towards it like a cat to its prey, or like a jumping spider; and, as +soon as it gets within two or three inches of the insect, by a sudden +spring contrives to pop its underset mouth directly over the unlucky +victim. He is, moreover, a pugnacious little fellow; and rather +prolonged fights may be observed between him and his brethren. One, +in fleeing from an apparent danger, jumped into a pool a foot square, +which the other evidently regarded as his by right of prior +discovery; in a twinkling the owner, with eyes flashing fury, and +with dorsal fin bristling up in rage, dashed at the intruding foe. +The fight waxed furious, no tempest in a teapot ever equalled the +storm of that miniature sea. The warriors were now in the water, and +anon out of it, for the battle raged on sea and shore. They struck +hard, they bit each other; until, becoming exhausted, they seized +each other by the jaws like two bull-dogs, then paused for breath, +and at it again as fiercely as before, until the combat ended by the +precipitate retreat of the invader. + +The muddy ground under the mangrove-trees is covered with soldier- +crabs, which quickly slink into their holes on any symptom of danger. +When the ebbing tide retires, myriads of minute crabs emerge from +their underground quarters, and begin to work like so many busy bees. +Soon many miles of the smooth sand become rough with the results of +their labour. They are toiling for their daily bread: a round bit +of moist sand appears at the little labourer's mouth, and is quickly +brushed off by one of the claws; a second bit follows the first; and +another, and still another come as fast as they can be laid aside. +As these pellets accumulate, the crab moves sideways, and the work +continues. The first impression one receives is, that the little +creature has swallowed a great deal of sand, and is getting rid of it +as speedily as possible: a habit he indulges in of darting into his +hole at intervals, as if for fresh supplies, tends to strengthen this +idea; but the size of the heaps formed in a few seconds shows that +this cannot be the case, and leads to the impression that, although +not readily seen, at the distance at which he chooses to keep the +observer, yet that possibly he raises the sand to his mouth, where +whatever animalcule it may contain is sifted out of it, and the +remainder rejected in the manner described. At times the larger +species of crabs perform a sort of concert; and from each +subterranean abode strange sounds arise, as if, in imitation of the +songsters of the groves, for very joy they sang! + +We found some natives pounding the woody stems of a poisonous +climbing-plant (Dirca palustris) called Busungu, or poison, which +grows abundantly in the swamps. When a good quantity was bruised, it +was tied up in bundles. The stream above and below was obstructed +with bushes, and with a sort of rinsing motion the poison was +diffused through the water. Many fish were soon affected, swain in +shore, and died, others were only stupefied. The plant has pink, +pea-shaped blossoms, and smooth, pointed, glossy leaves, and the +brown bark is covered with minute white points. The knowledge of it +might prove of use to a shipwrecked party by enabling them to catch +the fish. + +The poison is said to be deleterious to man if the water is drunk; +but not when the fish is cooked. The Busungu is repulsive to some +insects, and is smeared round the shoots of the palm-trees to prevent +the ants from getting into the palm wine while it is dropping from +the tops of the palm-trees into the little pots suspended to collect +it. + +We were in the habit of walking from our beds into the salt water at +sunrise, for a bath, till a large crocodile appeared at the bathing- +place, and from that time forth we took our dip in the sea, away from +the harbour, about midday. This is said to be unwholesome, but we +did not find it so. It is certainly better not to bathe in the +mornings, when the air is colder than the water--for then, on +returning to the cooler air, one is apt to get a chill and fever. In +the mouth of the river, many saw-fish are found. Rowe saw one while +bathing--caught it by the tail, and shoved it, "snout on," ashore. +The saw is from a foot to eighteen inches long. We never heard of +any one being wounded by this fish; nor, though it goes hundreds of +miles up the river in fresh water, could we learn that it was eaten +by the people. The hippopotami delighted to spend the day among the +breakers, and seemed to enjoy the fun as much as we did. + +Severe gales occurred during our stay on the Coast, and many small +sea-birds (Prion Banksii, Smith) perished: the beach was strewn with +their dead bodies, and some were found hundreds of yards inland; many +were so emaciated as to dry up without putrefying. We were plagued +with myriads of mosquitoes, and had some touches of fever; the men we +brought from malarious regions of the interior suffered almost as +much from it here as we did ourselves. This gives strength to the +idea that the civilized withstand the evil influences of strange +climates better than the uncivilized. When negroes return to their +own country from healthy lands, they suffer as severely as foreigners +ever do. + +On the 31st of January, 1861, our new ship, the "Pioneer," arrived +from England, and anchored outside the bar; but the weather was +stormy, and she did not venture in till the 4th of February. + +Two of H.M. cruisers came at the same time, bringing Bishop +Mackenzie, and the Oxford and Cambridge Mission to the tribes of the +Shire and Lake Nyassa. The Mission consisted of six Englishmen, and +five coloured men from the Cape. It was a puzzle to know what to do +with so many men. The estimable Bishop, anxious to commence his work +without delay, wished the "Pioneer" to carry the Mission up the +Shire, as far as Chibisa's, and there leave them. But there were +grave objections to this. The "Pioneer" was under orders to explore +the Rovuma, as the Portuguese Government had refused to open the +Zambesi to the ships of other nations, and their officials were very +effectually pursuing a system, which, by abstracting the labour, was +rendering the country of no value either to foreigners or to +themselves. She was already two months behind her time, and the +rainy season was half over. Then, if the party were taken to +Chibisa's, the Mission would he left without a medical attendant, in +an unhealthy region, at the beginning of the most sickly season of +the year, and without means of reaching the healthy highlands, or of +returning to the sea. We dreaded that, in the absence of medical aid +and all knowledge of the treatment of fever, there might be a +repetition of the sorrowful fate which befell the similar non-medical +Mission at Linyanti. + +On the 25th of February the "Pioneer" anchored in the mouth of the +Rovuma, which, unlike most African rivers, has a magnificent bay and +no bar. We wooded, and then waited for the Bishop till the 9th of +March, when he came in the "Lyra." On the 11th we proceeded up the +river, and saw that it had fallen four or five feet during our +detention. The scenery on the lower part of the Rovuma is superior +to that on the Zambesi, for we can see the highlands from the sea. +Eight miles from the mouth the mangroves are left behind, and a +beautiful range of well-wooded hills on each bank begins. On these +ridges the tree resembling African blackwood, of finer grain than +ebony, grows abundantly, and attains a large size. Few people were +seen, and those were of Arab breed, and did not appear to be very +well off. The current of the Rovuma was now as strong as that of the +Zambesi, but the volume of water is very much less. Several of the +crossings had barely water enough for our ship, drawing five feet, to +pass. When we were thirty miles up the river, the water fell +suddenly seven inches in twenty-four hours. As the March flood is +the last of the season, and it appeared to be expended, it was +thought prudent to avoid the chance of a year's detention, by getting +the ship back to the sea without delay. Had the Expedition been +alone, we would have pushed up in boats, or afoot, and done what we +could towards the exploration of the river and upper end of the lake; +but, though the Mission was a private one, and entirely distinct from +our own, a public one, the objects of both being similar, we felt +anxious to aid our countrymen in their noble enterprise; and, rather +than follow our own inclination, decided to return to the Shire, see +the Mission party settled safely, and afterwards explore Lake Nyassa +and the Rovuma, from the Lake downwards. Fever broke out on board +the "Pioneer," at the mouth of the Rovuma, as we thought from our +having anchored close to a creek coming out of the mangroves; and it +remained in her until we completely isolated the engine-room from the +rest of the ship. The coal-dust rotting sent out strong effluvia, +and kept up the disease for more than a twelvemonth. + +Soon after we started the fever put the "Pioneer" almost entirely +into the hands of the original Zambesi Expedition, and not long +afterwards the leader had to navigate the ocean as well as the river. +The habit of finding the geographical positions on land renders it an +easy task to steer a steamer with only three or four sails at sea; +where, if one does not run ashore, no one follows to find out an +error, and where a current affords a ready excuse for every blunder. + +Touching at Mohilla, one of the Comoro Islands, on our return, we +found a mixed race of Arabs, Africans, and their conquerors, the +natives of Madagascar. Being Mahometans, they have mosques and +schools, in which we were pleased to see girls as well as boys taught +to read the Koran. The teacher said he was paid by the job, and +received ten dollars for teaching each child to read. The clever +ones learn in six months; but the dull ones take a couple of years. +We next went over to Johanna for our friends; and, after a sojourn of +a few days at the beautiful Comoro Islands, we sailed for the Kongone +mouth of the Zambesi with Bishop Mackenzie and his party. We reached +the coast in seven days, and passed up the Zambesi to the Shire. + +The "Pioneer," constructed under the skilful supervision of Admiral +Sir Baldwin Walker and the late Admiral Washington, warm-hearted and +highly esteemed friends of the Expedition, was a very superior +vessel, and well suited for our work in every respect, except in her +draught of water. Five feet were found to be too much for the +navigation of the upper part of the Shire. Designed to draw three +feet only, the weight necessary to impart extra strength, and fit her +for the ocean, brought her down two feet more, and caused us a great +deal of hard and vexatious work, in laying out anchors, and toiling +at the capstan to get her off sandbanks. We should not have minded +this much, but for the heavy loss of time which might have been more +profitably, and infinitely more pleasantly, spent in intercourse with +the people, exploring new regions, and otherwise carrying out the +objects of the Expedition. Once we were a fortnight on a bank of +soft yielding sand, having only two or three inches less water than +the ship drew; this delay was occasioned by the anchors coming home, +and the current swinging the ship broadside on the bank, which, +immediately on our touching, always formed behind us. We did not +like to leave the ship short of Chibisa's, lest the crew should +suffer from the malaria of the lowland around; and it would have been +difficult to have got the Mission goods carried up. We were daily +visited by crowds of natives, who brought us abundance of provisions +far beyond our ability to consume. In hauling the "Pioneer" over the +shallow places, the Bishop, with Horace Waller and Mr. Scudamore, +were ever ready and anxious to lend a hand, and worked as hard as any +on board. Had our fine little ship drawn but three feet, she could +have run up and down the river at any time of the year with the +greatest ease, but as it was, having once passed up over a few +shallow banks, it was impossible to take her down again until the +river rose in December. She could go up over a bank, but not come +down over it, as a heap of sand always formed instantly astern, while +the current washed it away from under her bows. + +On at last reaching Chibisa's, we heard that there was war in the +Manganja country, and the slave-trade was going on briskly. A +deputation from a chief near Mount Zomba had just passed on its way +to Chibisa, who was in a distant village, to implore him to come +himself, or send medicine, to drive off the Waiao, Waiau, or Ajawa, +whose marauding parties were desolating the land. A large gang of +recently enslaved Manganja crossed the river, on their way to Tette, +a few days before we got the ship up. Chibisa's deputy was civil, +and readily gave us permission to hire as many men to carry the +Bishop's goods up to the hills as were willing to go. With a +sufficient number, therefore, we started for the highlands on the +15th of July, to show the Bishop the country, which, from its +altitude and coolness, was most suitable for a station. Our first +day's march was a long and fatiguing one. The few hamlets we passed +were poor, and had no food for our men, and we were obliged to go on +till 4 p.m., when we entered the small village of Chipindu. The +inhabitants complained of hunger, and said they had no food to sell, +and no hut for us to sleep in; but, if we would only go on a little +further, we should come to a village where they had plenty to eat; +but we had travelled far enough, and determined to remain where we +were. Before sunset as much food was brought as we cared to +purchase, and, as it threatened to rain, huts were provided for the +whole party. + +Next forenoon we halted at the village of our old friend Mbame, to +obtain new carriers, because Chibisa's men, never before having been +hired, and not having yet learned to trust us, did not choose to go +further. After resting a little, Mbame told us that a slave party on +its way to Tette would presently pass through his village. "Shall we +interfere?" we inquired of each other. We remembered that all our +valuable private baggage was in Tette, which, if we freed the slaves, +might, together with some Government property, be destroyed in +retaliation; but this system of slave-hunters dogging us where +previously they durst not venture, and, on pretence of being "our +children," setting one tribe against another, to furnish themselves +with slaves, would so inevitably thwart all the efforts, for which we +had the sanction of the Portuguese Government, that we resolved to +run all risks, and put a stop, if possible, to the slave-trade, which +had now followed on the footsteps of our discoveries. A few minutes +after Mbame had spoken to us, the slave party, a long line of +manacled men, women, and children, came wending their way round the +hill and into the valley, on the side of which the village stood. +The black drivers, armed with muskets, and bedecked with various +articles of finery, marched jauntily in the front, middle, and rear +of the line; some of them blowing exultant notes out of long tin +horns. They seemed to feel that they were doing a very noble thing, +and might proudly march with an air of triumph. But the instant the +fellows caught a glimpse of the English, they darted off like mad +into the forest; so fast, indeed, that we caught but a glimpse of +their red caps and the soles of their feet. The chief of the party +alone remained; and he, from being in front, had his hand tightly +grasped by a Makololo! He proved to be a well-known slave of the +late Commandant at Tette, and for some time our own attendant while +there. On asking him how he obtained these captives, he replied he +had bought them; but on our inquiring of the people themselves, all, +save four, said they had been captured in war. While this inquiry +was going on, he bolted too. The captives knelt down, and, in their +way of expressing thanks, clapped their hands with great energy. +They were thus left entirely on our hands, and knives were soon busy +at work cutting the women and children loose. It was more difficult +to cut the men adrift, as each had his neck in the fork of a stout +stick, six or seven feet long, and was kept in by an iron rod which +was riveted at both ends across the throat. With a saw, luckily in +the Bishop's baggage, one by one the men were sawn out into freedom. +The women, on being told to take the meal they were carrying and cook +breakfast for themselves and the children, seemed to consider the +news too good to be true; but after a little coaxing went at it with +alacrity, and made a capital fire by which to boil their pots with +the slave sticks and bonds, their old acquaintances through many a +sad night and weary day. Many were mere children about five years of +age and under. One little boy, with the simplicity of childhood, +said to our men, "The others tied and starved us, you cut the ropes +and tell us to eat; what sort of people are you?--Where did you come +from?" Two of the women had been shot the day before for attempting +to untie the thongs. This, the rest were told, was to prevent them +from attempting to escape. One woman had her infant's brains knocked +out, because she could not carry her load and it. And a man was +dispatched with an axe, because he had broken down with fatigue. +Self-interest would have set a watch over the whole rather than +commit murder; but in this traffic we invariably find self-interest +overcome by contempt of human life and by bloodthirstiness. + +The Bishop was not present at this scene, having gone to bathe in a +little stream below the village; but on his return he warmly approved +of what had been done; he at first had doubts, but now felt that, had +he been present, he would have joined us in the good work. Logic is +out of place when the question with a true-hearted man is, whether +his brother man is to be saved or not. Eighty-four, chiefly women +and children, were liberated; and on being told that they were now +free, and might go where they pleased, or remain with us, they all +chose to stay; and the Bishop wisely attached them to his Mission, to +be educated as members of a Christian family. In this way a great +difficulty in the commencement of a Mission was overcome. Years are +usually required before confidence is so far instilled into the +natives' mind as to induce them, young or old, to submit to the +guidance of strangers professing to be actuated by motives the +reverse of worldly wisdom, and inculcating customs strange and +unknown to them and their fathers. + +We proceeded next morning to Soche's with our liberated party, the +men cheerfully carrying the Bishop's goods. As we had begun, it was +of no use to do things by halves, so eight others were freed in a +hamlet on our path; but a party of traders, with nearly a hundred +slaves, fled from Soche's on hearing of our proceedings. Dr. Kirk +and four Makololo followed them with great energy, but they made +clear off to Tette. Six more captives were liberated at Mongazi's, +and two slave-traders detained for the night, to prevent them from +carrying information to a large party still in front. Of their own +accord they volunteered the information that the Governor's servants +had charge of the next party; but we did not choose to be led by +them, though they offered to guide us to his Excellency's own agents. +Two of the Bishop's black men from the Cape, having once been slaves, +were now zealous emancipators, and volunteered to guard the prisoners +during the night. So anxious were our heroes to keep them safe, that +instead of relieving each other, by keeping watch and watch, both +kept watch together, till towards four o'clock in the morning, when +sleep stole gently over them both; and the wakeful prisoners, seizing +the opportunity, escaped: one of the guards, perceiving the loss, +rushed out of the hut, shouting, "They are gone, the prisoners are +off, and they have taken my rifle with them, and the women too! +Fire! everybody fire!" The rifle and the women, however, were all +safe enough, the slave-traders being only too glad to escape alone. +Fifty more slaves were freed next day in another village; and, the +whole party being stark-naked, cloth enough was left to clothe them, +better probably than they had ever been clothed before. The head of +this gang, whom we knew as the agent of one of the principal +merchants of Tette, said that they had the license of the Governor +for all they did. This we were fully aware of without his stating +it. It is quite impossible for any enterprise to be undertaken there +without the Governor's knowledge and connivance. + +The portion of the highlands which the Bishop wished to look at +before deciding on a settlement belonged to Chiwawa, or Chibaba, the +most manly and generous Manganja chief we had met with on our +previous journey. On reaching Nsambo's, near Mount Chiradzuru, we +heard that Chibaba was dead, and that Chigunda was chief instead. +Chigunda, apparently of his own accord, though possibly he may have +learnt that the Bishop intended to settle somewhere in the country, +asked him to come and live with him at Magomero, adding that there +was room enough for both. This hearty and spontaneous invitation had +considerable influence on the Bishop's mind, and seemed to decide the +question. A place nearer the Shire would have been chosen had he +expected his supplies to come up that river; but the Portuguese, +claiming the river Shire, though never occupying even its mouth, had +closed it, as well as the Zambesi. + +Our hopes were turned to the Rovuma, as a free highway into Lake +Nyassa and the vast interior. A steamer was already ordered for the +Lake, and the Bishop, seeing the advantageous nature of the highlands +which stretch an immense way to the north, was more anxious to be +near the Lake and the Rovuma, than the Shire. When he decided to +settle at Magomero, it was thought desirable, to prevent the country +from being depopulated, to visit the Ajawa chief, and to try and +persuade him to give up his slaving and kidnapping courses, and turn +the energies of his people to peaceful pursuits. + +On the morning of the 22nd we were informed that the Ajawa were near, +and were burning a village a few miles off. Leaving the rescued +slaves, we moved off to seek an interview with these scourges of the +country. On our way we met crowds of Manganja fleeing from the war +in front. These poor fugitives from the slave hunt had, as usual, to +leave all the food they possessed, except the little they could carry +on their heads. We passed field after field of Indian corn or beans, +standing ripe for harvesting, but the owners were away. The villages +were all deserted: one where we breakfasted two years before, and +saw a number of men peacefully weaving cloth, and, among ourselves, +called it the "Paisley of the hills," was burnt; the stores of corn +were poured out in cartloads, and scattered all over the plain, and +all along the paths, neither conquerors nor conquered having been +able to convey it away. About two o'clock we saw the smoke of +burning villages, and heard triumphant shouts, mingled with the wail +of the Manganja women, lamenting over their slain. The Bishop then +engaged us in fervent prayer; and, on rising from our knees, we saw a +long line of Ajawa warriors, with their captives, coming round the +hill-side. The first of the returning conquerors were entering their +own village below, and we heard women welcoming them back with +"lillilooings." The Ajawa headman left the path on seeing us, and +stood on an anthill to obtain a complete view of our party. We +called out that we had come to have an interview with them, but some +of the Manganja who followed us shouted "Our Chibisa is come:" +Chibisa being well known as a great conjurer and general. The Ajawa +ran off yelling and screaming, "Nkondo! Nkondo!" (War! War!) We +heard the words of the Manganja, but they did not strike us at the +moment as neutralizing all our assertions of peace. The captives +threw down their loads on the path, and fled to the hills: and a +large body of armed men came running up from the village, and in a +few seconds they were all around us, though mostly concealed by the +projecting rocks and long grass. In vain we protested that we had +not come to fight, but to talk with them. They would not listen, +having, as we remembered afterwards, good reason, in the cry of "Our +Chibisa." Flushed with recent victory over three villages, and +confident of an easy triumph over a mere handful of men, they began +to shoot their poisoned arrows, sending them with great force upwards +of a hundred yards, and wounding one of our followers through the +arm. Our retiring slowly up the ascent from the village only made +them more eager to prevent our escape; and, in the belief that this +retreat was evidence of fear, they closed upon us in bloodthirsty +fury. Some came within fifty yards, dancing hideously; others having +quite surrounded us, and availing themselves of the rocks and long +grass hard by, were intent on cutting us off, while others made off +with their women and a large body of slaves. Four were armed with +muskets, and we were obliged in self-defence to return their fire and +drive them off. When they saw the range of rifles, they very soon +desisted, and ran away; but some shouted to us from the hills the +consoling intimation, that they would follow, and kill us where we +slept. Only two of the captives escaped to us, but probably most of +those made prisoners that day fled elsewhere in the confusion. We +returned to the village which we had left in the morning, after a +hungry, fatiguing, and most unpleasant day. + +Though we could not blame ourselves for the course we had followed, +we felt sorry for what had happened. It was the first time we had +ever been attacked by the natives or come into collision with them; +though we had always taken it for granted that we might be called +upon to act in self-defence, we were on this occasion less prepared +than usual, no game having been expected here. The men had only a +single round of cartridge each; their leader had no revolver, and the +rifle he usually fired with was left at the ship to save it from the +damp of the season. Had we known better the effect of slavery and +murder on the temper of these bloodthirsty marauders, we should have +tried messages and presents before going near them. + +The old chief, Chinsunse, came on a visit to us next day, and pressed +the Bishop to come and live with him. "Chigunda," he said, "is but a +child, and the Bishop ought to live with the father rather than with +the child." But the old man's object was so evidently to have the +Mission as a shield against the Ajawa, that his invitation was +declined. While begging us to drive away the marauders, that he +might live in peace, he adopted the stratagem of causing a number of +his men to rush into the village, in breathless haste, with the news +that the Ajawa were close upon us. And having been reminded that we +never fought, unless attacked, as we were the day before, and that we +had come among them for the purpose of promoting peace, and of +teaching them to worship the Supreme, to give up selling His +children, and to cultivate other objects for barter than each other, +he replied, in a huff, "Then I am dead already." + +The Bishop, feeling, as most Englishmen would, at the prospect of the +people now in his charge being swept off into slavery by hordes of +men-stealers, proposed to go at once to the rescue of the captive +Manganja, and drive the marauding Ajawa out of the country. All were +warmly in favour of this, save Dr. Livingstone, who opposed it on the +ground that it would be better for the Bishop to wait, and see the +effect of the check the slave-hunters had just experienced. The +Ajawa were evidently goaded on by Portuguese agents from Tette, and +there was no bond of union among the Manganja on which to work. It +was possible that the Ajawa might be persuaded to something better, +though, from having long been in the habit of slaving for the +Quillimane market, it was not very probable. But the Manganja could +easily be overcome piecemeal by any enemy; old feuds made them glad +to see calamities befall their next neighbours. We counselled them +to unite against the common enemies of their country, and added +distinctly that we English would on no account enter into their +quarrels. On the Bishop inquiring whether, in the event of the +Manganja again asking aid against the Ajawa, it would be his duty to +accede to their request,--"No," replied Dr. Livingstone, "you will be +oppressed by their importunities, but do not interfere in native +quarrels." This advice the good man honourably mentions in his +journal. We have been rather minute in relating what occurred during +the few days of our connection with the Mission of the English +Universities, on the hills, because, the recorded advice having been +discarded, blame was thrown on Dr. Livingstone's shoulders, as if the +missionaries had no individual responsibility for their subsequent +conduct. This, unquestionably, good Bishop Mackenzie had too much +manliness to have allowed. The connection of the members of the +Zambesi Expedition, with the acts of the Bishop's Mission, now +ceased, for we returned to the ship and prepared for our journey to +Lake Nyassa. We cheerfully, if necessary, will bear all +responsibility up to this point; and if the Bishop afterwards made +mistakes in certain collisions with the slavers, he had the votes of +all his party with him, and those who best knew the peculiar +circumstances, and the loving disposition of this good-hearted man, +will blame him least. In this position, and in these circumstances, +we left our friends at the Mission Station. + +As a temporary measure the Bishop decided to place his Mission +Station on a small promontory formed by the windings of the little, +clear stream of Magomero, which was so cold that the limbs were quite +benumbed by washing in it in the July mornings. The site chosen was +a pleasant spot to the eye, and completely surrounded by stately, +shady trees. It was expected to serve for a residence, till the +Bishop had acquired an accurate knowledge of the adjacent country, +and of the political relations of the people, and could select a +healthy and commanding situation, as a permanent centre of Christian +civilization. Everything promised fairly. The weather was +delightful, resembling the pleasantest part of an English summer; +provisions poured in very cheap and in great abundance. The Bishop, +with characteristic ardour, commenced learning the language, Mr. +Waller began building, and Mr. Scudamore improvised a sort of infant +school for the children, than which there is no better means for +acquiring an unwritten tongue. + +On the 6th of August, 1861, a few days after returning from Magomero, +Drs. Livingstone and Kirk, and Charles Livingstone started for Nyassa +with a light four-oared gig, a white sailor, and a score of +attendants. We hired people along the path to carry the boat past +the forty miles of the Murchison Cataracts for a cubit of cotton +cloth a day. This being deemed great wages, more than twice the men +required eagerly offered their services. The chief difficulty was in +limiting their numbers. Crowds followed us; and, had we not taken +down in the morning the names of the porters engaged, in the evening +claims would have been made by those who only helped during the last +ten minutes of the journey. The men of one village carried the boat +to the next, and all we had to do was to tell the headman that we +wanted fresh men in the morning. He saw us pay the first party, and +had his men ready at the time appointed, so there was no delay in +waiting for carriers. They often make a loud noise when carrying +heavy loads, but talking and bawling does not put them out of breath. +The country was rough and with little soil on it, but covered with +grass and open forest. A few small trees were cut down to clear a +path for our shouting assistants, who were good enough to consider +the boat as a certificate of peaceful intentions at least to them. +Several small streams were passed, the largest of which were the +Mukuru-Madse and Lesungwe. The inhabitants on both banks were now +civil and obliging. Our possession of a boat, and consequent power +of crossing independently of the canoes, helped to develop their good +manners, which were not apparent on our previous visit. + +There is often a surprising contrast between neighbouring villages. +One is well off and thriving, having good huts, plenty of food, and +native cloth; and its people are frank, trusty, generous, and eager +to sell provisions; while in the next the inhabitants may be ill- +housed, disobliging, suspicious, ill-fed, and scantily clad, and with +nothing for sale, though the land around is as fertile as that of +their wealthier neighbours. We followed the river for the most part +to avail ourselves of the still reaches for sailing; but a +comparatively smooth country lies further inland, over which a good +road could be made. Some of the five main cataracts are very grand, +the river falling 1200 feet in the 40 miles. After passing the last +of the cataracts, we launched our boat for good on the broad and deep +waters of the Upper Shire, and were virtually on the lake, for the +gentle current shows but little difference of level. The bed is +broad and deep, but the course is rather tortuous at first, and makes +a long bend to the east till it comes within five or six miles of the +base of Mount Zomba. The natives regarded the Upper Shire as a +prolongation of Lake Nyassa; for where what we called the river +approaches Lake Shirwa, a little north of the mountains, they said +that the hippopotami, "which are great night travellers," pass from +ONE LAKE INTO THE OTHER. There the land is flat, and only a short +land journey would be necessary. Seldom does the current here exceed +a knot an hour, while that of the Lower Shire is from two to two-and- +a-half knots. Our land party of Makololo accompanied us along the +right bank, and passed thousands of Manganja fugitives living in +temporary huts on that side, who had recently been driven from their +villages on the opposite hills by the Ajawa. + +The soil was dry and hard, and covered with mopane-trees; but some of +the Manganja were busy hoeing the ground and planting the little corn +they had brought with them. The effects of hunger were already +visible on those whose food had been seized or burned by the Ajawa +and Portuguese slave-traders. The spokesman or prime minister of one +of the chiefs, named Kalonjere, was a humpbacked dwarf, a fluent +speaker, who tried hard to make us go over and drive off the Ajawa; +but he could not deny that by selling people Kalonjere had invited +these slave-hunters to the country. This is the second humpbacked +dwarf we have found occupying the like important post, the other was +the prime minister of a Batonga chief on the Zambesi. + +As we sailed along, we disturbed many white-breasted cormorants; we +had seen the same species fishing between the cataracts. Here, with +many other wild-fowls, they find subsistence on the smooth water by +night, and sit sleepily on trees and in the reeds by day. Many +hippopotami were seen in the river, and one of them stretched its +wide jaws, as if to swallow the whole stern of the boat, close to Dr. +Kirk's back; the animal was so near that, in opening its mouth, it +lashed a quantity of water on to the stern-sheets, but did no damage. +To avoid large marauding parties of Ajawa, on the left bank of the +Shire, we continued on the right, or western side, with our land +party, along the shore of the small lake Pamalombe. This lakelet is +ten or twelve miles in length, and five or six broad. It is nearly +surrounded by a broad belt of papyrus, so dense that we could +scarcely find an opening to the shore. The plants, ten or twelve +feet high, grew so closely together that air was excluded, and so +much sulphuretted hydrogen gas evolved that by one night's exposure +the bottom of the boat was blackened. Myriads of mosquitoes showed, +as probably they always do, the presence of malaria. + +We hastened from this sickly spot, trying to take the attentions of +the mosquitoes as hints to seek more pleasant quarters on the healthy +shores of Lake Nyassa; and when we sailed into it, on the 2nd +September, we felt refreshed by the greater coolness of the air off +this large body of water. The depth was the first point of interest. +This is indicated by the colour of the water, which, on a belt along +the shore, varying from a quarter to half a mile in breadth, is light +green, and this is met by the deep blue or indigo tint of the Indian +Ocean, which is the colour of the great body of Nyassa. We found the +Upper Shire from nine to fifteen feet in depth; but skirting the +western side of the lake about a mile from the shore the water +deepened from nine to fifteen fathoms; then, as we rounded the grand +mountainous promontory, which we named Cape Maclear, after our +excellent friend the Astronomer Royal at the Cape of Good Hope, we +could get no bottom with our lead-line of thirty-five fathoms. We +pulled along the western shore, which was a succession of bays, and +found that where the bottom was sandy near the beach, and to a mile +out, the depth varied from six to fourteen fathoms. In a rocky bay +about latitude 11 degrees 40 minutes we had soundings at 100 fathoms, +though outside the same bay we found none with a fishing-line of 116 +fathoms; but this cast was unsatisfactory, as the line broke in +coming up. According to our present knowledge, a ship could anchor +only near the shore. + +Looking back to the southern end of Lake Nyassa, the arm from which +the Shire flows was found to be about thirty miles long and from ten +to twelve broad. Rounding Cape Maclear, and looking to the south- +west, we have another arm, which stretches some eighteen miles +southward, and is from six to twelve miles in breadth. These arms +give the southern end a forked appearance, and with the help of a +little imagination it may be likened to the "boot-shape" of Italy. +The narrowest part is about the ankle, eighteen or twenty miles. +From this it widens to the north, and in the upper third or fourth it +is fifty or sixty miles broad. The length is over 200 miles. The +direction in which it lies is as near as possible due north and +south. Nothing of the great bend to the west, shown in all the +previous maps, could be detected by either compass or chronometer, +and the watch we used was an excellent one. The season of the year +was very unfavourable. The "smokes" filled the air with an +impenetrable haze, and the equinoctial gales made it impossible for +us to cross to the eastern side. When we caught a glimpse of the sun +rising from behind the mountains to the east, we made sketches and +bearings of them at different latitudes, which enabled us to secure +approximate measurements of the width. These agreed with the times +taken by the natives at the different crossing-places--as Tsenga and +Molamba. About the beginning of the upper third the lake is crossed +by taking advantage of the island Chizumara, which name in the native +tongue means the "ending;" further north they go round the end +instead, though that takes several days. + +The lake appeared to be surrounded by mountains, but it was +afterwards found that these beautiful tree-covered heights were, on +the west, only the edges of high table-lands. Like all narrow seas +encircled by highlands, it is visited by sudden and tremendous +storms. We were on it in September and October, perhaps the +stormiest season of the year, and were repeatedly detained by gales. +At times, while sailing pleasantly over the blue water with a gentle +breeze, suddenly and without any warning was heard the sound of a +coming storm, roaring on with crowds of angry waves in its wake. We +were caught one morning with the sea breaking all around us, and, +unable either to advance or recede, anchored a mile from shore, in +seven fathoms. The furious surf on the beach would have shivered our +boat to atoms, had we tried to land. The waves most dreaded came +rolling on in threes, with their crests, driven into spray, streaming +behind them. A short lull followed each triple charge. Had one of +these seas struck our boat, nothing could have saved us; for they +came on with resistless force; seaward, in shore, and on either side +of us, they broke in foam, but we escaped. For six weary hours we +faced those terrible trios. A low, dark, detached, oddly shaped +cloud came slowly from the mountains, and hung for hours directly +over our heads. A flock of night-jars (Cometornis vexillarius), +which on no other occasion come out by day, soared above us in the +gale, like birds of evil omen. Our black crew became sea-sick and +unable to sit up or keep the boat's head to the sea. The natives and +our land party stood on the high cliffs looking at us and exclaiming, +as the waves seemed to swallow up the boat, "They are lost! they are +all dead!" When at last the gale moderated and we got safely ashore, +they saluted us warmly, as after a long absence. From this time we +trusted implicitly to the opinions of our seaman, John Neil, who, +having been a fisherman on the coast of Ireland, understood boating +on a stormy coast, and by his advice we often sat cowering on the +land for days together waiting for the surf to go down. He had never +seen such waves before. We had to beach the boat every night to save +her from being swamped at anchor; and, did we not believe the gales +to be peculiar to one season of the year, would call Nyassa the "Lake +of Storms." + +Distinct white marks on the rocks showed that, for some time during +the rainy season, the water of the lake is three feet above the point +to which it falls towards the close of the dry period of the year. +The rains begin here in November, and the permanent rise of the Shire +does not take place till January. The western side of Lake Nyassa, +with the exception of the great harbour to the west of Cape Maclear, +is, as has been said before, a succession of small bays of nearly +similar form, each having an open sandy beach and pebbly shore, and +being separated from its neighbour by a rocky headland, with detached +rocks extending some distance out to sea. The great south-western +bay referred to would form a magnificent harbour, the only really +good one we saw to the west. + +The land immediately adjacent to the lake is low and fertile, though +in some places marshy and tenanted by large flocks of ducks, geese, +herons, crowned cranes, and other birds. In the southern parts we +have sometimes ten or a dozen miles of rich plains, bordered by what +seem high ranges of well-wooded hills, running nearly parallel with +the lake. Northwards the mountains become loftier and present some +magnificent views, range towering beyond range, until the dim, lofty +outlines projected against the sky bound the prospect. Still further +north the plain becomes more narrow, until, near where we turned, it +disappears altogether, and the mountains rise abruptly out of the +lake, forming the north-east boundary of what was described to us as +an extensive table-land; well suited for pasturage and agriculture, +and now only partially occupied by a tribe of Zulus, who came from +the south some years ago. These people own large herds of cattle, +and are constantly increasing in numbers by annexing other tribes. + + + +CHAPTER X. + + + +The Lake tribes--The Mazitu--Quantities of elephants--Distressing +journey--Detention on the Shire. + +Never before in Africa have we seen anything like the dense +population on the shores of Lake Nyassa. In the southern part there +was an almost unbroken chain of villages. On the beach of wellnigh +of every little sandy bay, dark crowds were standing, gazing at the +novel sight of a boat under sail; and wherever we landed we were +surrounded in a few seconds by hundreds of men, women, and children, +who hastened to have a stare at the "chirombo" (wild animals). + +During a portion of the year, the northern dwellers on the lake have +a harvest which furnishes a singular sort of food. As we approached +our limit in that direction, clouds, as of smoke rising from miles of +burning grass, were observed bending in a south-easterly direction, +and we thought that the unseen land on the opposite side was closing +in, and that we were near the end of the lake. But next morning we +sailed through one of the clouds on our own side, and discovered that +it was neither smoke nor haze, but countless millions of minute +midges called "kungo" (a cloud or fog). They filled the air to an +immense height, and swarmed upon the water, too light to sink in it. +Eyes and mouth had to be kept closed while passing through this +living cloud: they struck upon the face like fine drifting snow. +Thousands lay in the boat when she emerged from the cloud of midges. +The people gather these minute insects by night, and boil them into +thick cakes, to be used as a relish--millions of midges in a cake. A +kungo cake, an inch thick, and as large as the blue bonnet of a +Scotch ploughman, was offered to us; it was very dark in colour, and +tasted not unlike caviare, or salted locusts. + +Abundance of excellent fish is found in the lake, and nearly all were +new to us. The mpasa, or sanjika, found by Dr. Kirk to be a kind of +carp, was running up the rivers to spawn, like our salmon at home: +the largest we saw was over two feet in length; it is a splendid +fish, and the best we have ever eaten in Africa. They were ascending +the rivers in August and September, and furnished active and +profitable employment to many fishermen, who did not mind their being +out of season. Weirs were constructed full of sluices, in each of +which was set a large basket-trap, through whose single tortuous +opening the fish once in has but small chance of escape. A short +distance below the weir, nets are stretched across from bank to bank, +so that it seemed a marvel how the most sagacious sanjika could get +up at all without being taken. Possibly a passage up the river is +found at night; but this is not the country of Sundays or "close +times" for either men or fish. The lake fish are caught chiefly in +nets, although men, and even women with babies on their backs, are +occasionally seen fishing from the rocks with hooks. + +A net with small meshes is used for catching the young fry of a +silvery kind like pickerel, when they are about two inches long; +thousands are often taken in a single haul. We had a present of a +large bucketful one day for dinner: they tasted as if they had been +cooked with a little quinine, probably from their gall-bladders being +left in. In deep water, some sorts are taken by lowering fish- +baskets attached by a long cord to a float, around which is often +tied a mass of grass or weeds, as an alluring shade for the deep-sea +fish. Fleets of fine canoes are engaged in the fisheries. The men +have long paddles, and stand erect while using them. They sometimes +venture out when a considerable sea is running. Our Makololo +acknowledge that, in handling canoes, the Lake men beat them; they +were unwilling to cross the Zambesi even, when the wind blew fresh. + +Though there are many crocodiles in the lake, and some of an +extraordinary size, the fishermen say that it is a rare thing for any +one to be carried off by these reptiles. When crocodiles can easily +obtain abundance of fish--their natural food--they seldom attack men; +but when unable to see to catch their prey, from the muddiness of the +water in floods, they are very dangerous. + +Many men and boys are employed in gathering the buaze, in preparing +the fibre, and in making it into long nets. The knot of the net is +different from ours, for they invariably use what sailors call the +reef knot, but they net with a needle like that we use. From the +amount of native cotton cloth worn in many of the southern villages, +it is evident that a great number of hands and heads must be employed +in the cultivation of cotton, and in the various slow processes +through which it has to pass, before the web is finished in the +native loom. In addition to this branch of industry, an extensive +manufacture of cloth, from the inner bark of an undescribed tree, of +the botanical group, Caesalpineae, is ever going on, from one end of +the lake to the other; and both toil and time are required to procure +the bark, and to prepare it by pounding and steeping it to render it +soft and pliable. The prodigious amount of the bark clothing worn +indicates the destruction of an immense number of trees every year; +yet the adjacent heights seem still well covered with timber. + +The Lake people are by no means handsome: the women are VERY plain; +and really make themselves hideous by the means they adopt to render +themselves attractive. The pelele, or ornament for the upper lip, is +universally worn by the ladies; the most valuable is of pure tin, +hammered into the shape of a small dish; some are made of white +quartz, and give the wearer the appearance of having an inch or more +of one of Price's patent candles thrust through the lip, and +projecting beyond the tip of the nose. + +In character, the Lake tribes are very much like other people; there +are decent men among them, while a good many are no better than they +should be. They are open-handed enough: if one of us, as was often +the case, went to see a net drawn, a fish was always offered. +Sailing one day past a number of men, who had just dragged their nets +ashore, at one of the fine fisheries at Pamalombe, we were hailed and +asked to stop, and received a liberal donation of beautiful fish. +Arriving late one afternoon at a small village on the lake, a number +of the inhabitants manned two canoes, took out their seine, dragged +it, and made us a present of the entire haul. The northern chief, +Marenga, a tall handsome man, with a fine aquiline nose, whom we +found living in his stockade in a forest about twenty miles north of +the mountain Kowirwe, behaved like a gentleman to us. His land +extended from Dambo to the north of Makuza hill. He was specially +generous, and gave us bountiful presents of food and beer. "Do they +wear such things in your country?" he asked, pointing to his iron +bracelet, which was studded with copper, and highly prized. The +Doctor said he had never seen such in his country, whereupon Marenga +instantly took it off, and presented it to him, and his wife also did +the same with hers. On our return south from the mountains near the +north end of the lake, we reached Marenga's on the 7th October. When +he could not prevail upon us to forego the advantage of a fair wind +for his invitation to "spend the whole day drinking his beer, which +was," he said, "quite ready," he loaded us with provisions, all of +which he sent for before we gave him any present. In allusion to the +boat's sail, his people said that they had no Bazimo, or none worth +having, seeing they had never invented the like for them. The chief, +Mankambira, likewise treated us with kindness; but wherever the +slave-trade is carried on, the people are dishonest and uncivil; that +invariably leaves a blight and a curse in its path. The first +question put to us at the lake crossing-places, was, "Have you come +to buy slaves?" On hearing that we were English, and never purchased +slaves, the questioners put on a supercilious air, and sometimes +refused to sell us food. This want of respect to us may have been +owing to the impressions conveyed to them by the Arabs, whose dhows +have sometimes been taken by English cruisers when engaged in lawful +trade. Much foreign cloth, beads, and brass-wire were worn by these +ferrymen--and some had muskets. + +By Chitanda, near one of the slave crossing-places, we were robbed +for the first time in Africa, and learned by experience that these +people, like more civilized nations, have expert thieves among them. +It might be only a coincidence; but we never suffered from impudence, +loss of property, or were endangered, unless among people familiar +with slaving. We had such a general sense of security, that never, +save when we suspected treachery, did we set a watch at night. Our +native companions had, on this occasion, been carousing on beer, and +had removed to a distance of some thirty yards, that we might not +overhear their free and easy after-dinner remarks, and two of us had +a slight touch of fever; between three and four o'clock in the +morning some thieves came, while we slept ingloriously--rifles and +revolvers all ready,--and relieved us of most of our goods. The +boat's sail, under which we slept, was open all around, so the feat +was easy. + +Awaking as honest men do, at the usual hour, the loss of one was +announced by "My bag is gone--with all my clothes; and my boots too!" +"And mine!" responded a second. "And mine also!" chimed in the +third, "with the bag of beads, and the rice!" "Is the cloth taken?" +was the eager inquiry, as that would have been equivalent to all our +money. It had been used for a pillow that night, and thus saved. +The rogues left on the beach, close to our beds, the Aneroid +Barometer and a pair of boots, thinking possibly that they might be +of use to us, or, at least, that they could be of none to them. They +shoved back some dried plants and fishes into one bag, but carried +off many other specimens we had collected; some of our notes also, +and nearly all our clothing. + +We could not suspect the people of the village near which we lay. We +had probably been followed for days by the thieves watching for an +opportunity. And our suspicions fell on some persons who had come +from the East Coast; but having no evidence, and expecting to hear if +our goods were exposed for sale in the vicinity, we made no fuss +about it, and began to make new clothing. That our rifles and +revolvers were left untouched was greatly to our advantage: yet we +felt it was most humiliating for armed men to have been so thoroughly +fleeced by a few black rascals. + +Some of the best fisheries appear to be private property. We found +shelter from a storm one morning in a spacious lagoon, which +communicated with the lake by a narrow passage. Across this strait +stakes were driven in, leaving only spaces for the basket fish-traps. +A score of men were busily engaged in taking out the fish. We tried +to purchase some, but they refused to sell. The fish did not belong +to them, they would send for the proprietor of the place. The +proprietor arrived in a short time, and readily sold what we wanted. + +Some of the burying-grounds are very well arranged, and well cared +for; this was noticed at Chitanda, and more particularly at a village +on the southern shore of the fine harbour at Cape Maclear. Wide and +neat paths were made in the burying-ground on its eastern and +southern sides. A grand old fig-tree stood at the north-east corner, +and its wide-spreading branches threw their kindly shade over the +last resting-place of the dead. Several other magnificent trees grew +around the hallowed spot. Mounds were raised as they are at home, +but all lay north and south, the heads apparently north. The graves +of the sexes were distinguished by the various implements which the +buried dead had used in their different employments during life; but +they were all broken, as if to be employed no more. A piece of +fishing-net and a broken paddle told where a fisherman lay. The +graves of the women had the wooden mortar, and the heavy pestle used +in pounding the corn, and the basket in which the meal is sifted, +while all had numerous broken calabashes and pots arranged around +them. The idea that the future life is like the present does not +appear to prevail; yet a banana-tree had been carefully planted at +the head of several of the graves; the fruit might be considered an +offering to those who still possess human tastes. The people of the +neighbouring villages were friendly and obliging, and willingly +brought us food for sale. + +Pursuing our exploration, we found that the northern part of the lake +was the abode of lawlessness and bloodshed. The Mazite, or Mazitu, +live on the highlands, and make sudden swoops on the villages of the +plains. They are Zulus who came originally from the south, inland of +Sofalla and Inhambane; and are of the same family as those who levy +annual tribute from the Portuguese on the Zambesi. All the villages +north of Mankambira's (lat. 11 degrees 44 minutes south) had been +recently destroyed by these terrible marauders, but they were foiled +in their attacks upon that chief and Marenga. The thickets and +stockades round their villages enabled the bowmen to pick off the +Mazitu in security, while they were afraid to venture near any place +where they could not use their shields. Beyond Mankambira's we saw +burned villages, and the putrid bodies of many who had fallen by +Mazitu spears only a few days before. Our land party were afraid to +go further. This reluctance to proceed without the presence of a +white man was very natural, because bands of the enemy who had +ravaged the country were supposed to be still roaming about; and if +these marauders saw none but men of their own colour, our party might +forthwith be attacked. Compliance with their request led to an event +which might have been attended by very serious consequences. Dr. +Livingstone got separated from the party in the boat for four days. +Having taken the first morning's journey along with them, and +directing the boat to call for him in a bay in sight, both parties +proceeded north. In an hour Dr. Livingstone and his party struck +inland, on approaching the foot of the mountains which rise abruptly +from the lake. Supposing that they had heard of a path behind the +high range which there forms the shore, those in the boat held on +their course; but it soon began to blow so fresh that they had to run +ashore for safety. While delayed a couple of hours, two men were +sent up the hills to look for the land party, but they could see +nothing of them, and the boat party sailed as soon as it was safe to +put to sea, with the conviction that the missing ones would regain +the lake in front. + +In a short time a small island or mass of rocks was passed, on which +were a number of armed Mazitu with some young women, apparently their +wives. The headman said that he had been wounded in the foot by +Mankambira, and that they were staying there till he could walk to +his chief, who lived over the hills. They had several large canoes, +and it was evident that this was a nest of lake pirates, who sallied +out by night to kill and plunder. They reported a path behind the +hills, and, the crew being reassured, the boat sailed on. A few +miles further, another and still larger band of pirates were fallen +in with, and hundreds of crows and kites hovered over and round the +rocks on which they lived. Dr. Kirk and Charles Livingstone, though +ordered in a voice of authority to come ashore, kept on their course. +A number of canoes then shot out from the rocks and chased them. One +with nine strong paddlers persevered for some time after all the +others gave up the chase. A good breeze, however, enabled the gig to +get away from them with ease. After sailing twelve or fifteen miles, +north of the point where Dr. Livingstone had left them, it was +decided that he must be behind; but no sooner had the boat's head +been turned south, than another gale compelled her to seek shelter in +a bay. Here a number of wretched fugitives from the slave-trade on +the opposite shore of the lake were found; the original inhabitants +of the place had all been swept off the year before by the Mazitu. +In the deserted gardens beautiful cotton was seen growing, much of it +had the staple an inch and a half long, and of very fine quality. +Some of the plants were uncommonly large, deserving to be ranked with +trees. + +On their trying to purchase food, the natives had nothing to sell +except a little dried cassava-root, and a few fish: and they +demanded two yards of calico for the head only of a large fish. When +the gale admitted of their return, their former pursuers tried to +draw them ashore by asserting that they had quantities of ivory for +sale. Owing to a succession of gales, it was the fourth day from +parting that the boat was found by Dr. Livingstone, who was coming on +in search of it with only two of his companions. + +After proceeding a short distance up the path in which they had been +lost sight of, they learned that it would take several days to go +round the mountains, and rejoin the lake; and they therefore turned +down to the bay, expecting to find the boat, but only saw it +disappearing away to the north. They pushed on as briskly as +possible after it, but the mountain flank which forms the coast +proved excessively tedious and fatiguing; travelling all day, the +distance made, in a straight line, was under five miles. As soon as +day dawned, the march was resumed; and, after hearing at the first +inhabited rock that their companions had passed it the day before, a +goat was slaughtered out of the four which they had with them, when +suddenly, to the evident consternation of the men, seven Mazitu +appeared armed with spears and shields, with their heads dressed +fantastically with feathers. To hold a parley, Dr. Livingstone and +Moloka, a Makololo man who spoke Zulu, went unarmed to meet them. On +Dr. Livingstone approaching them, they ordered him to stop, and sit +down in the sun, while they sat in the shade. No, no!" was the +reply, "if you sit in the shade, so will we." They then rattled +their shields with their clubs, a proceeding which usually inspires +terror; but Moloka remarked, "It is not the first time we have heard +shields rattled." And all sat down together. They asked for a +present, to show their chief that they had actually met strangers-- +something as evidence of having seen men who were not Arabs. And +they were requested in turn to take these strangers to the boat, or +to their chief. All the goods were in the boat, and to show that no +present such as they wanted was in his pockets, Dr. Livingstone +emptied them, turning out, among other things, a note-book: thinking +it was a pistol they started up, and said, "Put that in again." The +younger men then became boisterous, and demanded a goat. That could +not be spared, as they were the sole provisions. When they insisted, +they were asked how many of the party they had killed, that they thus +began to divide the spoil; this evidently made them ashamed. The +elders were more reasonable; they dreaded treachery, and were as much +afraid of Dr. Livingstone and his party as his men were of them; for +on leaving they sped away up the hills like frightened deer. One of +them, and probably the leader, was married, as seen by portions of +his hair sewn into a ring; all were observed by their teeth to be +people of the country, who had been incorporated into the Zulu tribe. + +The way still led over a succession of steep ridges with ravines of +from 500 to 1000 feet in depth; some of the sides had to be scaled on +hands and knees, and no sooner was the top reached than the descent +began again. Each ravine had a running stream; and the whole +country, though so very rugged, had all been cultivated, and densely +peopled. Many banana-trees, uncared for patches of corn, and Congo- +bean bushes attested former cultivation. The population had all been +swept away; ruined villages, broken utensils, and human skeletons, +met with at every turn, told a sad tale. So numerous were the slain, +that it was thought the inhabitants had been slaughtered in +consequence of having made raids on the Zulus for cattle. + +Continuing the journey that night as long as light served, they slept +unconsciously on the edge of a deep precipice, without fire, lest the +Mazitu should see it. Next morning most of the men were tired out, +the dread of the apparition of the day before tending probably to +increase the lameness of which they complained. When told, however, +that all might return to Mankambira's save two, Moloka and Charlie, +they would not, till assured that the act would not be considered one +of cowardice. Giving them one of the goats as provision, another was +slaughtered for the remainder of the party who, having found on the +rocks a canoe which had belonged to one of the deserted villages, +determined to put to sea again; but the craft was very small, and the +remaining goat, spite of many a threat of having its throat cut, +jumped and rolled about so, as nearly to capsize it; so Dr. +Livingstone took to the shore again, and after another night spent +without fire, except just for cooking, was delighted to see the boat +coming back. + +We pulled that day to Mankambira's, a distance that on shore, with +the most heartbreaking toil, had taken three days to travel. This +was the last latitude taken, 11 degrees 44 minutes S. The boat had +gone about 24 minutes further to the north, the land party probably +half that distance, but fever prevented the instruments being used. +Dr. Kirk and Charles Livingstone were therefore furthest up the lake, +and they saw about 20 minutes beyond their turning-point, say into +the tenth degree of south latitude. From the heights of at least a +thousand feet, over which the land party toiled, the dark mountain +masses on both sides of the lake were seen closing in. At this +elevation the view extended at least as far as that from the boats, +and it is believed the end of the lake lies on the southern borders +of 10 degrees, or the northern limits of 11 degrees south latitude. + +Elephants are numerous on the borders of the lake, and surprisingly +tame, being often found close to the villages. Hippopotami swarm +very much at their ease in the creeks and lagoons, and herds are +sometimes seen in the lake itself. Their tameness arises from the +fact that poisoned arrows have no effect on either elephant or +hippopotamus. Five of each were shot for food during our journey. +Two of the elephants were females, and had only a single tusk apiece, +and were each killed by the first shot. It is always a case of +famine or satiety when depending on the rifle for food--a glut of +meat or none at all. Most frequently it is scanty fare, except when +game is abundant, as it is far up the Zambesi. We had one morning +two hippopotami and an elephant, perhaps in all some eight tons of +meat, and two days after the last of a few sardines only for dinner. + +One morning when sailing past a pretty thickly-inhabited part, we +were surprised at seeing nine large bull-elephants standing near the +beach quietly flapping their gigantic ears. Glad of an opportunity +of getting some fresh meat, we landed and fired into one. They all +retreated into a marshy piece of ground between two villages. Our +men gave chase, and fired into the herd. Standing on a sand hummock, +we could see the bleeding animals throwing showers of water with +their trunks over their backs. The herd was soon driven back upon +us, and a wounded one turned to bay. Yet neither this one, nor any +of the others, ever attempted to charge. Having broken his legs with +a rifle-ball, we fired into him at forty yards as rapidly as we could +load and discharge the rifles. He simply shook his head at each +shot, and received at least sixty Enfield balls before he fell. Our +excellent sailor from the north of Ireland happened to fire the last, +and, as soon as he saw the animal fall, he turned with an air of +triumph to the Doctor and exclaimed, "It was MY shot that done it, +sir!" + +In a few minutes upwards of a thousand natives were round the +prostrate king of beasts; and, after our men had taken all they +wanted, an invitation was given to the villagers to take the +remainder. They rushed at it like hungry hyenas, and in an +incredibly short time every inch of it was carried off. It was only +by knowing that the meat would all be used that we felt justified in +the slaughter of this noble creature. The tusks weighed 62 lbs. +each. A large amount of ivory might be obtained from the people of +Nyassa, and we were frequently told of their having it in their huts. + +While detained by a storm on the 17th October at the mouth of the +Kaombe, we were visited by several men belonging to an Arab who had +been for fourteen years in the interior at Katanga's, south of +Cazembe's. They had just brought down ivory, malachite, copper +rings, and slaves to exchange for cloth at the lake. The malachite +was said to be dug out of a large vein on the side of a hill near +Katanga's. They knew Lake Tanganyika well, but had not heard of the +Zambesi. They spoke quite positively, saying that the water of Lake +Tanganyika flowed out by the opposite end to that of Nyassa. As they +had seen neither of the overflows, we took it simply as a piece of +Arab geography. We passed their establishment of long sheds next +day, and were satisfied that the Arabs must be driving a good trade. + +The Lake slave-trade was going on at a terrible rate. Two +enterprising Arabs had built a dhow, and were running her, crowded +with slaves, regularly across the Lake. We were told she sailed the +day before we reached their head-quarters. This establishment is in +the latitude of the Portuguese slave-exporting town of Iboe, and +partly supplies that vile market; but the greater number of the +slaves go to Kilwa. We did not see much evidence of a wish to +barter. Some ivory was offered for sale; but the chief traffic was +in human chattels. Would that we could give a comprehensive account +of the horrors of the slave-trade, with an approximation to the +number of lives it yearly destroys! for we feel sure that were even +half the truth told and recognized, the feelings of men would be so +thoroughly roused, that this devilish traffic in human flesh would be +put down at all risks; but neither we, nor any one else, have the +statistics necessary for a work of this kind. Let us state what we +do know of one portion of Africa, and then every reader who believes +our tale can apply the ratio of the known misery to find out the +unknown. We were informed by Colonel Rigby, late H.M. Political +Agent, and Consul at Zanzibar, that 19,000 slaves from this Nyassa +country alone pass annually through the Custom-house of that island. +This is exclusive of course of those sent to Portuguese slave-ports. +Let it not be supposed for an instant that this number, 19,000, +represents all the victims. Those taken out of the country are but a +very small section of the sufferers. We never realized the atrocious +nature of the traffic, until we saw it at the fountain-head. There +truly "Satan has his seat." Besides those actually captured, +thousands are killed and die of their wounds and famine, driven from +their villages by the slave raid proper. Thousands perish in +internecine war waged for slaves with their own clansmen and +neighbours, slain by the lust of gain, which is stimulated, be it +remembered always, by the slave purchasers of Cuba and elsewhere. +The many skeletons we have seen, amongst rocks and woods, by the +little pools, and along the paths of the wilderness, attest the awful +sacrifice of human life, which must be attributed, directly or +indirectly, to this trade of hell. We would ask our countrymen to +believe us when we say, as we conscientiously can, that it is our +deliberate opinion, from what we know and have seen, that not one- +fifth of the victims of the slave-trade ever become slaves. Taking +the Shire Valley as an average, we should say not even one-tenth +arrive at their destination. As the system, therefore, involves such +an awful waste of human life,--or shall we say of human labour?--and +moreover tends directly to perpetuate the barbarism of those who +remain in the country, the argument for the continuance of this +wasteful course because, forsooth, a fraction of the enslaved may +find good masters, seems of no great value. This reasoning, if not +the result of ignorance, may be of maudlin philanthropy. A small +armed steamer on Lake Nyassa could easily, by exercising a control, +and furnishing goods in exchange for ivory and other products, break +the neck of this infamous traffic in that quarter; for nearly all +must cross the Lake or the Upper Shire. + +Our exploration of the Lake extended from the 2nd September to the +27th October, 1861; and, having expended or lost most of the goods we +had brought, it was necessary to go back to the ship. When near the +southern end, on our return, we were told that a very large slave- +party had just crossed to the eastern side. We heard the fire of +three guns in the evening, and judged by the report that they must be +at least six-pounders. They were said to belong to an Ajawa chief +named Mukata. + +In descending the Shire, we found concealed in the broad belt of +papyrus round the lakelet Pamalombe, into which the river expands, a +number of Manganja families who had been driven from their homes by +the Ajawa raids. So thickly did the papyrus grow, that when beat +down it supported their small temporary huts, though when they walked +from one hut to another, it heaved and bent beneath their feet as +thin ice does at home. + +A dense and impenetrable forest of the papyrus was left standing +between them and the land, and no one passing by on the same side +would ever have suspected that human beings lived there. They came +to this spot from the south by means of their canoes, which enabled +them to obtain a living from the fine fish which abound in the +lakelet. They had a large quantity of excellent salt sewed up in +bark, some of which we bought, our own having run out. We anchored +for the night off their floating camp, and were visited by myriads of +mosquitoes. Some of the natives show a love of country quite +surprising. We saw fugitives on the mountains, in the north of the +lake, who were persisting in clinging to the haunts of their boyhood +and youth, in spite of starvation and the continual danger of being +put to death by the Mazitu. + +A few miles below the lakelet is the last of the great slave- +crossings. Since the Ajawa invasion the villages on the left bank +had been abandoned, and the people, as we saw in our ascent, were +living on the right or western bank. + +As we were resting for a few minutes opposite the valuable fishery at +Movunguti, a young effeminate-looking man from some sea-coast tribe +came in great state to have a look at us. He walked under a large +umbrella, and was followed by five handsome damsels gaily dressed and +adorned with a view to attract purchasers. One was carrying his pipe +for smoking bang, here called "chamba;" another his bow and arrows; a +third his battle-axe; a fourth one of his robes; while the last was +ready to take his umbrella when he felt tired. This show of his +merchandise was to excite the cupidity of any chief who had ivory, +and may be called the lawful way of carrying on the slave-trade. +What proportion it bears to the other ways in which we have seen this +traffic pursued, we never found means of forming a judgment. He sat +and looked at us for a few minutes, the young ladies kneeling behind +him; and having satisfied himself that we were not likely to be +customers, he departed. + +On our first trip we met, at the landing opposite this place, a +middle-aged woman of considerable intelligence, and possessing more +knowledge of the country than any of the men. Our first definite +information about Lake Nyassa was obtained from her. Seeing us +taking notes, she remarked that she had been to the sea, and had +there seen white men writing. She had seen camels also, probably +among the Arabs. She was the only Manganja woman we ever met who was +ashamed of wearing the "pelele," or lip-ring. She retired to her +hut, took it out, and kept her hand before her mouth to hide the +hideous hole in the lip while conversing with us. All the villagers +respected her, and even the headmen took a secondary place in her +presence. On inquiring for her now, we found that she was dead. We +never obtained sufficient materials to estimate the relative +mortality of the highlands and lowlands; but, from many very old +white-headed blacks having been seen on the highlands, we think it +probable that even native races are longer lived the higher their +dwelling-places are. + +We landed below at Mikena's and took observations for longitude, to +verify those taken two years before. The village was deserted, +Mikena and his people having fled to the other side of the river. A +few had come across this morning to work in their old gardens. After +completing the observations we had breakfast; and, as the last of the +things were being carried into the boat, a Manganja man came running +down to his canoe, crying out, "The Ajawa have just killed my +comrade!" We shoved off, and in two minutes the advanced guard of a +large marauding party were standing with their muskets on the spot +where we had taken breakfast. They were evidently surprised at +seeing us there, and halted; as did also the main body of perhaps a +thousand men. "Kill them," cried the Manganja; "they are going up to +the hills to kill the English," meaning the missionaries we had left +at Magomero. But having no prospect of friendly communication with +them, nor confidence in Manganja's testimony, we proceeded down the +river; leaving the Ajawa sitting under a large baobab, and the +Manganja cursing them most energetically across the river. + +On our way up, we had seen that the people of Zimika had taken refuge +on a long island in the Shire, where they had placed stores of grain +to prevent it falling into the hands of the Ajawa; supposing +afterwards that the invasion and war were past, they had removed back +again to the mainland on the east, and were living in fancied +security. On approaching the chief's village, which was built in the +midst of a beautiful grove of lofty wild-fig and palm trees, sounds +of revelry fell upon our ears. The people were having a merry time-- +drumming, dancing, and drinking beer--while a powerful enemy was +close at hand, bringing death or slavery to every one in the village. +One of our men called out to several who came to the bank to look at +us, that the Ajawa were coming and were even now at Mikena's village; +but they were dazed with drinking, and took no notice of the warning. + +Crowds of carriers offered their services after we left the river. +Several sets of them placed so much confidence in us, as to decline +receiving payment at the end of the first day; they wished to work +another day, and so receive both days' wages in one piece. The young +headman of a new village himself came on with his men. The march was +a pretty long one, and one of the men proposed to lay the burdens +down beside a hut a mile or more from the next village. The headman +scolded the fellow for his meanness in wishing to get rid of our +goods where we could not procure carriers, and made him carry them +on. The village, at the foot of the cataracts, had increased very +much in size and wealth since we passed it on our way up. A number +of large new huts had been built; and the people had a good stock of +cloth and beads. We could not account for this sudden prosperity, +until we saw some fine large canoes, instead of the two old, leaky +things which lay there before. This had become a crossing-place for +the slaves that the Portuguese agents were carrying to Tette, because +they were afraid to take them across nearer to where the ship lay, +about seven miles off. Nothing was more disheartening than this +conduct of the Manganja, in profiting by the entire breaking up of +their nation. + +We reached the ship on the 8th of November, 1861, in a very weak +condition, having suffered more from hunger than on any previous +trip. Heavy rains commenced on the 9th, and continued several days; +the river rose rapidly, and became highly discoloured. Bishop +Mackenzie came down to the ship on the 14th, with some of the +"Pioneer's" men, who had been at Magomero for the benefit of their +health, and also for the purpose of assisting the Mission. The +Bishop appeared to be in excellent spirits, and thought that the +future promised fair for peace and usefulness. The Ajawa having been +defeated and driven off while we were on the Lake, had sent word that +they desired to live at peace with the English. Many of the Manganja +had settled round Magomero, in order to be under the protection of +the Bishop; and it was hoped that the slave-trade would soon cease in +the highlands, and the people be left in the secure enjoyment of +their industry. The Mission, it was also anticipated, might soon +become, to a considerable degree, self-supporting, and raise certain +kinds of food, like the Portuguese of Senna and Quillimane. Mr. +Burrup, an energetic young man, had arrived at Chibisa's the day +before the Bishop, having come up the Shire in a canoe. A surgeon +and a lay brother followed behind in another canoe. The "Pioneer's" +draught being too much for the upper part of the Shire, it was not +deemed advisable to bring her up, on the next trip, further than the +Ruo; the Bishop, therefore, resolved to explore the country from +Magomero to the mouth of that river, and to meet the ship with his +sisters and Mrs. Burrup, in January. This was arranged before +parting, and then the good Bishop and Burrup, whom we were never to +meet again, left us; they gave and received three hearty English +cheers as they went to the shore, and we steamed off. + +The rains ceased on the 14th, and the waters of the Shire fell, even +more rapidly than they had risen. A shoal, twenty miles below +Chibisa's, checked our further progress, and we lay there five weary +weeks, till the permanent rise of the river took place. During this +detention, with a large marsh on each side, the first death occurred +in the Expedition which