It Was Observed That Under The Wrack - Consisting Of
Reeds, Sticks, And Leaves.
- And even under floating cuttlefish bones
and Portuguese "men-of-war" (Physalia), numbers of small fish screen
themselves from the eyes of birds of prey, and from the rays of the
torrid sun.
We entered the river Luawe first, because its entrance is so smooth
and deep, that the "Pearl," drawing 9 feet 7 inches, went in without
a boat sounding ahead. A small steam launch having been brought out
from England in three sections on the deck of the "Pearl" was hoisted
out and screwed together at the anchorage, and with her aid the
exploration was commenced. She was called the "Ma Robert," after
Mrs. Livingstone, to whom the natives, according to their custom,
gave the name Ma (mother) of her eldest son. The harbour is deep,
but shut in by mangrove swamps; and though the water a few miles up
is fresh, it is only a tidal river; for, after ascending some seventy
miles, it was found to end in marshes blocked up with reeds and
succulent aquatic plants. As the Luawe had been called "West Luabo,"
it was supposed to be a branch of the Zambesi, the main stream of
which is called "Luabo," or "East Luabo." The "Ma Robert" and
"Pearl" then went to what proved to be a real mouth of the river we
sought.
The Zambesi pours its waters into the ocean by four mouths, namely,
the Milambe, which is the most westerly, the Kongone, the Luabo, and
the Timbwe (or Muselo). When the river is in flood, a natural canal
running parallel with the coast, and winding very much among the
swamps, forms a secret way for conveying slaves from Quillimane to
the bays Massangano and Nameara, or to the Zambesi itself. The
Kwakwa, or river of Quillimane, some sixty miles distant from the
mouth of the Zambesi, has long been represented as the principal
entrance to the Zambesi, in order, as the Portuguese now maintain,
that the English cruisers might be induced to watch the false mouth,
while slaves were quietly shipped from the true one; and, strange to
say, this error has lately been propagated by a map issued by the
colonial minister of Portugal.
After the examination of three branches by the able and energetic
surveyor, Francis Skead, R.N., the Kongone was found to be the best
entrance. The immense amount of sand brought down by the Zambesi has
in the course of ages formed a sort of promontory, against which the
long swell of the Indian Ocean, beating during the prevailing winds,
has formed bars, which, acting against the waters of the delta, may
have led to their exit sideways. The Kongone is one of those lateral
branches, and the safest; inasmuch as the bar has nearly two fathoms
on it at low water, and the rise at spring tides is from twelve to
fourteen feet. The bar is narrow, the passage nearly straight, and,
were it buoyed and a beacon placed on Pearl Island, would always be
safe to a steamer. When the wind is from the east or north, the bar
is smooth; if from the south and south-east, it has a heavy break on
it, and is not to be attempted in boats. A strong current setting to
the east when the tide is flowing, and to the west when ebbing, may
drag a boat or ship into the breakers. If one is doubtful of his
longitude and runs east, he will soon see the land at Timbwe
disappear away to the north; and coming west again, he can easily
make out East Luabo from its great size; and Kongone follows several
miles west. East Luabo has a good but long bar, and not to be
attempted unless the wind be north-east or east. It has sometimes
been called "Barra Catrina," and was used in the embarkations of
slaves. This may have been the "River of Good Signs," of Vasco da
Gama, as the mouth is more easily seen from the seaward than any
other; but the absence of the pillar dedicated by that navigator to
"St. Raphael," leaves the matter in doubt. No Portuguese live within
eighty miles of any mouth of the Zambesi.
The Kongone is five miles east of the Milambe, or western branch, and
seven miles west from East Luabo, which again is five miles from the
Timbwe. We saw but few natives, and these, by escaping from their
canoes into the mangrove thickets the moment they caught sight of us,
gave unmistakeable indications that they had no very favourable
opinion of white men. They were probably fugitives from Portuguese
slavery. In the grassy glades buffaloes, wart-hogs, and three kinds
of antelope were abundant, and the latter easily obtained. A few
hours' hunting usually provided venison enough for a score of men for
several days.
On proceeding up the Kongone branch it was found that, by keeping
well in the bends, which the current had worn deep, shoals were
easily avoided. The first twenty miles are straight and deep; then a
small and rather tortuous natural canal leads off to the right, and,
after about five miles, during which the paddles almost touch the
floating grass of the sides, ends in the broad Zambesi. The rest of
the Kongone branch comes out of the main stream considerably higher
up as the outgoing branch called Doto.
The first twenty miles of the Kongone are enclosed in mangrove
jungle; some of the trees are ornamented with orchilla weed, which
appears never to have been gathered. Huge ferns, palm bushes, and
occasionally wild date-palms peer out in the forest, which consists
of different species of mangroves; the bunches of bright yellow,
though scarcely edible fruit, contrasting prettily with the graceful
green leaves. In some spots the Milola, an umbrageous hibiscus, with
large yellowish flowers, grows in masses along the bank. Its bark is
made into cordage, and is especially valuable for the manufacture of
ropes attached to harpoons for killing the hippopotamus.
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