首页 >出版文学> Travels and Researches in South Africa>第118章
  IwasseizedbyaseveretertianfeveratMazaro,butwentalongtherightbankoftheMututotheN。N。EandEforaboutfifteenmiles。
  WethenfoundthatitwasmadenavigablebyarivercalledthePangazi,whichcomesintoitfromthenorthAnotherriver,flowingfromthesamedirection,calledtheLuare,swellsitstillmore;
  and,lastofall,theLikuare,withthetide,makeuptheriverofKilimane。
  TheMutuatMazaroissimplyaconnectinglink,suchasissooftenseeninAfrica,andneitheritsflownorstoppageaffectstheriverofKilimaneThewatersofthePangaziwerequiteclearcomparedwiththoseoftheZambesi。*
  *Iowethefollowinginformation,ofamuchlaterdate,alsotothepolitenessofCaptainWashingtonHMsloop“Grecian“
  visitedthecoastin1852-3,andthemasterremarksthat“theentrancetotheLuaboisinlat18d51’S。,long36d12’E。,andmaybeknownbyarangeofhummocksonitseasternside,andverylowlandtotheS。WTheentranceisnarrow,and,aswithalltheriversonthiscoast,isfrontedbyabar,whichrendersthenavigation,particularlyforboats,verydangerouswiththewindtothesouthofeastorwest。
  Ourboatsproceededtwentymilesupthisriver,2fathomsonthebar,then2-1/2567fathomsItwasnavigablefartherup,buttheydidnotproceedItisquitepossibleforamoderate-sizedvesseltocrossthebaratspringtides,andbeperfectlylandlockedandhiddenamongthetrees。
  “TheMaiudo,in18d52’S。,36d12’E。,ISNOTMENTIONEDINHORSBURGH,NORLAIDDOWNINTHEADMIRALTYCHART,butis,nevertheless,oneofsomeimportance,andappearstobeoneoftheprincipalstationsforshippingslaves,astheboatsfoundtwobarracoons,about20milesup,bearingeveryindicationofhavingbeenveryrecentlyoccupied,andwhichhadgoodpresumptiveevidencethatthe`Cauraigo’,abrigunderAmericancolors,hadembarkedacargofromthencebutashorttimebeforeTheriverisfrontedbyaportionoftheElephantShoals,atthedistanceofthreeorfourmilesoutside。
  Theeasternbankisformedbylevelsea-cliffsasseenfromtheshipithasthatappearance,highforthispartofthecoast,andconspicuous。
  Thewesternsideiscomposedofthicktrees,andterminatesindeadwood,fromwhichwecalledit`Dead-woodPoint’AftercrossingthebaritbranchesoffinaWandN。Wdirection,thelatterbeingtheprincipalarm,upwhichtheboatswentsome30miles,orabout10beyondthebarracoonFreshwatercanbeobtainedalmostimmediatelyinsidetheentrance,asthestreamrunsdownveryrapidlywiththeebbtideTheleastwatercrossingthebarlow-watersprings
  was1-1/2fathom,onecastonlytherefromfrom2to5fathoms,another7fathomsnearlythewholewayup。
  “TheCatrina,latitude18d50’south,longitude36d24’east。
  TheexternalappearanceofthisriverispreciselysimilartothatoftheMaiudo,somuchsothatitisdifficulttodistinguishthembyanyfeatureofthelandThelongitudeisthebestguide,or,intheabsenceofobservation,perhapstheanglescontainedbytheextremesoflandwillbeserviceableThus,atninemilesofftheMaiudotheanglecontainedbytheabovewassevenpoints,thebearingbeingN。EWofN。W?;whileofftheCatrina,atthesamedistancefromshoreaboutninemiles,theanglewasonly3-1/2to4points,beingNtoN。WAswedidnotsendtheboatsupthisriver,noinformationwasobtained。”
  Myfeverbecameexcessivelysevereinconsequenceoftravelinginthehotsun,andthelonggrassblockingupthenarrowpathsoastoexcludetheair。
  Thepulsebeatwithamazingforce,andfeltasifthumpingagainstthecrownoftheheadThestomachandspleenswelledenormously,givingme,forthefirsttime,anappearancewhichIhadbeendisposedtolaughatamongthePortugueseAtInterrawemetSenhorAsevedo,amanwhoiswellknownbyallwhoevervisitedKilimane,andwhowaspresentedwithagoldchronometerwatchbytheAdmiraltyforhisattentionstoEnglishofficersHeimmediatelytenderedhislargesailinglaunch,whichhadahouseinthestern。
  Thiswasgreatlyinmyfavor,foritanchoredinthemiddleofthestream,andgavemesomerestfromthemosquitoes,whichinthewholeofthedeltaaresomethingfrightfulSailingcomfortablyinthiscommodiouslaunchalongtheriverofKilimane,wereachedthatvillagelatitude17d53’8“S。,longitude36d40’E。onthe20thofMay,1856,whichwantedonlyafewdaysofbeingfouryearssinceIstartedfromCapeTown。
