I had gone towards the coast for the purpose of finding a direct path to the sea, but on going through the country we found forests so dense that the sun had not much influence on the ground, which was covered with yellow mosses, and all the trees with white lichens. Amongst these forests were little streams, each having its source in a bog; in fact nearly all the rivers in that country commence in bogs. Finding it impossible to travel here in a wheel conveyance, I left my waggon behind, and I believe it is standing in perfect safety, where I last saw it, at the

These men were genuine Africans, chiefly Makololo, with a mixture of several other tribes. The ships on board which our traveller took them were her Majesty's cruisers, Pluto and Philomel. Here they were delighted with their reception, and all they saw. The cannons for "putting down the slave-trade with " especially delighted them. The officers won their affections by their cordiality, and the sailors by like kindness and by sharing their bread and beef with them. Respecting the ships they said, "This is not a canoe at all; it is a town." They looked on the decks and rigging as being "a town upon town." The party left Loanda on the return journey on the 20th September, 1854. The account they gave of themselves, when arrived in their own country, was singularly amusing. "We are the true ancients, who can tell wonderful things." Pitsane, the head-man, related all they had seen, heard, and felt; and this account did not lose in the telling. At Linyanti, all had a grand reception; Secheletu himself wearing the officers' uniform sent him by the Portuguese authorities at Loanda, while the men appeared in dashing white dresses and red caps, calling themselves our traveller's "braves," and trying to walk like Portuguese soldiers. They spoke of the wonderful things they had met with, adding as a climax, "that they had finished the whole world, and had turned only when there was no more land." One glib old gentleman asked, "Then you reached Ma-Robert (Mrs Livingstone)?" They were obliged to confess "that she lived a little beyond the world." (Travels, p. 501.)

An account of the Doctor's other travelling companions will be found at p. 158.

present moment. The only other means of conveyance we had was ox-back, by no means a comfortable mode of travelling. I therefore came back to discover another route to the coast by means of the river Zambesi1.

The same system of inundation that distinguishes the Nile, is also effected by this river, and the valley of the Barotse is exceedingly like the valley of the Nile between Cairo and Alexandria. The inundations of the Zambesi, however, cause no muddy sediment like those of the Nile, and, only that there are no snow-mountains, would convey the impression that the inundations were the result of the melting of snow from adjoining hills. The face of the country presents no such features, but elevated plains, so level that rain-water stands for months together upon them. The water does not flow off, but gradually soaks into the soil, and then oozes out in bogs, in which all the rivers take their rise. They have two rainy seasons in the year, and consequently two periods of inundation. The reason why the water remains so clear is this; the country is covered by such a mass of vegetation that the water flows over the grass, &c., without disturbing the soil beneath.

There is a great central district containing a large lake formed by the course of the Zambesi, to explore which would be well worthy of the attention of any individual wishing to distinguish himself.

Having got down amongst the people in the middle

1 For an account of this river see Appendix, p. 211.

of the country, and having made known to my friend the chief my desire to have a path for civilization and commerce on the east, he again furnished me with means to pursue my researches eastward; and, to shew how disposed the natives were to aid me in my expedition, I had 114 men to accompany me to the east, whilst those who had travelled to the west with me only amounted to 271.

1 There is something really affecting in the manner how this wonderful man attached these savages to himself. It must be remembered, too, that the Makololo are justly regarded with dread by their neighbours as incurable marauders. At any rate this spectacle shews what kindness, tact and firmness will do. His service is now so popular, that he gets one hundred and fourteen volunteers to accompany him in his second journey. These, like the others, belong to different tribes. On several occasions, "when before the enemy," they behaved with temper and courage. Their general conduct was good, though there were some black sheep among them. One hundred and thirteen of these are now awaiting our traveller's return at Teté. The Portuguese commandant there, Major Sicard, gave them land to till, food, clothing, and permission to hunt elephants. He writes to England to say that they killed four in two months.

The Doctor tried to bring to England one remarkable man, Sekwebu, his interpreter and chief guide, who had been of great service during the journey from Linyanti to Teté. Of him we must sorrowfully say, “One is not." His loss must be severe and painful to our traveller. He knew the Zambesi well, as also the dialects spoken on its banks. On arriving at Quillimane, and on attempting to board the Frolic, the sea ran mountains high. Poor Sekwebu in terror asked, "Is this the way you go? Is this the way you go?" He became a favourite on board, but was bewildered with the novelty of every thing. He said, "People are very agreeable," but "what a strange country is this, all water together!" Now comes the climax. When off Mauritius, a steamer approaches. This must be fairy land—see that monster. These white men surely are gods or demons. His senses reel-insanity seizes his brain. He tries to spear a sailor-jumps overboard-pulls himself down by the chains, and Sekwebu in this life is seen no more!

I carried with me thirty tusks of ivory; and, on leaving my waggon to set forth on my journey, two warriors of the country offered a heifer a-piece to the man who should slay any one who molested it. Having proceeded about a hundred miles, I found myself short of ammunition, and despatched an emissary back to the chief to procure more percussion caps from a box I had in my waggon. Not understanding the lock, the chief took a hatchet and split the lid open, to get what was wanted; and notwithstanding the insecure state in which it remained, I found, on returning two years after, that its contents were precisely as I left them. Such honesty is rare even in civilised Christian England, as I know from experience; for I sent a box of fossils to Dr Buckland, which, after arriving safely in England, was stolen from some railway, being probably mistaken for plate.

I could not make my friend the chief understand that I was poor: I had a quantity of sugar, and while it lasted the chief would favour me with his company to coffee; when it was gone, I told the chief how it was produced from the cane, which grew in central Africa, but as they had no means of extracting the saccharine matter, he requested me to procure a sugar-mill. When I told him I was poor, the chief then informed me that all the ivory in the country was at my disposal, and he accordingly loaded me with tusks, ten of which on arriving at the coast I spent in purchasing clothing for my followers; the rest were left at Quillimane, that the impression should

not be produced in the country that they had been stolen in case of my non-return.

Englishmen are very apt to form their opinion of Africans from the elegant figures in tobacconists' shops: I scarcely think such are fair specimens of the African. I think at the same time, that the African women would be much handsomer than they are if they would only let themselves alone: though unfortunately that is a failing by no means peculiar to African ladies; but they are, by nature, not particularly goodlooking, and seem to take all the pains they can to make themselves worse. The people of one tribe knock out all their upper front teeth, and when they laugh are perfectly hideous. Another tribe of the Londa country file all their front teeth to a point, like cats' teeth, and when they grin put one in mind of alligators: many of the women are comely, but spoil their beauty by such unnatural means. Another tribe has a custom of piercing the cartilage of the nose, and inserting a bit of reed, which spreads it out, and makes them very disagreeable looking: others tie their hair, or rather wool, into basket-work, resembling the tonsorial decorations of the ancient Egyptians; others, again, dress their hair with a hoop around it, so as to resemble the gloria round the head of the Virgin; rather a different application of the hoop to that of English ladies1 !

1 The Batoka tribes, on the Zambesi, knock out their upper front teeth, in order that they may, as they say, "look like oxen." They