Chap. XXY. PATH TO THE EAST COAST. 507 



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. Others 

 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. All spoke strongly of the difficulties of travelling 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 tins, they believed that mine 

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

 upon them. Another objection to travelling on either bank of 

 the river, was the prevalence of the tsetse, which is so abundant, 

 that the inhabitants can keep no domestic animals except goats. 



While pondering over these different paths, I could not help 

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

 former companion, Mr. swell, 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 

 friendly, 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 hivaders, 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 Bowdich, 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 commenced 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 



