546 PATH TO THE EAST COAST. 



Zanzibar. The only difficulty that they assured me of was that in 

 the falls of Victoria. Some recommended my going to Sesheke, 

 and crossing over in a N.E. direction to the Kafue, which is only 

 six days distant, and descending that river to the Zambesi. Oth- 

 ers recommended me to go on the south bank of the Zambesi until 

 I had passed the falls, then get canoes and proceed farther down 

 the river. AH spoke strongly of the difficulties of traveling on 

 the north bank, on account of the excessively broken and rocky 

 nature of the country near the river on that side. And when 

 Ponuane, who had lately headed a foray there, proposed that I 

 should carry canoes along that side till we reached the spot where 

 the Leeambye becomes broad and placid again, others declared 

 that, from the difficulties he himself had experienced in forcing the 

 men of his expedition to do this, they believed that mine would 

 be sure to desert me if I attempted to impose such a task upon 

 them. Another objection to traveling on either bank of the river 

 was the prevalence of the tsetse, which is so abundant that the in- 

 habitants can keep no domestic animals except goats. 



While pondering over these different paths, I could not help re- 

 gretting my being alone. If I had enjoyed the company of my 

 former companion, Mr. Oswell, one of us might have taken the 

 Zambesi, and the other gone by way of Zanzibar. The latter route 

 was decidedly the easiest, because all the inland tribes were friend- 

 ly, while the tribes in the direction of the Zambesi were inimical, 

 and I should now be obliged to lead a party, which the Batoka of 

 that country view as hostile invaders, through an enemy's land : 

 but, as the prospect of permanent water-conveyance was good, I 

 decided on going down the Zambesi, and keeping on the north 

 bank, because, in the map given by Bowditch, Tete, the farthest 

 inland station of the Portuguese, is erroneously placed on that 

 side. Being near the end of September, the rains were expected 

 daily; the clouds were collecting, and the wind blew strongly 

 from the east, but it was excessively hot. All the Makololo urged 

 me strongly to remain till the ground should be cooled by the 

 rains ; and as it was probable that I should get fever if I com- 

 menced my journey now, I resolved to wait. The parts of the 

 country about 17° and 18° suffer from drought and become dusty. 

 It is but the commencement of the humid region to the north, and 

 partakes occasionally of the character of both the wet and dry re- 



