into a good burning oil, an unguent for the body,
or an oil for stewing their provisions, bananas,
yams, or potatoes; or served up with herbs
chicken, and chilies, for “ palm-oil chopv ; or as
an excellent sop, when hot, for their cassava
pudding.
A t the third mile we turned down a broad
and steep raVine, escorted by scores of gentle
and kind people, and descended to the debouchure
of a mountain brook, which empties into a deep
bay-like indentation below the lower Mowa Falls.
A s we approached the bottom the Mowa became
visible. It consists of a ledge of igneous rocks,
pumice and ironstone, rising 20 feet or so above
the water, and though extending nearly three-
fourths across, is pierced by various narrow clefts,
which discharge as many streams into the bay below.
At the left side, between the end of the ledge
and the perpendicular cliffs of iron-tinted rock,
the river contracts and in mighty waves leaps
down with a terrific, torrent-like rush, whirling
pools, and heaving mounds. From the debouchure
of the brook by which we enter upon the scene
to the cliffs across is about 1800 yards; the ledge
of the Mowa rocks above it extends probably
800 yards, while the river beyond occupied
perhaps 500 yards. The streams from the great
river which falls into the bay through the gaps
of the ledge have a drop of 12 feet; the great
river itself has no decided fall, but, as already
I May as, 1877- 1 FRANK IN CHARGE OF THE BOAT. 1 19
[Upper Mowa Falls.J
described, is a mere rush, with the usual tempes-
‘U<We Occupied a beautiful camping-place above
the Mowa, on a long stretch of pure wtutenver
sand, under the shadow of such an upng
S h c l» «hat the sunshine did not visit us untd
q A.M. I travelled up over the roc s un t
reached a point at the base of which the Upper
Mowa rapids broke out into waves, with
of unruffled glassy slope, and here I <*> <***
an hour, pondering unspeakable things, ,
listened to the moan and plaint of the tortured
river Far away below me extended the great
cleft of the table-land, of savagely stern aspect,
unmarked by aught to relieve its awful lonely
wildness, with mountain lines on the right and >
on the left, rising to 1500 feet, an.d shee ,
half their height, from unknown depths of water.
The stately ranks of tall trees that a ig™
the right side of the river at Nzabi "P to * *
summit of the table-land,
the Mowa down to Mpakambendi, for clea
rock walls of from 300 to 600 feet high, bu -
tressed by a thin line of boulders or splintered
rock slabs of massive size.
One of the boys announced the boat coming.
It soon appeared, Frank standing up in the bow
and Uledi, as usual, at; the helm; but as this
was the first time Frank had played the pioneer
over cataracts. I observed he was a little con