TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 189 



that the revenue of that colony should be protected by obtaining possession of a port 

 at present belonging to no country, and which offers a sore temptation to the Boers, 

 ever on the look-out for an outlet for their productions, without passing through and 

 enriching a country from which they trecked in consequence of real or imagined 

 wrongs. 



From Port St. Lucia proceeding northwards, we pass a line of coast, of which we 

 absolutely know nothing, excepting that the country lying between Natal and Delagoa 

 Bay has been for a long time in a most unsettled state, causing numbers of the natives 

 to flock into the British colony of Natal to avoid the massacres which daily take place 

 under the dominion of the ruthless savage Panda, the Supreme Chief in that district. 



To the northward of Cape Colatto, which is in latitude 26° 4' S. and longitude 33° 1' 

 E., is Iniack Island, which, as one of the dependencies of Tembe, was ceded to Capt. 

 W. F. Owen, R.N., in 1823. 



This island, from its position, is admirably adapted for a lighthouse, for the require- 

 ments of the steam postal communication between Aden, Natal, and the Cape of 

 Good Hope. 



The Island of Iniack is about 240 feet in height ; it is open on all sides to the 

 spacious Bay of Delagoa, and the Indian Ocean ; and is entirely free from the miasmata 

 which surround the neighbouring Portuguese settlement of Lourenco Marques. 



The neighbouring country of Tembe, embracing the river Mapoota and the south 

 side of English River, was ceded to Captain W. F. Owen, II. N., by King Keppel in 

 1823, and, with its dependency Iniack Island, gives us possession of the south part 

 of Delagoa Bay, and also access by water to the Zulu country. 



In 1856, the British cutter 'Herald' of Natal purchased from the natives of this 

 district some bags of orchella-weed, for samples, at the rate of two shillings for an 

 arroba of 321bs, and, on the same vessel returning to Lourenco Marques, in 1857, 

 the same quantity was selling for two Spanish dollars, and a barque was lying there 

 almost wholly laden with it and ivory from the Zulu country and Tembe ; the latter 

 being a British possession, which the Portuguese officials would not allow the British 

 Cutter ' Herald ' to trade with, excepting on the condition that she would pay dues to 

 the Portuguese Custom House at Lourenco Marques. 



In 1857, this same cutter ' Herald ' proceeded up the King George or Manakusi 

 river a distance of 110 miles. From the depth and volume of water, and velocity of 

 the stream, as far as ascended by the ' Herald,' it is the opinion of some that this is the 

 outlet of the Limpopo ; and the attention of the mercantile world is naturally at- 

 tracted to a large river which opens a vast tract of country to our merchants. 



Proceeding northwards, we arrive at Inhambane, in latitude 23° 52' S. and longi- 

 tude 35° 25' E., at present the resort of slavers under every denomination. This town, 

 situated at the mouth of a large river, hitherto unexplored, so admirably adapted for 

 the export of all the valuable productions of the interior of Africa, requires only the 

 fostering of legitimate traffic to become a great emporium for trade. 



The Bazarutto Islands, in latitude 21° 30' S. and longitude 35° 33' E., have been 

 long celebrated for the pearls to be obtained there. From accounts which 1 have 

 received, I am led to believe that the pearl fishery at these islands, properly worked 

 and protected, would rival that of Ceylon. The Portuguese appear to keep possession 

 of these islands merely to prevent other nations from obtaining the pearls, which are 

 entirely neglected by themselves. 



To the northward of these islands, in latitude 20° 11' S. and longitude 31° 46' E., 

 Sofala is situated, at the mouth of a river of the same name, leading to the auriferous 

 portion of Eastern Africa. 



This Sofala is the ancient Ophir of Solomon, in whose days ships were sent from 

 Tarshish to obtain gold from mines which are even now productive, but are entirely 

 neglected, owing to the Portuguese officials finding it easier to enrich themselves by 

 selling the natives of the country than by employing themselves and their slaves in 

 obtaining that metal so much coveted by civilized communities. The only gold at 

 present sent from Sofala is a small quantity occasionally picked up on the surface of 

 the earth after heavy rains. 



On both banks of the river Sofala, and from that river northwards to the southern 

 bank of the Zambesi, the country is one mass of mineral wealth ; gold, silver, copper, 

 and toward Tete, even iron and coal being found in abundance. 



