e ore it, but continues only for a short time, and is succeeded
by a dead calm. Game becomes more abundant; near our
wooding-places we see herds of zebras, both Burchell’s and
the mountain variety, pallahs (Antelope melampm), waterbuck,
and wild hogs, with the spoor of buffaloes and elephants.
Shiramba Dembe, on the right bank, is deserted; a few
old iron guns show where a rebel stockade once stood; near
the river above this, stands a magnificent Baobab hollowed
out into a good-sized hut, with bark inside as well as without.
The old oaks in Sherwood Forest, when hollow, have the
biside dead or rotten; but the Baobab, though stripped of
its bark outside, and hollowed to a cavity inside, has the
power of exuding new bark from its substance to both the
outer and inner surfaces; so, a hut made like that in the oak
called the “ Forest Queen,” in Sherwood, would soon all be
lined with barb.
The portions of the river called Shigogo and Shipanga
are bordered by a low level expanse of marshy country, with
occasional clumps of palm-trees and a few thorny amcias.
The river itself spreads out to a width of from three to four
miles, with many islands, among which it is difficult to navigate,
except when the river is in flood. In front, a range
of ^ high hills from the north-east crosses and compresses
it into a deep narrow channel, called the Lupata Gorge.
The Portuguese thought the steamer would not stem the
current here; but as it was not more than about three
knots, and as there was a strong breeze in our favour, steam
and sails got her through with ease. Heavy-laden canoes
take two days to go up this pass. A current sweeps
round the little rocky promontories Chifura and Kangomba,
forming whirlpools and eddies dangerous for the clumsy
craft, which are dragged past with long ropes.
The paddlers place meal on these rocks as an offering
to the turbulent deities, which they believe preside over
spots fatal to many a large canoe. We were slily told
that native Portuguese take off their hats to these river
gods, and pass in solemn silence; when safely beyond the
promontories, they fire muskets, and, as we ought to
do, give the canoe-men grog. From the spoor of buffaloes
and elephants it appears that these animals frequent
Lupata in considerable numbers, and — we have often
observed the association-—the tsetse fly is common. A
horse for the Governor of Tette was sent in a canoe from
Quillimane; and, lest it should be wrecked on the Chifura
and Kangomba rocks, it was put on shore and sent in the
daytime through the pass. I t was of course bitten by the
tsetse, and died soon after; it was thought that the air of
Tette had not agreed with it. The currents above Lupata are
stronger than those below; the country becomes more picturesque
and hilly, and there is a larger population. Within
a few miles -of Tette are numerous ruins of stone houses,
which were destroyed some years ago by hostile natives. On
our approaching the village, crowds of people, chiefly blacks,
appeared on the beach gazing in astonishment at the steamer,
and, by the motions of their arms, demonstrating to others
further off the manner in which the paddles revolved.