The Reports We Received From Gentlemen, Who Had Entered The River And
Were Well Qualified To Judge, Were That The
Rovuma was infinitely
superior to the Zambesi, in the absence of any bar at its mouth, in
its greater volume
Of water, and in the beauty of the adjacent lands.
We probably came at a different season from that in which they
visited it, and our account ought to be taken with theirs to arrive
at the truth. It might be available as a highway for commerce during
three quarters of each year; but casual visitors, like ourselves and
others, are all ill able to decide. The absence of animal life was
remarkable. Occasionally we saw pairs of the stately jabirus, or
adjutant-looking marabouts, wading among the shoals, and spur-winged
geese, and other water-fowl, but there was scarcely a crocodile or a
hippopotamus to be seen.
At the end of the first week, an old man called at our camp, and said
he would send a present from his village, which was up among the
hills. He appeared next morning with a number of his people,
bringing meal, cassava-root, and yams. The language differs
considerably from that on the Zambesi, but it is of the same family.
The people are Makonde, and are on friendly terms with the Mabiha,
and the Makoa, who live south of the Rovuma. When taking a walk up
the slopes of the north bank, we found a great variety of trees we
had seen nowhere else.
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