82 NOTES ON THE EAST COAST P.ANTU OF ]:iGnTY YEARS AGO. 



ambergris. But during this period they had worked round to 

 the south as far as the basin of the Maputa River, to which, 

 apparently, they gave their name ; for the Maputa was formerly 

 known as the Tembe or Temby River, a name now given to a 

 smaller river on the east. 



Offshoots of the Tembe are the Ma-Puata, the Ma-Tolo and 

 the Ma-Nkura, classed linguistically as Ba-Ronga, and speaking a 

 Si-Ronga dialect. 



In the " Narrative " the kingdom of Temby 



" is bounded by the Bay and the River Mapoota on the east, north by the 

 EngHsh and Dundas Rivers, west by the mountains of the Olontontes or Vatwahs* 

 southwards by the little state of Pengellyf and south-east by the kingdom of 

 Mapoota." 



In his report to the Admiralty^ Captain Owen says : — 



" The people of this kingdom [Tembe] are timid, tractable, industrious, keen 

 in traffic and treacherous, it is said, where their interest prompts, or a temptation is 

 in their way. With these people we had more intercourse than any others . . . 

 They are precisely the same people as those of Mapoota and Inyak, and all round 

 the Bay, all speaking the same language, I believe, as far as Inhambane.'"^: 



This means, of course, as just explained, that they all beloag 

 to the Tonga Language group. 



The Ma-Puta, offshoots of the Tembe tribe, subsequently 

 gave their name to what was once the Tembe, but is now the 

 Maputo or Usutu River. The Ma-Puta chief held the title of 

 Inyaka (Inhaca), to which the Inyak Islands owe their name. 



" The eastern peninsula of the great bay and the island named by the Portu- 

 guese St. Mary are known by the natives as Inyack and Litt e Inyack (i.e., the 

 Inyaka's territory), and are now both subject to Mapoota. "§ 



In his report above referred to, which is dated 23rd May, 

 1822, Captain Owen says : — 



" Mapoota is bounded north by Delagoa Bay, north-west by the kingdom of 

 Temby, south by the kingdom of the Vatwahs or Olontotes, a very warlike and 

 admirable race of Kaffirs.'' 



In the " Narrative "' Maputa is described as the " oil country," 

 situated southward of the great bay of Delagoa, bounded by a 

 fine navigable river on the west which separates it from Panegeia 

 (Panyele). This river is the Maputa or Usutu. 



" It forms a portion of Temby, the dominion of King Kapell, which extends 

 entirely from the English and Dundas Rivers on the north. "I 



This territory includes what was 'ater known politically as 

 Tongaland, the lands of Umbigiza and Zambane. 



" Matoll [continues the ' Narrative'] is on the northern branch of the river 

 of that name which empties into the English River [the southern boundary was 

 apparently the Dundas River]. Northward of Matoll lies Moamba, a very con- 

 siderable state. Mabote, Mamalong, Maghoy, Cherinda are small states at the 

 mouth of King George [river], but Manyess and Mamalong on the western bank 

 are now settled by the Vatwahs." 



The Alanyess or Manisa River derives its name from the 

 Ma-Nisa tribe which formerly occupied its banks. The name 



• A tribe of which we will speak later. 



t Panyele. 



I Theal's " Records of South East Africa,'' vol. i, p 469. 



§ From the " Narrative." 



«f Ibid. 



