Chap. I. FIGHT BETWEEN NATIVES AND PORTUGUESE. 27 



the scene of action, but a dense fog prevented our hearing the 

 noise of a battle at Mazaro ; and on arriving there, imme- 

 diately after, many natives and Portuguese appeared on the 

 bank. 



Dr. Livingstone, landing to salute some of his old 

 friends among the latter, found himself in the sickening- 

 smell, and among the mutilated bodies of the slain ; he was 

 requested to take the Governor, who was very ill of fever, 

 across to Shupanga, and just as he gave his assent, the rebels 

 renewed the fight, and the balls began to whistle about in 

 all directions. After trying in vain to get some one to assist 

 the Governor down to the steamer, and unwilling to leave 

 him in such clanger, as the officer sent to bring our Kroomen 

 did not appear, he went into the hut, and dragged along his 

 Excellency to the ship. He was a very tall man, and as he 

 swayed hither and thither from weakness, weighing down 

 Dr. Livingstone, it must have appeared like one drunken man 

 helping another. Some of the Portuguese white soldiers 

 stood fighting with great bravery against the enemy in 

 front, while a few were coolly shooting at their own slaves 

 for fleeing into the river behind. The rebels soon retired, 

 and the Portuguese escaped to a sandbank in the Zambesi, 

 and thence to an island opposite Shupanga, where they lay for 

 some weeks, looking at the rebels on the mainland opposite. 

 This state of inactivity on the part of the Portuguese 

 could not well be helped, as they had expended all their am- 

 munition and were waiting anxiously for supplies; hoping, 

 no doubt, sincerely that the enemy might not hear that 

 their powder had failed. Luckily their hopes were not 

 disappointed ; the rebels waited until a supply came, and 

 were then repulsed after three-and-a-half hours' hard fighting. 

 Two months afterwards Mariano's stockade was burned, 