  HereIwasreceivedintothehouseofColonelGaldinoJoseNunes,oneofthebestmeninthecountryIhadbeenthreeyearswithouthearingfrommyfamily;lettershavingfrequentlybeensent,butsomehoworother,withbutasingleexception,theyneverreachedmeIreceived,however,aletterfromAdmiralTrotter,conveyinginformationoftheirwelfare,andsomenewspapers,whichwereatreatindeedHermajesty’sbrigthe“Frolic“hadcalledtoinquireformeintheNovemberprevious,andCaptainNolluth,ofthatship,hadmostconsideratelyleftacaseofwine;
  andhissurgeon,DrJamesWalsh,diviningwhatIshouldneedmost,leftanounceofquinineThesegiftsmademyheartoverflow。
  IhadnottastedanyliquorwhateverduringthetimeIhadbeeninAfrica;
  butwhenreducedinAngolatoextremeweakness,Ifoundmuchbenefitfromalittlewine,andtookfromLoandaonebottleofbrandyinmymedicinechest,intendingtouseitifitwereagainrequired;
  buttheboywhocarrieditwhirledtheboxupsidedown,andsmashedthebottle,soIcannotgivemytestimonyeitherinfavoroforagainstthebrandy。
  ButmyjoyonreachingtheeastcoastwassadlyimbitteredbythenewsthatCommanderMacLune,ofHMbrigantine“Dart“,oncomingintoKilimanetopickmeup,had,withLieutenantWoodruffeandfivemen,beenlostonthebarIneverfeltmorepoignantsorrow。
  Itseemedasifitwouldhavebeeneasierformetohavediedforthem,thanthattheyshouldallbecutofffromthejoysoflifeingenerouslyattemptingtorendermeaserviceIwouldhereacknowledgemydeepobligationstotheEarlofClarendon,totheadmiralattheCape,andothers,forthekindinteresttheymanifestedinmysafety;
  eventheinquiriesmadewereverymuchtomyadvantageIalsoreferwithfeelingsofgratitudetotheGovernorofMozambiqueforofferingmeapassageintheschooner“Zambesi“,belongingtothatprovince;
  andIshallneverforgetthegeneroushospitalityofColonelNunesandhisnephew,withwhomIremainedOneofthediscoveriesIhavemadeisthattherearevastnumbersofgoodpeopleintheworld,andIdomostdevoutlytendermyunfeignedthankstothatGraciousOnewhomercifullywatchedovermeineveryposition,andinfluencedtheheartsofbothblackandwhitetoregardmewithfavor。
  WiththeunitedtestimonyofCaptainParkerandLieutenantHoskins,addedtomyownobservation,therecanbenoreasonabledoubtbutthattherealmouthoftheZambesiisavailableforthepurposesofcommerce。
  ThedeltaisclaimedbythePortuguese,andthesouthernbankoftheLuabo,orCuama,asthispartoftheZambesiissometimescalled,isownedbyindependentnativesoftheCaffrefamily。
  ThePortuguesearethusnearthemainentrancetothenewcentralregion;
  andastheyhaveoflateyearsshown,inanenlightenedandliberalspirit,theirdesiretodeveloptheresourcesofEasternAfricabyproclaimingMozambiqueafreeport,itistobehopedthatthesamespiritwillleadthemtoinvitemercantileenterpriseuptheZambesi,byofferingfacilitiestothosewhomaybeledtopushcommerceintotheregionslyingfarbeyondtheirterritory。
  Theirwishtoco-operateinthenobleworkofdevelopingtheresourcesoftherichcountrybeyondcouldnotbeshownbetterthanbyplacingavillagewithZambesianpilotsattheharborofMitilone,anderectingalight-housefortheguidanceofseafaringmen。
  Ifthisweredone,nonationwouldbeagreatergainerbyitthanthePortuguesethemselves,andassuredlynootherneedsaresuscitationofitscommercemoreTheirkindnesstomepersonallymakesmewishforareturnoftheirancientprosperity;
  andthemostliberalandgenerousactoftheenlightenedyoungkingHMDonPedro,insendingoutorderstosupportmylatecompanionsatthepublicexpenseoftheprovinceofMozambiqueuntilmyreturntoclaimthem,leadsmetohopeforencouragementineverymeasureforeitherthedevelopmentofcommerce,theelevationofthenatives,orabolitionofthetradeinslaves。
