VILLAGE OF KILIMANE. 725 



way to a central population who are friendly to the English ; and 

 if we can conciliate the less amicable people on the river, and in- 

 troduce commerce, an effectual blow will be struck at the slave- 

 trade in that quarter. By linking the Africans there to ourselves 

 in the manner proposed, it is hoped that their elevation will event- 

 ually be the result. In this hope and proposed effort I am joined 

 by my brother Charles, who has come from America, after seven- 

 teen years' separation, for the purpose. We expect success 

 through the influence of that Spirit who already aided the efforts 

 to open the country, and who has since turned the public mind 

 toward it. A failure may be experienced by sudden rash specu- 

 lation overstocking the markets there, and raising the prices 

 against ourselves. But I propose to spend some more years of 

 labor, and shall be thankful if I see the system fairly begun in an 

 open pathway which will eventually benefit both Africa and En- 

 gland. 



The village of Kilimane stands on a great mud bank, and is 

 surrounded by extensive swamps and rice-grounds. The banks 

 of the river are lined with mangrove bushes, the roois of which, 

 and the slimy banks on which they grow, are alternately exposed 

 to the tide and sun. The houses are well built of brick and lime, 

 the latter from Mozambique. If one digs down two or three feet 

 in any part of the site of the village, he comes to water ; hence 

 the walls built on this mud bank gradually subside ; pieces are 

 sometimes sawn off the doors below, because the walls in which 

 they are fixed have descended into the ground, so as to leave the 

 floors higher than the bottom of the doors. It is almost need- 

 less to say that Kilimane is very unhealthy. A man of plethoric 

 temperament is sure to get fever, and concerning a stout person 

 one may hear the remark, "All ! he will not live long ; he is sure 

 to die." 



A Hamburgh vessel was lost near the bar before we came 

 down. The men were much more regular in their habits than 

 English sailors, so I had an opportunity of observing the fever 

 acting as a slow poison. They felt " out of sorts" only, but 

 gradually became pale, bloodless, and emaciated, then weaker 

 and weaker, till at last they sank more like oxen bitten by 

 tsetse than any disease I ever saw. The captain, a strong, robust 

 young man, remained in perfect health for about three months, 



