78 MURCHISON CATARACTS. Chap. III. 



In the first ascent of the Shire our attention was chiefly 

 directed to the river itself. The delight of threading out 

 the meanderings of upwards of 200 miles of a hitherto 

 unexplored river must be felt to be appreciated. All the 

 lower part of the river was found to be at least two fathoms 

 in depth. It became shallower higher up, where many- 

 departing and re-entering branches diminished the volume of 

 water, but the absence of sandbanks made it easy of navi- 

 gation. We had to exercise the greatest care lest anything 

 we did should be misconstrued by the crowds who watched 

 us. After having made, in a straight line, one hundred miles, 

 although the windings of the river had fully doubled the 

 distance, we found further progress with the steamer arrested, 

 in 15° 55' south, by magnificent cataracts, which we called 

 " The Murchison," after one whose name has already a world- 

 wide fame, and whose generous kindness we can never repay. 

 The native name of that figured in the woodcut is Mamvira. 

 It is that at which the progress of the steamer was first 

 stopped. The angle of descent is much smaller than that 

 of the five cataracts above it ; indeed, so small as compared 

 with them, that after they were discovered this was not in- 

 cluded in the number. 



A few days were spent here in the hope that there might 

 be an opportunity of taking observations for longitude, but 

 it rained most of the time, or the sky was overcast. It was 

 deemed imprudent to risk a land journey whilst the natives 

 were so very suspicious as to have a strong guard on the banks 

 of the river night and day ; the weather also was unfavourable. 

 After sending presents and messages to two of the Chiefs, we 

 returned to Tette. In going down stream our progress was 

 rapid, as we were aided by the current. The hippopotami never 

 made a mistake, but got out of our way. The crocodiles, not 