had now been three-and-a-half years in the +country. The carpenter's mate, a fine healthy young man, was seized +with fever. The usual remedies had no effect; he died suddenly while +we were at evening prayers, and was buried on shore. He came out in +the "Pioneer," and, with the exception of a slight touch of fever at +the mouth of the Rovuma, had enjoyed perfect health all the time he +had been with us. The Portuguese are of opinion that the European +who has immunity from this disease for any length of time after he +enters the country is more likely to be cut off by it when it does +come, than the man who has it frequently at first. + +The rains became pretty general towards the close of December, and +the Shire was in flood in the beginning of January, 1862. At our +wooding-place, a mile above the Ruo, the water was three feet higher +than it was when we were here in June; and on the night of the 6th it +rose eighteen inches more, and swept down an immense amount of +brushwood and logs which swarmed with beetles and the two kinds of +shells which are common all over the African continent. Natives in +canoes were busy spearing fish in the meadows and creeks, and +appeared to be taking them in great numbers. Spur-winged geese, and +others of the knob-nosed species, took advantage of the low gardens +being flooded, and came to pilfer the beans. As we passed the Ruo, +on the 7th, and saw nothing of the Bishop, we concluded that he had +heard from his surgeon of our detention, and had deferred his +journey. He arrived there five days after, on the 12th. + +After paying our Senna men, as they wished to go home, we landed them +here. All were keen traders, and had invested largely in native +iron-hoes, axes, and ornaments. Many of the hoes and spears had been +taken from the slaving parties whose captives we liberated; for on +these occasions our Senna friends were always uncommonly zealous and +active. The remainder had been purchased with the old clothes we had +given them and their store of hippopotamus meat: they had no fear of +losing them, or of being punished for aiding us. The system, in +which they had been trained, had eradicated the idea of personal +responsibility from their minds. The Portuguese slaveholders would +blame the English alone, they said; they were our servants at the +time. No white man on board could purchase so cheaply as these men +could. Many a time had their eloquence persuaded a native trader to +sell for a bit of dirty worn cloth things for which he had, but a +little before, refused twice the amount of clean new calico. +"Scissors" being troubled with a cough at night, received a present +of a quilted coverlet, which had seen a good deal of service. A few +days afterwards, a good chance of investing in hoes offering itself, +he ripped off both sides, tore them into a dozen pieces, and +purchased about a dozen hoes with them. + +We entered the Zambesi on the 11th of January, and steamed down +towards the coast, taking the side on which we had come up; but the +channel had changed to the other side during the summer, as it +sometimes does, and we soon grounded. A Portuguese gentleman, +formerly a lieutenant in the army, and now living on Sangwisa, one of +the islands of the Zambesi, came over with his slaves, to aid us in +getting the ship off. He said frankly, that his people were all +great thieves, and we must be on our guard not to leave anything +about. He next made a short speech to his men, told them he knew +what thieves they were, but implored them not to steal from us, as we +would give them a present of cloth when the work was done. "The +natives of this country," he remarked to us, "think only of three +things, what they shall eat and drink, how many wives they can have, +and what they may steal from their master, if not how they may murder +him." He always slept with a loaded musket by his side. This +opinion may apply to slaves, but decidedly does not in our experience +apply to freemen. We paid his men for helping us, and believe that +even they, being paid, stole nothing from us. Our friend farms +pretty extensively the large island called Sangwisa,--lent him for +nothing by Senhor Ferrao,--and raises large quantities of mapira and +beans, and also beautiful white rice, grown from seed brought a few +years ago from South Carolina. He furnished us with some, which was +very acceptable; for though not in absolute want, we were living on +beans, salt pork, and fowls, all the biscuit and flour on board +having been expended. + +We fully expected that the owners of the captives we had liberated +would show their displeasure, at least by their tongues; but they +seemed ashamed; only one ventured a remark, and he, in the course of +common conversation, said, with a smile, "You took the Governor's +slaves, didn't you?" "Yes, we did free several gangs that we met in +the Manganja country." The Portuguese of Tette, from the Governor +downwards, were extensively engaged in slaving. The trade is partly +internal and partly external: they send some of the captives, and +those bought, into the interior, up the Zambesi: some of these we +actually met on their way up the river. The young women were sold +there for ivory: an ordinary-looking one brought two arrobas, sixty- +four pounds weight, and an extra beauty brought twice that amount. +The men and boys were kept as carriers, to take the ivory down from +the interior to Tette, or were retained on farms on the Zambesi, +ready for export if a slaver should call: of this last mode of +slaving we were witnesses also. The slaves were sent down the river +chained, and in large canoes. This went on openly at Tette, and more +especially so while the French "Free Emigration" system was in full +operation. This double mode of disposing of the captives pays better +than the single system of sending them down to the coast for +exportation. One merchant at Tette, with whom we were well +acquainted, sent into the interior three hundred Manganja women to be +sold for ivory, and another sent a hundred and fifty. + + + +CHAPTER XI. + + + +Arrival of H.M.S. "Gorgon"--Dr. Livingstone's new steamer and Mrs. +Livingstone--Death of Mrs. Livingstone--Voyage to Johanna and the +Rovuma--An attack upon the "Pioneer's" boats. + +We anchored on the Great Luabo mouth of the Zambesi, because wood was +much more easily obtained there than at the Kongone. + +On the 30th, H.M.S. "Gorgon" arrived, towing the brig which brought +Mrs. Livingstone, some ladies about to join their relatives in the +Universities' Mission, and the twenty-four sections of a new iron +steamer intended for the navigation of Lake Nyassa. The "Pioneer" +steamed out, and towed the brig into the Kongone harbour. The new +steamer was called the "Lady of the Lake," or the "Lady Nyassa," and +as much as could be carried of her in one trip was placed, by the +help of the officers and men of the "Gorgon," on board the "Pioneer," +and the two large paddle-box boats of H.M.'s ship. We steamed off +for Ruo on the 10th of February, having on board Captain Wilson, with +a number of his officers and men to help us to discharge the cargo. +Our progress up was distressingly slow. The river was in flood, and +we had a three-knot current against us in many places. These delays +kept us six months in the delta, instead of, as we anticipated, only +six days; for, finding it impossible to carry the sections up to the +Ruo without great loss of time, it was thought best to land them at +Shupanga, and, putting the hull of the "Lady Nyassa" together there, +to tow her up to the foot of the Murchison Cataracts. + +A few days before the "Pioneer" reached Shupanga, Captain Wilson, +seeing the hopeless state of affairs, generously resolved to hasten +with the Mission ladies up to those who, we thought, were anxiously +awaiting their arrival, and therefore started in his gig for the Ruo, +taking Miss Mackenzie, Mrs. Burrup, and his surgeon, Dr. Ramsay. +They were accompanied by Dr. Kirk and Mr. Sewell, paymaster of the +"Gorgon," in the whale-boat of the "Lady Nyassa." As our slow-paced- +launch, "Ma Robert," had formerly gone up to the foot of the +cataracts in nine days' steaming, it was supposed that the boats +might easily reach the expected meeting-place at the Ruo in a week; +but the Shire was now in flood, and in its most rapid state; and they +were longer in getting up about half the distance, than it was hoped +they would be in the whole navigable part of the river. They could +hear nothing of the Bishop from the chief of the island, Malo, at the +mouth of the Ruo. "No white man had ever come to his village," he +said. They proceeded on to Chibisa's, suffering terribly from +mosquitoes at night. Their toil in stemming the rapid current made +them estimate the distance, by the windings, as nearer 300 than 200 +miles. The Makololo who had remained at Chibisa's told them the sad +news of the death of the good Bishop and of Mr. Burrup. Other +information received there awakened fresh anxiety on behalf of the +survivors; so, leaving the ladies with Dr. Ramsay and the Makololo, +Captain Wilson and Dr. Kirk went up the hills, in hopes of being able +to render assistance, and on the way they met some of the Mission +party at Soche's. The excessive fatigue that our friends had +undergone in the voyage up to Chibisa's in no wise deterred them from +this further attempt for the benefit of their countrymen, but the +fresh labour, with diminished rations, was too much for their +strength. They were reduced to a diet of native beans and an +occasional fowl. Both became very ill of fever, Captain Wilson so +dangerously that his fellow-sufferer lost all hopes of his recovery. +His strong able-bodied cockswain did good service in cheerfully +carrying his much-loved Commander, and they managed to return to the +boat, and brought the two bereaved and sorrow-stricken ladies back to +the "Pioneer." + +We learnt that the Bishop, wishing to find a shorter route down to +the Shire, had sent two men to explore the country between Magomero +and the junction of the Ruo; and in December Messrs. Proctor and +Scudamore, with a number of Manganja carriers, left Magomero for the +same purpose. They were to go close to Mount Choro, and then skirt +the Elephant Marsh, with Mount Clarendon on their left. Their guides +seem to have led them away to the east, instead of south; to the +upper waters of the Ruo in the Shirwa valley, instead of to its +mouth. Entering an Anguru slave-trading village, they soon began to +suspect that the people meant mischief, and just before sunset a +woman told some of their men that if they slept there they would all +be killed. On their preparing to leave, the Anguru followed them and +shot their arrows at the retreating party. Two of the carriers were +captured, and all the goods were taken by these robbers. An arrow- +head struck deep into the stock of Proctor's gun; and the two +missionaries, barely escaping with their lives, swam a deep river at +night, and returned to Magomero famished and exhausted. + +The wives of the captive carriers came to the Bishop day after day +weeping and imploring him to rescue their husbands from slavery. The +men had been caught while in his service, no one else could be +entreated; there was no public law nor any power superior to his own, +to which an appeal could be made; for in him Church and State were, +in the disorganized state of the country, virtually united. It +seemed to him to be clearly his duty to try and rescue these +kidnapped members of the Mission family. He accordingly invited the +veteran Makololo to go with him on this somewhat hazardous errand. +Nothing could have been proposed to them which they would have liked +better, and they went with alacrity to eat the sheep of the Anguru, +only regretting that the enemy did not keep cattle as well. Had the +matter been left entirely in their hands, they would have made a +clean sweep of that part of the country; but the Bishop restrained +them, and went in an open manner, thus commending the measure to all +the natives, as one of justice. This deliberation, however, gave the +delinquents a chance of escape. + +The missionaries were successful; the offending village was burned, +and a few sheep and goats were secured which could not be considered +other than a very mild punishment for the offence committed; the +headman, Muana-somba, afraid to retain the prisoners any longer, +forthwith liberated them, and they returned to their homes. This +incident took place at the time we were at the Ruo and during the +rains, and proved very trying to the health of the missionaries; they +were frequently wetted, and had hardly any food but roasted maize. +Mr. Scudamore was never well afterwards. Directly on their return to +Magomero, the Bishop and Mr. Burrup, both suffering from diarrhoea in +consequence of wet, hunger, and exposure, started for Chibisa's to go +down to the Ruo by the Shire. So fully did the Bishop expect a +renewal of the soaking wet from which he had just returned, that on +leaving Magomero he walked through the stream. The rivulets were so +swollen that it took five days to do a journey that would otherwise +have occupied only two days and a half. + +None of the Manganja being willing to take them down the river during +the flood, three Makololo canoe-men agreed to go with them. After +paddling till near sunset, they decided to stop and sleep on shore; +but the mosquitoes were so numerous that they insisted on going on +again; the Bishop, being a week behind the time he had engaged to be +at the Ruo, reluctantly consented, and in the darkness the canoe was +upset in one of the strong eddies or whirlpools, which suddenly boil +up in flood time near the outgoing branches of the river; clothing, +medicines, tea, coffee, and sugar were all lost. Wet and weary, and +tormented by mosquitoes, they lay in the canoe till morning dawned, +and then proceeded to Malo, an island at the mouth of the Ruo, where +the Bishop was at once seized with fever. + +Had they been in their usual health, they would doubtless have pushed +on to Shupanga, or to the ship; but fever rapidly prostrates the +energies, and induces a drowsy stupor, from which, if not roused by +medicine, the patient gradually sinks into the sleep of death. Still +mindful, however, of his office, the Bishop consoled himself by +thinking that he might gain the friendship of the chief, which would +be of essential service to him in his future labours. That heartless +man, however, probably suspicious of all foreigners from the +knowledge he had acquired of white slave-traders, wanted to turn the +dying Bishop out of the hut, as he required it for his corn, but +yielded to the expostulations of the Makololo. Day after day for +three weeks did these faithful fellows remain beside his mat on the +floor; till, without medicine or even proper food, he died. They dug +his grave on the edge of the deep dark forest where the natives +buried their dead. Mr. Burrup, himself far gone with dysentery, +staggered from the hut, and, as in the dusk of evening they committed +the Bishop's body to the grave, repeated from memory portions of our +beautiful service for the Burial of the Dead--"earth to earth, ashes +to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the resurrection +of the dead through our Lord Jesus Christ." And in this sad way +ended the earthly career of one, of whom it can safely be said that +for unselfish goodness of heart, and earnest devotion to the noble +work he had undertaken, none of the commendations of his friends can +exceed the reality. The grave in which his body rests is about a +hundred yards from the confluence of the Ruo, on the left bank of the +Shire, and opposite the island of Malo. The Makololo then took Mr. +Burrup up in the canoe as far as they could, and, making a litter of +branches, carried him themselves, or got others to carry him, all the +way back to his countrymen at Magomero. They hurried him on lest he +should die in their hands, and blame be attached to them. Soon after +his return he expired, from the disease which was on him when he +started to meet his wife. + +Captain Wilson arrived at Shupanga on the 11th of March, having been +three weeks on the Shire. On the 15th the "Pioneer" steamed down to +the Kongone. The "Gorgon" had been driven out to sea in a gale, and +had gone to Johanna for provisions, and it was the 2nd of April +before she returned. It was fortunate for us that she had obtained a +supply, as our provisions were exhausted, and we had to buy some from +the master of the brig. The "Gorgon" left for the Cape on the 4th, +taking all, except one, of the Mission party who had come in January. +We take this opportunity of expressing our heartfelt gratitude to the +gallant Captain I. C. Wilson and his officers for innumerable acts of +kindness and hearty co-operation. Our warmest thanks are also due to +Captain R. B. Oldfield and the other officers from the Admiral +downwards, and we beg to assure them that nothing could be more +encouraging to us in our difficulties and trials, than the knowledge +that we possessed their friendship and sympathy in our labours. + +The Rev. James Stewart, of the Free Church of Scotland, arrived in +the "Gorgon." He had wisely come out to inspect the country, before +deciding on the formation of a Mission in the interior. To this +object he devoted many months of earnest labour. This Mission was +intended to embrace both the industrial and the religious element; +and as the route by the Zambesi and Shire forms the only one at +present known, with but a couple of days' land journey to the +highlands, which stretch to an unknown distance into the continent, +and as no jealousy was likely to be excited in the mind of a man of +Bishop Mackenzie's enlarged views--there being moreover room for +hundreds of Missions--we gladly extended the little aid in our power +to an envoy from the energetic body above mentioned, but recommended +him to examine the field with his own eyes. + +During our subsequent detention at Shupanga, he proceeded as far up +the Shire as the Upper Cataracts, and saw the mere remnants of that +dense population, which we at first had found living in peace and +plenty, but which was now scattered and destroyed by famine and +slave-hunting. The land, which both before and after we found so +fair and fruitful, was burned up by a severe drought; in fact, it was +at its very worst. With most praiseworthy energy, and in spite of +occasional attacks of fever, he then ascended the Zambesi as far as +Kebrabasa; and, what may be of interest to some, compared it, in +parts, to the Danube. His estimate of the highlands would naturally +be lower than ours. The main drawbacks in his opinion, however, were +the slave-trade, and the power allowed the effete Portuguese of +shutting up the country from all except a few convicts of their own +nation. The time of his coming was inopportune; the disasters which, +from inexperience, had befallen the Mission of the Universities, had +a depressing effect on the minds of many at home, and rendered a new +attempt unadvisable; though, had the Scotch perseverance and energy +been introduced, it is highly probable that they would have reacted, +most beneficially, on the zeal of our English brethren, and desertion +would never have been heard of. After examining the country, Mr. +Stewart descended the Zambesi in the beginning of the following year, +and proceeded homewards with his report, by Mosambique and the Cape. + +On the 7th of April we had only one man fit for duty; all the rest +were down with fever, or with the vile spirit secretly sold to them +by the Portuguese officer of customs, in spite of our earnest request +to him to refrain from the pernicious traffic. + +We started on the 11th for Shupanga with another load of the "Lady +Nyassa." As we steamed up the delta, we observed many of the natives +wearing strips of palm-leaf, the signs of sickness and mourning; for +they too suffer from fever. This is the unhealthy season; the rains +are over, and the hot sun draws up malaria from the decayed +vegetation; disease seemed peculiarly severe this year. On our way +up we met Mr. Waller, who had come from Magomero for provisions; the +missionaries were suffering severely from want of food; the liberated +people were starving, and dying of diarrhoea, and loathsome sores. +The Ajawa, stimulated in their slave raids by supplies of ammunition +and cloth from the Portuguese, had destroyed the large crops of the +past year; a drought had followed, and little or no food could be +bought. With his usual energy, Mr. Waller hired canoes, loaded them +with stores, and took them up the long weary way to Chibisa's. +Before he arrived he was informed that the Mission of the +Universities, now deprived of its brave leader, had retired from the +highlands down to the Low Shire Valley. This appeared to us, who +knew the danger of leading a sedentary life, the greatest mistake +they could have made, and was the result of no other counsel or +responsibility than their own. Waller would have reascended at once +to the higher altitude, but various objections stood in the way. The +loss of poor Scudamore and Dickinson, in this low-lying situation, +but added to the regret that the highlands had not received a fair +trial. + +When the news of the Bishop's unfortunate collisions with the +natives, and of his untimely end, reached England, much blame was +imputed to him. The policy, which with the formal sanction of all +his companions he had adopted, being directly contrary to the advice +which Dr. Livingstone tendered, and to the assurances of the +peaceable nature of the Mission which the Doctor had given to the +natives, a friendly disapproval of a bishop's engaging in war was +ventured on, when we met him at Chibisa's in November. But when we +found his conduct regarded with so much bitterness in England, +whether from a disposition to "stand by the down man," or from having +an intimate knowledge of the peculiar circumstances of the country in +which he was placed, or from the thorough confidence which intimacy +caused us to repose in his genuine piety, and devout service of God, +we came to think much more leniently of his proceedings, than his +assailants did. He never seemed to doubt but that he had done his +duty; and throughout he had always been supported by his associates. + +The question whether a Bishop, in the event of his flock being torn +from his bosom, may make war to rescue them, requires serious +consideration. It seems to narrow itself into whether a Christian +man may lawfully use the civil power or the sword at all in defensive +war, as police or otherwise. We would do almost anything to avoid a +collision with degraded natives; but in case of an invasion--our +blood boils at the very thought of our wives, daughters, or sisters +being touched--we, as men with human feelings, would unhesitatingly +fight to the death, with all the fury in our power. + +The good Bishop was as intensely averse to using arms, before he met +the slave-hunters, as any man in England. In the course he pursued +he may have made a mistake, but it is a mistake which very few +Englishmen on meeting bands of helpless captives, or members of his +family in bonds, would have failed to commit likewise. + +During unhealthy April, the fever was more severe in Shupanga and +Mazaro than usual. We had several cases on board--they were quickly +cured, but, from our being in the delta, as quickly returned. About +the middle of the month Mrs. Livingstone was prostrated by this +disease; and it was accompanied by obstinate vomiting. Nothing is +yet known that can allay this distressing symptom, which of course +renders medicine of no avail, as it is instantly rejected. She +received whatever medical aid could be rendered from Dr. Kirk, but +became unconscious, and her eyes were closed in the sleep of death as +the sunset on the evening of the Christian Sabbath, the 27th April, +1862. A coffin was made during the night, a grave was dug next day +under the branches of the great baobab-tree, and with sympathizing +hearts the little band of his countrymen assisted the bereaved +husband in burying his dead. At his request, the Rev. James Stewart +read the burial-service; and the seamen kindly volunteered to mount +guard for some nights at the spot where her body rests in hope. +Those who are not aware how this brave, good, English wife made a +delightful home at Kolobeng, a thousand miles inland from the Cape, +and as the daughter of Moffat and a Christian lady exercised most +beneficial influence over the rude tribes of the interior, may wonder +that she should have braved the dangers and toils of this down- +trodden land. She knew them all, and, in the disinterested and +dutiful attempt to renew her labours, was called to her rest instead. +"Fiat, Domine, voluntas tua!" + +On the 5th of May Dr. Kirk and Charles Livingstone started in the +boat for Tette, in order to see the property of the Expedition +brought down in canoes. They took four Mazaro canoe-men to manage +the boat, and a white sailor to cook for them; but, unfortunately, he +caught fever the very day after leaving the ship, and was ill most of +the trip; so they had to cook for themselves, and to take care of him +besides. + +We now proceeded with preparations for the launch of the "Lady +Nyassa." Ground was levelled on the bank at Shupanga, for the +purpose of arranging the compartments in order: she was placed on +palm-trees which were brought from a place lower down the river for +ways, and the engineer and his assistants were soon busily engaged; +about a fortnight after they were all brought from Kongone, the +sections were screwed together. The blacks are more addicted to +stealing where slavery exists than elsewhere. We were annoyed by +thieves who carried off the iron screw-bolts, but were gratified to +find that strychnine saved us from the man-thief as well as the +hyena-thief. A hyena was killed by it, and after the natives saw the +dead animal and knew how we had destroyed it, they concluded that it +was not safe to steal from men who possessed a medicine so powerful. +The half-caste, who kept Shupanga-house, said he wished to have some +to give to the Zulus, of whom he was mortally afraid, and to whom he +had to pay an unwilling tribute. + +The "Pioneer" made several trips to the Kongone, and returned with +the last load on the 12th of June. On the 23rd the "Lady Nyassa" was +safely launched, the work of putting her together having been +interrupted by fever and dysentery, and many other causes which it +would only weary the reader to narrate in detail. Natives from all +parts of the country came to see the launch, most of them quite +certain that, being made of iron, she must go to the bottom as soon +as she entered the water. Earnest discussions had taken place among +them with regard to the propriety of using iron for ship-building. +The majority affirmed that it would never answer. They said, "If we +put a hoe into the water, or the smallest bit of iron, it sinks +immediately. How then can such a mass of iron float? it must go to +the bottom." The minority answered that this might be true with +them, but white men had medicine for everything. "They could even +make a woman, all except the speaking; look at that one on the +figure-head of the vessel." The unbelievers were astonished, and +could hardly believe their eyes, when they saw the ship float lightly +and gracefully on the river, instead of going to the bottom, as they +so confidently predicted. "Truly," they said, "these men have +powerful medicine." + +Birds are numerous on the Shupanga estate. Some kinds remain all the +year round, while many others are there only for a few months. +Flocks of green pigeons come in April to feed on the young fruit of +the wild fig-trees, which is also eaten by a large species of bat in +the evenings. The pretty little black weaver, with yellow shoulders, +appears to enjoy life intensely after assuming his wooing dress. A +hearty breakfast is eaten in the mornings and then come the hours for +making merry. A select party of three or four perch on the bushes +which skirt a small grassy plain, and cheer themselves with the music +of their own quiet and self-complacent song. A playful performance +on the wind succeeds. Expanding his soft velvet-like plumage, one +glides with quivering pinions to the centre of the open space, +singing as he flies, then turns with a rapid whirring sound from his +wings--somewhat like a child's rattle--and returns to his place +again. One by one the others perform the same feat, and continue the +sport for hours, striving which can produce the loudest brattle while +turning. These games are only played during the season of courting +and of the gay feathers; the merriment seems never to be thought of +while the bird wears his winter suit of sober brown. + +We received two mules from the Cape to aid us in transporting the +pieces of the "Lady Nyassa" past the cataracts and landed them at +Shupanga, but they soon perished. A Portuguese gentleman kindly +informed us, AFTER both the mules were dead, that he knew they would +die; for the land there had been often tried, and nothing would live +on it--not even a pig. He said he had not told us so before, because +he did not like to appear officious! + +By the time everything had been placed on board the "Lady Nyassa," +the waters of the Zambesi and the Shire had fallen so low that it was +useless to attempt taking her up to the cataracts before the rains in +December. Draught oxen and provisions also were required, and could +not be obtained nearer than the Island of Johanna. The Portuguese, +without refusing positively to let trade enter the Zambesi, threw +impediments in the way; they only wanted a small duty! They were +about to establish a river police, and rearrange the Crown lands, +which have long since become Zulu lands; meanwhile they were making +the Zambesi, by slaving, of no value to any one. + +The Rovuma, which was reported to come from Lake Nyassa, being out of +their claims and a free river, we determined to explore it in our +boats immediately on our return from Johanna, for which place, after +some delay at the Kongone, in repairing engines, paddle-wheel, and +rudder, we sailed on the 6th of August. A store of naval provisions +had been formed on a hulk in Pomone Bay of that island for the supply +of the cruisers, and was in charge of Mr. Sunley, the Consul, from +whom we always received the kindest attentions and assistance. He +now obliged us by parting with six oxen, trained for his own use in +sugar-making. Though sadly hampered in his undertaking by being +obliged to employ slave labour, he has by indomitable energy overcome +obstacles under which most persons would have sunk. He has done all +that under the circumstances could be done to infuse a desire for +freedom, by paying regular wages; and has established a large +factory, and brought 300 acres of rich soil under cultivation with +sugar-cane. We trust he will realize the fortune which he so well +deserves to earn. Had Mr. Sunley performed the same experiment on +the mainland, where people would have flocked to him for the wages he +now gives, he would certainly have inaugurated a new era on the East +Coast of Africa. On a small island where the slaveholders have +complete power over the slaves, and where there is no free soil such +as is everywhere met with in Africa, the experiment ought not to be +repeated. Were Mr. Sunley commencing again, it should neither be in +Zanzibar nor Johanna, but on African soil, where, if even a slave is +ill-treated, he can easily by flight become free. On an island under +native rule a joint manufacture by Arabs and Englishmen might only +mean that the latter were to escape the odium of flogging the slaves. + +On leaving Johanna and our oxen for a time, H.M.S. "Orestes" towed us +thence to the mouth of the Rovuma at the beginning of September. +Captain Gardner, her commander, and several of his officers, +accompanied us up the river for two days in the gig and cutter. The +water was unusually low, and it was rather dull work for a few hours +in the morning; but the scene became livelier and more animated when +the breeze began to blow. Our four boats they swept on under full +sail, the men on the look out in the gig and cutter calling, "Port, +sir!" "Starboard, sir!" "As you go, sir!" while the black men in +the bows of the others shouted the practical equivalents, "Pagombe! +Pagombe!" "Enda quete!" "Berane! Berane!" Presently the leading- +boat touches on a sandbank; down comes the fluttering sail; the men +jump out to shove her off, and the other boats, shunning the +obstruction, shoot on ahead to be brought up each in its turn by +mistaking a sandbank for the channel, which had often but a very +little depth of water. + +A drowsy herd of hippopotami were suddenly startled by a score of +rifle-shots, and stared in amazement at the strange objects which had +invaded their peaceful domains, until a few more bullets compelled +them to seek refuge at the bottom of the deep pool, near which they +had been quietly reposing. On our return, one of the herd +retaliated. He followed the boat, came up under it, and twice tried +to tear the bottom out of it; but fortunately it was too flat for his +jaws to get a good grip, so he merely damaged one of the planks with +his tusks, though he lifted the boat right up, with ten men and a ton +of ebony in it. + +We slept, one of the two nights Captain Gardner was with us, opposite +the lakelet Chidia, which is connected with the river in flood time, +and is nearly surrounded by hills some 500 or 600 feet high, dotted +over with trees. A few small groups of huts stood on the hill-sides, +with gardens off which the usual native produce had been reaped. The +people did not seem much alarmed by the presence of the large party +which had drawn up on the sandbanks below their dwellings. There is +abundance of large ebony in the neighbourhood. The pretty little +antelope (Cephalophus caeruleus), about the size of a hare, seemed to +abound, as many of their skins were offered for sale. Neat figured +date-leaf mats of various colours are woven here, the different dyes +being obtained from the barks of trees. Cattle could not live on the +banks of the Rovuma on account of the tsetse, which are found from +near the mouth, up as far as we could take the boats. The navigation +did not improve as we ascended; snags, brought down by the floods, +were common, and left in the channel on the sudden subsidence of the +water. In many places, where the river divided into two or three +channels, there was not water enough in any of them for a boat +drawing three feet, so we had to drag ours over the shoals; but we +saw the river at its very lowest, and it may be years before it is so +dried up again. + +The valley of the Rovuma, bounded on each side by a range of +highlands, is from two to four miles in width, and comes in a pretty +straight course from the W.S.W.; but the channel of the river is +winding, and now at its lowest zigzagged so perversely, that +frequently the boats had to pass over three miles to make one in a +straight line. With a full stream it must of course be much easier +work. Few natives were seen during the first week. Their villages +are concealed in the thick jungle on the hill-sides, for protection +from marauding slave-parties. Not much of interest was observed on +this part of the silent and shallow river. Though feeling convinced +that it was unfit for navigation, except for eight months of the +year, we pushed on, resolved to see if, further inland, the accounts +we had received from different naval officers of its great +capabilities would prove correct; or if, by communication with Lake +Nyassa, even the upper part could be turned to account. Our +exploration showed us that the greatest precaution is required in +those who visit new countries. + +The reports we received from gentlemen, who had entered the river and +were well qualified to judge, were that the Rovuma was infinitely +superior to the Zambesi, in the absence of any bar at its mouth, in +its greater volume of water, and in the beauty of the adjacent lands. +We probably came at a different season from that in which they +visited it, and our account ought to be taken with theirs to arrive +at the truth. It might be available as a highway for commerce during +three quarters of each year; but casual visitors, like ourselves and +others, are all ill able to decide. The absence of animal life was +remarkable. Occasionally we saw pairs of the stately jabirus, or +adjutant-looking marabouts, wading among the shoals, and spur-winged +geese, and other water-fowl, but there was scarcely a crocodile or a +hippopotamus to be seen. + +At the end of the first week, an old man called at our camp, and said +he would send a present from his village, which was up among the +hills. He appeared next morning with a number of his people, +bringing meal, cassava-root, and yams. The language differs +considerably from that on the Zambesi, but it is of the same family. +The people are Makonde, and are on friendly terms with the Mabiha, +and the Makoa, who live south of the Rovuma. When taking a walk up +the slopes of the north bank, we found a great variety of trees we +had seen nowhere else. Those usually met with far inland seem here +to approach the coast. African ebony, generally named mpingu, is +abundant within eight miles of the sea; it attains a larger size, and +has more of the interior black wood than usual. A good timber tree +called mosoko is also found; and we saw half-caste Arabs near the +coast cutting up a large log of it into planks. Before reaching the +top of the rise we were in a forest of bamboos. On the plateau +above, large patches were cleared and cultivated. A man invited us +to take a cup of beer; on our complying with his request, the fear +previously shown by the bystanders vanished. Our Mazaro men could +hardly understand what they said. Some of them waded in the river +and caught a curious fish in holes in the claybank. Its ventral fin +is peculiar, being unusually large, and of a circular shape, like +boys' playthings called "suckers." We were told that this fish is +found also in the Zambesi, and is called Chirire. Though all its +fins are large, it is asserted that it rarely ventures out into the +stream, but remains near its hole, where it is readily caught by the +hand. + +The Zambesi men thoroughly understood the characteristic marks of +deep or shallow water, and showed great skill in finding out the +proper channel. The Molimo is the steersman at the helm, the +Mokadamo is the head canoe-man, and he stands erect on the bows with +a long pole in his hands, and directs the steersman where to go, +aiding the rudder, if necessary, with his pole. The others preferred +to stand and punt our boat, rather than row with our long oars, being +able to shove her ahead faster than they could pull her. They are +accustomed to short paddles. Our Mokadamo was affected with moon- +blindness, and could not see at all at night. His comrades then led +him about, and handed him his food. They thought that it was only +because his eyes rested all night, that he could see the channel so +well by day. At difficult places the Mokadamo sometimes, however, +made mistakes, and ran us aground; and the others, evidently imbued +with the spirit of resistance to constituted authority, and led by +Joao an aspirant for the office, jeered him for his stupidity. "Was +he asleep? Why did he allow the boat to come there? Could he not +see the channel was somewhere else?" At last the Mokadamo threw down +the pole in disgust, and told Joao he might be a Mokadamo himself. +The office was accepted with alacrity; but in a few minutes he too +ran us into a worse difficulty than his predecessor ever did, and was +at once disrated amidst the derision of his comrades. + +On the 16th September, we arrived at the inhabited island of +Kichokomane. The usual way of approaching an unknown people is to +call out in a cheerful tone "Malonda!" Things for sale, or do you +want to sell anything? If we can obtain a man from the last village, +he is employed, though only useful in explaining to the next that we +come in a friendly way. The people here were shy of us at first, and +could not be induced to sell any food; until a woman, more +adventurous than the rest, sold us a fowl. This opened the market, +and crowds came with fowls and meal, far beyond our wants. The women +are as ugly as those on Lake Nyassa, for who can be handsome wearing +the pelele, or upper-lip ring, of large dimensions? We were once +surprised to see young men wearing the pelele, and were told that in +the tribe of the Mabiha, on the south bank, men as well as women wore +them. + +Along the left bank, above Kichokomane, is an exceedingly fertile +plain, nearly two miles broad, and studded with a number of deserted +villages. The inhabitants were living in temporary huts on low naked +sandbanks; and we found this to be the case as far as we