Magnificent scenery - Method of marching - Hippopotamus killed - Lions
and buffalo - Sequasha the ivory-trader.
Sandia gave us two guides; and on the 4th of June we left the
Elephant valley, taking a westerly course; and, after crossing a few
ridges, entered the Chingerere or Paguruguru valley, through which,
in the rainy season, runs the streamlet Pajodze. The mountains on
our left, between us and the Zambesi, our guides told us have the
same name as the valley, but that at the confluence of the Pajodze is
called Morumbwa. We struck the river at less than half a mile to the
north of the cataract Morumbwa. On climbing up the base of this
mountain at Pajodze, we found that we were distant only the diameter
of the mountain from the cataract. In measuring the cataract we
formerly stood on its southern flank; now we were perched on its
northern flank, and at once recognized the onion-shaped mountain,
here called Zakavuma, whose smooth convex surface overlooks the
broken water. Its bearing by compass was l80 degrees from the spot
to which we had climbed, and 700 or 800 yards distant. We now, from
this standing-point, therefore, completed our inspection of all
Kebrabasa, and saw what, as a whole, was never before seen by
Europeans so far as any records show.
The remainder of the Kebrabasa path, on to Chicova, was close to the
compressed and rocky river. Ranges of lofty tree-covered mountains,
with deep narrow valleys, in which are dry watercourses, or flowing
rivulets, stretch from the north-west, and are prolonged on the
opposite side of the river in a south-easterly direction. Looking
back, the mountain scenery in Kebrabasa was magnificent; conspicuous
from their form and steep sides, are the two gigantic portals of the
cataract; the vast forests still wore their many brilliant autumnal-
coloured tints of green, yellow, red, purple, and brown, thrown into
relief by the grey bark of the trunks in the background. Among these
variegated trees were some conspicuous for their new livery of fresh
light-green leaves, as though the winter of others was their spring.
The bright sunshine in these mountain forests, and the ever-changing
forms of the cloud shadows, gliding over portions of the surface,
added fresh charms to scenes already surpassingly beautiful.
From what we have seen of the Kebrabasa rocks and rapids, it appears
too evident that they must always form a barrier to navigation at the
ordinary low water of the river; but the rise of the water in this
gorge being as much as eighty feet perpendicularly, it is probable
that a steamer might be taken up at high flood, when all the rapids
are smoothed over, to run on the Upper Zambesi. The most formidable
cataract in it, Morumbwa, has only about twenty feet of fall, in a
distance of thirty yards, and it must entirely disappear when the
water stands eighty feet higher. Those of the Makololo who worked on
board the ship were not sorry at the steamer being left below, as
they had become heartily tired of cutting the wood that the
insatiable furnace of the "Asthmatic" required.
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