426 AN OLD QUARTERMASTER. Chap. XXI. 



and self-complacent song. A playful performance on the 

 wing succeeds. Expanding his soft velvet-like plumage, 

 one glides with quivering pinions to the centre of the open 

 space, singing as he flies, then turns with a rapid whirring sound 

 from his wings — somewhat like a child's rattle — and returns 

 to his place again. One by one the others perform the same 

 feat, and continue the sport for hours, striving which can 

 produce the loudest brattle while turning. These games are 

 only played during the season of courting and of the gay 

 feathers, the merriment seems never to be thought of while 

 the bird wears his winter suit of sober brown. 



We received two mules from the Cape to aid us in trans- 

 porting the pieces of the Lady Nyassa past the cataracts 

 and landed them at Shupanga, but they soon perished. A 

 Portuguese gentleman kindly informed us, after both the 

 mules were dead, that he knew they would die ; for the land 

 there had been often tried, and nothing would live on it — 

 not even a pig. He said he had not told us so before, 

 because he did not like to appear officious ! 



We obtained from the Gorgon an assistant in the shape of 

 an old quartermaster; an excellent sailor, and exceedingly 

 useful man when sober, but uncommonly apt to get drunk, 

 when he had the chance. He would have done well, had 

 we been able, as we intended, to proceed up the river 

 at once ; for then he must soon have been a total abstainer ; 

 but so long as we were near the Portuguese he was 

 useless, and the power which impelled him must have 

 been terribly strong. He knew not a word of the language, 

 and the natives were equally ignorant of English ; yet 

 he succeeded in getting a native to go seven miles for some 

 gin, and smuggle it, mixed with native beer, into the ship. 

 When sober he was quiet, respectful, obliging, quick to see what 

 should be done, constantly at work, and taking particularly 