went. They +leave most of their property and food behind, because they are not +afraid of these being stolen, but only fear being stolen themselves. +The great slave-route from Nyassa to Kilwa passes to N.E. from S.W., +just beyond them; and it is dangerous to remain in their villages at +this time of year, when the kidnappers are abroad. In one of the +temporary villages, we saw, in passing, two human heads lying on the +ground. We slept a couple of miles above this village. + +Before sunrise next morning, a large party armed with bows and arrows +and muskets came to the camp, two or three of them having a fowl +each, which we refused to purchase, having bought enough the day +before. They followed us all the morning, and after breakfast those +on the left bank swam across and joined the main party on the other +side. It was evidently their intention to attack us at a chosen +spot, where we had to pass close to a high bank, but their plan was +frustrated by a stiff breeze sweeping the boat past, before the +majority could get to the place. They disappeared then, but came out +again ahead of us, on a high wooded bank, walking rapidly to the +bend, near which we were obliged to sail. An arrow was shot at the +foremost boat; and seeing the force at the bend, we pushed out from +the side, as far as the shoal water would permit, and tried to bring +them to a parley, by declaring that we had not come to fight, but to +see the river. "Why did you fire a gun, a little while ago?" they +asked. "We shot a large puff-adder, to prevent it from killing men; +you may see it lying dead on the beach." With great courage, our +Mokadamo waded to within thirty yards of the bank, and spoke with +much earnestness, assuring them that we were a peaceable party, and +had not come for war, but to see the river. We were friends, and our +countrymen bought cotton and ivory, and wished to come and trade with +them. All we wanted was to go up quietly to look at the river, and +then return to the sea. While he was talking with those on the +shore, the old rogue, who appeared to be the ringleader, stole up the +bank, and with a dozen others, waded across to the island, near which +the boats lay, and came down behind us. Wild with excitement, they +rushed into the water, and danced in our rear, with drawn bows, +taking aim, and making various savage gesticulations. Their leader +urged them to get behind some snags, and then shoot at us. The party +on the bank in front had many muskets--and those of them, who had +bows, held them with arrows ready set in the bowstrings. They had a +mass of thick bush and trees behind them, into which they could in a +moment dart, after discharging their muskets and arrows, and be +completely hidden from our sight; a circumstance that always gives +people who use bows and arrows the greatest confidence. +Notwithstanding these demonstrations, we were exceedingly loath to +come to blows. We spent a full half-hour exposed at any moment to be +struck by a bullet or poisoned arrow. We explained that we were +better armed than they were, and had plenty of ammunition, the +suspected want of which often inspires them with courage, but that we +did not wish to shed the blood of the children of the same Great +Father with ourselves; that if we must fight, the guilt would be all +theirs. + +This being a common mode of expostulation among themselves, we so far +succeeded, that with great persuasion the leader and others laid down +their arms, and waded over from the bank to the boats to talk the +matter over. "This was their river; they did not allow white men to +use it. We must pay toll for leave to pass." It was somewhat +humiliating to do so, but it was pay or fight; and, rather than +fight, we submitted to the humiliation of paying for their +friendship, and gave them thirty yards of cloth. They pledged +themselves to be our friends ever afterwards, and said they would +have food cooked for us on our return. We then hoisted sail, and +proceeded, glad that the affair had been amicably settled. Those on +shore walked up to the bend above to look at the boat, as we +supposed; but the moment she was abreast of them, they gave us a +volley of musket-balls and poisoned arrows, without a word of +warning. Fortunately we were so near, that all the arrows passed +clear over us, but four musket-balls went through the sail just above +our heads. All our assailants bolted into the bushes and long grass +the instant after firing, save two, one of whom was about to +discharge a musket and the other an arrow, when arrested by the fire +of the second boat. Not one of them showed their faces again, till +we were a thousand yards away. A few shots were then fired over +their heads, to give them an idea of the range of our rifles, and +they all fled into the woods. Those on the sandbank rushed off too, +with the utmost speed; but as they had not shot at us, we did not +molest them, and they went off safely with their cloth. They +probably expected to kill one of our number, and in the confusion rob +the boats. It is only where the people are slavers that the natives +of this part of Africa are bloodthirsty. + +These people have a bad name in the country in front, even among +their own tribe. A slave-trading Arab we met above, thinking we were +then on our way down the river, advised us not to land at the +villages, but to stay in the boats, as the inhabitants were +treacherous, and attacked at once, without any warning or +provocation. Our experience of their conduct fully confirmed the +truth of what he said. There was no trade on the river where they +lived, but beyond that part there was a brisk canoe-trade in rice and +salt; those further in the interior cultivating rice, and sending it +down the river to be exchanged for salt, which is extracted from the +earth in certain places on the banks. Our assailants hardly +anticipated resistance, and told a neighbouring chief that, if they +had known who we were, they would not have attacked English, who can +"bite hard." They offered no molestations on our way down, though we +were an hour in passing their village. Our canoe-men plucked up +courage on finding that we had come off unhurt. One of them, named +Chiku, acknowledging that he had been terribly frightened, said. +"His fear was not the kind which makes a man jump overboard and run +away; but that which brings the heart up to the mouth, and renders +the man powerless, and no more able to fight than a woman." + +In the country of Chonga Michi, about 80 or 90 miles up the river, we +found decent people, though of the same tribe, who treated strangers +with civility. A body of Makoa had come from their own country in +the south, and settled here. The Makoa are known by a cicatrice in +the forehead shaped like the new moon with the horns turned +downwards. The tribe possesses all the country west of Mosambique; +and they will not allow any of the Portuguese to pass into their +country more than two hours' distance from the fort. A hill some ten +or twelve miles distant, called Pau, has been visited during the +present generation only by one Portuguese and one English officer, +and this visit was accomplished only by the influence of the private +friendship of a chief for this Portuguese gentleman. Our allies have +occupied the Fort of Mosambique for three hundred years, but in this, +as in all other cases, have no power further than they can see from a +gun-carriage. + +The Makoa chief, Matingula, was hospitable and communicative, telling +us all he knew of the river and country beyond. He had been once to +Iboe and once at Mosambique with slaves. Our men understood his +language easily. A useless musket he had bought at one of the above +places was offered us for a little cloth. Having received a present +of food from him, a railway rug was handed to him: he looked at it-- +had never seen cloth like that before--did not approve of it, and +would rather have cotton cloth. "But this will keep you warm at +night."--"Oh, I do not wish to be kept warm at night."--We gave him a +bit of cotton cloth, not one-third the value of the rug, but it was +more highly prized. His people refused to sell their fowls for our +splendid prints and drab cloths. They had probably been taken in +with gaudy-patterned sham prints before. They preferred a very +cheap, plain, blue stuff of which they had experience. A great +quantity of excellent honey is collected all along the river, by bark +hives being placed for the bees on the high trees on both banks. +Large pots of it, very good and clear, were offered in exchange for a +very little cloth. No wax was brought for sale; there being no +market for this commodity, it is probably thrown away as useless. + +At Michi we lose the tableland which, up to this point, bounds the +view on both sides of the river, as it were, with ranges of flat- +topped hills, 600 or 800 feet high; and to this plateau a level +fertile plain succeeds, on which stand detached granite hills. That +portion of the tableland on the right bank seems to bend away to the +south, still preserving the appearance of a hill range. The height +opposite extends a few miles further west, and then branches off in a +northerly direction. A few small pieces of coal were picked up on +the sandbanks, showing that this useful mineral exists on the Rovuma, +or on some of its tributaries: the natives know that it will burn. +At the lakelet Chidia, we noticed the same sandstone rock, with +fossil wood on it, which we have on the Zambesi, and knew to be a +sure evidence of coal beneath. We mentioned this at the time to +Captain Gardner, and our finding coal now seemed a verification of +what we then said; the coal-field probably extends from the Zambesi +to the Rovuma, if not beyond it. Some of the rocks lower down have +the permanent water-line three feet above the present height of the +water. + +A few miles west of the Makoa of Matingula, we came again among the +Makonde, but now of good repute. War and slavery have driven them to +seek refuge on the sand-banks. A venerable-looking old man hailed us +as we passed, and asked us if we were going by without speaking. We +landed, and he laid down his gun and came to us; he was accompanied +by his brother, who shook hands with every one in the boat, as he had +seen people do at Kilwa. "Then you have seen white men before?" we +said. "Yes," replied the polite African, "but never people of your +quality." These men were very black, and wore but little clothing. +A young woman, dressed in the highest style of Makonde fashion, +punting as dexterously as a man could, brought a canoe full of girls +to see us. She wore an ornamental head-dress of red beads tied to +her hair on one side of her head, a necklace of fine beads of various +colours, two bright figured brass bracelets on her left arm, and +scarcely a farthing's worth of cloth, though it was at its cheapest. + +As we pushed on westwards, we found that the river makes a little +southing, and some reaches were deeper than any near the sea; but +when we had ascended about 140 miles by the river's course from the +sea, soft tufa rocks began to appear; ten miles beyond, the river +became more narrow and rocky, and when, according to our measurement, +we had ascended 156 miles, our further progress was arrested. We +were rather less than two degrees in a straight line from the Coast. +The incidents worth noticing were but few: seven canoes with loads +of salt and rice kept company with us for some days, and the further +we went inland, the more civil the people became. + +When we came to a stand, just below the island of Nyamatolo, Long. 38 +degrees 36 minutes E., and Lat. 11 degrees 53 minutes, the river was +narrow, and full of rocks. Near the island there is a rocky rapid +with narrow passages fit only for native canoes; the fall is small, +and the banks quite low; but these rocks were an effectual barrier to +all further progress in boats. Previous reports represented the +navigable part of this river as extending to the distance of a +month's sail from its mouth; we found that, at the ordinary heights +of the water, a boat might reach the obstructions which seem peculiar +to all African rivers in six or eight days. The Rovuma is remarkable +for the high lands that flank it for some eighty miles from the +ocean. The cataracts of other rivers occur in mountains, those of +the Rovuma are found in a level part, with hills only in the +distance. Far away in the west and north we could see high blue +heights, probably of igneous origin from their forms, rising out of a +plain. + +The distance from Ngomano, a spot thirty miles further up, to the +Arab crossing-places of Lake Nyassa Tsenga or Kotakota was said to be +twelve days. The way we had discovered to Lake Nyassa by Murchison's +Cataracts had so much less land carriage, that we considered it best +to take our steamer thither, by the route in which we were well +known, instead of working where we were strangers; and accordingly we +made up our minds to return. + +The natives reported a worse place above our turning-point--the +passage being still narrower than this. An Arab, they said, once +built a boat above the rapids, and sent it down full of slaves; but +it was broken to pieces in these upper narrows. Many still +maintained that the Rovuma came from Nyassa, and that it is very +narrow as it issues out of the lake. One man declared that he had +seen it with his own eyes as it left the lake, and seemed displeased +at being cross-questioned, as if we doubted his veracity. + +More satisfactory information, as it appeared to us, was obtained +from others. Two days, or thirty miles, beyond where we turned back, +the Rovuma is joined by the Liende, which, coming from the south- +west, rises in the mountains on the east side of Nyassa. The great +slave route to Kilwa runs up the banks of this river, which is only +ankle-deep at the dry season of the year. The Rovuma itself comes +from the W.N.W., and after the traveller passes the confluence of the +Liende at Ngomano or "meeting-place," the chief of which part is +named Ndonde, he finds the river narrow, and the people Ajawa. + +Crocodiles in the Rovuma have a sorry time of it. Never before were +reptiles so persecuted and snubbed. They are hunted with spears, and +spring traps are set for them. If one of them enters an inviting +pool after fish, he soon finds a fence thrown round it, and a spring +trap set in the only path out of the enclosure. Their flesh is +eaten, and relished. The banks, on which the female lays her eggs by +night, are carefully searched by day, and all the eggs dug out and +devoured. The fish-hawk makes havoc among the few young ones that +escape their other enemies. Our men were constantly on the look-out +for crocodiles' nests. One was found containing thirty-five newly- +laid eggs, and they declared that the crocodile would lay as many +more the second night in another place. The eggs were a foot deep in +the sand on the top of a bank ten feet high. The animal digs a hole +with its foot, covers the eggs, and leaves them till the river rises +over the nest in about three months afterwards, when she comes back, +and assists the young ones out. We once saw opposite Tette young +crocodiles in December, swimming beside an island in company with an +old one. The yolk of the egg is nearly as white as the real white. +In taste they resemble hen's eggs with perhaps a smack of custard, +and would be as highly relished by whites as by blacks, were it not +for their unsavoury origin in men-eaters. + +Hunting the Senze (Aulacodus Swindernianus), an animal the size of a +large cat, but in shape more like a pig, was the chief business of +men and boys as we passed the reedy banks and low islands. They set +fire to a mass of reeds, and, armed with sticks, spears, bows and +arrows, stand in groups guarding the outlets through which the seared +Senze may run from the approaching flames. Dark dense volumes of +impenetrable smoke now roll over on the lee side of the islet, and +shroud the hunters. At times vast sheets of lurid flames bursting +forth, roaring, crackling and exploding, leap wildly far above the +tall reeds. Out rush the terrified animals, and amid the smoke are +seen the excited hunters dancing about with frantic gesticulations, +and hurling stick, spear, and arrow at their burned out victims. +Kites hover over the smoke, ready to pounce on the mantis and locusts +as they spring from the fire. Small crows and hundreds of swallows +are on eager wing, darting into the smoke and out again, seizing +fugitive flies. Scores of insects, in their haste to escape from the +fire, jump into the river, and the active fish enjoy a rare feast. + +We returned to the "Pioneer" on the 9th of October, having been away +one month. The ship's company had used distilled water, a condenser +having been sent out from England; and there had not been a single +case of sickness on board since we left, though there were so many +cases of fever the few days she lay in the same spot last year. Our +boat party drank the water of the river, and the three white sailors, +who had never been in an African river before, had some slight +attacks of fever. + + + +CHAPTER XII. + + + +Return to the Zambesi--Bishop Mackenzie's grave--Frightful scenes +with crocodiles--Death of Mr. Thornton--African poisons--Recall of +the Expedition. + +We put to sea on the 18th of October, and, again touching at Johanna, +obtained a crew of Johanna men and some oxen, and sailed for the +Zambesi; but our fuel failing before we reached it, and the wind +being contrary, we ran into Quillimane for wood. + +Quillimane must have been built solely for the sake of carrying on +the slave-trade, for no man in his senses would ever have dreamed of +placing a village on such a low, muddy, fever-haunted, and mosquito- +swarming site, had it not been for the facilities it afforded for +slaving. The bar may at springs and floods be easily crossed by +sailing-vessels, but, being far from the land, it is always dangerous +for boats. Slaves, under the name of "free emigrants," have gone by +thousands from Quillimane, during the last six years, to the ports a +little to the south, particularly to Massangano. Some excellent +brick-houses still stand in the place, and the owners are generous +and hospitable: among them our good friend, Colonel Nunez. His +disinterested kindness to us and to all our countrymen can never be +forgotten. He is a noble example of what energy and uprightness may +accomplish even here. He came out as a cabin-boy, and, without a +single friend to help him, he has persevered in an honourable course +until he is the richest man on the East Coast. When Dr. Livingstone +came down the Zambesi in 1856, Colonel Nunez was the chief of the +only four honourable, trustworthy men in the country. But while he +has risen a whole herd has sunk, making loud lamentations, through +puffs of cigar-smoke, over negro laziness; they might add, their own. + +All agricultural enterprise is virtually discouraged by Quillimane +Government. A man must purchase a permit from the Governor, when he +wishes to visit his country farm; and this tax, in a country where +labour is unpopular, causes the farms to be almost entirely left in +the hands of a head slave, who makes returns to his master as +interest or honesty prompts him. A passport must also be bought +whenever a man wishes to go up the river to Mazaro, Senna, or Tette, +or even to reside for a month at Quillimane. With a soil and a +climate well suited for the growth of the cane, abundance of slave +labour, and water communication to any market in the world, they have +never made their own sugar. All they use is imported from Bombay. +"The people of Quillimane have no enterprise," said a young European +Portuguese, "they do nothing, and are always wasting their time in +suffering, or in recovering from fever." + +We entered the Zambesi about the end of November and found it +unusually low, so we did not get up to Shupanga till the 19th of +December. The friends of our Mazaro men, who had now become good +sailors and very attentive servants, turned out and gave them a +hearty welcome back from the perils of the sea: they had begun to +fear that they would never return. We hired them at a sixteen-yard +piece of cloth a month--about ten shillings' worth, the Portuguese +market-price of the cloth being then sevenpence halfpenny a yard,-- +and paid them five pieces each, for four-and-a-half months' work. A +merchant at the same time paid other Mazaro men three pieces for +seven months, and they were with him in the interior. If the +merchants do not prosper, it is not because labour is dear, but +because it is scarce, and because they are so eager on every occasion +to sell the workmen out of the country. Our men had also received +quantities of good clothes from the sailors of the "Pioneer" and of +the "Orestes," and were now regarded by their neighbours and by +themselves as men of importance. Never before had they possessed so +much wealth: they believed that they might settle in life, being now +of sufficient standing to warrant their entering the married state; +and a wife and a hut were among their first investments. Sixteen +yards were paid to the wife's parents, and a hut cost four yards. We +should have liked to have kept them in the ship, for they were well- +behaved and had learned a great deal of the work required. Though +they would not themselves go again, they engaged others for us; and +brought twice as many as we could take, of their brothers and +cousins, who were eager to join the ship and go with us up the Shire, +or anywhere else. They all agreed to take half-pay until they too +had learned to work; and we found no scarcity of labour, though all +that could be exported is now out of the country. + +There had been a drought of unusual severity during the past season +in the country between Lupata and Kebrabasa, and it had extended +north-east to the Manganja highlands. All the Tette slaves, except a +very few household ones, had been driven away by hunger, and were now +far off in the woods, and wherever wild fruit, or the prospect of +obtaining anything whatever to keep the breath of life in them, was +to be found. Their masters were said never to expect to see them +again. There have been two years of great hunger at Tette since we +have been in the country, and a famine like the present prevailed in +1854, when thousands died of starvation. If men like the Cape +farmers owned this country, their energy and enterprise would soon +render the crops independent of rain. There being plenty of slope or +fall, the land could be easily irrigated from the Zambesi and its +tributary streams. A Portuguese colony can never prosper: it is +used as a penal settlement, and everything must be done military +fashion. "What do I care for this country?" said the most +enterprising of the Tette merchants, "all I want is to make money as +soon possible, and then go to Bombay and enjoy it." All business at +Tette was now suspended. Carriers could not be found to take the +goods into the interior, and the merchants could barely obtain food +for their own families. At Mazaro more rain had fallen, and a +tolerable crop followed. The people of Shupanga were collecting and +drying different wild fruits, nearly all of which are far from +palatable to a European taste. The root of a small creeper called +"bise" is dug up and eaten. In appearance it is not unlike the small +white sweet potato, and has a little of the flavour of our potato. +It would be very good, if it were only a little larger. From another +tuber, called "ulanga," very good starch can be made. A few miles +from Shupanga there is an abundance of large game, but the people +here, though fond enough of meat, are not a hunting race, and seldom +kill any. + +The Shire having risen, we steamed off on the 10th of January, 1863, +with the "Lady Nyassa" in tow. It was not long before we came upon +the ravages of the notorious Mariano. The survivors of a small +hamlet, at the foot of Morambala, were in a state of starvation, +having lost their food by one of his marauding parties. The women +were in the fields collecting insects, roots, wild fruits, and +whatever could be eaten, in order to drag on their lives, if +possible, till the next crop should be ripe. Two canoes passed us, +that had been robbed by Mariano's band of everything they had in +them; the owners were gathering palm-nuts for their subsistence. +They wore palm-leaf aprons, as the robbers had stripped them of their +clothing and ornaments. Dead bodies floated past us daily, and in +the mornings the paddles had to be cleared of corpses, caught by the +floats during the night. For scores of miles the entire population +of the valley was swept away by this scourge Mariano, who is again, +as he was before, the great Portuguese slave-agent. It made the +heart ache to see the widespread desolation; the river-banks, once so +populous, all silent; the villages burned down, and an oppressive +stillness reigning where formerly crowds of eager sellers appeared +with the various products of their industry. Here and there might be +seen on the bank a small dreary deserted shed, where had sat, day +after day, a starving fisherman, until the rising waters drove the +fish from their wonted haunts, and left him to die. Tingane had been +defeated; his people had been killed, kidnapped, and forced to flee +from their villages. There were a few wretched survivors in a +village above the Ruo; but the majority of the population was dead. +The sight and smell of dead bodies was everywhere. Many skeletons +lay beside the path, where in their weakness they had fallen and +expired. Ghastly living forms of boys and girls, with dull dead +eyes, were crouching beside some of the huts. A few more miserable +days of their terrible hunger, and they would be with the dead. + +Oppressed with the shocking scenes around, we visited the Bishop's +grave; and though it matters little where a good Christian's ashes +rest, yet it was with sadness that we thought over the hopes which +had clustered around him, as he left the classic grounds of +Cambridge, all now buried in this wild place. How it would have torn +his kindly heart to witness the sights we now were forced to see! + +In giving vent to the natural feelings of regret, that a man so +eminently endowed and learned, as was Bishop Mackenzie, should have +been so soon cut off, some have expressed an opinion that it was +wrong to use an instrument so valuable MERELY to convert the heathen. +If the attempt is to be made at all, it is "penny wise and pound +foolish" to employ any but the very best men, and those who are +specially educated for the work. An ordinary clergyman, however well +suited for a parish, will not, without special training, make a +Missionary; and as to their comparative usefulness, it is like that +of the man who builds an hospital, as compared with that of the +surgeon who in after years only administers for a time the remedies +which the founder had provided in perpetuity. Had the Bishop +succeeded in introducing Christianity, his converts might have been +few, but they would have formed a continuous roll for all time to +come. + +The Shire fell two feet, before we reached the shallow crossing where +we had formerly such difficulty, and we had now two ships to take up. +A hippopotamus was shot two miles above a bank on which the ship lay +a fortnight: it floated in three hours. As the boat was towing it +down, the crocodiles were attracted by the dead beast, and several +shots had to be fired to keep them off. The bullet had not entered +the brain of the animal, but driven a splinter of bone into it. A +little moisture with some gas issued from the wound, and this was all +that could tell the crocodiles down the stream of a dead +hippopotamus; and yet they came up from miles below. Their sense of +smell must be as acute as their hearing; both are quite +extraordinary. Dozens fed on the meat we left. Our Krooman, Jumbo, +used to assert that the crocodile never eats fresh meat, but always +keeps it till it is high and tender--and the stronger it smells the +better he likes it. There seems to be some truth in this. They can +swallow but small pieces at a time, and find it difficult to tear +fresh meat. In the act of swallowing, which is like that of a dog, +the head is raised out of the water. We tried to catch some, and one +was soon hooked; it required half-a-dozen hands to haul him up the +river, and the shark-hook straightened, and he got away. A large +iron hook was next made, but, as the creatures could not swallow it, +their jaws soon pressed it straight--and our crocodile-fishing was a +failure. As one might expect,--from the power even of a salmon--the +tug of a crocodile was terribly strong. + +The corpse of a boy floated past the ship; a monstrous crocodile +rushed at it with the speed of a greyhound, caught it and shook it, +as a terrier dog does a rat. Others dashed at the prey, each with +his powerful tail causing the water to churn and froth, as he +furiously tore off a piece. In a few seconds it was all gone. The +sight was frightful to behold. The Shire swarmed with crocodiles; we +counted sixty-seven of these repulsive reptiles on a single bank, but +they are not as fierce as they are in some rivers. "Crocodiles," +says Captain Tuckey, "are so plentiful in the Congo, near the rapids, +and so frequently carry off the women, who at daylight go down to the +river for water, that, while they are filling their calabashes, one +of the party is usually employed in throwing large stones into the +water outside." Here, either a calabash on a long pole is used in +drawing water, or a fence is planted. The natives eat the crocodile, +but to us the idea of tasting the musky-scented, fishy-looking flesh +carried the idea of cannibalism. Humboldt remarks, that in South +America the alligators of some rivers are more dangerous than in +others. Alligators differ from crocodiles in the fourth or canine +tooth going into a hole or socket in the upper jaw, while in the +crocodile it fits into a notch. The forefoot of the crocodile has +five toes not webbed, the hindfoot has four toes which are webbed; in +the alligator the web is altogether wanting. They are so much alike +that they would no doubt breed together. + +One of the crocodiles which was shot had a piece snapped off the end +of his tail, another had lost a forefoot in fighting; we saw actual +leeches between the teeth, such as are mentioned by Herodotus, but we +never witnessed the plover picking them out. Their greater +fierceness in one part of the country than another is doubtless owing +to a scarcity of fish; in fact, Captain Tuckey says, of that part of +the Congo, mentioned above, "There are no fish here but catfish," and +we found that the lake crocodiles, living in clear water, and with +plenty of fish, scarcely ever attacked man. The Shire teems with +fish of many different kinds. The only time, as already remarked, +when its crocodiles are particularly to be dreaded, is when the river +is in flood. Then the fish are driven from their usual haunts, and +no game comes down to the river to drink, water being abundant in +pools inland. Hunger now impels the crocodile to lie in wait for the +women who come to draw water, and on the Zambesi numbers are carried +off every year. The danger is not so great at other seasons; though +it is never safe to bathe, or to stoop to drink, where one cannot see +the bottom, especially in the evening. One of the Makololo ran down +in the dusk of the river; and, as he was busy tossing the water to +his mouth with his hand, in the manner peculiar to the natives, a +crocodile rose suddenly from the bottom, and caught him by the hand. +The limb of a tree was fortunately within reach, and he had presence +of mind to lay hold of it. Both tugged and pulled; the crocodile for +his dinner, and the man for dear life. For a time it appeared +doubtful whether a dinner or a life was to be sacrificed; but the man +held on, and the monster let the hand go, leaving the deep marks of +his ugly teeth in it. + +During our detention, in expectation of the permanent rise of the +river in March, Dr. Kirk and Mr. C. Livingstone collected numbers of +the wading-birds of the marshes--and made pleasant additions to our +salted provisions, in geese, ducks, and hippopotamus flesh. One of +the comb or knob-nosed geese, on being strangled in order to have its +skin preserved without injury, continued to breathe audibly by the +broken humerus, or wing-bone, and other means had to be adopted to +put it out of pain. This was as if a man on the gallows were to +continue to breathe by a broken armbone, and afforded us an +illustration of the fact, that in birds, the vital air penetrates +every part of the interior of their bodies. The breath passes +through and round about the lungs--bathes the surfaces of the +viscera, and enters the cavities of the bones; it even penetrates +into some spaces between the muscles of the neck--and thus not only +is the most perfect oxygenation of the blood secured, but, the +temperature of the blood being very high, the air in every part is +rarefied, and the great lightness and vigour provided for, that the +habits of birds require. Several birds were found by Dr. Kirk to +have marrow in the tibiae, though these bones are generally described +as hollow. + +During the period of our detention on the shallow part of the river +in March, Mr. Thornton came up to us from Shupanga: he had, as +before narrated, left the Expedition in 1859, and joined Baron van +der Decken, in the journey to Kilimanjaro, when, by an ascent of the +mountain to the height of 8000 feet, it was first proved to be +covered with perpetual snow, and the previous information respecting +it, given by the Church of England Missionaries, Krapf and Rebman, +confirmed. It is now well known that the Baron subsequently ascended +the Kilimanjaro to 14,000 feet, and ascertained its highest peak to +be at least 20,000 feet above the sea. Mr. Thornton made the map of +the first journey, at Shupanga, from materials collected when with +the Baron; and when that work was accomplished, followed us. He was +then directed to examine geologically the Cataract district, but not +to expose himself to contact with the Ajawa until the feelings of +that tribe should be ascertained. + +The members of Bishop Mackenzie's party, on the loss of their head, +fell back from Magomero on the highlands, to Chibisa's, in the low- +lying Shire Valley; and Thornton, finding them suffering from want of +animal food, kindly volunteered to go across thence to Tette, and +bring a supply of goats and sheep. We were not aware of this step, +to which the generosity of his nature prompted him, till two days +after he had started. In addition to securing supplies for the +Universities' Mission, he brought some for the Expedition, and took +bearings, by which he hoped to connect his former work at Tette with +the mountains in the Shire district. The toil of this journey was +too much for his strength, as with the addition of great scarcity of +water, it had been for that of Dr. Kirk and Rae, and he returned in a +sadly haggard and exhausted condition; diarrhoea supervened, and that +ended in dysentery and fever, which terminated fatally on the 21st of +April, 1863. He received the unremitting attentions of Dr. Kirk, and +Dr. Meller, surgeon of the "Pioneer," during the fortnight of his +illness; and as he had suffered very little from fever, or any other +disease, in Africa, we had entertained strong hopes that his youth +and unimpaired constitution would have carried him through. During +the night of the 20th his mind wandered so much, that we could not +ascertain his last wishes; and on the morning of the 21st, to our +great sorrow, he died. He was buried on the 22nd, near a large tree +on the right bank of the Shire, about five hundred yards from the +lowest of the Murchison Cataracts--and close to a rivulet, at which +the "Lady Nyassa" and "Pioneer" lay. + +No words can convey an adequate idea of the scene of widespread +desolation which the once pleasant Shire Valley now presented. +Instead of smiling villages and crowds of people coming with things +for sale, scarcely a soul was to be seen; and, when by chance one +lighted on a native, his frame bore the impress of hunger, and his +countenance the look of a cringing broken-spiritedness. A drought +had visited the land after the slave-hunting panic swept over it. +Had it been possible to conceive the thorough depopulation which had +ensued, we should have avoided coming up the river. Large masses of +the people had fled down to the Shire, only anxious to get the river +between them and their enemies. Most of the food had been left +behind; and famine and starvation had cut off so many, that the +remainder were too few to bury the dead. The corpses we saw floating +down the river were only a remnant of those that had perished, whom +their friends, from weakness, could not bury, nor over-gorged +crocodiles devour. It is true that famine caused a great portion of +this waste of human life: but the slave-trade must be deemed the +chief agent in the ruin, because, as we were informed, in former +droughts all the people flocked from the hills down to the marshes, +which are capable of yielding crops of maize in less than three +months, at any time of the year, and now they were afraid to do so. +A few, encouraged by the Mission in the attempt to cultivate, had +their little patches robbed as successive swarms of fugitives came +from the hills. Who can blame these outcasts from house and home for +stealing to save their wretched lives, or wonder that the owners +protected the little all, on which their own lives depended, with +club and spear? We were informed by Mr. Waller of the dreadful +blight which had befallen the once smiling Shire Valley. His words, +though strong, failed to impress us with the reality. In fact, they +were received, as some may accept our own, as tinged with +exaggeration; but when our eyes beheld the last mere driblets of this +cup of woe, we for the first time felt that the enormous wrongs +inflicted on our fellow-men by slaving are beyond exaggeration. + +Wherever we took a walk, human skeletons were seen in every +direction, and it was painfully interesting to observe the different +postures in which the poor wretches had breathed their last. A whole +heap had been thrown down a slope behind a village, where the +fugitives often crossed the river from the east; and in one hut of +the same village no fewer than twenty drums had been collected, +probably the ferryman's fees. Many had ended their misery under +shady trees--others under projecting crags in the hills--while others +lay in their huts, with closed doors, which when opened disclosed the +mouldering corpse with the poor rags round the loins--the skull +fallen off the pillow--the little skeleton of the child, that had +perished first, rolled up in a mat between two large skeletons. The +sight of this desert, but eighteen months ago a well peopled valley, +now literally strewn with human bones, forced the conviction upon us, +that the destruction of human life in the middle passage, however +great, constitutes but a small portion of the waste, and made us feel +that unless the slave-trade--that monster iniquity, which has so long +brooded over Africa--is put down, lawful commerce cannot be +established. + +We believed that, if it were possible to get a steamer upon the Lake, +we could by her means put a check on the slavers from the East Coast; +and aid more effectually still in the suppression of the slave-trade, +by introducing, by way of the Rovuma, a lawful traffic in ivory. We +therefore unscrewed the "Lady Nyassa" at a rivulet about five hundred +yards below the first cataract, and began to make a road over the +thirty-five or forty miles of land portage, by which to carry her up +piecemeal. After mature consideration, we could not imagine a more +noble work of benevolence, than thus to introduce light and liberty +into a quarter of this fair earth, which human lust has converted +into the nearest possible resemblance of what we conceive the +infernal regions to be--and we sacrificed much of our private +resources as an offering for the promotion of so good a cause. + +The chief part of the labour of road-making consisted in cutting down +trees and removing stones. The country being covered with open +forest, a small tree had to be cut about every fifty or sixty yards. +The land near the river was so very much intersected by ravines, that +search had to be made, a mile from its banks, for more level ground. +Experienced Hottentot drivers would have taken Cape wagons without +any other trouble than that of occasionally cutting down a tree. No +tsetse infested this district, and the cattle brought from Johanna +flourished on the abundant pasture. The first half-mile of road led +up, by a gradual slope, to an altitude of two hundred feet above the +ship, and a sensible difference of climate was felt even there. For +the remainder of the distance the height increased,--till, at the +uppermost cataract, we were more than 1200 feet above the sea. The +country here, having recovered from the effects of the drought, was +bright with young green woodland, and mountains of the same +refreshing hue. But the absence of the crowds, which had attended us +as we carried up the boat, when the women followed us for miles with +fine meal, vegetables, and fat fowls for sale, and the boys were ever +ready for a little job--and the oppressive stillness bore heavily on +our spirits. The Portuguese of Tette had very effectually removed +our labourers. Not an ounce of fresh provisions could be obtained, +except what could be shot, and even the food for our native crew had +to be brought one hundred and fifty miles from the Zambesi. + +The diet of salt provisions and preserved meats without vegetables, +with the depression of spirits caused by seeing how effectually a few +wretched convicts, aided by the connivance of officials, of whom +better might have been hoped, could counteract our best efforts, and +turn intended good to certain evil, brought on attacks of dysentery, +which went the round of the Expedition--and, Dr. Kirk and Charles +Livingstone having suffered most severely, it was deemed advisable +that they should go home. This measure was necessary, though much to +the regret of all--for having done so much, they were naturally +anxious to be present, when, by the establishing ourselves on the +Lake, all our efforts should be crowned with success. After it had +been decided that these two officers, and all the whites who could be +spared, should be sent down to the sea for a passage to England, Dr. +Livingstone was seized in May with a severe attack of dysentery, +which continued for a month, and reduced him to a shadow. Dr. Kirk +kindly remained in attendance till the worst was passed. The parting +took place on the 19th of May. + +After a few miles of road were completed, and the oxen broken in, we +resolved to try and render ourselves independent of the south for +fresh provisions, by going in a boat up the Shire, above the +Cataracts, to the tribes at the foot of Lake Nyassa, who were still +untouched by the Ajawa invasion. In furtherance of this plan Dr. +Livingstone and Mr. Rae determined to walk up to examine, and, if +need be, mend the boat which had been left two seasons previously +hung up to the limb of a large shady tree, before attempting to carry +another past the Cataracts. The "Pioneer," which was to be left in +charge of our active and most trustworthy gunner, Mr. Edward D. +Young, R.N., was thoroughly roofed over with euphorbia branches and +grass, so as completely to protect her decks from the sun: she also +received daily a due amount of man-of-war scrubbing and washing; and, +besides having everything put in shipshape fashion, was every evening +swung out into the middle of the river, for the sake of the greater +amount of air which circulated there. In addition to their daily +routine work of the ship, the three stokers, one sailor, and one +carpenter--now our complement--were encouraged to hunt for guinea- +fowl, which in June, when the water inland is dried up, come in large +flocks to the river's banks, and roost on the trees at night. +Everything that can be done to keep mind and body employed tends to +prevent fever. + +While we were employed in these operations, some of the poor starved +people about had been in the habit of crossing the river, and reaping +the self-sown mapira, in the old gardens of their countrymen. In the +afternoon of the 9th, a canoe came floating down empty, and shortly +after a woman was seen swimming near the other side, which was about +two hundred yards distant from us. Our native crew manned the boat, +and rescued her; when brought on board, she was found to have an +arrow-head, eight or ten inches long, in her back, below the ribs, +and slanting up through the diaphragm and left lung, towards the +heart--she had been shot from behind when stooping. Air was coming +out of the wound, and, there being but an inch of the barbed arrow- +head visible, it was thought better not to run the risk of her dying +under the operation necessary for its removal; so we carried her up +to her own hut. One of her relatives was less scrupulous, for he cut +out the arrow and part of the lung. Mr. Young sent her occasionally +portions of native corn, and strange to say found that she not only +became well, but stout. The constitution of these people seems to +have a wonderful power of self-repair--and it could be no slight +privation which had cut off the many thousands that we saw dead +around us. + +We regretted that, in consequence of Dr. Meller having now sole +medical charge, we could not have his company in our projected trip; +but he found employment in botany and natural history, after the +annual sickly season of March, April, and May was over; and his +constant presence was not so much required at the ship. Later in the +year, when he could be well spared, he went down the river to take up +an appointment he had been offered in Madagascar; but unfortunately +was so severely tried by illness while detained at the coast, that +for nearly two years he was not able to turn his abilities as a +naturalist to account by proceeding to that island. We have no doubt +but he will yet distinguish himself in that untrodden field. + +On the 16th of June we started for the Upper Cataracts, with a mule- +cart, our road lying a distance of a mile west from the river. We +saw many of the deserted dwellings of the people who formerly came to +us; and were very much struck by the extent of land under +cultivation, though that, compared with the whole country, is very +small. Large patches of mapira continued to grow,--as it is said it +does from the roots for three years. The mapira was mixed with tall +bushes of the Congo-bean, castor-oil plants, and cotton. The largest +patch of this kind we paced, and found it to be six hundred and +thirty paces on one side--the rest were from one acre to three, and +many not more than one-third of an acre. The cotton--of very +superior quality--was now dropping off the bushes, to be left to rot- +-there was no one to gather what would have been of so much value in +Lancashire. The huts, in the different villages we entered, were +standing quite perfect. The mortars for pounding corn--the stones +for grinding it--the water and beer pots--the empty corn-safes and +kitchen utensils, were all untouched; and most of the doors were +shut, as if the starving owners had gone out to wander in search of +roots or fruits in the forest, and had never returned. When opened, +several huts revealed a ghastly sight of human skeletons. Some were +seen in such unnatural positions, as to give the idea that they had +expired in a faint, when trying to reach something to allay the +gnawings of hunger. + +We took several of the men as far as the Mukuru-Madse for the sake of +the change of air and for occupation, and also to secure for the +ships a supply of buffalo meat--as those animals were reported to be +in abundance on that stream. But though it was evident from the +tracks that the report was true, it was impossible to get a glimpse +of them. The grass being taller than we were, and pretty thickly +planted, they always knew of our approach before we saw them. And +the first intimation we had of their being near was the sound they +made in rushing over the stones, breaking the branches, and knocking +their horns against each other. Once, when seeking a ford for the +cart, at sunrise, we saw a herd slowly wending up the hill-side from +the water. Sending for a rifle, and stalking with intense eagerness +for a fat beefsteak, instead of our usual fare of salted provisions, +we got so near that we could hear the bulls uttering their hoarse +deep low, but could see nothing except the mass of yellow grass in +front; suddenly the buffalo-birds sounded their alarm-whistle, and +away dashed the troop, and we got sight of neither birds nor beasts. +This would be no country for a sportsman except when the grass is +short. The animals are wary, from the dread they have of the +poisoned arrows. Those of the natives who do hunt are deeply imbued +with the hunting spirit, and follow the game with a stealthy +perseverance and cunning, quite extraordinary. The arrow making no +noise, the herd is followed up until the poison takes effect, and the +wounded animal falls out. It is then patiently watched till it +drops--a portion of meat round the wound is cut away, and all the +rest eaten. + +Poisoned arrows are made in two pieces. An iron barb is firmly +fastened to one end of a small wand of wood, ten inches or a foot +long, the other end of which, fined down to a long point, is nicely +fitted, though not otherwise secured, in the hollow of the reed, +which forms the arrow shaft. The wood immediately below the iron +head is smeared with the poison. When the arrow is shot into an +animal, the reed either falls to the ground at once, or is very soon +brushed off by the bushes; but the iron barb and poisoned upper part +of the wood remain in the wound. If made in one piece, the arrow +would often be torn out, head and all, by the long shaft catching in +the underwood, or striking against trees. The poison used here, and +called kombi, is obtained from a species of strophanthus, and is very +virulent. Dr. Kirk found by an accidental experiment on himself that +it acts by lowering the pulse. In using his tooth-brush, which had +been in a pocket containing a little of the poison, he noticed a +bitter taste, but attributed it to his having sometimes used, the +handle in taking quinine. Though the quantity was small, it +immediately showed its power by lowering his pulse which at the time +had been raised by a cold, and next day he was perfectly restored. +Not much can be inferred from a single case of this kind, but it is +possible that the kombi may turn out a valuable remedy; and as +Professor Sharpey has conducted a series of experiments with this +substance, we look with interest for the results. An alkaloid has +been obtained from it similar to strychnine. There is no doubt that +all kinds of wild animals die from the effects of poisoned arrows, +except the elephant and hippopotamus. The amount of poison that this +little weapon can convey into their systems being too small to kill +those huge beasts, the hunters resort to the beam trap instead. + +Another kind of poison was met with on Lake Nyassa, which was said to +be used exclusively for killing men. It was put on small wooden +arrow-heads, and carefully protected by a piece of maize-leaf tied +round it. It caused numbness of the tongue when the smallest +particle was tasted. The Bushmen of the northern part of the +Kalahari were seen applying the entrails of a small caterpillar which +they termed 'Nga to their arrows. This venom was declared to be so +powerful in producing delirium, that a man in dying returned in +imagination to a state of infancy, and would call for his mother's +breast. Lions when shot with it are said to perish in agonies. The +poisonous ingredient in this case may be derived from the plant on +which the caterpillar feeds. It is difficult to conceive by what +sort of experiments the properties of these poisons, known for +generations, were proved. Probably the animal instincts, which have +become so obtuse by civilization, that children in England eat the +berries of the deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) without +suspicion, were in the early uncivilized state much more keen. In +some points instinct is still retained among savages. It is related +that in the celebrated voyage of the French navigator, Bougainville, +a young lady, who had assumed the male attire, performed all the hard +duties incident to the calling of a common sailor; and, even as +servant to the geologist, carried a bag of stones and specimens over +hills and dales without a complaint, and without having her sex +suspected by her associates; but on landing among the savages of one +of the South Sea Islands, she was instantly recognized as a female. +They began to show their impressions in a way that compelled her to +confess her sex, and throw herself on the protection of the +commander, which of course was granted. In like manner, the earlier +portions of the human family may have had their instincts as to +plants more highly developed than any of their descendants--if indeed +much more knowledge than we usually suppose be not the effect of +direct revelation from above. + +The Mukuru-Madse has a deep rocky bed. The water is generally about +four feet deep, and fifteen or twenty yards broad. Before reaching +it, we passed five or six gullies; but beyond it the country, for two +or three miles from the river, was comparatively smooth. The long +grass was overrunning all the native paths, and one species (sanu), +which has a sharp barbed seed a quarter of an inch in length, enters +every pore of woollen clothing and highly irritates the skin. From +its hard, sharp point a series of minute barbs are laid back, and +give the seed a hold wherever it enters: the slightest touch gives +it an entering motion, and the little hooks prevent its working out. +These seeds are so abundant in some spots, that the inside of the +stocking becomes worse than the roughest hair shirt. It is, however, +an excellent self-sower, and fine fodder; it rises to the height of +common meadow-grass in England, and would be a capital plant for +spreading over a new country not so abundantly supplied with grasses +as this is. + +We have sometimes noticed two or three leaves together pierced +through by these seeds, and thus made, as it were, into wings to +carry them to any soil suited to their growth. + +We always follow the native paths, though they are generally not more +than fifteen inches broad, and so often have deep little holes in +them, made for the purpose of setting traps for small animals, and +are so much obscured by the long grass, that one has to keep one's +eyes on the ground more than is pleasant. In spite, however, of all +drawbacks, it is vastly more easy to travel on these tracks than to +go straight over uncultivated ground, or virgin forest. A path +usually leads to some village, though sometimes it turns out to be a +mere game track leading nowhere. + +In going north, we came into a part called Mpemba where Chibisa was +owned as chief, but the people did not know that he had been +assassinated by the Portuguese Terera. A great deal of grain was +lying round the hut, where we spent the night. Very large numbers of +turtledoves feasted undisturbed on the tall stalked mapira ears, and +we easily secured plenty of fine fat guinea-fowls--now allowed to +feed leisurely in the deserted gardens. The reason assigned for all +this listless improvidence was "There are no women to grind the corn- +-all are dead." + +The cotton patches in all cases seemed to have been so well cared +for, and kept so free of weeds formerly, that, though now untended, +but few weeds had sprung up; and the bushes were thus preserved in +the annual grass burnings. Many baobab-trees grow in different +spots, and the few people seen were using the white pulp found +between the seeds to make a pleasant subacid drink. + +On passing Malango, near the uppermost cataract, not a soul was to be +seen; but, as we rested opposite a beautiful tree-covered island, the +merry voices of children at play fell on our ears--the parents had +fled thither for protection from the slave-hunting Ajawa, still urged +on by the occasional visits of the Portuguese agents from Tette. The +Ajawa, instead of passing below the Cataracts, now avoided us, and +crossed over to the east side near to the tree on which we had hung +the boat. Those of the Manganja, to whom we could make ourselves +known, readily came to us; but the majority had lost all confidence +in themselves, in each other, and in every one else. The boat had +been burned about three months previously, and the Manganja were very +anxious that we should believe that this had been the act of the +Ajawa; but on scanning the spot we saw that it was more likely to +have caught fire in the grass-burning of the country. Had we +intended to be so long in returning to it, we should have hoisted it +bottom upwards; for, as it was, it is probable that a quantity of +dried leaves lay inside, and a spark ignited the whole. All the +trees within fifty yards were scorched and killed, and the nails, +iron, and copper sheathing, all lay undisturbed beneath. Had the +Ajawa done the deed, they would have taken away the copper and iron. + +Our hopes of rendering ourselves independent of the south for +provisions, by means of this boat, being thus disappointed, we turned +back with the intention of carrying another up to the same spot; and, +in order to find level ground for this, we passed across from the +Shire at Malango to the upper part of the stream Lesungwe. A fine, +active, intelligent fellow, called Pekila, guided us, and was +remarkable as almost the only one of the population left with any +spirit in him. The depressing effect which the slave-hunting scourge +has upon the native mind, though little to be wondered at, is sad, +very sad to witness. Musical instruments, mats, pillows, mortars for +pounding meal, were lying about unused, and becoming the prey of the +white ants. With all their little comforts destroyed, the survivors +were thrown still further back into barbarism. + +It is of little importance perhaps to any but travellers to notice +that in occupying one night a well-built hut, which had been shut up +for some time, the air inside at once gave us a chill, and an attack +of fever; both of which vanished when the place was well-ventilated +by means of a fire. We have frequently observed that lighting a fire +early in the mornings, even in the hottest time of the year, gives +freshness to the whole house, and removes that feeling of closeness +and langour, which a hot climate induces. + +On the night of the 1st July, 1863, several loud peals of thunder +awoke us; the moon was shining brightly, and not a cloud to be seen. +All the natives remarked on the clearness of the sky at the time, and +next morning said, "We thought it was God" (Morungo). + +On arriving at the ship on the 2nd July, we found a despatch from +Earl Russell, containing instructions for the withdrawal of the +Expedition. The devastation caused by slave-hunting and famine lay +all around. The labour had been as completely swept away from the +Great Shire Valley, as it had been from the Zambesi, wherever +Portuguese intrigue or power extended. The continual forays of +Mariano had spread ruin and desolation on our south-east as far as +Mount Clarendon. + +While this was going on in our rear, the Tette slave-hunters from the +West had stimulated the Ajawa to sweep all the Manganja off the hills +on our East; and slaving parties for this purpose were still passing +the Shire above the Cataracts. In addition to the confession of the +Governor of Tette, of an intention to go on with this slaving in +accordance with the counsel of his elder brother at Mosambique, we +had reason to believe that slavery went on under the eye of his +Excellency, the Governor-General himself; and this was subsequently +corroborated by our recognizing two women at Mosambique who had lived +within a hundred yards of the Mission-station at Magomero. They were +well known to our attendants, and had formed a part of a gang of +several hundreds taken to Mosambique by the Ajawa at the very time +when his Excellency was entertaining English officers with anti- +slavery palavers. To any one who understands how minute the +information is, which Portuguese governors possess by means of their +own slaves, and through gossiping traders who seek to curry their +favour, it is idle to assert that all this slaving goes on without +their approval and connivance. + +If more had been wanted to prove the hopelessness of producing any +change in the system which has prevailed ever since our allies, the +Portuguese, entered the country, we had it in the impunity with which +the freebooter, Terera, who had murdered Chibisa, was allowed to +carry on his forays. Belchoir, another marauder, had been checked, +but was still allowed to make war, as they term slave-hunting. + +Mr. Horace Waller was living for some five months on Mount Morambala, +a position from which the whole process of the slave-trade, and +depopulation of the country around could be well noted. The mountain +overlooks the Shire, the beautiful meanderings of which are +distinctly seen, on clear days, for thirty miles. This river was for +some time supposed to be closed against Mariano, who, as a mere +matter of form, was declared a rebel against the Portuguese flag. +When, however, it became no longer possible to keep up the sham, the +river was thrown open to him; and Mr. Waller has seen in a single day +from fifteen to twenty canoes of different sizes going down, laden +with slaves, to the Portuguese settlements from the so-called rebel +camp. These cargoes were composed entirely of women and children. +For three months this traffic was incessant, and at last, so +completely was the mask thrown off, that one of the officials came to +pay a visit to Bishop Tozer on another part of the same mountain, +and, combining business with pleasure, collected payment for some +canoe work done for the Missionary party, and with this purchased +slaves from the rebels, who had only to be hailed from the bank of +the river. When he had concluded the bargain he trotted the slaves +out for inspection in Mr. Waller's presence. This official, Senhor +Mesquita, was the only officer who could be forced to live at the +Kongone. From certain circumstances in his life, he had fallen under +the power of the local Government; all the other Custom-house +officers refused to go to Kongone, so here poor Mesquita must live on +a miserable pittance--must live, and perhaps slave, sorely against +his will. His name is not brought forward with a view of throwing +any odium on his character. The disinterested kindness which he +showed to Dr. Meller, and others, forbids that he should be mentioned +by us with anything like unkindness. + +Under all these considerations, with the fact that we had not found +the Rovuma so favourable for navigation at the time of our visit as +we expected, it was impossible not to coincide in the wisdom of our +withdrawal; but we deeply regretted that we had ever given credit to +the Portuguese Government for any desire to ameliorate the condition +of the African race; for, with half the labour and expense anywhere +else, we should have made an indelible mark of improvement on a +section of the Continent. Viewing Portuguese statesmen in the light +of the laws they have passed for the suppression of slavery and the +slave-trade, and by the standard of the high character of our own +public men, it cannot be considered weakness to have believed in the +sincerity of the anxiety to aid our enterprise, professed by the +Lisbon Ministry. We hoped to benefit both Portuguese and Africans by +introducing free-trade and Christianity. Our allies, unfortunately, +cannot see the slightest benefit in any measure that does not imply +raising themselves up by thrusting others down. The official paper +of the Lisbon Government has since let us know "that their policy was +directed to frustrating the grasping designs of the British +Government to the dominion of Eastern Africa." We, who were on the +spot, and behind the scenes, knew that feelings of private +benevolence had the chief share in the operations undertaken for +introducing the reign of peace and good will on the Lakes and central +regions, which for ages have been the abodes of violence and +bloodshed. But that great change was not to be accomplished. The +narrow-minded would ascribe all that was attempted to the grasping +propensity of the English. But the motives that actuate many in +England, both in public and private life, are much more noble than +the world gives them credit for. + +Seeing, then, that we were not yet arrived at "the good time coming," +and that it was quite impossible to take the "Pioneer" down to the +sea till the floods of December, we made arrangements to screw the +"Lady Nyassa" together; and, in order to improve the time +intervening, we resolved to carry a boat past the Cataracts a second +time, sail along the eastern shore of the Lake, and round the +northern end, and also collect data by which to verify the +information collected by Colonel Rigby, that the 19,000 slaves, who +go through the Custom-house of Zanzibar annually, are chiefly drawn +from Lake Nyassa and the Valley of the Shire. + +Our party consisted of twenty natives, some of whom were Johanna men, +and were supposed to be capable of managing the six oxen which drew +the small wagon with a boat on it. A team of twelve Cape oxen, with +a Hottentot driver and leader, would have taken the wagon over the +country we had to pass through with the greatest ease; but no sooner +did we get beyond the part of the road already made, than our drivers +encountered obstructions in the way of trees and gullies, which it +would have been a waste of time to have overcome by felling timber +and hauling out the wagon by block and tackle purchases. The Ajawa +and Manganja settled at Chibisa's were therefore sent for, and they +took the boat on their shoulders and carried it briskly, in a few +days, past all the Cataracts except one; then coming to a +comparatively still reach of the river, they took advantage of it to +haul her up a couple of miles. The Makololo had her then entirely in +charge; for, being accustomed to rapids in their own country, no +better boatmen could be desired. The river here is very narrow, and +even in what are called still places, the current is very strong, and +often obliged them to haul the boat along by the reeds on the banks, +or to hand a tow-rope ashore. The reeds are full of cowitch +(Dolichos pruriens), the pods of which are covered with what looks a +fine velvety down, but is in reality a multitude of fine prickles, +which go in by the million, and caused an itching and stinging in the +naked bodies of those who were pulling the tow-rope, that made them +wriggle as if stung by a whole bed of nettles. Those on board +required to be men of ready resource with oars and punting-poles, and +such they were. But, nevertheless, they found, after attempting to +pass by a rock, round which the water rushed in whirls, that the +wiser plan would be to take the boat ashore, and carry her past the +last Cataract. When this was reported, the carriers were called from +the various shady trees under which they had taken refuge from the +sun. This was midwinter, but the sun is always hot by day here, +though the nights are cold. Five Zambesi men, who had been all their +lives accustomed to great heavy canoes,--the chief recommendation of +which is said to be, that they can be run against a rock with the +full force of the current without injury--were very desirous to show +how much better they could manage our boat than the Makololo; three +jumped into her when our backs were turned, and two hauled her up a +little way; the tide caught her bow, we heard a shout of distress, +the rope was out of their hands in a moment, and there she was, +bottom upwards; a turn or two in an eddy, and away she went, like an +arrow, down the Cataracts. One of the men in swimming ashore saved a +rifle. The whole party ran with all their might along the bank, but +never more did we see our boat. + +The five performers in this catastrophe approached with penitential +looks. They had nothing to say, nor had we. They bent down slowly, +and touched our feet with both hands. "Ku kuata moendo"--"to catch +the foot"--is their way of asking forgiveness. It was so like what +we have seen a little child do--try to bring a dish unbidden to its +papa, and letting it fall, burst into a cry of distress--that they +were only sentenced to go back to the ship, get provisions, and, in +the ensuing journey on foot, carry as much as they could, and thus +make up for the loss of the boat. + +It was excessively annoying to lose all this property, and be +deprived of the means of doing the work proposed, on the east and +north of the Lake; but it would have been like crying over spilt milk +to do otherwise now than make the best use we could of our legs. The +men were sent back to the ship for provisions, cloth, and beads; and +while they are gone, we may say a little of the Cataracts which +proved so fatal to our boating plan. + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + + + +Dr. Livingstone's further explorations--Effects of slave-trade-- +Kirk's range--Ajawa migration--Native fishermen--Arab slave-crossing- +-Splendid highlands. + +The Murchison Cataracts of the Shire river begin in 15 degrees 20 +minutes S., and end in lat. 15 degrees 55 minutes S., the difference +of latitude is therefore 35 minutes. The river runs in this space +nearly north and south, till we pass Malango; so the entire distance +is under 40 miles. The principal Cataracts are five in number, and +are called Pamofunda or Pamozima, Morewa, Panoreba or Tedzane, +Pampatamanga, and Papekira. Besides these, three or four smaller +ones might be mentioned; as, for instance, Mamvira, where in our +ascent we first met the broken water, and heard that gushing sound +which, from the interminable windings of some 200 miles of river +below, we had come to believe the tranquil Shire could never make. +While these lesser cataracts descend at an angle of scarcely 20 +degrees, the greater fall 100 feet in 100 yards, at an angle of about +45 degrees, and one at an angle of 70 degrees. One part of Pamozima +is perpendicular, and, when the river is in flood, causes a cloud of +vapour to ascend, which, in our journey to Lake Shirwa, we saw at a +distance of at least eight miles. The entire descent from the Upper +to the Lower Shire is 1200 feet. Only on one spot in all that +distance is the current moderate--namely, above Tedzane. The rest is +all rapid, and much of it being only fifty or eighty yards wide, and +rushing like a mill-race, it gives the impression of water-power, +sufficient to drive all the mills in Manchester, running to waste. +Pamofunda, or Pamozima, has a deep shady grove on its right bank. +When we were walking alone through its dark shade, we were startled +by a shocking smell like that of a dissecting-room; and on looking up +saw dead bodies in mats suspended from the branches of the trees, a +mode of burial somewhat similar to that which we subsequently saw +practised by the Parsees in their "towers of silence" at Poonah, near +Bombay. The name Pamozima means, "the departed spirits or gods"--a +fit name for a place over which, according to the popular belief, the +disembodied souls continually hover. + +The rock lowest down in the series is dark reddish-grey syenite. +This seems to have been an upheaving agent, for the mica schists +above it are much disturbed. Dark trappean rocks full of hornblende +have in many places burst through these schists, and appear in +nodules on the surface. The highest rock seen is a fine sandstone of +closer grain than that at Tette, and quite metamorphosed where it +comes into contact with the igneous rocks below it. It sometimes +gives place to quartz and reddish clay schists, much baked by heat. +This is the usual geological condition on the right bank of the +Cataracts. On the other side we pass over masses of porphyritic +trap, in contact with the same mica schists, and these probably give +to the soil the great fertility we observed. The great body of the +mountains is syenite. So much mica is washed into the river, that on +looking attentively on the stream one sees myriads of particles +floating and glancing in the sun; and this, too, even at low water. + +It was the 15th of August before the men returned from the ship, +accompanied by Mr. Rae and the steward of the "Pioneer." They +brought two oxen, one of which was instantly slaughtered to put +courage into all hearts, and some bottles of wine, a present from +Waller and Alington. We never carried wine before, but this was +precious as an expression of kindheartedness on the part of the +donors. If one attempted to carry either wine or spirits, as a +beverage, he would require a whole troop of followers for nothing +else. Our greatest luxury in travelling was tea or coffee. We never +once carried sugar enough to last a journey, but coffee is always +good, while the sugarless tea is only bearable, because of the +unbearable gnawing feeling of want and sinking which ensues if we +begin to travel in the mornings without something warm in the +stomach. Our drink generally was water, and if cool, nothing can +equal it in a hot climate. We usually carried a bottle of brandy +rolled up in our blankets, but that was used only as a medicine; a +spoonful in hot water before going to bed, to fend off a chill and +fever. Spirits always do harm, if the fever has fairly begun; and it +is probable that brandy-and-water has to answer for a good many of +the deaths in Africa. + +Mr. Rae had made gratifying progress in screwing together the "Lady +Nyassa." He had the zealous co-operation of three as fine steady +workmen as ever handled tools; and, as they were noble specimens of +English sailors, we would fain mention the names of men who are an +honour to the British navy--John Reid, John Pennell, and Richard +Wilson. The reader will excuse our doing so, but we desire to record +how much they were esteemed, and how thankful we felt for their good +behaviour. The weather was delightfully cool; and, with full +confidence in those left behind, it was with light hearts we turned +our faces north. Mr. Rae accompanied us a day in front; and, as all +our party had earnestly advised that at least two Europeans should be +associated together on the journey, the steward was at the last +moment taken. Mr. Rae returned to get the "Lady Nyassa" ready for +sea; and, as she drew less water than the "Pioneer," take her down to +the ocean in October. One reason for taking the steward is worth +recording. Both he and a man named King, {5} who, though only a +leading stoker in the Navy, had been a promising student in the +University of Aberdeen, had got into that weak bloodless-looking +state which residence in the lowlands without much to do or think +about often induces. The best thing for this is change and an active +life. A couple of days' march only as far as the Mukuru-Madse, +infused so much vigour into King that he was able to walk briskly +back. Consideration for the steward's health led to his being +selected for this northern journey, and the measure was so completely +successful that it was often, in the hard march, a subject of regret +that King had not been taken too. A removal of only a hundred yards +is sometimes so beneficial that it ought in severe cases never to be +omitted. + +Our object now was to get away to the N.N.W., proceed parallel with +Lake Nyassa, but at a considerable distance west of it, and thus pass +by the Mazitu or Zulus near its northern end without contact-- +ascertain whether any large river flowed into the Lake from the west- +-visit Lake Moelo, if time permitted, and collect information about +the trade on the great slave route, which crosses the Lake at its +southern end, and at Tsenga and Kota-kota. The Makololo were eager +to travel fast, because they wanted to be back in time to hoe their +fields before the rains, and also because their wives needed looking +after. + +In going in the first instance N.E. from the uppermost Cataract, we +followed in a measure the great bend of the river towards the foot of +Mount Zomba. Here we had a view of its most imposing side, the west, +with the plateau some 3000 feet high, stretching away to its south, +and Mounts Chiradzuru and Mochiru towering aloft to the sky. From +that goodly highland station, it was once hoped by the noble +Mackenzie, who, for largeness of heart and loving disposition, really +deserved to be called the "Bishop of Central Africa," that light and +liberty would spread to all the interior. We still think it may be a +centre for civilizing influences; for any one descending from these +cool heights, and stepping into a boat on the Upper Shire, can sail +three hundred miles without a check into the heart of Africa. + +We passed through a tract of country covered with mopane trees, where +the hard baked soil refused to let the usual thick crops of grass +grow; and here we came upon very many tracks of buffaloes, elephants, +antelopes, and the spoor of one lion. An ox we drove along with us, +as provision for the way, was sorely bitten by the tsetse. The +effect of the bite was, as usual, quite apparent two days afterwards, +in the general flaccidity of the muscles, the drooping ears, and +looks of illness. It always excited our wonder that we, who were +frequently much bitten too by the same insects, felt no harm from +their attacks. Man shares the immunity of the wild animals. + +Finding a few people on the evening of the 20th of August, who were +supporting a wretched existence on tamarinds and mice, we ascertained +that there was no hope of our being able to buy food anywhere nearer +than the Lakelet Pamalombe, where the Ajawa chief, Kainka, was now +living; but that plenty could be found with the Maravi female chief, +Nyango. We turned away north-westwards, and struck the stream Ribve- +ribve, or Rivi-rivi, which rises in the Maravi range, and flows into +the Shire. + +As the Rivi-rivi came from the N.W. we continued to travel along its +banks, until we came to people who had successfully defended +themselves against the hordes of the Ajawa. By employing the men of +one village to go forward and explain who we were to the next, we +managed to prevent the frightened inhabitants from considering us a +fresh party of Ajawa, or of Portuguese slaving agents. Here they had +cultivated maize, and were willing to sell, but no persuasion could +induce them to give us guides to the chieftainess, Nyango. They +evidently felt that we were not to be trusted; though, as we had to +certify to our own character, our companions did not fail "to blow +our own trumpet," with blasts in which modesty was quite out of the +question. To allay suspicion, we had at last to refrain from +mentioning the lady's name. + +It would be wearisome to repeat the names of the villages we passed +on our way to the north-west. One was the largest we ever saw in +Africa, and quite deserted, with the usual sad sight of many +skeletons lying about. Another was called Tette. We know three +places of this name, which fact shows it to be a native word; it +seems to mean a place where the water rushes over rocks. A third +village was called Chipanga (a great work), a name identical with the +Shupanga of the Portuguese. This repetition of names may indicate +that the same people first took these epithets in their traditional +passage from north to south. + +At this season of the year the nights are still cold, and the people, +having no crops to occupy their attention, do not stir out till long +after the sun is up. At other times they are off to their fields +before the day dawns, and the first sound one hears is the loud +talking of men and women, in which they usually indulge in the dark +to scare off beasts by the sound of the human voice. When no work is +to be done, the first warning of approaching day is the hemp-smoker's +loud ringing cough. + +Having been delayed one morning by some negotiation about guides, who +were used chiefly to introduce us to other villages, we two whites +walked a little way ahead, taking the direction of the stream. The +men having been always able to find out our route by the prints of +our shoes, we went on for a number of miles. This time, however, +they lost our track, and failed to follow us. The path was well +marked by elephants, hyenas, pallahs, and zebras, but for many a day +no human foot had trod it. When the sun went down a deserted hamlet +was reached, where we made comfortable beds for ourselves of grass. +Firing muskets to attract the attention of those who have strayed is +the usual resource in these cases. On this occasion the sound of +firearms tended to mislead us; for, hearing shots next morning, a +long weary march led us only to some native hunters, who had been +shooting buffaloes. Returning to a small village, we met with some +people who remembered our passing up to the Lake in the boat; they +were as kind as they could be. The only food they possessed was +tamarinds, prepared with ashes, and a little cowitch meal. The +cowitch, as mentioned before, has a velvety brown covering of minute +prickles, which, if touched, enter the pores of the skin and cause a +painful tingling. The women in times of scarcity collect the pods, +kindle a fire of grass over them to destroy the prickles, then steep +the beans till they begin to sprout, wash them in pure water, and +either