Thepriceofprovisionsislow,butverymuchhigherthanprevioustothecommencementofthewarTwoyardsofcalicoaredemandedforsixfowls;thisisconsideredverydear,because,beforethewar,thesamequantityofcalicowasworth24fowlsGrainissoldinlittlebagsmadefromtheleavesofthepalmyra,likethoseinwhichwereceivesugar。
Theyarecalledpanjas,andeachpanjaweighsbetween30and40lbs。
ThepanjaofwheatatTeteisworthadollar,or5s。;butthenativegrainmaybeobtainedamongtheislandsbelowLupataattherateofthreepanjasfortwoyardsofcalicoThehighestarticlesofconsumptionareteaandcoffee,theteabeingoftenashighas15sapound。
FoodischeaperdowntheriverbelowLupata,and,previoustothewar,theislandswhichstudtheZambesiwereallinhabited,and,thesoilbeingexceedinglyfertile,grainandfowlscouldbegottoanyamount。
TheinhabitantsdisappearedbeforetheirenemiestheLandeens,butarebeginningtoreturnsincethepeaceTheyhavenocattle,theonlyplacewherewefoundnotsetsebeingthedistrictofTeteitself;
andthecattleinthepossessionofthePortugueseareamereremnantofwhattheyformerlyowned。
Whenvisitingthehotfountain,Iexaminedwhatwereformerlythegold-washingsintherivuletMokoroze,whichisnearlyonthe16thparalleloflatitudeThebanksarecoveredwithlargegrovesoffinemango-trees,amongwhichthePortugueselivedwhilesuperintendingthewashingforthepreciousmetal。
TheprocessofwashingisverylaboriousandtediousAquantityofsandisputintoawoodenbowlwithwater;ahalfrotatorymotionisgiventothedish,whichcausesthecoarserparticlesofsandtocollectononesideofthebottomThesearecarefullyremovedwiththehand,andtheprocessofrotationreneweduntilthewholeofthesandistakenaway,andthegoldaloneremainsItisfoundinveryminutescales,and,unlessIhadbeenassuredtothecontrary,Ishouldhavetakenittobemica,for,knowingthegoldtobeofgreaterspecificgravitythanthesand,Iimaginedthatastreamofwaterwouldremovethelatterandleavetheformer;butherethepracticeistoremovethewholeofthesandbythehandThisprocesswas,nodoubt,aprofitableonetothePortuguese,anditisprobablethat,withtheimprovedplanbymeansofmercury,thesandswouldbelucrativeIhadanopportunityofexaminingthegold-dustfromdifferentpartstotheeastandnortheastofTete。
Therearesixwell-knownwashing-placesThesearecalledMashinga,Shindundo,Missala,Kapata,Mano,andJawa。
FromthedescriptionoftherockIreceived,IsupposegoldisfoundbothinclayshaleandquartzAttherangeMushingatotheN。N。W。
therockissaidtobesosoftthatthewomenpounditintopowderinwoodenmortarsprevioustowashing。
Roundtowardthewestward,theoldPortugueseindicateastationwhichwasneartoZumboontheRiverPanyame,andcalledDambarari,nearwhichmuchgoldwasfoundFartherwestlaythenowunknownkingdomofAbutua,whichwasformerlyfamousforthemetal;andthen,comingroundtowardtheeast,wehavethegold-washingsoftheMashona,orBazizulu,and,farthereast,thatofManica,wheregoldisfoundmuchmoreabundantlythaninanyotherpart,andwhichhasbeensupposedbysometobetheOphirofKingSolomonIsawthegoldfromthisquarteraslargeasgrainsofwheat,thatfoundintheriverswhichrunintothecoal-fieldbeinginveryminutescales。
IfweplaceonelegofthecompassesatTete,andextendtheotherthreeandahalfdegrees,bringingitroundfromthenortheastofTetebywest,andthentothesoutheast,wenearlytouchorincludealltheknowngold-producingcountryAsthegoldonthiscircumferenceisfoundincoarsergrainsthaninthestreamsrunningtowardthecentre,orTete,Iimaginethattherealgold-fieldliesroundaboutthecoal-field;
and,ifIamrightintheconjecture,thenwehavecoalencircledbyagold-field,andabundanceofwood,water,andprovisions
acombinationnotoftenmetwithintheworldTheinhabitantsarenotunfavorabletowashings,conductedontheprincipleformerlymentioned。
Atpresenttheywashonlywheninwantofalittlecalico。
Theyknowthevalueofgoldperfectlywell,fortheybringitforsaleingoose-quills,anddemand24yardsofcalicoforonepenful。
WhentheriversinthedistrictofManicaandothergold-washingplaceshavebeenflooded,theyleaveacoatingofmudonthebanks。
