374 SITUATION OF ZUMBO. 



cumference. We found them more communicative now 

 They said that the land on both sides belonged to tho 

 Bazunga, and that they had left of old, on the approach of 

 Changamera, Ngaba, and Mpakane. Sekwebu was with 

 the last-named, but he maintained that they never came to 

 the confluence, though they carried off all the cattle of 

 Mburuma. The guides confirmed this by saying that the 

 Bazunga were not attacked, but fled in alarm on tho 

 approach of the enemy. This mango-tree he knew by its 

 proper name, and we found seven others and several tama- 

 rinds, and were informed that the chief Mburuma sends 

 men annually to gathei the fruit, but, like many Africans 

 whom I have known, nas not had patience to propagate 

 more trees. I gave them some little presents for them- 

 selves, a handkerchief and a few beads; and they were 

 highly pleased with a cloth of red baize for Mburuma, 

 which Sekeletu had given me to purchase a canoe. We 

 were thankful to part good friends. 



The situation of Zumbo was admirably well chosen as a 

 site for commei^ce. Looking backward, we see a mass of 

 high, dark mountains covered with trees j behind us rises 

 the fine high hill Mazanzwe, which stretches away north- 

 ward along the left bank of the Loangwa ; to the S.E. lies 

 an open country, with a small round hill in the distance 

 called Tofulo The merchants, as they sat beneath the 

 verandahb in front of their houses, had a magnificent view 

 of the two rivers at their confluence, of their church at 

 the angle, and of all the gardens which they had on both 

 sides of the rivers. In these they cultivated wheat with- 

 out irrigation, and, as the Portuguese assert, of a grain 

 twice the size of that at Tete. From the guides we learned 

 that the inhabitants had not imbibed much idea of Chris- 

 tianity, for they used the same term for the church-bell 

 which they did for a diviner's drum. From this point the 

 merchants had water-communication in three directions 

 beyond, namely, from the Loangwa to the N.N.W., by xhe 

 Kafue to the W., ard by the Zambesi to the S "W. Their 