boil them or pound them into meal, which resembles our bean- +meal. This plant climbs up the long grass, and abounds in all reedy +parts, and, though a plague to the traveller who touches its pods, it +performs good service in times of famine by saving many a life from +starvation. Its name here is Kitedzi. + +Having travelled at least twenty miles in search of our party that +day, our rest on a mat in the best hut of the village was very sweet. +We had dined the evening before on a pigeon each, and had eaten only +a handful of kitedzi porridge this afternoon. The good wife of the +village took a little corn which she had kept for seed, ground it +after dark, and made it into porridge. This, and a cup of wild +vegetables of a sweetish taste for a relish, a little boy brought in +and put down, with several vigorous claps of his hands, in the manner +which is esteemed polite, and which is strictly enjoined on all +children. + +On the third day of separation, Akosanjere, the headman of this +village, conducted us forward to our party who had gone on to Nseze, +a district to the westward. This incident is mentioned, not for any +interest it possesses, apart from the idea of the people it conveys. +We were completely separated from our men for nearly three days, and +had nothing wherewith to purchase food. The people were sorely +pressed by famine and war, and their hospitality, poor as it was, did +them great credit, and was most grateful to us. Our own men had +become confused and wandered, but had done their utmost to find us; +on our rejoining them, the ox was slain, and all, having been on +short commons, rejoiced in this "day of slaughter." Akosanjere was, +of course, rewarded to his heart's content. + +As we pursued our way, we came close up to a range of mountains, the +most prominent peak of which is called Mvai. This is a great, bare, +rounded block of granite shooting up from the rest of the chain. It +and several other masses of rock are of a light grey colour, with +white patches, as if of lichens; the sides and summits are generally +thinly covered with rather scraggy trees. There are several other +prominent peaks--one, for instance, still further north, called +Chirobve. Each has a name, but we could never ascertain that there +was an appellation which applied to the whole. This fact, and our +wish to commemorate the name of Dr. Kirk, induced us afterwards, when +we could not discover a particular peak mentioned to us formerly as +Molomo-ao-koku, or Cock's-bill, to call the whole chain from the west +of the Cataracts up to the north end of the Lake, "Kirk's Range." +The part we slept at opposite Mvai was named Paudio, and was +evidently a continuation of the district of one of our stations on +the Shire, at which observations for latitude were formerly taken. + +Leaving Paudio, we had Kirk's Range close on our left and at least +3000 feet above us, and probably not less than 5000 feet above the +sea. Far to our right extended a long green wooded country rising +gradually up to a ridge, ornamented with several detached mountains, +which bounded the Shire Valley. In front, northwards, lay a valley +as rich and lovely as we ever saw anywhere, terminating at the +mountains, which, stretched away some thirty miles beyond our range +of vision and ended at Cape Maclear. The groups of trees had never +been subjected to the landscape gardener's art; but had been cut down +mercilessly, just as suited the convenience of the cultivator; yet +the various combinations of open forest, sloping woodland, grassy +lawns, and massive clumps of dark green foliage along the running +streams, formed as beautiful a landscape as could be seen on the +Thames. This valley is named Goa or Gova, and as we moved through it +we found that what was smooth to the eye was very much furrowed by +running streams winding round innumerable knolls. These little +brooklets came down from the range on our left, and the water was +deliciously cool. + +When we came abreast of the peak Chirobve, the people would no longer +give us guides. They were afraid of their enemies, whose dwellings +we now had on our east; and, proceeding without any one to lead us, +or to introduce us to the inhabitants, we were perplexed by all the +paths running zigzag across instead of along the valley. They had +been made by the villagers going from the hamlets on the slopes to +their gardens in the meadows below. To add to our difficulties, the +rivulets and mountain-torrents had worn gullies some thirty or forty +feet deep, with steep sides that could not be climbed except at +certain points. The remaining inhabitants on the flank of the range +when they saw strangers winding from side to side, and often +attempting to cross these torrent beds at impossible places, screamed +out their shrill war-alarm, and made the valley ring with their wild +outcries. It was war, and war alone, and we were too deep down in +the valley to make our voices heard in explanation. Fortunately, +they had burned off the long grass to a great extent. It only here +and there hid them from us. Selecting an open spot, we spent a night +regarded by all around us as slave-hunters, but were undisturbed, +though the usual way of treating an enemy in this part of the country +is by night attack. + +The nights at the altitude of the valley were cool, the lowest +temperature shown being 37 degrees; at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. it was 58 +degrees, about the average temperature of the day; at mid-day 82 +degrees, and sunset 70 degrees. Our march was very much hindered by +the imperfectly burned corn and grass stalks having fallen across the +paths. To a reader in England this will seem a very small obstacle. +But he must fancy the grass stems as thick as his little finger, and +the corn-stalks like so many walkingsticks lying in one direction, +and so supporting each other that one has to lift his feet up as when +wading through deep high heather. The stems of grass showed the +causes of certain explosions as loud as pistols, which are heard when +the annual fires come roaring over the land. The heated air inside +expanding bursts the stalk with a loud report, and strews the +fragments on the ground. + +A very great deal of native corn had been cultivated here, and we saw +buffaloes feeding in the deserted gardens, and some women, who ran +away very much faster than the beasts did. + +On the 29th, seeing some people standing under a tree by a village, +we sat down, and sent Masego, one of our party, to communicate. The +headman, Matunda, came back with him, bearing a calabash with water +for us. He said that all the people had fled from the Ajawa, who had +only just desisted from their career of pillage on being paid five +persons as a fine for some offence for which they had commenced the +invasion. Matunda had plenty of grain to sell, and all the women +were soon at work grinding it into meal. We secured an abundant +supply, and four milk goats. The Manganja goat is of a very superior +breed to the general African animal, being short in the legs and +having a finely-shaped broad body. By promising the Makololo that, +when we no longer needed the milk, they should have the goats to +improve the breed of their own at home, they were induced to take the +greatest possible care of both goats and kids in driving and +pasturing. + +After leaving Matunda, we came to the end of the highland valley; +and, before descending a steep declivity of a thousand feet towards +the part which may be called the heel of the Lake, we had the bold +mountains of Cape Maclear on our right, with the blue water at their +base, the hills of Tsenga in the distance in front, and Kirk's Range +on our left, stretching away northwards, and apparently becoming +lower. As we came down into a fine rich undulating valley, many +perennial streams running to the east from the hills on our left were +crossed, while all those behind us on the higher ground seemed to +unite in one named Lekue, which flowed into the Lake. + +After a long day's march in the valley of the Lake, where the +temperature was very much higher than in that we had just left, we +entered the village of Katosa, which is situated on the bank of a +stream among gigantic timber trees, and found there a large party of +Ajawa--Waiau, they called themselves--all armed with muskets. We sat +down among them, and were soon called to the chiefs court, and +presented with an ample mess of porridge, buffalo meat, and beer. +Katosa was more frank than any Manganja chief we had met, and +complimented us by saying that "we must be his 'Bazimo' (good spirits +of his ancestors); for when he lived at Pamalombe, we lighted upon +him from above--men the like of whom he had never seen before, and +coming he knew not whence." He gave us one of his own large and +clean huts to sleep in; and we may take this opportunity of saying +that the impression we received, from our first journey on the hills +among the villages of Chisunse, of the excessive dirtiness of the +Manganja, was erroneous. This trait was confined to the cool +highlands. Here crowds of men and women were observed to perform +their ablutions daily in the stream that ran past their villages; and +this we have observed elsewhere to be a common custom with both +Manganja and Ajawa. + +Before we started on the morning of the 1st September, Katosa sent an +enormous calabash of beer, containing at least three gallons, and +then came and wished us to "stop a day and eat with him." On +explaining to him the reasons for our haste, he said that he was in +the way by which travellers usually passed, he never stopped them in +their journeys, but would like to look at us for a day. On our +promising to rest a little with him on our return, he gave us about +two pecks of rice, and three guides to conduct us to a subordinate +female chief, Nkwinda, living on the borders of the Lake in front. + +The Ajawa, from having taken slaves down to Quillimane and +Mosambique, knew more of us than Katosa did. Their muskets were +carefully polished, and never out of these slaver's hands for a +moment, though in the chiefs presence. We naturally felt +apprehensive that we should never see Katosa again. A migratory +afflatus seems to have come over the Ajawa tribes. Wars among +themselves, for the supply of the Coast slave-trade, are said to have +first set them in motion. The usual way in which they have advanced +among the Manganja has been by slave-trading in a friendly way. +Then, professing to wish to live as subjects, they have been welcomed +as guests, and the Manganja, being great agriculturists, have been +able to support considerable bodies of these visitors for a time. +When the provisions became scarce, the guests began to steal from the +fields; quarrels arose in consequence, and, the Ajawa having +firearms, their hosts got the worst of it, and were expelled from +village after village, and out of their own country. The Manganja +were quite as bad in regard to slave-trading as the Ajawa, but had +less enterprise, and were much more fond of the home pursuits of +spinning, weaving, smelting iron, and cultivating the soil, than of +foreign travel. The Ajawa had little of a mechanical turn, and not +much love for agriculture, but were very keen traders and travellers. +This party seemed to us to be in the first or friendly stage of +intercourse with Katosa; and, as we afterwards found, he was fully +alive to the danger. + +Our course was shaped towards the N.W., and we traversed a large +fertile tract of rich soil extensively cultivated, but dotted with +many gigantic thorny acacias which had proved too large for the +little axes of the cultivators. After leaving Nkwinda, the first +village we spent a night at in the district Ngabi was that of Chembi, +and it had a stockade around it. The Azitu or Mazitu were said to be +ravaging the country to the west of us, and no one was safe except in +a stockade. We have so often, in travelling, heard of war in front, +that we paid little attention to the assertion of Chembi, that the +whole country to the N.W. was in flight before these Mazitu, under a +chief with the rather formidable name of Mowhiriwhiri; we therefore +resolved to go on to Chinsamba's, still further in the same +direction, and hear what he said about it. + +The only instrument of husbandry here is the short-handled hoe; and +about Tette the labour of tilling the soil, as represented in the +woodcut, is performed entirely by female slaves. On the West Coast a +double-handled hoe is employed. Here the small hoe is seen in the +hands of both men and women. In other parts of Africa a hoe with a +handle four feet long is used, but the plough is quite unknown. + +In illustration of the manner in which the native knowledge of +agriculture strikes an honest intelligent observer, it may be +mentioned that the first time good Bishop Mackenzie beheld how well +the fields of the Manganja were cultivated on the hills, he remarked +to Dr. Livingstone, then his fellow-traveller--"When telling the +people in England what were my objects in going out to Africa, I +stated that, among other things, I meant to teach these people +agriculture; but I now see that they know far more about it than I +do." This, we take it, was an honest straightforward testimony, and +we believe that every unprejudiced witness, who has an opportunity of +forming an opinion of Africans who have never been debased by +slavery, will rank them very much higher in the scale of +intelligence, industry, and manhood, than others who know them only +in a state of degradation. + +On coming near Chinsamba's two stockades, on the banks of the +Lintipe, we were told that the Mazitu had been repulsed there the day +before, and we had evidence of the truth of the report of the attack +in the sad sight of the bodies of the slain. The Zulus had taken off +large numbers of women laden with corn; and, when driven back, had +cut off the ears of a male prisoner, as a sort of credential that he +had been with the Mazitu, and with grim humour sent him to tell +Chinsamba "to take good care of the corn in the stockades, for they +meant to return for it in a month or two." + +Chinsamba's people were drumming with might and main on our arrival, +to express their joy at their deliverance from the Mazitu. The drum +is the chief instrument of music among the Manganja, and with it they +express both their joy and grief. They excel in beating time. +Chinsamba called us into a very large hut, and presented us with a +huge basket of beer. The glare of sunlight from which we had come +enabled him, in diplomatic fashion, to have a good view of us before +our eyes became enough accustomed to the dark inside to see him. He +has a Jewish cast of countenance, or rather the ancient Assyrian +face, as seen in the monuments brought to the British Museum by Mr. +Layard. This form of face is very common in this country, and leads +to the belief that the true type of the negro is not that met on the +West Coast, from which most people have derived their ideas of the +African. + +Chinsamba had many Abisa or Babisa in his stockade, and it was +chiefly by the help of their muskets that he had repulsed the Mazitu: +these Babisa are great travellers and traders. + +We liked Chinsamba very well, and found that he was decidedly opposed +to our risking our lives by going further to the N.W. The Mazitu +were believed to occupy all the hills in that direction, so we spent +the 4th of September with him. + +It is rather a minute thing to mention, and it will only be +understood by those who have children of their own, but the cries of +the little ones, in their infant sorrows, are the same in tone, at +different ages, here as all over the world. We have been perpetually +reminded of home and family by the wailings which were once familiar +to parental ears and heart, and felt thankful that to the sorrows of +childhood our children would never have superadded the heartrending +woes of the slave-trade. + +Taking Chinsamba's advice to avoid the Mazitu in their marauding, we +started on the 5th September away to the N.E., and passed mile after +mile of native cornfields, with an occasional cotton-patch. + +After a long march, we passed over a waterless plain about N.N.W. of +the hills of Tsenga to a village on the Lake, and thence up its +shores to Chitanda. The banks of the Lake were now crowded with +fugitives, who had collected there for the poor protection which the +reeds afforded. For miles along the water's edge was one continuous +village of temporary huts. The people had brought a little corn with +them; but they said, "What shall we eat when that is done? When we +plant corn, the wild beasts (Zinyama, as they call the Mazitu) come +and take it. When we plant cassava, they do the same. How are we to +live?" A poor blind woman, thinking we were Mazitu, rushed off in +front of us with outspread arms, lifting the feet high, in the manner +peculiar to those who have lost their sight, and jumped into the +reeds of a stream for safety. + +In our way along the shores we crossed several running rivulets of +clear cold water, which, from having reeds at their confluences, had +not been noticed in our previous exploration in the boat. One of +these was called Mokola, and another had a strong odour of +sulphuretted hydrogen. We reached Molamba on the 8th September, and +found our old acquaintance, Nkomo, there still. One of the +advantages of travelling along the shores of the Lake was, that we +could bathe anywhere in its clear fresh water. To us, who had been +obliged so often to restrain our inclination in the Zambesi and Shire +for fear of crocodiles, this was pleasant beyond measure. The water +now was of the same temperature as it was on our former visit, or 72 +degrees Fahr. The immense depth of the Lake prevents the rays of the +sun from raising the temperature as high as that of the Shire and +Zambesi; and the crocodiles, having always clear water in the Lake, +and abundance of fish, rarely attack man; many of these reptiles +could be seen basking on the rocks. + +A day's march beyond Molamba brought us to the lakelet Chia, which +lies parallel with the Lake. It is three or four miles long, by from +one to one and a half broad, and communicates with the Lake by an arm +of good depth, but with some rocks in it. As we passed up between +the Lake and the eastern shore of this lakelet, we did not see any +streams flowing into it. It is quite remarkable for the abundance of +fish; and we saw upwards of fifty large canoes engaged in the +fishery, which is carried on by means of hand-nets with side-frame +poles about seven feet long. These nets are nearly identical with +those now in use in Normandy--the difference being that the African +net has a piece of stick lashed across the handle-ends of the side +poles to keep them steady, which is a great improvement. The fish +must be very abundant to be scooped out of the water in such +quantities as we saw, and by so many canoes. There is quite a trade +here in dried fish. + +The country around is elevated, undulating, and very extensively +planted with cassava. The hoe in use has a handle of four feet in +length, and the iron part is exactly of the same form as that in the +country of the Bechuanas. The baskets here, which are so closely +woven together as to hold beer, are the same with those employed to +hold milk in Kaffirland--a thousand miles distant. + +Marching on foot is peculiarly conducive to meditation--one is glad +of any subject to occupy the mind, and relieve the monotony of the +weary treadmill-like trudge-trudging. This Chia net brought to our +mind that the smith's bellows made here of a goatskin bag, with +sticks along the open ends, are the same as those in use in the +Bechuana country far to the south-west. These, with the long-handled +hoe, may only show that each successive horde from north to south +took inventions with it from the same original source. Where that +source may have been is probably indicated by another pair of +bellows, which we observed below the Victoria Falls, being found in +Central India and among the Gipsies of Europe. + +Men in remote times may have had more highly-developed instincts, +which enabled them to avoid or use poisons; but the late Archbishop +Whately has proved, that wholly untaught savages never could invent +anything, or even subsist at all. Abundant corroboration of his +arguments is met with in this country, where the natives require but +little in the way of clothing, and have remarkably hardy stomachs. +Although possessing a knowledge of all the edible roots and fruits in +the country, having hoes to dig with, and spears, bows, and arrows to +kill the game,--we have seen that, notwithstanding all these +appliances and means to boot, they have perished of absolute +starvation. + +The art of making fire is the same in India as in Africa. The +smelting furnaces, for reducing iron and copper from the ores, are +also similar. Yellow haematite, which bears not the smallest +resemblance either in colour or weight to the metal, is employed near +Kolobeng for the production of iron. Malachite, the precious green +stone used in civilized life for vases, would never be suspected by +the uninstructed to be a rich ore of copper, and yet it is +extensively smelted for rings and other ornaments in the heart of +Africa. A copper bar of native manufacture four feet long was +offered to us for sale at Chinsamba's. These arts are monuments +attesting the fact, that some instruction from above must at some +time or other have been supplied to mankind; and, as Archbishop +Whately says, "the most probable conclusion is, that man when first +created, or very shortly afterwards, was advanced, by the Creator +Himself, to a state above that of a mere savage." + +The argument for an original revelation to man, though quite +independent of the Bible history, tends to confirm that history. It +is of the same nature with this, that man could not have MADE +himself, and therefore must have had a Divine CREATOR. Mankind could +not, in the first instance, have CIVILIZED themselves, and therefore +must have had a superhuman INSTRUCTOR. + +In connection with this subject, it is remarkable that throughout +successive generations no change has taken place in the form of the +various inventions. Hammers, tongs, hoes, axes, adzes, handles to +them; needles, bows and arrows, with the mode of feathering the +latter; spears, for killing game, with spear-heads having what is +termed "dish" on both sides to give them, when thrown, the rotatory +motion of rifle-balls; the arts of spinning and weaving, with that of +pounding and steeping the inner bark of a tree till it serves as +clothing; millstones for grinding corn into meal; the manufacture of +the same kind of pots or chatties as in India; the art of cooking, of +brewing beer and straining it as was done in ancient Egypt; fish- +hooks, fishing and hunting nets, fish-baskets, and weirs, the same as +in the Highlands of Scotland; traps for catching animals, etc., +etc.,--have all been so very permanent from age to age, and some of +them of identical patterns are so widely spread over the globe, as to +render it probable that they were all, at least in some degree, +derived from one Source. The African traditions, which seem +possessed of the same unchangeability as the arts to which they +relate, like those of all other nations refer their origin to a +superior Being. And it is much more reasonable to receive the hints +given in Genesis, concerning direct instruction from God to our first +parents or their children in religious or moral duty, and probably in +the knowledge of the arts of life, {6} than to give credence to the +theory that untaught savage man subsisted in a state which would +prove fatal to all his descendants, and that in such helpless state +he made many inventions which most of his progeny retained, but never +improved upon during some thirty centuries. + +We crossed in canoes the arm of the Lake, which joins Chia to Nyassa, +and spent the night on its northern bank. The whole country adjacent +to the Lake, from this point up to Kota-kota Bay, is densely peopled +by thousands who have fled from the forays of the Mazitu in hopes of +protection from the Arabs who live there. In three running rivulets +we saw the Shuare palm, and an oil palm which is much inferior to +that on the West Coast. Though somewhat similar in appearance, the +fruit is not much larger than hazel-nuts, and the people do not use +them, on account of the small quantity of oil which they afford. + +The idea of using oil for light never seems to have entered the +African mind. Here a bundle of split and dried bamboo, tied together +with creeping plants, as thick as a man's body, and about twenty feet +in length, is employed in the canoes as a torch to attract the fish +at night. It would be considered a piece of the most wasteful +extravagance to burn the oil they obtain from the castor-oil bean and +other seeds, and also from certain fish, or in fact to do anything +with it but anoint their heads and bodies. + +We arrived at Kota-kota Bay in the afternoon of the 10th September, +1863; and sat down under a magnificent wild fig-tree with leaves ten +inches long, by five broad, about a quarter of a mile from the +village of Juma ben Saidi, and Yakobe ben Arame, whom we had met on +the River Kaombe, a little north of this, in our first exploration of +the Lake. We had rested but a short time when Juma, who is evidently +the chief person here, followed by about fifty people, came to salute +us and to invite us to take up our quarters in his village. The hut +which, by mistake, was offered, was so small and dirty, that we +preferred sleeping in an open space a few hundred yards off. + +Juma afterwards apologized for the mistake, and presented us with +rice, meal, sugar-cane, and a piece of malachite. We returned his +visit on the following day, and found him engaged in building a dhow +or Arab vessel, to replace one which he said had been wrecked. This +new one was fifty feet long, twelve feet broad, and five feet deep. +The planks were of a wood like teak, here called Timbati, and the +timbers of a closer grained wood called Msoro. The sight of this +dhow gave us a hint which, had we previously received it, would have +prevented our attempting to carry a vessel of iron past the +Cataracts. The trees around Katosa's village were Timbati, and they +would have yielded planks fifty feet long and thirty inches broad. +With a few native carpenters a good vessel could be built on the Lake +nearly as quickly as one could be carried past the Cataracts, and at +a vastly less cost. Juma said that no money would induce him to part +with this dhow. He was very busy in transporting slaves across the +Lake by means of two boats, which we saw returning from a trip in the +afternoon. As he did not know of our intention to visit him, we came +upon several gangs of stout young men slaves, each secured by the +neck to one common chain, waiting for exportation, and several more +in slave-sticks. These were all civilly removed before our interview +was over, because Juma knew that we did not relish the sight. + +When we met the same Arabs in 1861, they had but few attendants: +according to their own account, they had now, in the village and +adjacent country, 1500 souls. It is certain that tens of thousands +had flocked to them for protection, and all their power and influence +must be attributed to the possession of guns and gunpowder. This +crowding of refugees to any point where there is a hope for security +for life and property is very common in this region, and the +knowledge of it made our hopes beat high for the success of a +peaceful Mission on the shores of the Lake. The rate, however, in +which the people here will perish by the next famine, or be exported +by Juma and others, will, we fear, depopulate those parts which we +have just described as crowded with people. Hunger will ere long +compel them to sell each other. An intelligent man complained to us +of the Arabs often seizing slaves, to whom they took a fancy, without +the formality of purchase; but the price is so low--from two to four +yards of calico--that one can scarcely think this seizure and +exportation without payment worth their while. The boats were in +constant employment, and, curiously enough, Ben Habib, whom we met at +Linyanti in 1855, had been taken across the Lake, the day before our +arrival at this Bay, on his way from Sesheke to Kilwa, and we became +acquainted with a native servant of the Arabs, called Selele +Saidallah, who could speak the Makololo language pretty fairly from +having once spent some months in the Barotse Valley. + +From boyhood upwards we have been accustomed, from time to time, to +read in books of travels about the great advances annually made by +Mohammedanism in Africa. The rate at which this religion spreads was +said to be so rapid, that in after days, in our own pretty extensive +travels, we have constantly been on the look out for the advancing +wave from North to South, which, it was prophesied, would soon reduce +the entire continent to the faith of the false prophet. The only +foundation that we can discover for the assertions referred to, and +for others of more recent date, is the fact that in a remote corner +of North-Western Africa the Fulahs, and Mandingoes, and some others +in Northern Africa, as mentioned by Dr. Barth, have made conquests of +territory; but even they care so very little for the extension of +their faith, that after the conquest no pains whatever are taken to +indoctrinate the adults of the tribe. This is in exact accordance +with the impression we have received from our intercourse with +Mohammedans and Christians. The followers of Christ alone are +anxious to propagate their faith. A quasi philanthropist would +certainly never need to recommend the followers of Islam, whom we +have met, to restrain their benevolence by preaching that "Charity +should begin at home." + +Though Selele and his companions were bound to their masters by +domestic ties, the only new idea they had imbibed from Mohammedanism +was, that it would be wrong to eat meat killed by other people. They +thought it would be "unlucky." Just as the inhabitants of Kolobeng, +before being taught the requirements of Christianity, refrained from +hoeing their gardens on Sundays, lest they should reap an unlucky +crop. So far as we could learn, no efforts had been made to convert +the natives, though these two Arabs, and about a dozen half-castes, +had been in the country for many years; and judging from our +experience with a dozen Mohammedans in our employ at high wages for +sixteen months, the Africans would be the better men in proportion as +they retained their native faith. This may appear only a harsh +judgment from a mind imbued with Christian prejudices; but without +any pretention to that impartiality, which leaves it doubtful to +which side the affections lean, the truth may be fairly stated by one +who viewed all Mohammedans and Africans with the sincerest good will. + +Our twelve Mohammedans from Johanna were the least open of any of our +party to impression from kindness. A marked difference in general +conduct was apparent. The Makololo, and other natives of the +country, whom we had with us, invariably shared with each other the +food they had cooked, but the Johanna men partook of their meals at a +distance. This, at first, we attributed to their Moslem prejudices; +but when they saw the cooking process of the others nearly complete, +they came, sat beside them, and ate the portion offered without ever +remembering to return the compliment when their own turn came to be +generous. The Makololo and the others grumbled at their greediness, +yet always followed the common custom of Africans of sharing their +food with all who sit around them. What vexed us most in the Johanna +men was their indifference to the welfare of each other. Once, when +they were all coming to the ship after sleeping ashore, one of them +walked into the water with the intention of swimming off to the boat, +and while yet hardly up to his knees was seized by a horrid crocodile +and dragged under; the poor fellow gave a shriek, and held up his +hand for aid, but none of his countrymen stirred to his assistance, +and he was never seen again. On asking his brother-in-law why he did +not help him, he replied, "Well, no one told him to go into the +water. It was his own fault that he was killed." The Makololo on +the other hand rescued a woman at Senna by entering the water, and +taking her out of the crocodile's mouth. + +It is not assumed that their religion had much to do in the matter. +Many Mohammedans might contrast favourably with indifferent +Christians; but, so far as our experience in East Africa goes, the +moral tone of the follower of Mahomed is pitched at a lower key than +that of the untutored African. The ancient zeal for propagating the +tenets of the Koran has evaporated, and been replaced by the most +intense selfishness and grossest sensuality. The only known efforts +made by Mohammedans, namely, those in the North-West and North of the +continent, are so linked with the acquisition of power and plunder, +as not to deserve the name of religious propagandism; and the only +religion that now makes proselytes is that of Jesus Christ. To those +who are capable of taking a comprehensive view of this subject, +nothing can be adduced of more telling significance than the well- +attested fact, that while the Mohammedans, Fulahs, and others towards +Central Africa, make a few proselytes by a process which gratifies +their own covetousness, three small sections of the Christian +converts, the Africans in the South, in the West Indies, and on the +West Coast of Africa actually contribute for the support and spread +of their religion upwards of 15,000 pounds annually. {7} That +religion which so far overcomes the selfishness of the human heart +must be Divine. + +Leaving Kota-kota Bay, we turned away due West on the great slave +route to Katanga's and Cazembe's country in Londa. Juma lent us his +servant, Selele, to lead us the first day's march. He said that the +traders from Kilwa and Iboe cross the Lake either at this bay, or at +Tsenga, or at the southern end of the Lake; and that wherever they +may cross they all go by this path to the interior. They have slaves +with them to carry their goods, and when they reach a spot where they +can easily buy others, they settle down and begin the traffic, and at +once cultivate grain. So much of the land lies waste, that no +objection is ever made to any one taking possession of as much as he +needs; they can purchase a field of cassava for their present wants +for very little, and they continue trading in the country for two or +three years, and giving what weight their muskets possess to the +chief who is most liberal to them. + +The first day's march led us over a rich, well-cultivated plain. +This was succeeded by highlands, undulating, stony, and covered with +scraggy trees. Many banks of well rounded shingle appear. The +disintegration of the rocks, now going on, does not round off the +angles; they are split up by the heat and cold into angular +fragments. On these high downs we crossed the River Kaombe. Beyond +it we came among the upland vegetation--rhododendrons, proteas, the +masuko, and molompi. At the foot of the hill, Kasuko-suko, we found +the River Bua running north to join the Kaombe. We had to go a mile +out of our way for a ford; the stream is deep enough in parts for +hippopotami. The various streams not previously noticed, crossed in +this journey, had before this led us to the conclusion, independently +of the testimony of the natives, that no large river ran into the +north end of the Lake. No such affluent was needed to account for +the Shire's perennial flow. + +On September 15th we reached the top of the ascent which, from its +many ups and downs, had often made us puff and blow as if broken- +winded. The water of the streams we crossed was deliciously cold, +and now that we had gained the summit at Ndonda, where the boiling- +point of water showed an altitude of 3440 feet above the sea, the air +was delightful. Looking back we had a magnificent view of the Lake, +but the haze prevented our seeing beyond the sea horizon. The scene +was beautiful, but it was impossible to dissociate the lovely +landscape whose hills and dales had so sorely tried our legs and +lungs, from the sad fact that this was part of the great slave route +now actually in use. By this road many "Ten thousands" have here +seen "the Sea," "the Sea," but with sinking hearts; for the universal +idea among the captive gangs is, that they are going to be fattened +and eaten by the whites. They cannot of course be so much shocked as +we should be--their sensibilities are far from fine, their feelings +are more obtuse than ours--in fact, "the live eels are used to being +skinned," perhaps they rather like it. We who are not philosophic, +blessed the Providence which at Thermopylae in ancient days rolled +back the tide of Eastern conquest from the West, and so guided the +course of events that light and liberty and gospel truth spread to +our distant isle, and emancipating our race freed them from the fear +of ever again having to climb fatiguing heights and descend wearisome +hollows in a slave-gang, as we suppose they did when the fair English +youths were exposed for sale at Rome. + +Looking westwards we perceived that, what from below had the +appearance of mountains, was only the edge of a table-land which, +though at first undulating, soon became smooth, and sloped towards +the centre of the country. To the south a prominent mountain called +Chipata, and to the south-west another named Ngalla, by which the Bua +is said to rise, gave character to the landscape. In the north, +masses of hills prevented our seeing more than eight or ten miles. + +The air which was so exhilarating to Europeans had an opposite effect +on five men who had been born and reared in the malaria of the Delta +of the Zambesi. No sooner did they reach the edge of the plateau at +Ndonda, than they lay down prostrate, and complained of pains all +over them. The temperature was not much lower than that on the +shores of the Lake below, 76 degrees being the mean temperature of +the day, 52 degrees the lowest, and 82 degrees the highest during the +twenty-four hours; at the Lake it was about l0 degrees higher. Of +the symptoms they complained of--pains everywhere--nothing could be +made. And yet it was evident that they had good reason for saying +that they were ill. They scarified almost every part of their bodies +as a remedial measure; medicines, administered on the supposition +that their malady was the effect of a sudden chill, had no effect, +and in two days one of them actually died in consequence of, as far +as we could judge, a change from a malarious to a purer and more +rarefied atmosphere. + +As we were on the slave route, we found the people more churlish than +usual. On being expostulated with about it, they replied, "We have +been made wary by those who come to buy slaves." The calamity of +death having befallen our party, seemed, however, to awaken their +sympathies. They pointed out their usual burying-place, lent us +hoes, and helped to make the grave. When we offered to pay all +expenses, they showed that they had not done these friendly offices +without fully appreciating their value; for they enumerated the use +of the hut, the mat on which the deceased had lain, the hoes, the +labour, and the medicine which they had scattered over the place to +make him rest in peace. + +The primitive African faith seems to be that there is one Almighty +Maker of heaven and earth; that he has given the various plants of +earth to man to be employed as mediators between him and the spirit +world, where all who have ever been born and died continue to live; +that sin consists in offences against their fellow-men, either here +or among the departed, and that death is often a punishment of guilt, +such as witchcraft. Their idea of moral evil differs in no respect +from ours, but they consider themselves amenable only to inferior +beings, not to the Supreme. Evil-speaking--lying--hatred-- +disobedience to parents--neglect of them--are said by the intelligent +to have been all known to be sin, as well as theft, murder, or +adultery, before they knew aught of Europeans or their teaching. The +only new addition to their moral code is, that it is wrong to have +more wives than one. This, until the arrival of Europeans, never +entered into their minds even as a doubt. + +Everything not to be accounted for by common causes, whether of good +or evil, is ascribed to the Deity. Men are inseparably connected +with the spirits of the departed, and when one dies he is believed to +have joined the hosts of his ancestors. All the Africans we have met +with are as firmly persuaded of their future existence as of their +present life. And we have found none in whom the belief in the +Supreme Being