Thenativesobservethespotswhichdrysoonest,andcommencediggingthere,infirmbeliefthatgoldliesbeneathTheyaresaidnottodigdeeperthantheirchins,believingthatiftheydidsothegroundwouldfallinandkillthemWhentheyfinda`piece’orflakeofgold,theyburyitagain,fromthesuperstitiousideathatthisistheseedofthegold,and,thoughtheyknowthevalueofitwell,theypreferlosingitratherthanthewholefuturecropThisconductseemedtomesoveryunlikelyinmenwhobringthedustinquills,andevenputinafewseedsofacertainplantasacharmtopreventtheirlosinganyofitontheway,thatIdoubtedtheauthorityofmyinformant;butIfoundthereportverifiedbyallthePortuguesewhoknewthenativelanguageandmodeofthinking,andgivethestatementforwhatitisworthIfitisreallypracticed,thecustommayhavebeenintroducedbysomeknowingonewhowishedtodefraudthechiefsoftheirdue;forweareinformedinPortuguesehistorythatinformertimesthesepiecesorflakesofgoldwereconsideredtheperquisitesofthechiefs。
MajorSicard,thecommandant,whosekindnesstomeandmypeoplewasunbounded,presentedarosarymadeofthegoldofthecountry,theworkmanshipofanativeofTete,tomylittledaughter;
alsospecimensofthegold-dustofthreedifferentplaces,which,withthecoalofMuatizeandMorongoze,aredepositedintheMuseumofPracticalGeology,JermynStreet,London。
Allthecultivationiscarriedonwithhoesinthenativemanner,andconsiderablequantitiesof`Holcussorghum’,maize,`Pennisetumtyphoideum’,orlotsaoftheBalonda,millet,rice,andwheatareraised,asalsoseveralkindsofbeansoneofwhich,called“litloo“bytheBechuanas,yieldsunderground,aswellasthe`Arachishypogaea’,orground-nut;withcucumbers,pumpkins,andmelons。
Thewheatissowninlow-lyingplaceswhichareannuallyfloodedbytheZambesiWhenthewatersretire,thewomendropafewgrainsinaholemadewithahoe,thenpushbackthesoilwiththefoot。
Oneweedingaloneisrequiredbeforethegraincomestomaturity。
Thissimpleprocessrepresentsalloursubsoilplowing,liming,manuring,andharrowing,forinfourmonthsafterplantingagoodcropisreadyforthesickle,andhasbeenknowntoyieldahundred-fold。
ItflourishedstillmoreatZumboNoirrigationisrequired,becauseheretherearegentlerains,almostlikemist,inwinter,whichgobythenameof“wheat-showers“,andareunknownintheinterior,wherenowinterraineverfallsTherainsatTetecomefromtheeast,thoughtheprevailingwindscomefromtheS。S。E。
Thefinestportionoftheflourdoesnotmakebreadnearlysowhiteastheseconds,andheretheboyaloapombe,ornativebeer,isemployedtomixwiththeflourinsteadofyeastItmakesexcellentbread。
AtKilimane,wherethecocoanutpalmabounds,thetoddyfromit,called“sura“,isusedforthesamepurpose,andmakesthebreadstilllighter。
Asitwasnecessarytoleavemostofmymenatthisplace,MajorSicardgavethemaportionoflandonwhichtocultivatetheirownfood,generouslysupplyingthemwithcorninthemeantimeHealsosaidthatmyyoungmenmightgoandhuntelephantsincompanywithhisservants,andpurchasegoodswithboththeivoryanddriedmeat,inorderthattheymighthavesomethingtotakewiththemontheirreturntoSekeletu。
Themenweredelightedwithhisliberality,andsoonsixtyorseventyofthemsetofftoengageinthisenterpriseTherewasnocalicotobehadatthistimeinTete,butthecommandanthandsomelyfurnishedmymenwithclothingIwasinastateofwantmyself,and,thoughIpressedhimtotakepaymentinivoryforbothmyselfandmen,herefusedallrecompense。
IshalleverrememberhiskindnesswithdeepgratitudeHehaswrittenme,sincemyarrivalinEngland,thatmymenhadkilledfourelephantsinthecourseoftwomonthsaftermydeparture。
OnthedayofmyarrivalIwasvisitedbyallthegentlemenofthevillage,bothwhiteandcolored,includingthepadreNotoneofthemhadanyideaastowherethesourceoftheZambesilayTheysentforthebesttravelednatives,butnoneofthemknewtheriverevenasfarasKansalaThefatherofoneoftherebelswhohadbeenfightingagainstthemhadbeenagreattravelertothesouthwest,andhadevenheardofourvisittoLakeNgami;buthewasequallyignorantwithalltheothersthattheZambesiflowedinthecentreofthecountry。
