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。