was not rooted. He is so invariably referred to as the +Author of everything supernatural, that, unless one is ignorant of +their language, he cannot fail to notice this prominent feature of +their faith. When they pass into the unseen world, they do not seem +to be possessed with the fear of punishment. The utensils placed +upon the grave are all broken as if to indicate that they will never +be used by the departed again. The body is put into the grave in a +sitting posture, and the hands are folded in front. In some parts of +the country there are tales which we could translate into faint +glimmerings of a resurrection; but whether these fables, handed down +from age to age, convey that meaning to the natives themselves we +cannot tell. The true tradition of faith is asserted to be "though a +man die he will live again;" the false that when he dies he is dead +for ever. + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + + + +Important geographical discoveries in the Wabisa countries--Cruelty +of the slave-trade--The Mazitu--Serious illness of Dr. Livingstone-- +Return to the ship. + +In our course westwards, we at first passed over a gently undulating +country, with a reddish clayey soil, which, from the heavy crops, +appeared to be very fertile. Many rivulets were crossed, some +running southwards into the Bua, and others northwards into the +Loangwa, a river which we formerly saw flowing into the Lake. +Further on, the water was chiefly found in pools and wells. Then +still further, in the same direction, some watercourses were said to +flow into that same "Loangwa of the Lake," and others into the +Loangwa, which flows to the south-west, and enters the Zambesi at +Zumbo, and is here called the "Loangwa of the Maravi." The trees +were in general scraggy, and covered, exactly as they are in the damp +climate of the Coast, with lichens, resembling orchilla-weed. The +maize, which loves rather a damp soil, had been planted on ridges to +allow the superfluous moisture to run off. Everything indicated a +very humid climate, and the people warned us that, as the rains were +near, we were likely to be prevented from returning by the country +becoming flooded and impassable. + +Villages, as usual encircled by euphorbia hedges, were numerous, and +a great deal of grain had been cultivated around them. Domestic +fowls, in plenty, and pigeons with dovecots like those in Egypt were +seen. The people call themselves Matumboka, but the only difference +between them and the rest of the Manganja is in the mode of tattooing +the face. Their language is the same. Their distinctive mark +consists of four tattooed lines diverging from the point between the +eyebrows, which, in frowning, the muscles form into a furrow. The +other lines of tattooing, as in all Manganja, run in long seams, +which crossing each other at certain angles form a great number of +triangular spaces on the breast, back, arms, and thighs. The cuticle +is divided by a knife, and the edges of the incision are drawn apart +till the true skin appears. By a repetition of this process, lines +of raised cicatrices are formed, which are thought to give beauty, no +matter how much pain the fashion gives. + +It would not be worth while to advert for a moment to the routine of +travelling, or the little difficulties that beset every one who +attempts to penetrate into a new country, were it not to show the +great source of the power here possessed by slave-traders. We needed +help in carrying our goods, while our men were ill, though still able +to march. When we had settled with others for hire, we were often +told, that the dealers in men had taken possession of some, and had +taken them away altogether. Other things led us to believe that the +slave-traders carry matters with a high hand; and no wonder, for the +possession of gunpowder gives them almost absolute power. The mode +by which tribes armed with bows and arrows carry on warfare, or +defend themselves, is by ambuscade. They never come out in open +fight, but wait for the enemy ensconced behind trees, or in the long +grass of the country, and shoot at him unawares. Consequently, if +men come against them with firearms, when, as is usually the case, +the long grass is all burned off, the tribe attacked are as helpless +as a wooden ship, possessing only signal guns, would be before an +iron-clad steamer. The time of year selected for this kind of +warfare is nearly always that in which the grass is actually burnt +off, or is so dry as readily to take fire. The dry grass in Africa +looks more like ripe English wheat late in the autumn, than anything +else we can compare it to. Let us imagine an English village +standing in a field of this sort, bounded only by the horizon, and +enemies setting fire to a line of a mile or two, by running along +with bunches of burning straw in their hands, touching here and there +the inflammable material,--the wind blowing towards the doomed +village--the inhabitants with only one or two old muskets, but ten to +one no powder,--the long line of flames, leaping thirty feet into the +air with dense masses of black smoke--and pieces of charred grass +falling down in showers. Would not the stoutest English villager, +armed only with the bow and arrow against the enemy's musket, quail +at the idea of breaking through that wall of fire? When at a +distance, we once saw a scene like this, and had the charred grass, +literally as thick as flakes of black snow, falling around us, there +was no difficulty in understanding the secret of the slave-trader's +power. + +On the 21st of September, we arrived at the village of the chief +Muasi, or Muazi; it is surrounded by a stockade, and embowered in +very tall euphorbia-trees; their height, thirty or forty feet, shows +that it has been inhabited for at least one generation. A visitation +of disease or death causes the headmen to change the site of their +villages, and plant new hedges; but, though Muazi has suffered from +the attacks of the Mazitu, he has evidently clung to his birthplace. +The village is situated about two miles south-west of a high hill +called Kasungu, which gives the name to a district extending to the +Loangwa of the Maravi. Several other detached granite hills have +been shot up on the plain, and many stockaded villages, all owing +allegiance to Muazi, are scattered over it. + +On our arrival, the chief was sitting in the smooth shady place, +called Boalo, where all public business is transacted, with about two +hundred men and boys around him. We paid our guides with due +ostentation. Masiko, the tallest of our party, measured off the +fathom of cloth agreed upon, and made it appear as long as possible, +by facing round to the crowd, and cutting a few inches beyond what +his outstretched arms could reach, to show that there was no +deception. This was by way of advertisement. The people are +mightily gratified at having a tall fellow to measure the cloth for +them. It pleases them even better than cutting it by a tape-line-- +though very few men of six feet high can measure off their own length +with their outstretched arms. Here, where Arab traders have been, +the cubit called mokono, or elbow, begins to take the place of the +fathom in use further south. The measure is taken from the point of +the bent elbow to the end of the middle finger. + +We found, on visiting Muazi on the following day, that he was as +frank and straightforward as could reasonably be expected. He did +not wish us to go to the N.N.W., because he carries on a considerable +trade in ivory there. We were anxious to get off the slave route, to +people not visited before by traders; but Muazi naturally feared, +that if we went to what is said to be a well-watered country, +abounding in elephants, we might relieve him of the ivory which he +now obtains at a cheap rate, and sells to the slave-traders as they +pass Kasungu to the east; but at last he consented, warning us that +"great difficulty would be experienced in obtaining food--a district +had been depopulated by slave wars--and a night or two must be spent +in it; but he would give us good guides, who would go three days with +us, before turning, and then further progress must depend on +ourselves." Some of our men having been ill ever since we mounted +this highland plain, we remained two days with Muazi. + +A herd of fine cattle showed that no tsetse existed in the district. +They had the Indian hump, and were very fat, and very tame. The boys +rode on both cows and bulls without fear, and the animals were so fat +and lazy, that the old ones only made a feeble attempt to kick their +young tormentors. Muazi never milks the cows; he complained that, +but for the Mazitu having formerly captured some, he should now have +had very many. They wander over the country at large, and certainly +thrive. + +After leaving Muazi's, we passed over a flat country sparsely covered +with the scraggy upland trees, but brightened with many fine flowers. +The grass was short, reaching no higher than the knee, and growing in +tufts with bare spaces between, though the trees were draped with +many various lichens, and showed a moist climate. A high and very +sharp wind blew over the flats; its piercing keenness was not caused +by low temperature, for the thermometer stood at 80 degrees. + +We were now on the sources of the Loangwa of the Maravi, which enters +the Zambesi at Zumbo, and were struck by the great resemblance which +the boggy and sedgy streams here presented to the sources of the +Leeba, an affluent of the Zambesi formerly observed in Londa, and of +the Kasai, which some believe to be the principal branch of the Congo +or Zaire. + +We had taken pains to ascertain from the travelled Babisa and Arabs +as much as possible about the country in front, which, from the +lessening time we had at our disposal, we feared we could scarcely +reach, and had heard a good deal of a small lake called Bemba. As we +proceeded west, we passed over the sources not only of the Loangwa, +but of another stream, called Moitawa or Moitala, which was +represented to be the main feeder of Lake Bemba. This would be of +little importance, but for the fact that the considerable river +Luapula, or Loapula is said to flow out of Bemba to the westward, and +then to spread out into another and much larger lake, named Moero, or +Moelo. Flowing still further in the same direction, the Loapula +forms Lake Mofue, or Mofu, and after this it is said to pass the town +of Cazembe, bend to the north, and enter Lake Tanganyika. Whither +the water went after it entered the last lake, no one would venture +an assertion. But that the course indicated is the true watershed of +that part of the country, we believe from the unvarying opinion of +native travellers. There could be no doubt that our informants had +been in the country beyond Cazembe's, for they knew and described +chiefs whom we afterwards met about thirty-five or forty miles west +of his town. The Lualaba is said to flow into the Loapula--and when, +for the sake of testing the accuracy of the travelled, it was +asserted that all the water of the region round the town of Cazembe +flowed into the Luambadzi, or Luambezi (Zambesi), they remarked with +a smile, "He says, that the Loapula flows into the Zambesi--did you +ever hear such nonsense?" or words to that effect. We were forced to +admit, that according to native accounts, our previous impression of +the Zambesi's draining the country about Cazembe's had been a +mistake. Their geographical opinions are now only stated, without +any further comment than that the itinerary given by the Arabs and +others shows that the Loapula is twice crossed on the way to +Cazembe's; and we may add that we have never found any difficulty +from the alleged incapacity of the negro to tell which way a river +flows. + +The boiling-point of water showed a descent, from the edge of the +plateau to our furthest point west, of 170 feet; but this can only be +considered as an approximation, and no dependence could have been +placed on it, had we not had the courses of the streams to confirm +this rather rough mode of ascertaining altitudes. The slope, as +shown by the watershed, was to the "Loangwa of the Maravi," and +towards the Moitala, or south-west, west, and north-west. After we +leave the feeders of Lake Nyassa, the water drains towards the centre +of the continent. The course of the Kasai, a river seen during Dr. +Livingstone's journey to the West Coast, and its feeders was to the +north-east, or somewhat in the same direction. Whether the water +thus drained off finds its way out by the Congo, or by the Nile, has +not yet been ascertained. Some parts of the continent have been said +to resemble an inverted dinner-plate. This portion seems more of the +shape, if shape it has, of a wide-awake hat, with the crown a little +depressed. The altitude of the brim in some parts is considerable; +in others, as at Tette and the bottom of Murchison's Cataracts, it is +so small that it could be ascertained only by eliminating the daily +variations of the barometer, by simultaneous observations on the +Coast, and at points some two or three hundred miles inland. So long +as African rivers remain in what we may call the brim, they present +no obstructions; but no sooner do they emerge from the higher lands +than their utility is impaired by cataracts. The low lying belt is +very irregular. At times sloping up in the manner of the rim of an +inverted dinner-plate--while in other cases, a high ridge rises near +the sea, to be succeeded by a lower district inland before we reach +the central plateau. The breadth of the low lands is sometimes as +much as three hundred miles, and that breadth determines the limits +of navigation from the seaward. + +We made three long marches beyond Muazi's in a north-westerly +direction; the people were civil enough, but refused to sell us any +food. We were travelling too fast, they said; in fact, they were +startled, and before they recovered their surprise, we were obliged +to depart. We suspected that Muazi had sent them orders to refuse us +food, that we might thus be prevented from going into the depopulated +district; but this may have been mere suspicion, the result of our +own uncharitable feelings. + +We spent one night at Machambwe's village, and another at Chimbuzi's. +It is seldom that we can find the headman on first entering a +village. He gets out of the way till he has heard all about the +strangers, or he is actually out in the fields looking after his +farms. We once thought that when the headman came in from a visit of +inspection, with his spear, bow and arrows, they had been all taken +up for the occasion, and that he had all the while been hidden in +some hut slily watching till he heard that the strangers might be +trusted; but on listening to the details given by these men of the +appearances of the crops at different parts, and the astonishing +minuteness of the speakers' topography, we were persuaded that in +some cases we were wrong, and felt rather humiliated. Every knoll, +hill, mountain, and every peak on a range has a name; and so has +every watercourse, dell, and plain. In fact, every feature and +portion of the country is so minutely distinguished by appropriate +names, that it would take a lifetime to decipher their meaning. It +is not the want, but the superabundance of names that misleads +travellers, and the terms used are so multifarious that good scholars +will at times scarcely know more than the subject of conversation. +Though it is a little apart from the topic of the attention which the +headmen pay to agriculture, yet it may be here mentioned, while +speaking of the fulness of the language, that we have heard about a +score of words to indicate different varieties of gait--one walks +leaning forward, or backward, swaying from side to side, loungingly, +or smartly, swaggeringly, swinging the arms, or only one arm, head +down or up, or otherwise; each of these modes of walking was +expressed by a particular verb; and more words were used to designate +the different varieties of fools than we ever tried to count. + +Mr. Moffat has translated the whole Bible into the language of the +Bechuana, and has diligently studied this tongue for the last forty- +four-years; and, though knowing far more of the language than any of +the natives who have been reared on the Mission-station of Kuruman, +he does not pretend to have mastered it fully even yet. However +copious it may be in terms of which we do not feel the necessity, it +is poor in others, as in abstract terms, and words used to describe +mental operations. + +Our third day's march ended in the afternoon of the 27th September, +1863, at the village of Chinanga on the banks of a branch of the +Loangwa. A large, rounded mass of granite, a thousand feet high, +called Nombe rume, stand on the plain a few miles off. It is quite +remarkable, because it has so little vegetation on it. Several other +granitic hills stand near it, ornamented with trees, like most +heights of this country, and a heap of blue mountains appears away in +the north. + +The effect of the piercing winds upon the men had never been got rid +of. Several had been unable to carry a load ever since we ascended +to the highlands; we had lost one, and another poor lad was so ill as +to cause us great anxiety. By waiting in this village, which was so +old that it was full of vermin, all became worse. Our European food +was entirely expended, and native meal, though finely ground, has so +many sharp angular particles in it, that it brought back dysentery, +from which we had suffered so much in May. We could scarcely obtain +food for the men. The headman of this village of Chinanga was off in +a foray against some people further north to supply slaves to the +traders expected along the slave route we had just left; and was +said, after having expelled the inhabitants, to be living in their +stockade, and devouring their corn. The conquered tribe had +purchased what was called a peace by presenting the conqueror with +three women. + +This state of matters afforded us but a poor prospect of finding more +provisions in that direction than we could with great difficulty and +at enormous prices obtain here. But neither want of food, dysentery, +nor slave wars would have prevented our working our way round the +Lake in some other direction, had we had time; but we had received +orders from the Foreign Office to take the "Pioneer" down to the sea +in the previous April. The salaries of all the men in her were +positively "in any case to cease by the 31st of December." + +We were said to be only ten days' distant from Lake Bemba. We might +speculate on a late rise of the river. A month or six weeks would +secure a geographical feat, but the rains were near. We had been +warned by different people that the rains were close at hand, and +that we should then be bogged and unable to travel. The flood in the +river might be an early one, or so small in volume as to give but one +chance of the "Pioneer" descending to the ocean. The Makololo too +were becoming dispirited by sickness and want of food, and were +naturally anxious to be back to their fields in time for sowing. But +in addition to all this and more, it was felt that it would not be +dealing honestly with the Government, were we, for the sake of a +little eclat, to risk the detention of the "Pioneer" up the river +during another year; so we decided to return; and though we had +afterwards the mortification to find that we were detained two full +months at the ship waiting for the flood which we expected +immediately after our arrival there, the chagrin was lessened by a +consciousness of having acted in a fair, honest, above-board manner +throughout. + +On the night of the 29th of September a thief came to the sleeping- +place of our men and stole a leg of a goat. On complaining to the +deputy headman, he said that the thief had fled, but would be caught. +He suggested a fine, and offered a fowl and her eggs; but wishing +that the thief alone should be punished, it was advised that HE +should be found and fined. The Makololo thought it best to take the +fowl as a means of making the punishment certain. After settling +this matter on the last day of September, we commenced our return +journey. We had just the same time to go back to the ship, that we +had spent in coming to this point, and there is not much to interest +one in marching over the same ground a second time. + +While on our journey north-west, a cheery old woman, who had once +been beautiful, but whose white hair now contrasted strongly with her +dark complexion, was working briskly in her garden as we passed. She +seemed to enjoy a hale, hearty old age. She saluted us with what +elsewhere would be called a good address; and, evidently conscious +that she deserved the epithet, "dark but comely," answered each of us +with a frank "Yes, my child." Another motherly-looking woman, +sitting by a well, began the conversation by "You are going to visit +Muazi, and you have come from afar, have you not?" But in general +women never speak to strangers unless spoken to, so anything said by +them attracts attention. Muazi once presented us with a basket of +corn. On hinting that we had no wife to grind our corn, his buxom +spouse struck in with roguish glee, and said, "I will grind it for +you; and leave Muazi, to accompany and cook for you in the land of +the setting sun." As a rule the women are modest and retiring in +their demeanour, and, without being oppressed with toil, show a great +deal of industry. The crops need about eight months' attention. +Then when the harvest is home, much labour is required to convert it +into food as porridge, or beer. The corn is pounded in a large +wooden mortar, like the ancient Egyptian one, with a pestle six feet +long and about four inches thick. The pounding is performed by two +or even three women at one mortar. Each, before delivering a blow +with her pestle, gives an upward jerk of the body, so as to put +strength into the stroke, and they keep exact time, so that two +pestles are never in the mortar at the same moment. The measured +thud, thud, thud, and the women standing at their vigorous work, are +associations inseparable from a prosperous African village. By the +operation of pounding, with the aid of a little water, the hard +outside scale or husk of the grain is removed, and the corn is made +fit for the millstone. The meal irritates the stomach unless cleared +from the husk; without considerable energy in the operator, the husk +sticks fast to the corn. Solomon thought that still more vigour than +is required to separate the hard husk or bran from wheat would fail +to separate "a fool from his folly." "Though thou shouldst bray a +fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, YET will not his +foolishness depart from him." The rainbow, in some parts, is called +the "pestle of the Barimo," or gods. Boys and girls, by constant +practice with the pestle, are able to plant stakes in the ground by a +somewhat similar action, in erecting a hut, so deftly that they never +miss the first hole made. + +Let any one try by repeatedly jobbing a pole with all his force to +make a deep hole in the ground, and he will understand how difficult +it is always to strike it into the same spot. + +As we were sleeping one night outside a hut, but near enough to hear +what was going on within, an anxious mother began to grind her corn +about two o'clock in the morning. "Ma," inquired a little girl, "why +grind in the dark?" Mamma advised sleep, and administered material +for a sweet dream to her darling, by saying, "I grind meal to buy a +cloth from the strangers, which will make you look a little lady." +An observer of these primitive races is struck continually with such +little trivial touches of genuine human nature. + +The mill consists of a block of granite, syenite, or even mica +schist, fifteen or eighteen inches square and five or six thick, with +a piece of quartz or other hard rock about the size of a half brick, +one side of which has a convex surface, and fits into a concave +hollow in the larger and stationary stone. The workwoman kneeling, +grasps this upper millstone with both hands, and works it backwards +and forwards in the hollow of the lower millstone, in the same way +that a baker works his dough, when pressing it and pushing from him. +The weight of the person is brought to bear on the movable stone, and +while it is pressed and pushed forwards and backwards, one hand +supplies every now and then a little grain to be thus at first +bruised and then ground on the lower stone, which is placed on the +slope so that the meal when ground falls on to a skin or mat spread +for the purpose. This is perhaps the most primitive form of mill, +and anterior to that in oriental countries, where two women grind at +one mill, and may have been that used by Sarah of old when she +entertained the Angels. + +On 2nd October we applied to Muazi for guides to take us straight +down to Chinsamba's at Mosapo, and thus cut off an angle, which we +should otherwise make, by going back to Kota-kota Bay. He replied +that his people knew the short way to Chinsamba's that we desired to +go, but that they all were afraid to venture there, on account of the +Zulus, or Mazitu. We therefore started back on our old route, and, +after three hours' march, found some Babisa in a village who promised +to lead us to Chinsamba. + +We meet with these keen traders everywhere. They are easily known by +a line of horizontal cicatrices, each half an inch long, down the +middle of the forehead and chin. They often wear the hair collected +in a mass on the upper and back part of the head, while it is all +shaven off the forehead and temples. The Babisa and Waiau or Ajawa +heads have more of the round bullet-shape than those of the Manganja, +indicating a marked difference in character; the former people being +great traders and travellers, the latter being attached to home and +agriculture. The Manganja usually intrust their ivory to the Babisa +to be sold at the Coast, and complain that the returns made never +come up to the high prices which they hear so much about before it is +sent. In fact, by the time the Babisa return, the expenses of the +journey, in which they often spend a month or two at a place where +food abounds, usually eat up all the profits. + +Our new companions were trading in tobacco, and had collected +quantities of the round balls, about the size of nine pounder shot, +into which it is formed. One of them owned a woman, whose child had +been sold that morning for tobacco. The mother followed him, weeping +silently, for hours along the way we went; she seemed to be well +known, for at several hamlets, the women spoke to her with evident +sympathy; we could do nothing to alleviate her sorrow--the child +would be kept until some slave-trader passed, and then sold for +calico. The different cases of slave-trading observed by us are +mentioned, in order to give a fair idea of its details. + +We spent the first night, after leaving the slave route, at the +village of Nkoma, among a section of Manganja, called Machewa, or +Macheba, whose district extends to the Bua. + +The next village at which we slept was also that of a Manganja smith. +It was a beautiful spot, shaded with tall euphorbia-trees. The +people at first fled, but after a short time returned, and ordered us +off to a stockade of Babisa, about a mile distant. We preferred to +remain in the smooth shady spot outside the hamlet, to being pent up +in a treeless stockade. Twenty or thirty men came dropping in, all +fully armed with bows and arrows, some of them were at least six feet +four in height, yet these giants were not ashamed to say, "We thought +that you were Mazitu, and, being afraid, ran away." Their orders to +us were evidently inspired by terror, and so must the refusal of the +headman to receive a cloth, or lend us a hut have been; but as we +never had the opportunity of realizing what feelings a successful +invasion would produce, we did not know whether to blame them or not. +The headman, a tall old smith, with an enormous, well-made knife of +his own workmanship, came quietly round, and, inspecting the shelter, +which, from there being abundance of long grass and bushes near, our +men put up for us in half an hour, gradually changed his tactics, +and, in the evening, presented us with a huge pot of porridge and a +deliciously well-cooked fowl, and made an apology for having been so +rude to strangers, and a lamentation that he had been so foolish as +to refuse the fine cloth we had offered. Another cloth was of course +presented, and we had the pleasure of parting good friends next day. + +Our guide, who belonged to the stockade near to which we had slept, +declined to risk himself further than his home. While waiting to +hire another, Masiko attempted to purchase a goat, and had nearly +concluded the bargain, when the wife of the would-be seller came +forward, and said to her husband, "You appear as if you were +unmarried; selling a goat without consulting your wife; what an +insult to a woman! What sort of man are you?" Masiko urged the man, +saying, "Let us conclude the bargain, and never mind her;" but he +being better instructed, replied, "No, I have raised a host against +myself already," and refused. + +We now pushed on to the east, so as to get down to the shores of the +Lake, and into the parts where we were known. The country was +beautiful, well wooded, and undulating, but the villages were all +deserted; and the flight of the people seemed to have been quite +recent, for the grain was standing in the corn-safes untouched. The +tobacco, though ripe, remained uncut in the gardens, and the whole +country was painfully quiet: the oppressive stillness quite unbroken +by the singing of birds, or the shrill calls of women watching their +corn. + +On passing a beautiful village, called Bangwe, surrounded by shady +trees, and placed in a valley among mountains, we were admiring the +beauty of the situation, when some of the much dreaded Mazitu, with +their shields, ran out of the hamlet, from which we were a mile +distant. They began to scream to their companions to give us chase. +Without quickening our pace we walked on, and soon were in a wood, +through which the footpath we were following led. The first +intimation we had of the approaching Mazitu was given by the Johanna +man, Zachariah, who always lagged behind, running up, screaming as if +for his life. The bundles were all put in one place to be defended; +and Masiko and Dr. Livingstone walked a few paces back to meet the +coming foe. Masiko knelt down anxious to fire, but was ordered not +to do so. For a second or two dusky forms appeared among the trees, +and the Mazitu were asked, in their own tongue, "What do you want?" +Masiko adding, "What do you say?" No answer was given, but the dark +shade in the forest vanished. They had evidently taken us for +natives, and the sight of a white man was sufficient to put them to +flight. Had we been nearer the Coast, where the people are +accustomed to the slave-trade, we should have found this affair a +more difficult one to deal with; but, as a rule, the people of the +interior are much more mild in character than those on the confines +of civilization. + +The above very small adventure was all the danger we were aware of in +this journey; but a report was spread from the Portuguese villages on +the Zambesi, similar to several rumours that had been raised before, +that Dr. Livingstone had been murdered by the Makololo; and very +unfortunately the report reached England before it could be +contradicted. + +One benefit arose from the Mazitu adventure. Zachariah, and others +who had too often to be reproved for lagging behind, now took their +places in the front rank; and we had no difficulty in making very +long marches for several days, for all believed that the Mazitu would +follow our footsteps, and attack us while we slept. + +A party of Babisa tobacco-traders came from the N.W. to Molamba, +while we were there; and one of them asserted several times that the +Loapula, after emerging from Moelo, received the Lulua, and then +flowed into Lake Mofu, and thence into Tanganyika; and from the last- +named Lake into the sea. This is the native idea of the geography of +the interior; and, to test the general knowledge of our informant, we +asked him about our acquaintances in Londa; as Moene, Katema, Shinde +or Shinte, who live south-west of the rivers mentioned, and found +that our friends there were perfectly well-known to him and to others +of these travelled natives. In the evening two of the Babisa came +in, and reported that the Mazitu had followed us to the village +called Chigaragara, at which we slept at the bottom of the descent. +The whole party of traders set off at once, though the sun had set. +We ourselves had given rise to the report, for the women of +Chigaragara, supposing us in the distance to be Mazitu, fled, with +all their household utensils on their heads, and had no opportunity +afterwards of finding out their mistake. We spent the night where we +were, and next morning, declining Nkomo's entreaty to go and kill +elephants, took our course along the shores of the Lake southwards. + +We have only been at the Lake at one season of the year: then the +wind blows strongly from the east, and indeed this is its prevailing +direction hence to the Orange River; a north or a south wind is rare, +and seldom lasts more than three days. As the breeze now blew over a +large body of water, towards us, it was delightful; but when facing +it on the table-land it was so strong as materially to impede our +progress, and added considerably to the labour of travelling. Here +it brought large quantities of the plant (Vallisneriae), from which +the natives extract salt by burning, and which, if chewed, at once +shows its saline properties by the taste. Clouds of the kungo, or +edible midges, floated on the Lake, and many rested on the bushes on +land. + +The reeds along the shores of the Lake were still crowded with +fugitives, and a great loss of life must since have taken place; for, +after the corn they had brought with them was expended, famine would +ensue. Even now we passed many women and children digging up the +roots, about the size of peas, of an aromatic grass; and their wasted +forms showed that this poor hard fare was to allay, if possible, the +pangs of hunger. The babies at the breast crowed to us as we passed, +their mothers kneeling and grubbing for the roots; the poor little +things still drawing nourishment from the natural fountain were +unconscious of that sinking of heart which their parents must have +felt in knowing that the supply for the little ones must soon fail. +No one would sell a bit of food to us: fishermen, even, would not +part with the produce of their nets, except in exchange for some +other kind of food. Numbers of newly-made graves showed that many +had already perished, and hundreds were so emaciated that they had +the appearance of human skeletons swathed in brown and wrinkled +leather. In passing mile after mile, marked with these sad proofs +that "man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn," one +experiences an overpowering sense of helplessness to alleviate human +woe, and breathes a silent prayer to the Almighty to hasten the good +time coming when "man and man the world o'er, shall brothers be for +all that." One small redeeming consideration in all this misery +could not but be felt; these ills were inflicted by heathen Mazitu, +and not by, or for, those who say to Him who is higher than the +highest, "We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge." + +We crossed the Mokole, rested at Chitanda, and then left the Lake, +and struck away N.W. to Chinsamba's. Our companions, who were so +much oppressed by the rarefied air of the plateau, still showed signs +of exhaustion, though now only 1300 feet above the sea, and did not +recover flesh and spirits till we again entered the Lower Shire +Valley, which is of so small an altitude, that, without simultaneous +observations with the barometer there and on the sea-coast, the +difference would not be appreciable. + +On a large plain on which we spent one night, we had the company of +eighty tobacco traders on their way from Kasungu to Chinsamba's. The +Mazitu had attacked and killed two of them, near the spot where the +Zulus fled from us without answering our questions. The traders were +now so frightened that, instead of making a straight course with us, +they set off by night to follow the shores of the Lake to Tsenga, and +then turn west. It is the sight of shields, or guns that inspires +terror. The bowmen feel perfectly helpless when the enemy comes with +even the small protection the skin shield affords, or attacks them in +the open field with guns. They may shoot a few arrows, but they are +such poor shots that ten to one if they hit. The only thing that +makes the arrow formidable is the poison; for if the poisoned barb +goes in nothing can save the wounded. A bow is in use in the lower +end of Lake Nyassa, but is more common in the Maravi country, from +six to eight inches broad, which is intended to be used as a shield +as well as a bow; but we never saw one with the mark on it of an +enemy's arrow. It certainly is no match for the Zulu shield, which +is between four and five feet long, of an oval shape, and about two +feet broad. So great is the terror this shield inspires that we +sometimes doubted whether the Mazitu here were Zulus at all, and +suspected that the people of the country took advantage of that fear, +and, assuming shields, pretended to belong to that nation. + +On the 11th October we arrived at the stockade of Chinsamba in +Mosapo, and had reason to be very well satisfied with his kindness. +A paraffin candle was in his eyes the height of luxury, and the +ability to make a light instantaneously by a lucifer match, a marvel +that struck him with wonder. He brought all his relatives in +different groups to see the strange sights,--instantaneous fire- +making, and a light, without the annoyance of having fire and smoke +in the middle of the floor. When they wish to look for anything in +the dark, a wisp of dried grass is lighted. + +Chinsamba gave us a great deal of his company during our visits. As +we have often remarked in other cases, a chief has a great deal to +attend to in guiding the affairs of his people. He is consulted on +all occasions, and gives his advice in a stream of words, which show +a very intimate acquaintance with the topography of his district; he +knows every rood cultivated, every weir put in the river, every +hunting-net, loom, gorge, and every child of his tribe. Any addition +made to the number of these latter is notified to him; and he sends +thanks and compliments to the parents. + +The presents which, following the custom of the country, we gave to +every headman, where we either spent a night or a longer period, +varied from four to eight yards of calico. We had some Manchester +cloths made in imitation of the native manufactured robes of the West +Coast, each worth five or six shillings. To the more important of +the chiefs, for calico we substituted one of these strong gaudy +dresses, iron spoons, a knife, needles, a tin dish, or pannikin, and +found these presents to be valued more than three times their value +in cloth would have been. Eight or ten shillings' worth gave +abundant satisfaction to the greediest; but this is to be understood +as the prime cost of the articles, and a trader would sometimes have +estimated similar generosity as equal to from 30 to 50 pounds. In +some cases the presents we gave exceeded the value of what was +received in return; in others the excess of generosity was on the +native side. + +We never asked for leave to pass through the country; we simply told +where we were going, and asked for guides; if they were refused, or +if they demanded payment beforehand, we requested to be put into the +beginning of the path, and said that we were sorry we could not agree +about the guides, and usually they and we started together. Greater +care would be required on entering the Mazitu or Zulu country, for +there the Government extends over very large districts, while among +the Manganja each little district is independent of every other. The +people here have not adopted the exacting system of the Banyai, or of +the people whose country was traversed by Speke and Grant. + +In our way back from Chinsamba's to Chembi's and from his village to +Nkwinda's, and thence to Katosa's, we only saw the people working in +their gardens, near to the stockades. These strongholds were +strengthened with branches of acacias, covered with strong hooked +thorns; and were all crowded with people. The air was now clearer +than when we went north, and we could see the hills of Kirk's Range +five or six miles to the west of our path. The sun struck very hot, +and the men felt it most in their feet. Every one who could get a +bit of goatskin made it