Theyhad,however,moreknowledgeofthecountrytothenorthofTetethanIhadOneman,whohadgonetoCazembewithMajorMonteiro,statedthathehadseentheLuapuraorLoapulaflowingpastthetownofthatchieftainintotheLuamejiorLeeambye,butimaginedthatitfounditsway,somehoworother,intoAngola。
Thefactthatsometimesriverswereseentoflowlikethistowardthecentreofthecountry,ledgeographerstothesuppositionthatinnerAfricawascomposedofelevatedsandyplains,intowhichriversranandwerelostOneofthegentlemenpresent,SenhorCandido,hadvisitedalake45daystotheN。N。WofTete,whichisprobablytheLakeMaraviofgeographers,asingoingthithertheypassthroughthepeopleofthatnameTheinhabitantsofitssoutherncoastarenamedShiva;thoseonthenorth,Mujao;andtheycallthelakeNyanjaorNyanje,whichsimplymeansalargewater,orbedofalargeriver。
Ahighmountainstandsinthemiddleofit,calledMuromboorMurombola,whichisinhabitedbypeoplewhohavemuchcattleHestatedthathecrossedtheNyanjaatanarrowpart,andwas36hoursinthepassage。
Thecanoeswerepuntedthewholeway,and,ifwetaketherateabouttwomilesperhour,itmaybesixtyorseventymilesinbreadth。
Thecountryallroundwascomposedoflevelplainscoveredwithgrass,and,indeed,ingoingthithertheytraveledsevenoreightdayswithoutwood,andcookedtheirfoodwithgrassandstalksofnativecornalone。
ThepeoplesoldtheircattleataverycheaprateFromthesouthernextremityofthelaketworiversissueforth:one,namedafteritself,theNyanja,whichpassesintotheseaontheeastcoastunderanothername;
andtheShire,whichflowsintotheZambesialittlebelowSenna。
TheShireisnamedShirwaatitspointofdeparturefromthelake,andSenhorCandidowasinformed,whenthere,thatthelakewassimplyanexpansionoftheRiverNyanja,whichcomesfromthenorthandencirclesthemountainMurombo,themeaningofwhichisjunctionorunion,inreferencetothewaterhavingpartedatitsnorthernextremity,andunitedagainatitssouthernTheShireflowsthroughalow,flat,marshycountry,butaboundinginpopulation,andtheyaresaidtobebrave。
ThePortugueseareunabletonavigatetheShireuptotheLakeNyanja,becauseofthegreatabundanceofawater-plantwhichrequiresnosoil,andwhichtheyname“alfacinya“`Pistiastratiotes’,fromitsresemblancetoalettuceThiscompletelyobstructstheprogressofcanoes。
InconfirmationofthisImaystatethat,whenIpassedthemouthoftheShire,greatquantitiesofthissameplantwerefloatingfromitintotheZambesi,andmanypartsofthebanksbelowwerecoveredwiththedeadplants。
SenhorCandidostatedthatslightearthquakeshavehappenedseveraltimesinthecountryoftheMaravi,andatnogreatdistancefromTete。
Themotionseemstocomefromtheeastward,andnevertohavelastedmorethanafewsecondsTheyarenamedintheMaravitongue“shiwo“,andinthatofthepeopleofTete“shitakoteko“,or“shivering“。
ThisagreesexactlywithwhathastakenplaceinthecoastofMozambique
afewslightshocksofshortduration,andallappearingtocomefromtheeastAtSenna,too,asingleshockhasbeenfeltseveraltimes,whichshookthedoorsandwindows,andmadetheglassesjingle。
BothTeteandSennahavehotspringsintheirvicinity,buttheshocksseemedtocome,notfromthem,butfromtheeast,andproceedtothewestTheyareprobablyconnectedwiththeactivevolcanoesintheislandofBourbon。
AsSenhorCandidoholdstheofficeofjudgeinallthedisputesofthenatives,andknowstheirlanguageperfectly,hisstatementmaybereliedonthatallthenativesofthisregionhaveaclearideaofaSupremeBeing,themakerandgovernorofallthings。
Heisnamed“Morimo“,“Molungo“,“Reza“,“Mpambe“,inthedifferentdialectsspokenTheBarotsenamehim“Nyampi“,andtheBalonda“Zambi“AllpromptlyacknowledgehimastheruleroverallTheyalsofullybelieveinthesoul’scontinuedexistenceapartfromthebody,andvisitthegravesofrelatives,makingofferingsoffood,beer,etcWhenundergoingtheordeal,theyholduptheirhandstotheRulerofHeaven,asifappealingtohimtoasserttheirinnocenceWhentheyescape,orrecoverfromsickness,oraredeliveredfromanydanger,theyofferasacrificeofafowlorasheep,pouringoutthebloodasalibationtothesoulofsomedepartedrelative。
Theybelieveinthetransmigrationofsouls,andalsothatwhilepersonsarestilllivingtheymayenterintolionsandalligators,andthenreturnagaintotheirownbodies。