Theysurelydonotknow,whentheywriteitintheirbooks,thattheyaredeclaringtheyhavecompromisedthehonorofEnglishmen。
  Thepeoplereceivetheofferingwithadegreeofshame,andladiesmaybeseentohanditquicklytotheattendants,and,whentheyretire,laughuntilthetearsstandintheireyes,sayingtothoseaboutthem,“Isthatawhiteman?thenthereareniggardsamongthemtoo。
  Someofthemarebornwithouthearts!”Onewhitetrader,havingpresentedanOLDGUNtoachief,becameastandingjokeinthetribe:
  “Thewhitemanwhomadeapresentofagunthatwasnewwhenhisgrandfatherwassuckinghisgreat-grandmother。”
  Whenthesetricksarerepeated,thenativescometotheconclusionthatpeoplewhoshowsuchawantofsensemustbetoldtheirduty;
  theythereforeletthemknowwhattheyoughttogive,andtravelersthencomplainofbeingpesteredwiththeir“shamelessbegging“。
  Iwastroubledbyimportunityontheconfinesofcivilizationonly,andwhenIfirstcametoAfrica。
  FEBRUARY4THWeweremuchdetainedbyrains,aheavyshowerwithoutwindfallingeverymorningaboutdaybreak;itoftenclearedupafterthat,admittingofourmovingonafewmilesAcontinuousrainofseveralhoursthensetinThewinduptothispointwasalwaysfromtheeast,butbothrainandwindnowcamesogenerallyfromthewest,oroppositedirectiontowhatwehadbeenaccustomedtointheinterior,thatwewereobligedtomakeourencampmentfacetheeast,inordertohavetheminourbacksThecountryadjacenttotheriveraboundsinlargetrees;butthepopulationissonumerousthat,thoseleftbeingallgreen,itisdifficulttogetdryfirewood。
  Oncomingtosomeplaces,too,wewerewarnedbythevillagersnottocutthetreesgrowingincertainspots,astheycontainedthegravesoftheirancestorsTherearemanytamarind-trees,andanotherverysimilar,whichyieldsafruitaslargeasasmallwalnut,ofwhichtheelephantsareveryfondItiscalledMotondo,andthePortugueseextolitstimberasexcellentforbuildingboats,asitdoesnotsoonrotinwater。
  Onthe6thwecametothevillageofBoroma,whichissituatedamonganumberofothers,eachsurroundedbyextensivepatchesofcultivation。
  OntheoppositesideoftheriverwehaveagreatclusterofconicalhillscalledChorichoriBoromadidnotmakehisappearance,butsentasubstitutewhoactedcivillyIsentSekwebuinthemorningtostatethatweintendedtomoveon;hismotherrepliedthat,asshehadexpectedthatweshouldremain,nofoodwasready,butshesentabasketofcornandafowlAsanexcusewhyBoromadidnotpresenthimself,shesaidthathewasseizedthatmorningbytheBarimo,whichprobablymeantthathislordshipwasdrunk。
  WemarchedalongtherivertoapointoppositethehillPinkwelat15d39’11“S。,long32d5’E。,butthelateabundantrainsnowfloodedtheZambesiagain,andgreatquantitiesofwreckappeareduponthestreamItisprobablethatfrequentfreshets,causedbytherainsonthissideoftheridge,havepreventedthePortuguesenearthecoastfromrecognizingtheonepeculiarfloodofinundationobservedintheinterior,andcausedthebeliefthatitisfloodedsoonafterthecommencementoftherainsThecourseoftheNilebeingintheoppositedirectiontothis,itdoesnotreceivethesesubsidiarywaters,andhenceitsinundationisrecognizedallthewayalongitscourseIftheLeeambyewereprolongedsouthwardintotheCapeColony,itsfloodwouldbeidenticalwiththatoftheNile。
  ItwouldnotbeinfluencedbyanystreamsintheKalahari,forthere,asinacorrespondingpartoftheNile,therewouldbenofeeders。