into a pair of sandals. + +While sitting at Nkwinda's, a man behind the court hedge-wall said, +with great apparent glee, that an Arab slaving party on the other +side of the confluence of the Shire and Lake were "giving readily two +fathoms of calico for a boy, and two and a half for a girl; never saw +trade so brisk, no haggling at all." This party was purchasing for +the supply of the ocean slave-trade. One of the evils of this +traffic is that it profits by every calamity that happens in a +country. The slave-trader naturally reaps advantage from every +disorder, and though in the present case some lives may have been +saved that otherwise would have perished, as a rule he intensifies +hatreds, and aggravates wars between the tribes, because the more +they fight and vanquish each other the richer his harvest becomes. +Where slaving and cattle are unknown the people live in peace. As we +sat leaning against that hedge, and listened to the harangue of the +slave-trader's agent, it glanced across our mind that this was a +terrible world; the best in it unable, from conscious imperfections, +to say to the worst "Stand by! for I am holier than thou." The +slave-trader, imbued no doubt with certain kindly feelings, yet +pursuing a calling which makes him a fair specimen of a human fiend, +stands grouped with those by whom the slave-traders are employed, and +with all the workers of sin and misery in more highly-favoured lands, +an awful picture to the All-seing Eye. + +We arrived at Katosa's village on the 15th October, and found about +thirty young men and boys in slave-sticks. They had been bought by +other agents of the Arab slavers, still on the east side of the +Shire. They were resting in the village, and their owners soon +removed them. The weight of the goree seemed very annoying when they +tried to sleep. This taming instrument is kept on, until the party +has crossed several rivers and all hope of escape has vanished from +the captive's mind. + +On explaining to Katosa the injury he was doing in selling his people +as slaves, he assured us that those whom we had seen belonged to the +Arabs, and added that he had far too few people already. He said he +had been living in peace at the lakelet Pamalombe; that the Ajawa, or +Machinga, under Kainka and Karamba, and a body of Babisa, under +Maonga, had induced him to ferry them over the Shire; that they had +lived for a considerable time at his expense, and at last stole his +sheep, which induced him to make his escape to the place where he now +dwelt, and in this flight he had lost many of his people. His +account of the usual conduct of the Ajawa quite agrees with what +these people have narrated themselves, and gives but a low idea of +their moral tone. They have repeatedly broken all the laws of +hospitality by living for months on the bounty of the Manganja, and +then, by a sudden uprising, overcoming their hosts, and killing or +chasing them out of their inheritances. The secret of their success +is the possession of firearms. There were several of these Ajawa +here again, and on our arrival they proposed to Katosa that they +should leave; but he replied that they need not be afraid of us. +They had red beads strung so thickly on their hair that at a little +distance they appeared to have on red caps. It is curious that the +taste for red hair should be so general among the Africans here and +further north; in the south black mica, called Sebilo, and even soot +are used to deepen the colour of the hair; here many smear the head +with red-ochre, others plait the inner bark of a tree stained red +into it; and a red powder called Mukuru is employed, which some say +is obtained from the ground, and others from the roots of a tree. + +It having been doubted whether sugar-cane is indigenous to this +country or not, we employed Katosa to procure the two varieties +commonly cultivated, with the intention of conveying them to Johanna. +One is yellow, and the other, like what we observed in the Barotse +Valley, is variegated with dark red and yellow patches, or all red. +We have seen it "arrow," or blossom. Bamboos also run to seed, and +the people are said to use the seed as food. The sugar-cane has +native names, which would lead us to believe it to be indigenous. +Here it is called Zimbi, further south Mesari, and in the centre of +the country Meshuati. Anything introduced in recent times, as maize, +superior cotton, or cassava, has a name implying its foreign origin. + +Katosa's village was embowered among gigantic trees of fine timber: +several caffiaceous bushes, with berries closely resembling those of +the common coffee, grew near, but no use had ever been made of them. +There are several cinchonaceous trees also in the country; and some +of the wild fruits are so good as to cause a feeling of regret that +they have not been improved by cultivation, or whatever else brought +ours to their present perfection. Katosa lamented that this locality +was so inferior to his former place at Pamalombe; there he had maize +at the different stages of growth throughout the year. To us, +however, he seemed, by digging holes, and taking advantage of the +moisture beneath, to have succeeded pretty well in raising crops at +this the driest time. The Makololo remarked that "here the maize had +no season,"--meaning that the whole year was proper for its growth +and ripening. By irrigation a succession of crops of grain might be +raised anywhere within the south intertropical region of Africa. + +When we were with Motunda, on the 20th October, he told us frankly +that all the native provisions were hidden in Kirk's Range, and his +village being the last place where a supply of grain could be +purchased before we reached the ship, we waited till he had sent to +his hidden stores. The upland country, beyond the mountains now on +our right, is called Deza, and is inhabited by Maravi, who are only +another tribe of Manganja. The paramount chief is called Kabambe, +and he, having never been visited by war, lives in peace and plenty. +Goats and sheep thrive; and Nyango, the chieftainess further to the +south, has herds of horned cattle. The country being elevated is +said to be cold, and there are large grassy plains on it which are +destitute of trees. The Maravi are reported to be brave, and good +marksmen with the bow; but, throughout all the country we have +traversed, guns are enabling the trading tribes to overcome the +agricultural and manufacturing classes. + +On the ascent at the end of the valley just opposite Mount Mvai, we +looked back for a moment to impress the beauties of the grand vale on +our memory. The heat of the sun was now excessive, and Masiko, +thinking that it was overpowering, proposed to send forward to the +ship and get a hammock, in which to carry any one who might knock up. +He was truly kind and considerate. Dr. Livingstone having fallen +asleep after a fatiguing march, a hole in the roof of the hut he was +in allowed the sun to beat on his head, and caused a splitting +headache and deafness: while he was nearly insensible, he felt +Masiko repeatedly lift him back to the bed off which he had rolled, +and cover him up. + +On the 24th we were again in Banda, at the village of Chasundu, and +could now see clearly the hot valley in which the Shire flows, and +the mountains of the Manganja beyond to our south-east. Instead of +following the road by which we had come, we resolved to go south +along the Lesungwe, which rises at Zunje, a peak on the same ridge as +Mvai, and a part of Kirk's Range, which bounds the country of the +Maravi on our west. This is about the limit of the beat of the +Portuguese native traders, and it is but recently that, following our +footsteps, they have come so far. It is not likely that their +enterprise will lead them further north, for Chasundu informed us +that the Babisa under-sell the agents from Tette. He had tried to +deal with the latter when they first came; but they offered only ten +fathoms of calico for a tusk, for which the Babisa gave him twenty +fathoms and a little powder. Ivory was brought to us for sale again +and again, and, as far as we could judge, the price expected would be +about one yard of calico per pound, or possibly more, for there is no +scale of prices known. The rule seems to be that buyer and seller +shall spend a good deal of time in trying to cheat each other before +coming to any conclusion over a bargain. + +We found the Lesungwe a fine stream near its source, and about forty +feet wide and knee-deep, when joined by the Lekudzi, which comes down +from the Maravi country. + +Guinea-fowl abounded, but no grain could be purchased, for the people +had cultivated only the holmes along the banks with maize and +pumpkins. Time enough had not elapsed since the slave-trader's +invasion, and destruction of their stores, for them to raise crops of +grain on the adjacent lands. To deal with them for a few heads of +maize was the hungry bargaining with the famished, so we hastened on +southwards as fast as the excessive heat would allow us. It was +impossible to march in the middle of the day, the heat was so +intolerable; and we could not go on at night, because, if we had +chanced to meet any of the inhabitants, we should have been taken for +marauders. + +We had now thunder every afternoon; but while occasional showers +seemed to fall at different parts, none fell on us. The air was +deliciously clear, and revealed all the landscape covered everywhere +with forest, and bounded by beautiful mountains. On the 31st October +we reached the Mukuru-Madse, after having travelled 660 geographical +miles, or 760 English miles in a straight line. This was +accomplished in fifty-five travelling days, twelve miles per diem on +an average. If the numerous bendings and windings, and ups and downs +of the paths could have been measured too, the distance would have +been found at least fifteen miles a day. + +The night we slept at the Mukuru-Madse it thundered heavily, but, as +this had been the case every afternoon, and no rain had followed, we +erected no shelter, but during this night a pouring rain came on. +When very tired a man feels determined to sleep in spite of +everything, and the sound of dropping water is said to be conducive +to slumber, but that does not refer to an African storm. If, when +half asleep in spite of a heavy shower on the back of the head, he +unconsciously turns on his side, the drops from the branches make +such capital shots into his ear, that the brain rings again. + +We were off next morning, the 1st of November, as soon as the day +dawned. In walking about seven miles to the ship, our clothes were +thoroughly dried by the hot sun, and an attack of fever followed. We +relate this little incident to point out the almost certain +consequence of getting wet in this climate, and allowing the clothes +to dry on the person. Even if we walk in the mornings when the dew +is on the grass, and only get our feet and legs wet, a very uneasy +feeling and partial fever with pains in the limbs ensue, and continue +till the march onwards bathes them in perspiration. Had Bishop +Mackenzie been aware of this, which, before experience alone had +taught us, entailed many a severe lesson, we know no earthly reason +why his valuable life might not have been spared. The difference +between getting the clothes soaked in England and in Africa is this: +in the cold climate the patient is compelled, or, at any rate, +warned, by discomfort to resort at once to a change of raiment; while +in Africa it is cooling and rather pleasant to allow the clothes to +dry on the person. A Missionary in proportion as he possesses an +athletic frame, hardened by manly exercises, in addition to his other +qualifications, will excel him who is not favoured with such bodily +endowments; but in a hot climate efficiency mainly depends on +husbanding the resources. He must never forget that, in the tropics, +he is an exotic plant. + + + +CHAPTER XV. + + + +Confidence of natives--Bishop Tozer--Withdrawal of the Mission party- +-The English leave--Hazardous voyage to Mosambique--Dr. Livingstone's +voyage to Bombay--Return to England. + +We were delighted and thankful to find all those left at the ship in +good health, and that from the employments in which they had been +occupied they had suffered less from fever than usual during our +absence. My companion, Thomas Ward, the steward, after having +performed his part in the march right bravely, rejoined his comrades +stronger than he had ever been before. + +An Ajawa chief, named Kapeni, had so much confidence in the English +name that he, with most of his people, visited the ship; and asserted +that nothing would give his countrymen greater pleasure than to +receive the associates of Bishop Mackenzie as their teachers. This +declaration, coupled with the subsequent conduct of the Ajawa, was +very gratifying, inasmuch as it was clear that no umbrage had been +taken at the check which the Bishop had given to their slaving; their +consciences had told them that the course he had pursued was right. + +When we returned, the contrast between the vegetation about Muazi's +and that near the ship was very striking. We had come so quickly +down, that while on the plateau in latitude 12 degrees S., the young +leaves had in many cases passed from the pink or other colour they +have on first coming out to the light fresh green which succeeds it, +here, on the borders of 16 degrees S., or from 150 to 180 miles +distant, the trees were still bare, the grey colour of the bark +predominating over every other hue. The trees in the tropics here +have a very well-marked annual rest. On the Rovuma even, which is +only about ten degrees from the equator, in September the slopes up +from the river some sixty miles inland were of a light ashy-grey +colour; and on ascending them, we found that the majority of the +trees were without leaves; those of the bamboo even lay crisp and +crumpled on the ground. As the sun is usually hot by day, even in +the winter, this withering process may be owing to the cool nights; +Africa differing so much from Central India in the fact that, in +Africa, however hot the day may be, the air generally cools down +sufficiently by the early morning watches to render a covering or +even a blanket agreeable. + +The first fortnight after our return to the ship was employed in the +delightful process of resting, to appreciate which a man must have +gone through great exertions. In our case the muscles of the limbs +were as hard as boards, and not an ounce of fat existed on any part +of the body. We now had frequent showers; but, these being only the +earlier rains, the result on the rise of the river was but a few +inches. The effect of these rains on the surrounding scenery was +beautiful in the extreme. All trace of the dry season was soon +obliterated, and hills and mountains from base to summit were covered +with a mantle of living green. The sun passed us on his way south +without causing a flood, so all our hopes of a release were centred +on his return towards the Equator, when, as a rule, the waters of +inundation are made to flow. Up to this time the rains descended +simply to water the earth, fill the pools, and make ready for the +grand overflow for which we had still to wait six weeks. It is of no +use to conceal that we waited with much chagrin; for had we not been +forced to return from the highlands west of Nyassa we might have +visited Lake Bemba; but unavailing regrets are poor employment for +the mind; so we banished them to the best of our power. + +About the middle of December, 1863, we were informed that Bishop +Mackenzie's successor, after spending a few months on the top of a +mountain about as high as Ben Nevis in Scotland, at the mouth of the +Shire, where there were few or no people to be taught, had determined +to leave the country. This unfortunate decision was communicated to +us at the same time that six of the boys reared by Bishop Mackenzie +were sent back into heathenism. The boys were taken to a place about +seven miles from the ship, but immediately found their way up to us. +We told them that if they wished to remain in the country they had +better so arrange at once, for we were soon to leave. The sequel +will show their choice. + +As soon as the death of Bishop Mackenzie was known at the Cape, Dr. +Gray, the excellent Bishop there, proceeded at once to England, with +a view of securing an early appointment of another head to the +Mission, which in its origin owed so much to his zeal for the spread +of the gospel among the heathen, and whose interests he had +continually at heart. About the middle of 1862 we heard that Dr. +Gray's efforts had been successful, and that another clergyman would +soon take the place of our departed friend. This pleasing +intelligence was exceedingly cheering to the Missionaries, and +gratifying also to the members of the Expedition. About the +beginning of 1863 the new Bishop arrived at the mouth of the river in +a man-of-war, and after some delay proceeded inland. The Bishop of +the Cape had taken a voyage home at considerable inconvenience to +himself, for the sole object of promoting this Mission to the +heathen; and it was somehow expected that the man he would secure +would be an image of himself; and we must say, that whatever others, +from the representations that have gone abroad, may think of his +character, we invariably found Dr. Gray to be a true, warm-hearted +promoter of the welfare of his fellow-men; a man whose courage and +zeal have provoked very many to good works. + +It was hoped that the presence of a new head to the Mission would +infuse new energy and life into the small band of Missionaries, whose +ranks had been thinned by death; and who, though discouraged by the +disasters which the slave war and famine had induced, and also +dispirited by the depressing influences of a low and unhealthy +position in the swampy Shire Valley, were yet bravely holding out +till the much-needed moral and material aid should arrive. + +We believe that we are uttering the sentiments of many devout members +of different sections of Christians, when we say, it was a pity that +the Mission of the Universities was abandoned. The ground had been +consecrated in the truest sense by the lives of those brave men who +first occupied it. In bare justice to Bishop Mackenzie, who was the +first to fall, it must be said, that the repudiation of all he had +done, and the sudden abandonment of all that had cost so much life +and money to secure, was a serious line of conduct for one so +unversed in Missionary operations as his successor, to inaugurate. +It would have been no more than fair that Bishop Tozer, before +winding up the affairs of the Mission, should actually have examined +the highlands of the Upper Shire; he would thus have gratified the +associates of his predecessor, who believed that the highlands had +never had a fair trial, and he would have gained from personal +observation a more accurate knowledge of the country and the people +than he could possibly have become possessed of by information +gathered chiefly on the coast. With this examination, rather than +with a stay of a few months on the humid, dripping top of misty +Morambala, we should have felt much more satisfied. + +In January, 1864, the natives all confidently asserted that at next +full moon the river would have its great and permanent flood. It had +several times risen as much as a foot, but fell again as suddenly. +It was curious that their observation coincided exactly with ours, +that the flood of inundation happens when the sun comes overhead on +his way back to the Equator. We mention this more minutely because, +from the observation of several years, we believe that in this way +the inundation of the Nile is to be explained. On the 19th the Shire +suddenly rose several feet, and we started at once; and stopping only +for a short time at Chibisa's to bid adieu to the Ajawa and Makololo, +who had been extremely useful to us of late in supplying maize and +fresh provisions, we hastened on our way to the ocean. In order to +keep a steerage way on the "Pioneer," we had to go quicker than the +stream, and unfortunately carried away her rudder in passing suddenly +round a bank. The delay required for the repairs prevented our +reaching Morambala till the 2nd of February. + +The flood-water ran into a marsh some miles above the mountain, and +became as black as ink; and when it returned again to the river +emitted so strong an effluvium of sulphuretted hydrogen, that one +could not forget for an instant that the air was most offensive. The +natives said this stench did not produce disease. We spent one night +in it, and suffered no ill effects, though we fully expected an +attack of fever. Next morning every particle of white paint on both +ships was so deeply blackened, that it could not be cleaned by +scrubbing with soap and water. The brass was all turned to a bronze +colour, and even the iron and ropes had taken a new tint. This is an +additional proof that malaria and offensive effluvia are not always +companions. We did not suffer more from fever in the mangrove +swamps, where we inhaled so much of the heavy mousey smell that it +was distinguishable in the odour of our shirts and flannels, than we +did elsewhere. + +We tarried in the foul and blackening emanations from the marsh +because we had agreed to receive on board about thirty poor orphan +boys and girls, and a few helpless widows whom Bishop Mackenzie had +attached to his Mission. All who were able to support themselves had +been encouraged by the Missionaries to do so by cultivating the +ground, and they now formed a little free community. But the boys +and girls who were only from seven to twelve years of age, and +orphans without any one to help them, could not be abandoned without +bringing odium on the English name. The effect of an outcry by some +persons in England, who knew nothing of the circumstances in which +Bishop Mackenzie was placed, and who certainly had not given up their +own right of appeal to the sword of the magistrate, was, that the new +head of the Mission had gone to extremes in the opposite direction +from his predecessor; not even protesting against the one monstrous +evil of the country, the slave-trade. We believed that we ought to +leave the English name in the same good repute among the natives that +we had found it; and in removing the poor creatures, who had lived +with Mackenzie as children with a father, to a land where the +education he began would be completed, we had the aid and sympathy of +the best of the Portuguese, and of the whole population. The +difference between shipping slaves and receiving these free orphans +struck us as they came on board. As soon as permission to embark was +given, the rush into the boat nearly swamped her--their eagerness to +be safe on the "Pioneer's" deck had to be repressed. + +Bishop Tozer had already left for Quillimane when we took these +people and the last of the Universities' Missionaries on board and +proceeded to the Zambesi. It was in high flood. We have always +spoken of this river as if at its lowest, for fear lest we should +convey an exaggerated impression of its capabilities for navigation. +Instead of from five to fifteen feet, it was now from fifteen to +thirty feet, or more, deep. All the sandbanks and many of the +islands had disappeared, and before us rolled a river capable, as one +of our naval friends thought, of carrying a gunboat. Some of the +sandy islands are annually swept away, and the quantities of sand +carried down are prodigious. + +The process by which a delta, extending eighty or one hundred miles +from the sea, has been formed may be seen going on at the present +day--the coarser particles of sand are driven out into the ocean, +just in the same way as we see they are over banks in the beds of +torrents. The finer portions are caught by the returning tide, and, +accumulating by successive ebbs and flows, become, with the decaying +vegetation, arrested by the mangrove roots. The influence of the +tide in bringing back the finer particles gives the sea near the +mouth of the Zambesi a clean and sandy bottom. This process has been +going on for ages, and as the delta has enlarged eastwards, the river +has always kept a channel for itself behind. Wherever we see an +island all sand, or with only one layer of mud in it, we know it is +one of recent formation, and that it may be swept away at any time by +a flood; while those islands which are all of mud are the more +ancient, having in fact existed ever since the time when the ebbing +and flowing tides originally formed them as parts of the delta. This +mud resists the action of the river wonderfully. It is a kind of +clay on which the eroding power of water has little effect. Were +maps made, showing which banks and which islands are liable to +erosion, it would go far to settle where the annual change of the +channel would take place; and, were a few stakes driven in year by +year to guide the water in its course, the river might be made of +considerable commercial value in the hands of any energetic European +nation. No canal or railway would ever be thought of for this part +of Africa. A few improvements would make the Zambesi a ready means +of transit for all the trade that, with a population thinned by +Portuguese slaving, will ever be developed in our day. Here there is +no instance on record of the natives flocking in thousands to the +colony, as they did at Natal, and even to the Arabs on Lake Nyassa. +This keeping aloof renders it unlikely that in Portuguese hands the +Zambesi will ever be of any more value to the world than it has been. + +After a hurried visit to Senna, in order to settle with Major Sicard +and Senhor Ferrao for supplies we had drawn thence after the +depopulation of the Shire, we proceeded down to the Zambesi's mouth, +and were fortunate in meeting, on the 13th February, with H.M.S. +"Orestes." She was joined next day by H.M.S. "Ariel." The "Orestes" +took the "Pioneer," and the "Ariel" the "Lady Nyassa" in tow, for +Mosambique. On the 16th a circular storm proved the sea-going +qualities of the "Lady of the Lake;" for on this day a hurricane +struck the "Ariel," and drove her nearly backwards at a rate of six +knots. The towing hawser wound round her screw and stopped her +engines. No sooner had she recovered from this shock than she was +again taken aback on the other tack, and driven stem on towards the +"Lady Nyassa's" broadside. We who were on board the little vessel +saw no chance of escape unless the crew of the "Ariel" should think +of heaving ropes when the big ship went over us; but she glided past +our bow, and we breathed freely again. We had now an opportunity of +witnessing man-of-war seamanship. Captain Chapman, though his +engines were disabled, did not think of abandoning us in the heavy +gale, but crossed the bows of the "Lady Nyassa" again and again, +dropping a cask with a line by which to give us another hawser. We +might never have picked it up, had not a Krooman jumped overboard and +fastened a second line to the cask; and then we drew the hawser on +board, and were again in tow. During the whole time of the hurricane +the little vessel behaved admirably, and never shipped a single green +sea. When the "Ariel" pitched forwards we could see a large part of +her bottom, and when her stern went down we could see all her deck. +A boat, hung at her stern davits, was stove in by the waves. The +officers on board the "Ariel" thought that it was all over with us: +we imagined that they were suffering more than we were. Nautical men +may suppose that this was a serious storm only to landsmen; but the +"Orestes," which was once in sight, and at another time forty miles +off during the same gale, split eighteen sails; and the "Pioneer" had +to be lightened of parts of a sugar-mill she was carrying; her round- +house was washed away, and the cabin was frequently knee-deep in +water. When the "Orestes" came into Mosambique harbour nine days +after our arrival there, our vessel, not being anchored close to the +"Ariel," for we had run in under the lee of the fort, led to the +surmise on board the "Orestes" that we had gone to the bottom. +Captain Chapman and his officers pronounced the "Lady Nyassa" to be +the finest little sea-boat they had ever seen. She certainly was a +contrast to the "Ma-Robert," and did great credit to her builders, +Ted and Macgregor of Glasgow. We can but regret that she was not +employed on the Lake after which she was named, and for which she was +intended and was so well adapted. + +What struck us most, during the trip from the Zambesi to Mosambique, +was the admirable way in which Captain Chapman handled the "Ariel" in +the heavy sea of the hurricane; the promptitude and skill with which, +when we had broken three hawsers, others were passed to us by the +rapid evolutions of a big ship round a little one; and the ready +appliance of means shown in cutting the hawser off the screw nine +feet under water with long chisels made for the occasion; a task +which it took three days to accomplish. Captain Chapman very kindly +invited us on board the "Ariel," and we accepted his hospitality +after the weather had moderated. + +The little vessel was hauled through and against the huge seas with +such force that two hawsers measuring eleven inches each in +circumference parted. Many of the blows we received from the billows +made every plate quiver from stem to stern, and the motion was so +quick that we had to hold on continually to avoid being tossed from +one side to the other or into the sea. Ten of the late Bishop's +flock whom we had on board became so sick and helpless that do what +we could to aid them they were so very much in the way that the idea +broke in upon us, that the close packing resorted to by slavers is +one of the necessities of the traffic. If this is so, it would +account for the fact that even when the trade was legal the same +injurious custom was common, if not universal. If, instead of ten +such passengers, we had been carrying two hundred, with the wind +driving the rain and spray, as by night it did, nearly as hard as +hail against our faces, and nothing whatever to be seen to windward +but the occasional gleam of the crest of a wave, and no sound heard +save the whistling of the storm through the rigging, it would have +been absolutely necessary for the working of the ship and safety of +the whole that the live cargo should all have been stowed down below, +whatever might have been the consequences. + +Having delivered the "Pioneer" over to the Navy, she was towed down +to the Cape by Captain Forsyth of the "Valorous," and after +examination it was declared that with repairs to the amount of 300 +pounds she would be as serviceable as ever. Those of the Bishop's +flock whom we had on board were kindly allowed a passage to the Cape. +The boys went in the "Orestes," and we are glad of the opportunity to +record our heartfelt thanks to Captains Forsyth, Gardner, and Chapman +for rendering us, at various times, every aid in their power. Mr. +Waller went in the "Pioneer," and continued his generous services to +all connected with the Mission, whether white or black, till they +were no longer needed; and we must say that his conduct to them +throughout was truly noble, and worthy of the highest praise. + +After beaching the "Lady Nyassa" at Caboceira, opposite the house of +a Portuguese gentleman well known to all Englishmen, Joao da Costa +Soares, we put in brine cocks, and cleaned and painted her bottom. +Mr. Soares appeared to us to have been very much vilified in a +publication in England a few years ago; our experience proved him to +be extremely kind and obliging. All the members of the Expedition +who passed Mosambique were unanimous in extolling his generosity and, +from the general testimony of English visitors in his favour, we very +much regret that his character was so grievously misrepresented. To +the authorities at Mosambique our thanks are also due for obliging +accommodation; and though we differ entirely from the Portuguese +officials as to the light in which we regard the slave-trade, we +trust our exposure of the system, in which unfortunately they are +engaged, will not be understood as indicating any want of kindly +feeling and good will to them personally. Senhor Canto e Castro, who +arrived at Mosambique two days after our departure to take the office +of Governor-General, was well known to us in Angola. We lived two +months in his house when he was Commandant of Golungo Alto; and, +knowing him thoroughly, believe that no better man could have been +selected for the office. We trust that his good principles may +enable him to withstand the temptations of his position; but we +should be sorry to have ours tried in a den of slave-traders with the +miserable pittance he receives for his support. + +While at Mosambique, a species of Pedalia called by Mr. Soares +Dadeleira, and by the natives--from its resemblance to Gerzilin, or +sesamum--"wild sesamum," was shown to us, and is said to be well +known among native nurses as a very gentle and tasteless aperient for +children. A few leaves of it are stirred in a cup of cold water for +eight or nine seconds, and a couple of teaspoonfuls of the liquid +given as a dose. The leaves form a sort of mucilage in the water by +longer stirring, which is said to have diuretic properties besides. + +On the 16th April we steamed out from Mosambique; and, the currents +being in our favour, in a week reached Zanzibar. Here we experienced +much hospitality from our countrymen, and especially from Dr. Seward, +then acting consul and political agent for Colonel Playfair. + +Dr. Seward was very doubtful if we could reach Bombay before what is +called the break of the monsoon took place. This break occurs +usually between the end of May and the 12th of June. The wind still +blows from Africa to India, but with so much violence, and with such +a murky atmosphere, that few or no observations for position can be +taken. We were, however, at the time very anxious to dispose of the +"Lady Nyassa," and, the only market we could reach being Bombay, we +resolved to run the risk of getting there before the stormy period +commenced; and, after taking fourteen tons of coal on board, we +started on the 30th April from Zanzibar. + +Our complement consisted of seven native Zambesians, two boys, and +four Europeans; namely, one stoker, one sailor, one carpenter, whose +names have been already mentioned, and Dr. Livingstone, as navigator. +The "Lady Nyassa" had shown herself to be a good sea-boat. The +natives had proved themselves capital sailors, though before +volunteering not one of them had ever seen the sea. They were not +picked men, but, on paying a dozen whom we had in our employment for +fifteen months, they were taken at random from several hundreds who +offered to accompany us. Their wages were ten shillings per mensem, +and it was curious to observe, that so eager were they to do their +duty, that only one of them lay down from sea-sickness during the +whole voyage. They took in and set sail very cleverly in a short +time, and would climb out along a boom, reeve a rope through the +block, and come back with the rope in their teeth, though at each +lurch the performer was dipped in the sea. The sailor and carpenter, +though anxious to do their utmost, had a week's severe illness each, +and were unfit for duty. + +It is pleasant enough to take the wheel for an hour or two, or even +for a watch, but when it comes to be for every alternate four hours, +it is utterly wearisome. We set our black men to steer, showing them +which arm of the compass needle was to be kept towards the vessel's +head, and soon three of them could manage very well, and they only +needed watching. In going up the East Coast to take advantage of the +current of one hundred miles a day, we would fain have gone into the +Juba or Webbe River, the mouth of which is only 15 minutes south of +the line, but we were too shorthanded. We passed up to about ten +degrees north of the Equator, and then steamed out from the coast. +Here Maury's wind chart showed that the calm-belt had long been +passed, but we were in it still; and, instead of a current carrying +us north, we had a contrary current which bore us every day four +miles to the south. We steamed as long as we dared, knowing as we +did that we must use the engines on the coast of India. + +After losing many days tossing on the silent sea, with innumerable +dolphins, flying-fish, and sharks around us, we had six days of +strong breezes, then calms again tried our patience; and the near +approach of that period, "the break of the monsoon," in which it was +believed no boat could live, made us sometimes think our epitaph +would be "Left Zanzibar on 30th April, 1864, and never more heard +of." At last, in the beginning of June, the chronometers showed that +we were near the Indian coast. The black men believed it was true +because we told them it was so, but only began to dance with joy when +they saw sea-weed and serpents floating past. These serpents are +peculiar to these parts, and are mentioned as poisonous in the +sailing directions. We ventured to predict that we should see land +next morning, and at midday the high coast hove in sight, wonderfully +like Africa before the rains begin. Then a haze covered all the +land, and a heavy swell beat towards it. A rock was seen, and a +latitude showed it to be the Choule rock. Making that a fresh +starting-point, we soon found the light-ship, and then the forest of +masts loomed through the haze in Bombay harbour. We had sailed over +2500 miles. + + + +Footnotes: + +{1} A remedy composed of from six to eight grains of resin of jalap, +the same of rhubarb, and three each of calomel and quinine, made up +into four pills, with tincture of cardamoms, usually relieved all the +symptoms in five or six hours. Four pills are a full dose for a man- +-one will suffice for a woman. They received from our men the name +of "rousers," from their efficacy in rousing up even those most +prostrated. When their operation is delayed, a dessert-spoonful of +Epsom salts should be given. Quinine after or during the operation +of the pills, in large doses every two or three hours, until deafness +or cinchonism ensued, completed the cure. The only cases in which, +we found ourselves completely helpless, were those in which obstinate +vomiting ensued. + +{2} The late Mr. Robson. + +{3} In 1865, four years after these forebodings were penned, we +received intelligence that they had all come to pass. Sekeletu died +in the beginning of 1864--a civil war broke out about the succession +to the chieftainship; a large body of those opposed to the late +chief's uncle, Impololo, being regent, departed with their cattle to +Lake Ngami; an insurrection by the black tribes followed; Impololo +was slain, and the kingdom, of which, under an able sagacious +mission, a vast deal might have been made, has suffered the usual +fate of African conquests. That fate we deeply deplore; for, +whatever other faults the Makololo might justly be charged with, they +did not belong to the class who buy and sell each other, and the +tribes who have succeeded them do. + +{4} It was with sorrow that we learned by a letter from Mr. Moffat, +in 1864, that poor Sekeletu was dead. As will be mentioned further +on, men were sent with us to bring up more medicine. They preferred +to remain on the Shire, and, as they were free men, we could do no +more than try and persuade them to hasten back to their chief with +iodine and other remedies. They took the parcel, but there being +only two real Makololo among them, these could neither return +themselves alone or force their attendants to leave a part of the +country where they were independent, and could support themselves +with ease. Sekeletu, however, lived long enough to receive and +acknowledge goods to the value of 50 pounds, sent, in lieu of those +which remained in Tette, by Robert Moffat, jun., since dead. + +{5} A brother, we believe, of one who accompanied Burke and Willis in +the famous but unfortunate Australian Expedition. + +{6} Genesis, chap. iii., verses 21 and 23, "make coats of skins, and +clothed them"--"sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the +ground" imply teaching. Vide Archbishop Whately's "History of +Religious Worship." John W. Parker, West Strand, London, 1849. + +{7} "In 1854 the native church at Sierra-Leone undertook to pay for +their primary schools, and thereby effected a saving to the Church +Missionary Society of 800 pounds per annum. In 1861 the +contributions of this one section of native Christians had amounted +to upwards of 10,000 pounds."--"Manual of Church Missionary Society's +African Missions." + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg eText The Zambesi and Its Tributaries diff --git a/old/zambs10.zip b/old/zambs10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..aa9f171 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/zambs10.zip |