104 BAINES ON THE ZAMBESI EXPEDITION. [Jan. 10, 1859. 



had also Lrouglit home specimens of the cotton described by Dr. Livingstone, 

 which had the appearance of wool ; and he had specimens, moreover, of cotton 

 growing on the main land, opposite to the island of Mozambique. Oil, ivory, 

 minerals, hides, as well as cotton, and other useful products, were to be had in 

 abundance. Wheat could also be grown, and he was of opinion that Tete might 

 become the granary of Southern Africa. England had always at the Cape a 

 considerable body of troops, and it was very necessary that they should have a 

 place whence the Cape could be kept supplied with wheat. In the rear of 

 the town of Tete there was a mountain called the Caruera, from three to five 

 thousand feet in height ; here the natives have their plantations of wheat, com, 

 potatoes, &c., and also round about the town, over an extent of ten miles ; so 

 that in the event of the crops in the lowlands being destroyed by an inunda- 

 tion, they have a reserve in the mountain ; and should the mountain crops 

 suffer for want of rain, they are amply supplied by their plantations in the 

 lowlands. He had no doubt that wheat could be grown there in sufficient 

 quantity to supply the whole of Southern Africa at a cost of not more than 

 ^s. a quarter. The subject of the navigation of the Zambesi had only to be 

 taken up by mercantile men in order to the opening up of the whole interior of 

 Africa. The whole east coast of Africa was extraordinary for its valuable pro- 

 ductions ; and in addition to its other commercial features might be mentioned 

 the existence of a large number of deserted mines ; unworked, simply because 

 the Portuguese officials did not find it to their interest to open up the country 

 and show it to foreigners ; because, if they did so, the slave-trade would 

 inevitably be suppressed. People now make their money and go away ; and if 

 legitimate commerce were entered into, the occupation of the slave dealer would 

 be gone. The opening up of Eastern Africa would, without doubt, be a mine 

 of wealth to this country. 



Mr. J. Crawfurd, f.r.g.s., had not intended to say a word upon this 

 subject, but could not refrain from so doing after what had fallen from Mr. 

 M'Leod. He was glad that Dr. Livingstone had said nothing whatever on, or 

 had held out no promising expectations of trade, great or small, with the east 

 coast of Africa, or the Zambesi river ; and it appeared to him (Mr. Crawfurd) 

 that there was no prospect of any such trade as that spoken of by Mr. M'Leod. 

 He agreed entirely with Mr. M'Gregor Laird in thinking that the Zambesi 

 river was a bad one, and totally unfit for the navigation of vessels of any con- 

 siderable burden. They had now the diary of Mr. Baines, and it was im- 

 possible to hear that diary read without coming to the conclusion that the 

 river was crooked and shallow, and extremely difficult of navigation. Mr. 

 M'Leod had mentioned the existence of some valuable timber on the banks of 

 the river, but had not given the meeting the names of any of the valuable 

 trees. The trees might be large and tall, and yet be good for nothing, 

 and he did not believe that there was any timber on the Zambesi fit for the 

 general purposes of ship-building. In fact, in all Europe there was one 

 tree, in America two only, and but one in India, fit for ship-building : what 

 those trees were in Africa fit for ship-building it was difficult to say. At 

 present we had but the teak for India, the oak for England, and the live oak 

 for America. And then it was stated that a large trade in wheat might be 

 carried on, and this even grown, in 17° and 18° s. latitude, and nearly on the 

 level of the sea. Now wheat never grew advantageously in any such latitude, 

 and never would. Then, regarding cotton, African cotton would not suit the 

 manufacturers of Manchester and Glasgow ; and those who expected to get a 

 supply of cotton from thence would be wholly disappointed ; they would 

 never get it. It was said the native cotton appeared like wool ; that was on 

 account of its extreme coarseness, and not on account of its feeling like wool 

 in the hand. The good cotton of Africa appeared to have been imported ; it 

 was a foreigner. He had not the least doubt but that cotton would grow in 