  ItistoberememberedthatthegreatancientriverwhichflowedtothelakeatBoochaptookthiscourseexactly,andprobablyflowedthitheruntilthefissureofthefallswasmade。
  Thisfloodhavingfilledtheriver,wefoundthenumerousrivuletswhichflowintoitfilledalso,andwhengoingalongtheZambesi,welostsomuchtimeinpassingupeachlittlestreamtillwecouldfindafordaboutwaistdeep,andthenreturningtothebank,thatIresolvedtoleavetheriveraltogether,andstrikeawaytothesoutheastWeaccordinglystruckoffwhenoppositethehillPinkwe,andcameintoahardMopanecountryInaholeofoneofthemopane-treesInoticedthatasquirrel`Sciuruscepapi’hadplacedagreatnumberoffreshleavesoverastoreofseedItisnotagainstthecoldofwinterthattheythuslayupfood,butitisaprovisionagainstthehotseason,whenthetreeshavegenerallynoseed。
  Agreatmanysilicifiedtreesaremetwithlyingonthegroundalloverthispartofthecountry;somearebrokenoffhorizontally,andstandupright;othersarelyingprone,andbrokenacrossintoanumberofpiecesOnewas4feet8inchesindiameter,andthewoodmusthavebeensoftlikethatofthebaobab,fortherewereonlysixconcentricringstotheinchAsthesemidiameterwasonly28inches,thislargetreecouldhavebeenbut168yearsold。
  Ifoundalsoapieceofpalm-treetransformedintooxideofiron,andtheporesfilledwithpuresilicaThesefossiltreeslieuponsoftgraysandstonecontainingbanksofshingle,whichformstheunderlyingrockofthecountryallthewayfromZumbotonearLupata。
  ItismetwithatLitubarubaandinAngola,withsimilarbanksofshingleimbeddedexactlylikethosenowseenonthesea-beach,butInevercouldfindashellTherearemanynodulesandmoundsofhardenedclayuponit,whichseemtohavebeendepositedineddiesmaderoundtherootsoftheseancienttrees,fortheyappearofdifferentcolorsinwavyandtwistedlines。
  Abovethiswehavesmallquantitiesofcalcareousmarl。
  AswewerenowinthedistrictofChicova,Iexaminedthegeologicalstructureofthecountrywithinterest,becausehere,ithasbeenstated,thereonceexistedsilverminesThegeneralrockisthegraysoftsandstoneIhavementioned,butattherivuletBanguewecomeuponadikeofbasaltsixyardswide,runningnorthandsouth。
  Whenwecrossthis,wecomeuponseveralothers,someofwhichrunmoretotheeastwardThesandstoneisthenfoundtohavebeendisturbed,andattherivuletcalledNakewefoundittiltedupandexhibitingasection,whichwascoarsesandstoneabove,sandstone-flag,shale,and,lastly,athinseamofcoalThesectionwasonlyshownforashortdistance,andthenbecamelostbyafaultmadebyadikeofbasalt,whichrantotheE。N。EinthedirectionofChicova。
  ThisChicovaisnotakingdom,ashasbeenstated,butaleveltract,apartofwhichisannuallyoverflowedbytheZambesi,andiswelladaptedforthecultivationofcornItissaidtobebelowthenorthernendofthehillBungweIwasverymuchpleasedindiscoveringthissmallspecimenofsuchapreciousmineralascoal。
  Isawnoindicationofsilver,and,ifiteverwasworkedbythenatives,itisremarkablethattheyhaveentirelylosttheknowledgeofit,andcannotdistinguishbetweensilverandtinInconnectionwiththesebasalticdikes,itmaybementionedthatwhenIreachedTeteIwasinformedoftheexistenceofasmallrapidintherivernearChicova;
