360 LOOKING TO THE SHIRE. 



drinking, or have poor, scanty fare — and the fever will proba- 

 bly become a more serious matter. It is of a milder type at 

 Tete than at Quilimane or on the low sea-coast ; and, as in this 

 part of Africa one is as liable to fever as to colds in England, it 

 would be advisable for strangers always to hasten from the coast 

 to the higher lands, in order that when the seizure does take 

 place, it may be of the mildest type. This having been pointed 

 out by Dr. Kirk, the Portuguese authorities afterwards took the 

 hint, and sent the next detachment of soldiers at once up to 

 Tete. It consisted of eighty men, and in spite of the irregular- 

 ities committed, most of them being of the class termed 'incor- 

 rigibles,' in three years only ten died, and but five of fever." 



With the opening of the new year the attention of the expe- 

 dition was fixed upon the Shire, whose confluence with the 

 Zambesi may be seen about a hundred miles from the sea. The 

 Portuguese heard of their plans for ascending this stream with 

 dismay ; it was associated in their minds with all that was 

 difficult and perilous. They could give no information what- 

 ever about it, although it was remembered that years before a 

 Portuguese vessel had attempted to ascend it. The explanation 

 of the failure must either be found in, or was concealed by, the 

 fabulous amount of gigantic duck-weed which was reported to 

 have been found on its surface. There were "sub rosa" whis- 

 perings which suggested some uncertainty whether the duck- 

 weed story was not invented to conceal the retreat of the 

 Portuguese before the poisoned arrows of the natives. However 

 that may be, the residents of Tete could not have been hired to 

 undertake a mission up the Shire. "Our government/' said 

 one commandant to Dr. Livingstone, "has sent orders to assist 

 and protect you ; but you go where we dare not follow, and how 

 can we protect you ? " Nothing remained to be done in another 

 direction, as they had decided to wait for a stronger boat before 

 attempting to force the Kebrabasa rapids, being satisfied that 

 the " Ma Robert " was unequal to the undertaking. Therefore 

 ^ they set out in January, 1859, on their first trip up the Shire. 



