I Attended The Funeral In The Evening, And Was Struck
By The Custom Of The Country.
A number of slaves preceded us,
and fired off many rounds of gunpowder in front of the body.
When a person of much popularity is buried, all the surrounding chiefs
send deputations to fire over the grave.
On one occasion at Tete, more than
thirty barrels of gunpowder were expended. Early in the morning of the 21st
the slaves of the deceased lady's brother went round the village
making a lamentation, and drums were beaten all day, as they are at such times
among the heathen.
The commandant provided for the journey most abundantly,
and gave orders to Lieutenant Miranda that I should not be allowed
to pay for any thing all the way to the coast, and sent messages
to his friends Senhors Ferrao, Isidore, Asevedo, and Nunes,
to treat me as they would himself. From every one of these gentlemen
I am happy to acknowledge that I received most disinterested kindness,
and I ought to speak well forever of Portuguese hospitality.
I have noted each little act of civility received, because somehow or other
we have come to hold the Portuguese character in rather a low estimation.
This may have arisen partly from the pertinacity with which some of them have
pursued the slave-trade, and partly from the contrast which they now offer
to their illustrious ancestors - the foremost navigators of the world.
If my specification of their kindnesses will tend to engender
a more respectful feeling to the nation, I shall consider myself
well rewarded. We had three large canoes in the company
which had lately come up with goods from Senna. They are made
very large and strong, much larger than any we ever saw in the interior,
and might strike with great force against a rock and not be broken.
The men sit at the stern when paddling, and there is usually a little shed
made over a part of the canoe to shade the passengers from the sun.
The boat in which I went was furnished with such a covering,
so I sat quite comfortably.
Chapter 32.
Leave Tete and proceed down the River - Pass the Stockade of Bonga -
Gorge of Lupata - "Spine of the World" - Width of River -
Islands - War Drum at Shiramba - Canoe Navigation - Reach Senna -
Its ruinous State - Landeens levy Fines upon the Inhabitants -
Cowardice of native Militia - State of the Revenue - No direct Trade
with Portugal - Attempts to revive the Trade of Eastern Africa -
Country round Senna - Gorongozo, a Jesuit Station -
Manica, the best Gold Region in Eastern Africa - Boat-building at Senna -
Our Departure - Capture of a Rebel Stockade - Plants Alfacinya and Njefu
at the Confluence of the Shire - Landeen Opinion of the Whites -
Mazaro, the point reached by Captain Parker - His Opinion
respecting the Navigation of the River from this to the Ocean -
Lieutenant Hoskins' Remarks on the same subject - Fever, its Effects -
Kindly received into the House of Colonel Nunes at Kilimane -
Forethought of Captain Nolloth and Dr. Walsh - Joy imbittered -
Deep Obligations to the Earl of Clarendon, etc. - On developing
Resources of the Interior - Desirableness of Missionary Societies
selecting healthy Stations - Arrangements on leaving my Men -
Retrospect - Probable Influence of the Discoveries on Slavery -
Supply of Cotton, Sugar, etc., by Free Labor - Commercial Stations -
Development of the Resources of Africa a Work of Time - Site of Kilimane -
Unhealthiness - Death of a shipwrecked Crew from Fever -
The Captain saved by Quinine - Arrival of H. M. Brig "Frolic" -
Anxiety of one of my Men to go to England - Rough Passage in the Boats
to the Ship - Sekwebu's Alarm - Sail for Mauritius - Sekwebu on board;
he becomes insane; drowns himself - Kindness of Major-General C. M. Hay -
Escape Shipwreck - Reach Home.
We left Tete at noon on the 22d, and in the afternoon arrived
at the garden of Senhor A. Manoel de Gomez, son-in-law and nephew of Bonga.
The Commandant of Tete had sent a letter to the rebel Bonga,
stating that he ought to treat me kindly, and he had deputed his son-in-law
to be my host. Bonga is not at all equal to his father Nyaude,
who was a man of great ability. He is also in bad odor with the Portuguese,
because he receives all runaway slaves and criminals. He does not trust
the Portuguese, and is reported to be excessively superstitious.
I found his son-in-law, Manoel, extremely friendly, and able to converse
in a very intelligent manner. He was in his garden when we arrived,
but soon dressed himself respectably, and gave us a good tea and dinner.
After a breakfast of tea, roasted eggs, and biscuits next morning,
he presented six fowls and three goats as provisions for the journey.
When we parted from him we passed the stockade of Bonga
at the confluence of the Luenya, but did not go near it,
as he is said to be very suspicious. The Portuguese advised me
not to take any observation, as the instruments might awaken fears
in Bonga's mind, but Manoel said I might do so if I wished;
his garden, however, being above the confluence, could not avail
as a geographical point. There are some good houses in the stockade.
The trees of which it is composed seemed to me to be living,
and could not be burned. It was strange to see a stockade
menacing the whole commerce of the river in a situation
where the guns of a vessel would have full play on it,
but it is a formidable affair for those who have only muskets.
On one occasion, when Nyaude was attacked by Kisaka, they fought for weeks;
and though Nyaude was reduced to cutting up his copper anklets for balls,
his enemies were not able to enter the stockade.
On the 24th we sailed only about three hours, as we had done the day before;
but having come to a small island at the western entrance
of the gorge of Lupata, where Dr. Lacerda is said to have taken
an astronomical observation, and called it the island of Mozambique,
because it was believed to be in the same latitude, or 15d 1',
I wished to verify his position, and remained over night:
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