  hadIknownthispreviously,IcertainlywouldnothavelefttheriverwithoutexaminingitItiscalledKebrabasa,andisdescribedasanumberofrockswhichjutoutacrossthestreamIhavenodoubtbutthatitisformedbysomeofthebasalticdikeswhichwenowsaw,fortheygenerallyrantowardthatpointIwaspartlyinfluencedinleavingtheriverbyawishtoavoidseveralchiefsinthatdirection,wholevyaheavytributeonthosewhopassupordownOurpathlayalongthebedoftheNakeforsomedistance,thebanksbeingcoveredwithimpenetrablethicketsThevillagesarenotnumerous,butwewentfromonetotheother,andweretreatedkindly。
  HeretheycallthemselvesBambiri,thoughthegeneralnameofthewholenationisBanyaiOneofourguideswasaninveteratetalker,alwaysstoppingandaskingforpay,thathemightgoonwithamerryheart。
  Ithoughtthatheledusinthemostdifficultpathsinordertomakeusfeelhisvalue,for,afterpassingthroughonethicketafteranother,wealwayscameintothebedoftheNakeagain,andasthatwasfullofcoarsesand,andthewateronlyankledeep,andashotasafoot-bathfromthepowerfulraysofthesun,wewereallcompletelytiredoutHelikewisegaveusabadcharacterateveryvillagewepassed,callingtothemthattheyweretoallowhimtoleadusastray,aswewereabadsetSekwebukneweverywordhesaid,and,ashebecameintolerable,Idismissedhim,givinghimsixfeetofcalicoIhadboughtfromnativetraders,andtellinghimthathistonguewasanuisanceItisingeneralbest,whenascoldingisnecessary,togiveitincombinationwithapresent,andthenenditbygoodwishes。
  Thisfellowwentoffsmiling,andmymenremarked,“Histongueiscurednow。”
  ThecountryaroundtheNakeishilly,andthevalleyscoveredwithtangledjungleThepeoplewholiveinthisdistricthavereclaimedtheirgardensfromtheforest,andthesoilisextremelyfertile。
  TheNakeflowsnortherly,andthentotheeastItis50or60yardswide,butduringmostoftheyearisdry,affordingwateronlybydigginginthesandWefoundinitsbedmassesofvolcanicrock,identicalwiththoseIsubsequentlyrecognizedassuchatAden。
  13THTheheadmanofthesepartsisnamedNyampungo。
  Isentthelastfragmentofclothwehad,witharequestthatweshouldbefurnishedwithaguidetothenextchief。
  Afteralongconferencewithhiscouncil,theclothwasreturnedwithapromiseofcompliance,andarequestforsomebeadsonly。
  Thismanissupposedtopossessthecharmforrain,andothertribessendtohimtobegitThisshowsthatwhatweinferredbeforewascorrect,thatlessrainfallsinthiscountrythaninLondaNyampungobehavedinquiteagentlemanlymanner,presentedmewithsomerice,andtoldmypeopletogoamongallthevillagesandbegforthemselves。
  Anoldman,father-in-lawofthechief,toldmethathehadseenbooksbefore,butneverknewwhattheymeantTheypraytodepartedchiefsandrelatives,buttheideaofprayingtoGodseemednew,andtheyhearditwithreverence。
  Asthiswasanintelligentoldman,Iaskedhimaboutthesilver,buthewasasignorantofitastherest,andsaid,“Weneverdugsilver,butwehavewashedforgoldinthesandsoftheriversMazoeandLuia,whichuniteintheLuenya。”Ithinkthatthisisquiteconclusiveonthequestionofnosilverhavingbeendugbythenativesofthisdistrict。
  NyampungoisafflictedwithakindofdiseasecalledSesenda,whichIimaginetobeaspeciesofleprosycommoninthisquarter,thoughtheyareacleanlypeopleTheyneverhadcattle。
  Thechief’sfatherhadalwayslivedintheirpresentposition,and,whenIaskedhimwhyhedidnotpossesstheseusefulanimals,hesaid,“Whowouldgiveusthemedicinetoenableustokeepthem?”
  Ifoundoutthereasonafterwardintheprevalenceoftsetse,butofthishewasignorant,havingsupposedthathecouldnotkeepcattlebecausehehadnomedicine。