A Popular Account

第22章

ThepartwesleptatoppositeMvaiwasnamedPaudio,andwasevidentlyacontinuationofthedistrictofoneofourstationsontheShire,atwhichobservationsforlatitudewereformerlytaken。

LeavingPaudio,wehadKirk\'sRangecloseonourleftandatleast3000feetaboveus,andprobablynotlessthan5000feetabovethesea。Fartoourrightextendedalonggreenwoodedcountryrisinggraduallyuptoaridge,ornamentedwithseveraldetachedmountains,whichboundedtheShireValley。Infront,northwards,layavalleyasrichandlovelyasweeversawanywhere,terminatingatthemountains,which,stretchedawaysomethirtymilesbeyondourrangeofvisionandendedatCapeMaclear。Thegroupsoftreeshadneverbeensubjectedtothelandscapegardener\'sart;buthadbeencutdownmercilessly,justassuitedtheconvenienceofthecultivator;yetthevariouscombinationsofopenforest,slopingwoodland,grassylawns,andmassiveclumpsofdarkgreenfoliagealongtherunningstreams,formedasbeautifulalandscapeascouldbeseenontheThames。ThisvalleyisnamedGoaorGova,andaswemovedthroughitwefoundthatwhatwassmoothtotheeyewasverymuchfurrowedbyrunningstreamswindingroundinnumerableknolls。Theselittlebrookletscamedownfromtherangeonourleft,andthewaterwasdeliciouslycool。

WhenwecameabreastofthepeakChirobve,thepeoplewouldnolongergiveusguides。Theywereafraidoftheirenemies,whosedwellingswenowhadonoureast;and,proceedingwithoutanyonetoleadus,ortointroduceustotheinhabitants,wewereperplexedbyallthepathsrunningzigzagacrossinsteadofalongthevalley。Theyhadbeenmadebythevillagersgoingfromthehamletsontheslopestotheirgardensinthemeadowsbelow。Toaddtoourdifficulties

therivuletsandmountain-torrentshadworngulliessomethirtyorfortyfeetdeep,withsteepsidesthatcouldnotbeclimbedexceptatcertainpoints。Theremaininginhabitantsontheflankoftherangewhentheysawstrangerswindingfromsidetoside,andoftenattemptingtocrossthesetorrentbedsatimpossibleplaces,screamedouttheirshrillwar-alarm,andmadethevalleyringwiththeirwildoutcries。Itwaswar,andwaralone,andweweretoodeepdowninthevalleytomakeourvoicesheardinexplanation。Fortunately,theyhadburnedoffthelonggrasstoagreatextent。Itonlyhereandtherehidthemfromus。Selectinganopenspot,wespentanightregardedbyallaroundusasslave-hunters,butwereundisturbed,thoughtheusualwayoftreatinganenemyinthispartofthecountryisbynightattack。

Thenightsatthealtitudeofthevalleywerecool,thelowesttemperatureshownbeing37degrees;at9a。m。and9p。m。itwas58

degrees,abouttheaveragetemperatureoftheday;atmid-day82

degrees,andsunset70degrees。Ourmarchwasverymuchhinderedbytheimperfectlyburnedcornandgrassstalkshavingfallenacrossthepaths。ToareaderinEnglandthiswillseemaverysmallobstacle。

Buthemustfancythegrassstemsasthickashislittlefinger,andthecorn-stalkslikesomanywalkingstickslyinginonedirection,andsosupportingeachotherthatonehastolifthisfeetupaswhenwadingthroughdeephighheather。Thestemsofgrassshowedthecausesofcertainexplosionsasloudaspistols,whichareheardwhentheannualfirescomeroaringovertheland。Theheatedairinsideexpandingburststhestalkwithaloudreport,andstrewsthefragmentsontheground。

Averygreatdealofnativecornhadbeencultivatedhere,andwesawbuffaloesfeedinginthedesertedgardens,andsomewomen,whoranawayverymuchfasterthanthebeastsdid。

Onthe29th,seeingsomepeoplestandingunderatreebyavillage,wesatdown,andsentMasego,oneofourparty,tocommunicate。Theheadman,Matunda,camebackwithhim,bearingacalabashwithwaterforus。HesaidthatallthepeoplehadfledfromtheAjawa,whohadonlyjustdesistedfromtheircareerofpillageonbeingpaidfivepersonsasafineforsomeoffenceforwhichtheyhadcommencedtheinvasion。Matundahadplentyofgraintosell,andallthewomenweresoonatworkgrindingitintomeal。Wesecuredanabundantsupply,andfourmilkgoats。TheManganjagoatisofaverysuperiorbreedtothegeneralAfricananimal,beingshortinthelegsandhavingafinely-shapedbroadbody。BypromisingtheMakololothat,whenwenolongerneededthemilk,theyshouldhavethegoatstoimprovethebreedoftheirownathome,theywereinducedtotakethegreatestpossiblecareofbothgoatsandkidsindrivingandpasturing。

