686 IDEAS OF A SUPREME BEING. 



little below Senna. The Shire is named Shirwa at its point of 

 departure from the lake, and Senhor Candido was informed, when 

 there, that the lake was simply an expansion of the River Nyanja, 

 which comes from the north and encircles the mountain Murom- 

 bo, the meaning of which is junction or union, in reference to the 

 water having parted at its northern extremity, and united again at 

 its southern. The Shire flows through a low, flat, marshy coun- 

 try, but abounding in population, and they are said to be brave. 

 The Portuguese are unable to navigate the Shire up to the Lake 

 Nyanja, because of the great abundance of a water-plant which re- 

 quires no soil, and which they name " alfacinya" (Pistia stratiotes), 

 from its resemblance to a lettuce. This completely obstructs the 

 progress of canoes. In confirmation of this I may state that, when 

 I passed the mouth of the Shire, great quantities of this same 

 plant were floating from it into the Zambesi, and many parts of 

 the banks below were covered with the dead plants. 



Senhor Candido stated that slight earthquakes have happened 

 several times in the country of the Maravi, and at no great dis- 

 tance from Tete. The motion seems to come from the eastward, 

 and never to have lasted more than a few seconds. They are 

 named in the Maravi tongue " shiwo," and in that of the people 

 of Tete " shitakoteko," or "shivering." This agrees exactly with 

 what has taken place in the coast of Mozambique — a few slight 

 shocks of short duration, and all appearing to come from the east. 

 At Senna, too, a single shock has been felt several times, which 

 shook the doors and windows, and made the glasses jingle. Both 

 Tete and Senna have hot springs in their vicinity, but the shocks 

 seemed to come, not from them, but from the east, and proceed to 

 the west. They are probably connected with the active volcanoes 

 in the island of Bourbon. 



As Senhor Candido holds the office of judge in all the disputes 

 of the natives, and knows their language perfectly, his statement 

 may be relied on that all the natives of this region have a clear 

 idea of a Supreme Being, the maker and governor of all things. 

 He is named "Morimo," "Molungo," "Reza," "Mpambe,"in the 

 different dialects spoken. The Barotse name him "Nyampi," 

 and the Balonda "Zambi." All promptly acknowledge him as 

 the ruler over all. They also fully believe in the soul's continued 

 existence apart from the body, and visit the graves of relatives, 



