438 COUNTKY OF CHONGA MICHI. Chap. XXI. 



ance, and told a neighbouring Chief, that if they had 

 known who we were, they would not have attacked English, 

 who can "bite hard." They offered no molestations on 

 our way down, though we were an hour in passing then- 

 village. Our canoe-men plucked up courage on finding 

 that we had come off unhurt. One of them named Chiku, 

 acknowledging that he had been terribly frightened, said 

 " His fear was not the kind which makes a man jump over- 

 board and run away ; but that which brings the heart up to 

 the mouth, and renders the man powerless, and no more 

 able to fight than a woman." 



In the country of Chonga Michi, about 80 or 90 miles up 

 the river, we found decent people, though of the same tribe, 

 who treated strangers with civility. A body of Makoa 

 had come from their own country in the south, and settled 

 here. The Makoa are known by a cicatrice in the forehead 

 shaped like the new moon with the horns turned downwards. 

 The tribe possesses all the country west of Mosambique ; and 

 they will not allow any of the Portuguese to pass into their 

 country more than two hours' distance from the fort. A 

 hill some ten or twelve miles distant, called Pau, has been 

 visited during the present generation only by one Portuguese 

 and one English officer, and this visit was accomplished only 

 by the influence of the private friendship of a Chief for this 

 Portuguese gentleman. Our allies have occupied the Fort of 

 Mosambique for three hundred years, but in this, as in all 

 other cases, have no power further than they can see from 

 a gun-carriage. 



The Makoa chief, Matingula, was hospitable and com- 

 municative, telling us all he knew of the river and country 

 beyond. He had been once to Iboe and once at Mosambique 

 with slaves. Our men understood his language easily. A 

 useless musket he had bought at one of the above places was 



