WOMEN WITH WATEB-POTS, LISTENING TO THE MUSIC OF THE MAEIMBA, SANSA, AND PAN’S PIPES.
C H A P T E R I I I .
Return from Kebrabasa—Native musicians and their instruments—Ignorance
at Tette — Changes produced by rain after hot season—Christmas in tropical
dress—Opinions modified by early associations in Northern climes —
The seasons at Tette—Cotton-seed not needed — African fever— Quinine
not a preventive of—The best precaution and remedy — “Warburgh's.
drops” — Expedition turns from Kebrabasa towards River. Shire in January,.
1859 Reported barrier to navigation — First intercourse with unknown
people Navigation of Shire — Progress prevented by Murchison’s cataracts
fiffT Retum to Tette —Second trip up the Shire in March, 1859 — Chibisa—
Nyanja Mukulu—Maniac guides—'Discover Lake Shirwa on 18th April,
1859 Mountains — Return to vessel — Severe case of fever—Return to
Tette 23rd June—Vessel found to be built of unstable materials —At Kon-
gone in August.
A band of native musicians came to our camp one evening,
on our own way down, and treated us with their wild and not
unpleasant music on the Marimba, an instrument formed of
bars of hard wood of varying breadth and thickness, laid
on different-sized hollow calabashes, and tuned to give the
notes; a few pieces of; doth pleased them, and they
passed on.
As our companion had told us, the people were perfectly
willing to sell us provisions on our way back. When we arrived
at Tette the Commandant informed us that, shortly after
we had left, the river rose a foot and became turbid; and on
seeing this, a native Portuguese came to him with a grave
countenance, and said, “ That Englishman is doing something
to the river.” This, we regret to say, is a fair sample of the
ignorance and superstition common to the native-born, and,
unfortunately, sometimes shared in even by men reared