A LAND OF RUIN 46 



Zambezia towards the close of the nineteenth 

 century. Properly speaking it possessed but three 

 settlements, Sena, Tete, and Zumbo. Of these, the 

 first was a ruined village containing half a dozen 

 stone houses and a few mud huts, surrounded by a 

 feeble palisade scarcely worthy of the name of a 

 fortification. The dreaded Landins or Vatuas fi:-om 

 the country to the north of Delagoa Bay collected 

 a yearly tribute, and commerce, properly speaking, 

 existed in name only. Tete was in like circum- 

 stances, whilst Zumbo was a mere village of 

 thatched mud huts inhabited by natives, doubtless 

 blood relations of the Bongas, who were probably 

 only waiting for a favourable opportunity to break 

 out anew into deeds of war and rapine. 



