402 



THE ROVUMA. 



time, and the rainy season was half over. Then, if the party were 

 taken to Chibisa's, the mission would be left without a medical 

 attendant, in an unhealthy region, at the beginning of the most 

 sickly season of the year, and without means of reaching the 

 healthy highlands or of returning to the sea. In the absence of 

 medical aid, and all knowledge of the treatment of fever, it was 

 feared that there might be a repetition of the sorrowful fate 

 which befell the similar non-medical mission at Linyanti. The 

 bishop at last consented to proceed in the " Lyra " man-of-war 

 to Johanna, and there leave the members of the mission with 

 her Majesty's consul, Mr. Sunley, while he himself should ac- 

 company the expedition up the Rovuma, in order to ascertain 

 whether the country around its head-waters, which were reported 

 to flow out of Nyassa, was a suitable place for a settlement. 



On the 25th of February the " Pioneer " anchored in the 

 mouth of the Rovuma, which, unlike most African rivers, has 

 a magnificent bay and no bar. The scenery on the lower part 

 of the Rovuma was found superior to that on the Zambesi, for 

 they could easily see the highlands from the sea. Eight miles 

 from the mouth the mangroves are left behind, and a beautiful 

 range of well-wooded hills on each bank begins. On these 

 ridges the tree resembling African blackwood, of finer grain 

 than ebony, grows abundantly and attains a large size. Few 

 people were seen, and those were of Arab breed, and did not 

 appear to be very well off. The current of the Rovuma was now 

 as strong as that of the Zambesi, but the volume of water is very 

 much less. Several of the crossings had barely water enough 

 for the ship, drawing five feet, to pass. Unfortunately, however, 

 they had suffered a detention, and when they had ascended a 

 short distance found the river falling rather rapidly, and they 

 were obliged to give up their proposed exploration for the season. 

 Hastening back to the sea, they returned to the Kongone, and 

 sailed again up the Zambesi to the Shire. They had complained 

 so much of their former vessel that they were unwilling to find 

 a fault with the new one, but their progress was greatly impeded 

 by her draught of water; five feet was found to be too much for 

 the navigation of the upper part of the Shire. But after much 

 difficulty they reached Chibisa's ; there was a general feeling of 

 relief when the anchor was cast in the old spot where the " Ma- 



