Captaincy of Rios de Senna. 61 



Of Navigation. 



From navigation, commerce receives most essential help ; 

 indeed, were it not for its assistance in the Captaincy of the 

 Rios de Senna, that must altogether fail, since there are neither 

 public roads, nor beasts of harden. It is true that tlie com- 

 merce of the interior is carried on by slave carriers, besides 

 which the river Zambezi presents the means of transporting 

 goods through a great space, whilst the principal returns are 

 made without much difficulty; gold to a very great amount 

 being contained in a small compass, and the Sla e requiring 

 no conveyance. Throughout the Captaincy, interior naviga- 

 tion on a larger scale than in any other pait of Africa, might 

 be established, indeed the chief part of America falls short of 

 it, in this respect, which points out most forcibly the objects 

 which ought to form the primary pursuis of the Colony, viz : 

 mercantile transactions, founded on agricultural produce, 

 instead of the distant and less profitable interior trade. The 

 Zambezi might be rendered navigable throughout the year, 

 as far as 900 miles above Quillimane, into the interior of 

 Zumbo, if two obstacles were removed. The first of which is, 

 some rocks impeding the navigation at a place called 

 Cabrabaga, between Chicova and Tette, where boats can 

 never pass. This hinderance, however, is beyond the limits 

 of the colony, and would not, therefore, obstruct the exporta- 

 tion of its produce. The second one might be easily removed 

 as it only impedes the navigation six months in the year. — 

 The Zambezi divides into two branches, about thirty leagues 

 above Quillimane, the left branch of which passes the town, 

 and is only navigable in the winter season on account of the 

 sands which collect at the point of separation. The waters of 

 the river in the other season pass down the right arm, and 

 discharge themselves into the sea at the bar of Ohrida. — By 

 opening a canal half a league in length, the left branch might 

 be pursued at all seasons of the year with great facility. — Not- 

 withstanding this difficulty, the navigation is made [although] 

 laboriously, by means of a canal, which communicates with 

 another branch of the river, and affords a passage to numerous 

 small craft, assisted by the tide waters which comm nicate 

 from without, through the medium of the before-mentioned 

 canal, called Rio Maindo. — Inferior rivers fall into the 

 Zambezi, and water the land of the interior, thus affording 

 great facilities to the inland commerce. Such is the river 

 Ravugo, which rises to the northward of the Zambezi in the 

 Marave's country, and falls into it half a league below Tette. 

 The river Aroanha, which passing through Monopotapa, 

 joins the Zambezi on its right bank between Tette and the 

 pass of Lupata. — The river Cline, a large stream, whose source 



e are ignorant of, which, after passing through the territory 



