A Thousand Miles in a MachiUa 



his station on the Zambesi. We started about 

 5 P.M., but only steamed as far as the wooding 

 station on the opposite bank to take in wood, the 

 only fuel used, and here we anchored for the night. 

 We dined on board and found the food simple, well 

 cooked, and well served. Our cabin was clean and 

 comfortable, everything nicely arranged, and the 

 ship regulated on the same lines as the stern- 

 wheelers on the White Nile. In fact, in only one 

 respect did we find the Zambesi steamer compare 

 unfavourably with the Nile steamer, and that was 

 as regards the position of the berths, which were 

 one above the other, and consequently rather stuffy. 

 Excellent mosquito curtains were provided, but the 

 bunks were narrow, so that it was difficult in one's 

 sleep to avoid lying against the curtain and thus 

 offering a field for the attentions of the mosquitoes, 

 which were pretty prevalent in the early mornings 

 and had an unpleasant trick of getting in between 

 the partition and the curtain. 



Wakefulness at night is always trying, especially 

 when there is hardly room to turn. Mosquito 

 curtains prevent a candle being lighted, and the 

 insects themselves frustrate the desire to get up 

 and walk about. 



There is this to be said in favour of the Zambesi 

 mosquitoes during the month of August: they are 

 late risers, so that we were not troubled with their 

 attentions at dinner, and were able to sit on deck 

 afterwards. 



The early morning of Tuesday was quite cool, 

 and there was a mist on the river. We started as 



6 