AfterleavingMatunda,wecametotheendofthehighlandvalley;

and,beforedescendingasteepdeclivityofathousandfeettowardsthepartwhichmaybecalledtheheeloftheLake,wehadtheboldmountainsofCapeMaclearonourright,withthebluewaterattheirbase,thehillsofTsengainthedistanceinfront,andKirk\'sRangeonourleft,stretchingawaynorthwards,andapparentlybecominglower。Aswecamedownintoafinerichundulatingvalley,manyperennialstreamsrunningtotheeastfromthehillsonourleftwerecrossed,whileallthosebehindusonthehighergroundseemedtouniteinonenamedLekue,whichflowedintotheLake。

Afteralongday\'smarchinthevalleyoftheLake,wherethetemperaturewasverymuchhigherthaninthatwehadjustleft,weenteredthevillageofKatosa,whichissituatedonthebankofastreamamonggigantictimbertrees,andfoundtherealargepartyofAjawa——Waiau,theycalledthemselves——allarmedwithmuskets。Wesatdownamongthem,andweresooncalledtothechiefscourt,andpresentedwithanamplemessofporridge,buffalomeat,andbeer。

KatosawasmorefrankthananyManganjachiefwehadmet,andcomplimentedusbysayingthat"wemustbehis\'Bazimo\'(goodspiritsofhisancestors);forwhenhelivedatPamalombe,welighteduponhimfromabove——menthelikeofwhomhehadneverseenbefore,andcomingheknewnotwhence。”Hegaveusoneofhisownlargeandcleanhutstosleepin;andwemaytakethisopportunityofsayingthattheimpressionwereceived,fromourfirstjourneyonthehillsamongthevillagesofChisunse,oftheexcessivedirtinessoftheManganja,waserroneous。Thistraitwasconfinedtothecoolhighlands。Herecrowdsofmenandwomenwereobservedtoperformtheirablutionsdailyinthestreamthatranpasttheirvillages;andthiswehaveobservedelsewheretobeacommoncustomwithbothManganjaandAjawa。

Beforewestartedonthemorningofthe1stSeptember,Katosasentanenormouscalabashofbeer,containingatleastthreegallons,andthencameandwishedusto"stopadayandeatwithhim。”Onexplainingtohimthereasonsforourhaste,hesaidthathewasinthewaybywhichtravellersusuallypassed,heneverstoppedthemintheirjourneys,butwouldliketolookatusforaday。Onourpromisingtorestalittlewithhimonourreturn,hegaveusabouttwopecksofrice,andthreeguidestoconductustoasubordinatefemalechief,Nkwinda,livingonthebordersoftheLakeinfront。

TheAjawa,fromhavingtakenslavesdowntoQuillimaneandMosambique,knewmoreofusthanKatosadid。Theirmusketswerecarefullypolished,andneveroutoftheseslaver\'shandsforamoment,thoughinthechiefspresence。WenaturallyfeltapprehensivethatweshouldneverseeKatosaagain。AmigratoryafflatusseemstohavecomeovertheAjawatribes。Warsamongthemselves,forthesupplyoftheCoastslave-trade,aresaidtohavefirstsettheminmotion。TheusualwayinwhichtheyhaveadvancedamongtheManganjahasbeenbyslave-tradinginafriendlyway。

Then,professingtowishtoliveassubjects,theyhavebeenwelcomedasguests,andtheManganja,beinggreatagriculturists,havebeenabletosupportconsiderablebodiesofthesevisitorsforatime。

Whentheprovisionsbecamescarce,theguestsbegantostealfromthefields;quarrelsaroseinconsequence,and,theAjawahavingfirearms,theirhostsgottheworstofit,andwereexpelledfromvillageaftervillage,andoutoftheirowncountry。TheManganjawerequiteasbadinregardtoslave-tradingastheAjawa,buthadlessenterprise,andweremuchmorefondofthehomepursuitsofspinning,weaving,smeltingiron,andcultivatingthesoil,thanofforeigntravel。TheAjawahadlittleofamechanicalturn,andnotmuchloveforagriculture,butwereverykeentradersandtravellers。

Thispartyseemedtoustobeinthef

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