1846.] MODE OF FELLING TREES. 107 



national colours were noticed, and no boats came off to 

 instruct us, we dropped our anchor in a very convenient 

 position at the western entrance, and erected our Obser- 

 vatory at the nearest end of the island of Malavi. Although 

 armed with the permission of all the superior authorities 

 to pursue our operations, still courtesy required that 

 the Comandante should be visited and the necessary 

 arrangements made with him. Leaving affairs, therefore, 

 in train for an active survey of the port, I repaired to the 

 Fort to seek the Comandante. At the landing-place I 

 found two gun-boats moored, but no officers visible; 

 passing them, I landed and moved on towards the summit 

 of a conical rise under process of clearing, experiencing 

 great difficulty in threading my course through fallen 

 trees, which were in some instances separated by fire, but 

 under which I had at times to stoop. The labour of felling 

 these huge trees by the axe would have proved rather 

 a serious task, the natives therefore collected the smallest, 

 and by forming stacks of these, split into small pieces, 

 round the bases of the largest, effected their object by 

 undermining them by fire. The crash of the trees on 

 falling was startling, and the report was heard for many 

 miles. Their labour did not, however, cease here, for 

 fresh fires had to be continued to exterminate these ob- 

 stacles which continued to form a smoking pile, and 

 instead of conveying to the ordinary traveller the idea of 

 visiting a new and rising possession, tended rather to 

 impress upon him the idea of recent disaster. 



Having at length waded through these highly perfumed 

 difficulties, I reached the entrance to a strongly stockaded 

 fort, within the lines of which the more substantial walls 



