THE
ZAMBESI AND ITS TRIBUTARIES.
IN T R O D U C T IO N .
Objects of the Expedition — Portuguese Expedition in search of the Ophir of
King Solomon — India and not Africa indicated by the merchandise sought
—Failure in Sofalla—Second Portuguese Expedition after gold-mines —
Repulsed by large bodies of natives — Catholic Missions — Want of reliable
information regarding them—Erroneous ideas as to the interior of Africa —
Sir Roderick Murchison’s hypothesis correct—Decrease of slave-trade, and
increase of lawful commerce on West Coast owing to Lord Palmerston’s
policy—Fatality of the murderer attends the slave-trader — Opinion of Rev.
J . L. Wilson on the slave-trade — The operations of our cruisers—IU effects
of sealing np the East Coast—Instructions to the Expedition.
W h e n 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 he
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,
B