7G INTERVIEW WITH TINGANE. Chap. III. 



for the first twenty-five miles, but not sufficient to 

 interrupt navigation with canoes or with any other craft. 

 Nearly the whole of this aquatic plant proceeds from a 

 marsh on the west, and comes into the river a little 

 beyond a lofty hill called Mount Morambala. Above that 

 there is hardly any. As we approached the villages, the natives 

 collected in large numbers, armed with bows and poisoned 

 arrows ; and some, dodging behind trees, were observed taking 

 aim as if on the point of shooting. All the women had 

 been sent out of the way, and the men were evidently 

 prepared to resist aggression. At the village of a Chief named 

 Tingane, at least five hundred natives collected and ordered 

 us to stop. Dr. Livingstone went ashore ; and on his explain- 

 ing that we were English and had come neither to take slaves 

 nor to fight, but only to open a path by which our country- 

 men might follow to purchase cotton, or whatever else they 

 might have to sell, except slaves, Tingane became at once 

 quite friendly. The presence of the steamer, which showed 

 that they had an entirely new people to deal with, probably 

 contributed to this result ; for Tingane was notorious for being 

 the barrier to all intercourse between the Portuguese black 

 traders and the natives further inland ; none were allowed 

 to pass him either way. He was an elderly, well-made man, 

 grey-headed, and over six feet high. Though somewhat 

 excited by our presence, he readily complied with the request 

 to call his people together, in order that all might know what 

 our objects were. 



In commencing intercourse with any people we almost 

 always referred to the English detestation of slavery. Most of 

 them already possess some information respecting the efforts 

 made by the English at sea to suppress the slave-trade ; and 

 our work being to induce them to raise and sell cotton, instead 