  AsfarasIammyselfconcerned,theopeningofthenewcentralcountryisamatterforcongratulationonlyinsofarasitopensupaprospectfortheelevationoftheinhabitantsAsIhaveelsewhereremarked,IviewtheendofthegeographicalfeatasthebeginningofthemissionaryenterpriseItakethelatterterminitsmostextendedsignification,andincludeeveryeffortmadefortheameliorationofourrace,thepromotionofallthosemeansbywhichGodinHisprovidenceisworking,andbringingallHisdealingswithmantoagloriousconsummationEachmaninhissphere,eitherknowinglyorunwittingly,isperformingthewillofourFatherinheaven。
  Menofscience,searchingafterhiddentruths,which,whendiscovered,will,liketheelectrictelegraph,bindmenmorecloselytogether
  soldiersbattlingfortherightagainsttyrannysailorsrescuingthevictimsofoppressionfromthegraspofheartlessmen-stealers
  merchantsteachingthenationslessonsofmutualdependence
  andmanyothers,aswellasmissionaries,allworkinthesamedirection,andalleffortsareoverruledforonegloriousend。
  Ifthereaderhasaccompaniedmethusfar,hemay,perhaps,bedisposedtotakeaninterestintheobjectsIproposetomyself,shouldGodmercifullygrantmethehonorofdoingsomethingmoreforAfrica。
  Asthehighlandsonthebordersofthecentralbasinarecomparativelyhealthy,thefirstobjectseemstobetosecureapermanentpaththither,inorderthatEuropeansmaypassasquicklyaspossiblethroughtheunhealthyregionnearthecoast。
  Theriverhasnotbeensurveyed,butatthetimeIcamedowntherewasabundanceofwaterforalargevessel,andthiscontinuestobethecaseduringfourorfivemonthsofeachyear。
  Themonthsoflowwaterstilladmitofnavigationbylaunches,andwouldpermitsmallvesselsequaltotheThamessteamerstoplywitheaseinthedeepchannelIfasteamerweresenttoexaminetheZambesi,Iwouldrecommendoneofthelightestdraught,andthemonthsofMay,June,andJulyforpassingthroughthedelta;
  andthisnotsomuchforfearofwantofwaterasthedangerofbeinggroundedonasandormudbank,andthehealthofthecrewbeingendangeredbythedelay。
  InthemonthsreferredtonoobstructionwouldbeincurredinthechannelbelowTeteTwentyorthirtymilesabovethatpointwehaveasmallrapid,ofwhichIregretmyinabilitytospeak,asmentionedalreadyIdidnotvisititBut,takingthedistancebelowthispoint,wehave,inroundnumbers,300milesofnavigableriver。
  Abovethisrapidwehaveanotherreachof300miles,withsand,butnomudbanksinit,whichbringsustothefootoftheeasternridge。
  Letitnot,however,bethoughtthatavesselbygoingthitherwouldreturnladenwithivoryandgold-dustThePortugueseofTetepickupallthemerchandiseofthetribesintheirvicinity,and,thoughIcameoutbytraversingthepeoplewithwhomthePortuguesehavebeenatwar,itdoesnotfollowthatitwillbeperfectlysafeforotherstogoinwhosegoodsmaybeastrongertemptationtocupiditythananythingIpossessedWhenwegetbeyondthehostilepopulationmentioned,wereachaverydifferentraceOnthelattermychiefhopesatpresentrest。
  Allofthem,however,arewillingandanxioustoengageintrade,and,whileeagerforthis,nonehaveeverbeenencouragedtocultivatetherawmaterialsofcommerceTheircountryiswelladaptedforcotton;
  andIventuretoentertainthehopethatbydistributingseedsofbetterkindsthanthatwhichisfoundindigenous,andstimulatingthenativestocultivateitbyaffordingthemthecertaintyofamarketforalltheymayproduce,wemayengenderafeelingofmutualdependencebetweenthemandourselvesIhaveatwofoldobjectinview,andbelievethat,byguidingourmissionarylaborssoastobenefitourowncountry,weshalltherebymoreeffectuallyandpermanentlybenefittheheathenSevenyearswerespentatKolobengininstructingmyfriendsthere;butthecountrybeingincapableofraisingmaterialsforexportation,whentheBoersmadetheirmurderousattackandscatteredthetribeforaseason,nonesympathizedexceptafewChristianfriendsHadthepeopleofKolobengbeeninthehabitofraisingtherawmaterialsofEnglishcommerce,theoutragewouldhavebeenfeltinEngland;or,whatismorelikelytohavebeenthecase,thepeoplewouldhaveraisedthemselvesinthescalebybarter,andhavebecome,liketheBasutosofMosheshandpeopleofKuruman,possessedoffire-arms,andtheBoerswouldneverhavemadetheattackatall。