第21章

Wehavesometimesnoticedtwoorthreeleavestogetherpiercedthroughbytheseseeds，andthusmade，asitwere，intowingstocarrythemtoanysoilsuitedtotheirgrowth。

Wealwaysfollowthenativepaths，thoughtheyaregenerallynotmorethanfifteeninchesbroad，andsooftenhavedeeplittleholesinthem，madeforthepurposeofsettingtrapsforsmallanimals，andaresomuchobscuredbythelonggrass，thatonehastokeepone\'seyesonthegroundmorethanispleasant。Inspite，however，ofalldrawbacks，itisvastlymoreeasytotravelonthesetracksthantogostraightoveruncultivatedground，orvirginforest。Apathusuallyleadstosomevillage，thoughsometimesitturnsouttobeameregametrackleadingnowhere。

Ingoingnorth，wecameintoapartcalledMpembawhereChibisawasownedaschief，butthepeopledidnotknowthathehadbeenassassinatedbythePortugueseTerera。Agreatdealofgrainwaslyingroundthehut，wherewespentthenight。Verylargenumbersofturtledovesfeastedundisturbedonthetallstalkedmapiraears，andweeasilysecuredplentyoffinefatguinea-fowls——nowallowedtofeedleisurelyinthedesertedgardens。Thereasonassignedforallthislistlessimprovidencewas"Therearenowomentogrindthecorn——

allaredead。”

Thecottonpatchesinallcasesseemedtohavebeensowellcaredfor，andkeptsofreeofweedsformerly，that，thoughnowuntended，butfewweedshadsprungup；andthebusheswerethuspreservedintheannualgrassburnings。Manybaobab-treesgrowindifferentspots，andthefewpeopleseenwereusingthewhitepulpfoundbetweentheseedstomakeapleasantsubaciddrink。

OnpassingMalango，neartheuppermostcataract，notasoulwastobeseen；but，aswerestedoppositeabeautifultree-coveredisland，themerryvoicesofchildrenatplayfellonourears——theparentshadfledthitherforprotectionfromtheslave-huntingAjawa，stillurgedonbytheoccasionalvisitsofthePortugueseagentsfromTette。TheAjawa，insteadofpassingbelowtheCataracts，nowavoidedus，andcrossedovertotheeastsideneartothetreeonwhichwehadhungtheboat。ThoseoftheManganja，towhomwecouldmakeourselvesknown，readilycametous；butthemajorityhadlostallconfidenceinthemselves，ineachother，andineveryoneelse。Theboathadbeenburnedaboutthreemonthspreviously，andtheManganjawereveryanxiousthatweshouldbelievethatthishadbeentheactoftheAjawa；butonscanningthespotwesawthatitwasmorelikelytohavecaughtfireinthegrass-burningofthecountry。Hadweintendedtobesolonginreturningtoit，weshouldhavehoisteditbottomupwards；for，asitwas，itisprobablethataquantityofdriedleaveslayinside，andasparkignitedthewhole。Allthetreeswithinfiftyyardswerescorchedandkilled，andthenails，iron，andcoppersheathing，alllayundisturbedbeneath。HadtheAjawadonethedeed，theywouldhavetakenawaythecopperandiron。

Ourhopesofrenderingourselvesindependentofthesouthforprovisions，bymeansofthisboat，beingthusdisappointed，weturnedbackwiththeintentionofcarryinganotheruptothesamespot；and，inordertofindlevelgroundforthis，wepassedacrossfromtheShireatMalangototheupperpartofthestreamLesungwe。Afine，active，intelligentfellow，calledPekila，guidedus，andwasremarkableasalmosttheonlyoneofthepopulationleftwithanyspiritinhim。Thedepressingeffectwhichtheslave-huntingscourgehasuponthenativemind，thoughlittletobewonderedat，issad，verysadtowitness。Musicalinstruments，mats，pillows，mortarsforpoundingmeal，werelyingaboutunused，andbecomingthepreyofthewhiteants。Withalltheirlittlecomfortsdestroyed，thesurvivorswerethrownstillfurtherbackintobarbarism。

Itisoflittleimportanceperhapstoanybuttravellerstonoticethatinoccupyingonenightawell-builthut，whichhadbeenshutupforsometime，theairinsideatoncegaveusachill，andanattackoffever；bothofwhichvanishedwhentheplacewaswell-ventilatedbymeansofafire。Wehavefrequentlyobservedthatlightingafireearlyinthemornings，eveninthehottesttimeoftheyear，givesfreshnesstothewholehouse，andremovesthatfeelingofclosenessandlangour，whichahotclimateinduces。

Onthenightofthe1stJuly，1863，severalloudpealsofthunderawokeus；themoonwasshiningbrightly，andnotacloudtobeseen。

Allthenativesremarkedontheclearnessoftheskyatthetime，andnextmorningsaid，"WethoughtitwasGod"(Morungo)。

Onarrivingattheshiponthe2ndJuly，wefoundadespatchfromEarlRussell，containinginstructionsforthewithdrawaloftheExpedition。Thedevastationcausedbyslave-huntingandfaminelayallaround。ThelabourhadbeenascompletelysweptawayfromtheGreatShireValley，asithadbeenfromtheZambesi，whereverPortugueseintrigueorpowerextended。ThecontinualforaysofMarianohadspreadruinanddesolationonoursouth-eastasfarasMountClarendon。

