36 EARLY EAST AFRICA 



the Monomotapa feiras, or places of barter, had 

 been estabhshed, according to dos Santos, at Mas- 

 sapa, Luanze, and Manzovo. He describes them 

 as being light fortifications or palisades, containing 

 the factory or storehouse for European accommo- 

 dation, the inevitable church, and the residence 

 of the factor or government agent. These three 

 feiras, Yittle by httle, placed Portuguese commerce on 

 an extremely solid foundation, and were responsible 

 for remunerative business relations with the Maka- 

 ranga, which greatly increased in the seventeenth 

 century, most of the exports, if not all, passing 

 through the now considerable port of Quelimane. 



In 1590 an appalling invasion of a horde of 

 terrible natives from the north-west occurred. 

 Sweeping down the north bank of the Zambezi, 

 in numbers variously estimated, but believed to 

 have been not less than 12,000 strong, these 

 Zimbas or Mazimbas were cannibals who not only 

 slew and laid waste along their devastating way, 

 but literally ate up the tribes through whose lands 

 they passed. They carried immense shields of ox- 

 hide, with spears, battle-axes, and bows and arrows, 

 and are described as being of much more powerful 

 physique than the comparatively peaceful dwellers 

 of the Zambezi Valley. The Portuguese under- 

 took several expeditions against these savages, 

 which almost always led to disaster. Their most 

 successful encounter was with a Mazimba chief 

 named Kuaziru, or Kuizura, who, with his division 

 of about 600 warriors, was attacked m a fortified 

 village of which it had possessed itself. All these 

 warriors were killed, when it was found that the 



