Chap. XXXII. CAPTURE OF A REBEL STOCKADE. G63 



On the 9th of May sixteen of my men were employed to cany 

 government goods in canoes up to Tete. They were much 

 pleased at getting this work. On the 11th the whole of the 

 inhabitants of Senna, with the Commandant, accompanied us to 

 the boats. A venerable old man, son of a judge, said they were 

 in much sorrow on account of the miserable state of decay into 

 which they had sunk, and of the insolent conduct of the people 

 of Kisaka, now in the village. We were abundantly supplied 

 with provisions by the Commandant and Senhor Ferrao, and 

 sailed pleasantly down the broad river. About thirty miles 

 below Senna, we passed the mouth of the river Zangwe on our 

 right, which farther up goes by the name of Pungwe ; and about 

 five miles farther on our left, close to the end of a low range into 

 which Morumbala merges, we crossed the mouth of the Shire, 

 which seemed to be about 200 yards broad. A little inland 

 from the confluence there is another rebel stockade, which Mas 

 attacked by Ensign Eebeiro with three European soldiers, and 

 captured ; they disarmed the rebels and threw the guns into the 

 water. This Ensign and Miranda volunteered to disperse the 

 people of Kisaka, who were riding roughshod over the inha- 

 bitants of Senna ; but the offer was declined, the few real Portu- 

 guese fearing the disloyal half-castes among whom they dwelt. 

 Slavery and immorality have here done their work ; nowhere 

 else does the European name stand at so low an ebb ; but what 

 can be expected ? Few Portuguese women are ever taken to 

 the colonies, and here I did not observe that honourable regard 

 for the offspring which I noticed in Angola. The son of a late 

 Governor of Tete was pointed out to me in the condition and 

 habit of a slave. There is neither priest nor school at Senna, 

 though there are ruins of churches and convents. 



On passing the Shire, we observed great quantities of the 

 plant Alfacinya, already mentioned, floating down into the Zam- 

 besi. It is probably the Pistia stratiotes, a gigantic "duck- 

 weed." It was mixed with quantities of another aquatic plant, 

 which the Barotse named " Njefu," containing in the petiole of 

 the leaf a pleasant-tasted nut. This was so esteemed by Sebitu- 

 ane, that he made it part of his tribute from the subjected tribes. 

 Dr. Hooker kindly informs me that the njefu " is probably a 

 species of Trapa, the nuts of which are eaten in the south of 



