440 A SMAET YOUNG WATEKWOMAK Chap. XXT. 



Gardner, and our finding coal now seemed a verification 

 of what we then said ; the coalfield probably extends from 

 the Zambesi to the Eovuma, if not beyond it. Some of the 

 rocks lower down have the permanent water-line three feet 

 above the present height of the water. 



A few miles west of the Makoa of Matingula, we came 

 again among the Makonde, but now of good repute. War 

 and slavery have driven them to seek refuge on the sand- 

 banks. A venerable-looking old man hailed us as we 

 passed, and asked us if we were going by without speaking. 

 We landed, and he laid down his gun and came to us ; he 

 was accompanied by his brother, who shook hands with every 

 one in the boat, as he had seen people do at Kilwa. " Then 

 you have seen white men before ? " we said. " Yes," replied 

 the polite African, " but never people of your quality." These 

 men were very black, and wore but little clothing. A young 

 woman, dressed in the highest style of Makonde fashion, 

 punting as dexterously as a man could, brought a canoe full 

 of girls to see us. She wore an ornamental head-dress of red 

 beads tied to her hair on one side of her head, a necklace of 

 fine beads of various colours, two bright figured brass brace- 

 lets on her left arm, and scarcely a farthing's worth of cloth, 

 though it was at its cheapest. 



As we pushed on westwards, we found that the river makes 

 a little southing, and some reaches were deeper than any 

 near the sea ; but when we had ascended about 140 miles by 

 the river's course from the sea, soft tufa rocks began to 

 appear; ten miles beyond, the river became more narrow 

 and rocky, and when, according to our measurement, we had 

 ascended 156 miles, our further progress was arrested. We 

 were rather less than two degrees in a straight line from 

 the Coast. The incidents worth noticing were but few : 

 seven canoes with loads of salt and rice kept company with 



