July 7, 1881] 



NATURE 



215 



ACROSS AFRICA^ 



TO cross Africa has almost ceased to be an extraordi- 

 nary feat. Indeed it seems evident, the more we 

 know of the Portuguese native traders, that even before 

 Livingstone's memorable first journey, it was no un- 

 common thing for the Pombeiros to do in the ordinary 

 way of business. Of course some routes are more 

 dangerous than others, and that by which Stanley made 

 his famous march was perhaps the most difficult and 

 dangerous that could be selected. Still the journey 

 performed by Major Serpa Pinto was in many ways 

 remarkable, and perhaps not its least remarkable 

 feature is the characteristic manner in which he tells 

 his story. The Major's narrative is in every respect 

 a contrast to the quiet and sober narrative of Dr. Holub, 

 recently reviewed in these pages. The Major is all 

 excitement and enthusiasm, and his frequent digression 

 to unbosom himself of his feelings under his frequently 

 trying circumstances, though they do not convey much 

 information, are pleasant reading. The expedition of 

 which he was leader was fitted out very handsomely by 

 the Portuguese Government, its object being to cross the 

 continent from the Portuguese settlements in the west to 

 those on the east coast. He was accompanied by MM. 

 Ivens andCapello,but these soon parted from him, and con- 

 ducted an exploration ontheirownaccount, the full narrative 

 of which has yet to be published. Much time was wasted at 

 the outset before the expedition could leave Benguella, col- 

 lecting carriers and making other arrangements, so that it 

 was January, 1878, before the Major fairly started for the 

 interior. Although much of the ground he traversed had 

 been gone over before, coinciding partly with the route of 

 Livingstone, still he was able to open up a considerable 

 stretch of new country, and most of all to clear up to a 

 great extent the complicated hydrography of the region 

 lying between the West Coast and the Zambesi. While the 

 Major has many interesting notes on the natural history 

 of the country he traversed, and while he seems to have 

 been able to bring to light some new animals and not a 

 few new plants, the main value of his narrative lies in the 

 full details he gives on the geography and ethnology of 

 Western South Africa. He was unable to carry out the 

 original programme of the expedition, having been com- 

 pelled to turn southwards on reaching the Central Zambesi, 

 reaching the East Coast at Natal. On leaving Benguella 

 the Major proceeded in a south-easterly diroLtion towards 

 the Cunene, before reaching which he turned north-east- 

 wards, proceeding by Caconda to Bihd. After staying here 

 for some time he again turned south-eastwards across the 

 Cuando to the Zambesi, a little below its junction with 

 the Liba, which seems to have more right to be considered 

 the main stream than that which comes from the east. 

 Proceeding down the Zambesi, passing numerous cata- 

 racts, he got into trouble among the Barotse, a new king 

 having succeeded to the deposed Sepopo, whom Dr. 

 Holub found ruling the iVIarutse-Mabunda kingdom at 

 Sesheke. Escaping with bare life, he fell in with the 

 French missionary family Coillard, who gave him all 

 possible succour, visited and attempted to survey the 

 Victoria Falls, and proceeded southwards and eastwards 

 in a leisurely way into country pretty well known, but of 

 which and of its various native states he is able to give 

 us some interesting details. Between the West Coast 

 and the Zambesi the expedition must have crossed 

 hundreds of rivers, many of which Major Pinto has laid 

 down with approximate accuracy in his maps. For he 

 deserves the highest praise for the persistency with which 

 he took his observations under the most trying circum- 

 stances, so that to the cartographer his work is of the 

 greatest value. It is no easy matter to discriminate the 



• " How I Crossed Africa, from the Atlantic to th. 

 By M.ijor Serpa Pinto. Translated from the Author's 

 Elwes. Two vols. Maps and Illustrations. (Londoi 

 Co., 1681 -I 



various watersheds here, and indeed the observations of 

 Major Pinto, combined with those of previous travellers, 

 shows that many of the rivers which flow north to the 

 Congo, south-west to the .Atlantic, south by Cubango to 

 Lake Ngami, and south-east to the Zambesi, rise quite 

 close together on what is really a table-land ; and in the 

 rainy season it will often be difficult for them to make up 

 their minds which direction they shall take. Major 

 Pinto's numerous maps tend greatly to clear up the com- 

 plicated hydrogiaphy of this region. 



The country through which he passed to reach the 

 Zambesi is varied in its aspect and productiveness, though 

 most of it is luxuriantly fertile,and capableof great develop- 

 ment. Much of it is however swampy, and even cultivated 

 fertile districts are depopulated, mainly through wars and 

 slave-hunting. Major Pinto tells us much that is inter- 

 esting on the metal-working, which is common along the 

 first part of his route. There seems to be really a large 

 store of iron in this region, and the natives show consi- 

 derable ingenuity in working it. There are several chief 

 centres for these operations, and the metal is .fashioned 

 into all sorts of implements and w eapons. 



Ocean," &c. 

 ript by Alfred 

 son Low and 



Fig, I, — Cabango Man, 



" During the coldest months, that is to say June and 

 July, the Gonzellos miners leave their homes and take up 

 their abode in extensive encampments near the iron- 

 mines, which are abundant in the country. In order to 

 extract the ore they dig circular holes or shafts of about 

 ten to thirteen feet in diameter, but not more than six or 

 seven feet deep ; this arises most probably from their 

 want of means to raise the ore to a greater elevation. 

 I examined several of these shafts in the neighbourhood 

 of the Cubango, and found them all of a similar character. 

 As soon as they have extracted sufficient ore for the 

 work of the year they begin separating the iron. This is 

 done in holes of no great depth, the ore being mixed with 

 charcoal, and the temperature being raised by means of 

 primitive bellows, consisting of two wooden cylinders 

 about a foot in diameter, hollowed out to a depth of four 

 inches, and covered with two tanned goat-skins, to which 

 are fixed two handles, twenty inches long and half an 

 inch thick. By a rapid movement of these handles a 

 current of air is produced which plays upon the charcoal 

 through two hollow wooden tubes attached to the 



