70 BEVISIT KEBBABASA. * . Chap. III.
very accurate on anything but ivory, and they have in this
case trusted to memory alone. The only fluviometer at Tette,
or anywhere else on the river,'was set up at our suggestion;
and the first flood was at its greatest height of thirteen feet
air inches on the 17th January, 1859, and then gradually fell
a few feet, until succeeded by the greater flood of March.
The liver rises suddenly, the water is highly discoloured and
impure, and there is a four-knot current in many places;
but in a day or two after the first rush of waters is passed,
the current becomes more equally spread over the whole
bed of the river, and resumes its usual rate in the channel,
although continuing in flood. The Zambesi water at other
times is almost chemically pure, and the photographer would
find that it is nearly as good as distilled water for the nitrate
of silver bath.
A third visit to Kebrabasa was made for the purpose
of ascertaining whether it might be navigable when
the Zambesi was in flood, the chief point of interest being
of course Morumbwa; it was found that the rapids observed
in our first trip had disappeared, and that while
they were smoothed over, in a few places the current had increased
in strength. As the river fell rapidly while we were
on the journey, the cataract of Morumbwa did not differ
materially from what it was when discovered. Some fishermen
assured us that it was not visible when the river was
at its fullest, and that the current was then not very strong.
On this occasion we travelled on the right bank, and found
it, with the additional inconvenience of rain, as rough and
fatiguing as the left had been. Our progress was impeded
by the tall wet grass and dripping boughs, and consequent
fever. During the earlier part of the journey we came
upon a few deserted hamlets only; but at last in a
Chap. M . COTTQN-SEED NOT HEEDED. 33
pleasant valley we met some of the people of the country,
who were miserably poor and hungry. The women were
gathering wild fruits in the woods. A young man having
consented for two yards of cotton cloth to show us a short
path to the cataract led us up a steep hill to a village
perched on the edge of one of its precipices ; a thunderstorm
coming on at the time, the headman invited us to
take shelter in a hut until it had passed. Qur guide
having informed him of what Me knew and conceived to .be
our object, was favoured in return, with a long reply an
well-sounding blank verse; at the end of every line
guide, who listened with deep attention, responded with-a
grunt, which soon became so ludicrous that our men MuMt
into a loud laugh. Neither the poet nor the responsive
guide took the slightest notice of their rudeness, but kept
on as energetically as ever to the end. The speech,-or
more probably our bad manners, made some impression on-
our guide, for he declined, although offered double pay, to
go any further. ,
We brought cotton-seed to Africa, in ignorance that thecotton
a l r e a d y introduced was equal, if not superior, to th e •
c o m m o n A m e r ic a n , a n d o ff e r e d i t to a n y o f t h e Portugueseand
natives who chose to cultivate it; but, though some tried
this source of wealth, it was evident that th en ideas could
not soar beyond black ivory, as they call slaves, elephants
tusks, and a little gold-dust. * ^
A great deal of fever comes in with March and April;; un
March, if considerable intervals take place between the
rainy days, and in April always, &r, then large, surfaces
of mud and decaying vegetation are exposed to % diät
sun In general an attack does not continue long, but a t
pulls one down quickly i though when the fever is checked