CROSSING THE ZAMBESI. 383 



tion, and said, "Ah ! if you only knew him as well as we 

 do who have lived with him, you would understand that 

 he highly values your friendship and that of Mburuma, 

 and, as he is a stranger, he trusts in you to direct him." 

 He replied, "Well, he ought to cross to the other side 

 of the river, for this bank is hilly and rough, and the way 

 to Tete is longer on this than on the opposite bank." 

 " But who will take us across if you do not?" " Truly," 

 replied Mpende, " I only wish you had come sooner to tell 

 me about him ; but you shall cross " Mpende said fre- 

 quently he was sorry he had not known me sooner, but 

 that he had been prevented by his enchanter from coming 

 near me ; and he lamented that the same person had kept 

 him from eating the meat which I had presented. He did 

 every thing he could afterward to aid us on our course, 

 and our departure was as different as possible from our 

 approach to his village. I was very much pleased to find 

 the English name spoken of with such great respect so 

 far from the coast, and most thankful that no collision 

 occurred to damage its influence. 



2-Wi. — Mpende sent two of his principal men to order the 

 people of a large island below to ferry us across. The river 

 is very broad, and, though my men were well acquainted 

 with the management of canoes, we could not all cross over 

 before dark. It is 1200 yards from bank to bank, and be- 

 tween 700 and 800 of deep water, flowing at the rate of 

 3| miles per hour. "We landed first on an island, then, to 

 prevent our friends playing false with us, hauled the 

 canoes up to our bivouac and slept in them. The next 

 morning we all reached the opposite bank in safety. 



2 r Jth. — I was most sincerely thankful to find myself on 

 the south bank of the Zambesi; and, having nothing else. I 

 sent back one of my two spoons and a shirt as a thank- 

 offering to Mpende. The different head-men along this 

 river act very much in concert, and if one refuses passage 

 they all do, uttering the sage remark, " If so-and-so did not 

 lend his canoes, he musl have had some good reason." Tho 



