CuAr. XVII. REACH THE KONGONE. 341 



in England is obtained. We saw the vessel referred to above, 

 lying in Mosambique harbour in 1864 ; it had not been used 

 for the purpose it was sent out for, though it had been nearly 

 three years there. What a howl would have rung through 

 the Cape Colony, if our Governor there had kept a vessel, 

 sent from Europe for the development of the colonial trade, 

 for his Excellency's own amusement ! 



We reached the Kongone on the 4th of January, 1861. A 

 flagstaff and a Custom-house had been erected during our 

 absence ; a hut, also, for a black lance-corporal and three 

 privates. By the kind permission of the lance-corporal, who 

 came to see us as soon as he had got into his trousers and 

 shirt, we took up our quarters in the Custom-house, which, 

 like the other buildings, is a small square floorless hut of 

 mangrove stakes overlaid with reeds. The soldiers com- 

 plained of hunger, they had nothing to eat but a little mapira, 

 and were making palm wine to deaden their cravings. While 

 waiting for a ship, we had leisure to read the newspapers and 

 periodicals we found in the mail which was waiting our 

 arrival at Tette. Several were a year and a half old. 



Our provisions began to run short ; and towards the end 

 of the month there was nothing left but a little bad biscuit 

 and a few ounces of sugar. Coffee and tea were expended, 

 but scarcely missed, as our sailors discovered a pretty good 

 substitute in roasted mapira. Fresh meat was obtained in 

 abundance from our antelope preserves on the large island 

 made by a creek between the Kongone and East Luabo. 



Large herds of waterbuck (Aigocerus ellipdprymnus) feed 

 there on the grassy plains ; when they desire fresh pasture 

 they wait on the bank till the tide is low, and then swim the 

 creeks, half a mile or more, with the greatest ease. These 

 animals are difficult to kill, and seem at times to have as 

 many lives as a cat. A shot in the neck is generally fatal, 



