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.
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