Whilethiswasgoingoninourrear，theTetteslave-huntersfromtheWesthadstimulatedtheAjawatosweepalltheManganjaoffthehillsonourEast；andslavingpartiesforthispurposewerestillpassingtheShireabovetheCataracts。InadditiontotheconfessionoftheGovernorofTette，ofanintentiontogoonwiththisslavinginaccordancewiththecounselofhiselderbrotheratMosambique，wehadreasontobelievethatslaverywentonundertheeyeofhisExcellency，theGovernor-Generalhimself；andthiswassubsequentlycorroboratedbyourrecognizingtwowomenatMosambiquewhohadlivedwithinahundredyardsoftheMission-stationatMagomero。Theywerewellknowntoourattendants，andhadformedapartofagangofseveralhundredstakentoMosambiquebytheAjawaattheverytimewhenhisExcellencywasentertainingEnglishofficerswithanti-

slaverypalavers。Toanyonewhounderstandshowminutetheinformationis，whichPortuguesegovernorspossessbymeansoftheirownslaves，andthroughgossipingtraderswhoseektocurrytheirfavour，itisidletoassertthatallthisslavinggoesonwithouttheirapprovalandconnivance。

Ifmorehadbeenwantedtoprovethehopelessnessofproducinganychangeinthesystemwhichhasprevailedeversinceourallies，thePortuguese，enteredthecountry，wehaditintheimpunitywithwhichthefreebooter，Terera，whohadmurderedChibisa，wasallowedtocarryonhisforays。Belchoir，anothermarauder，hadbeenchecked，butwasstillallowedtomakewar，astheytermslave-hunting。

Mr。HoraceWallerwaslivingforsomefivemonthsonMountMorambala，apositionfromwhichthewholeprocessoftheslave-trade，anddepopulationofthecountryaroundcouldbewellnoted。ThemountainoverlookstheShire，thebeautifulmeanderingsofwhicharedistinctlyseen，oncleardays，forthirtymiles。ThisriverwasforsometimesupposedtobeclosedagainstMariano，who，asamerematterofform，wasdeclaredarebelagainstthePortugueseflag。

When，however，itbecamenolongerpossibletokeepupthesham，theriverwasthrownopentohim；andMr。Wallerhasseeninasingledayfromfifteentotwentycanoesofdifferentsizesgoingdown，ladenwithslaves，tothePortuguesesettlementsfromtheso-calledrebelcamp。Thesecargoeswerecomposedentirelyofwomenandchildren。

Forthreemonthsthistrafficwasincessant，andatlast，socompletelywasthemaskthrownoff，thatoneoftheofficialscametopayavisittoBishopTozeronanotherpartofthesamemountain，and，combiningbusinesswithpleasure，collectedpaymentforsomecanoeworkdonefortheMissionaryparty，andwiththispurchasedslavesfromtherebels，whohadonlytobehailedfromthebankoftheriver。WhenhehadconcludedthebargainhetrottedtheslavesoutforinspectioninMr。Waller\'spresence。Thisofficial，SenhorMesquita，wastheonlyofficerwhocouldbeforcedtoliveattheKongone。Fromcertaincircumstancesinhislife，hehadfallenunderthepowerofthelocalGovernment；alltheotherCustom-houseofficersrefusedtogotoKongone，soherepoorMesquitamustliveonamiserablepittance——mustlive，andperhapsslave，sorelyagainsthiswill。Hisnameisnotbroughtforwardwithaviewofthrowinganyodiumonhischaracter。ThedisinterestedkindnesswhichheshowedtoDr。Meller，andothers，forbidsthatheshouldbementionedbyuswithanythinglikeunkindness。

Underalltheseconsiderations，withthefactthatwehadnotfoundtheRovumasofavourablefornavigationatthetimeofourvisitasweexpected，itwasimpossiblenottocoincideinthewisdomofourwithdrawal；butwedeeplyregrettedthatwehadevergivencredittothePortugueseGovernmentforanydesiretoamelioratetheconditionoftheAfricanrace；for，withhalfthelabourandexpenseanywhereelse，weshouldhavemadeanindeliblemarkofimprovementonasectionoftheContinent。ViewingPortuguesestatesmeninthelightofthelawstheyhavepassedforthesuppressionofslaveryandtheslave-trade，andbythestandardofthehighcharacterofourownpublicmen，itcannotbeconsideredweaknesstohavebelievedinthesincerityoftheanxietytoaidourenterprise，professedbytheLisbonMinistry。WehopedtobenefitbothPortugueseandAfricansbyintroducingfree-tradeandChristianity。Ourallies，unfortunately，cannotseetheslightestbenefitinanymeasurethatdoesnotimplyraisingthemselvesupbythrustingothersdown。TheofficialpaperoftheLisbonGovernmenthassinceletusknow"thattheirpolicywasdirectedtofrustratingthegraspingdesignsoftheBritishGovernmenttothedominionofEasternAfrica。”We，whowereonthespot，andbe

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