Chap. XXII. PORTUGUESE STATESMEN. 461 



nation, which his Excellency's countrymen had so enslaved 

 and degraded, to a state of freedom and civilization. We 

 regret to have to make this statement — but it was a 

 monstrous mistake to believe in the honour of the Govern- 

 ment of Portugal, or in their having a vestige of desire to 

 promote the amelioration of Africa. One ought to hope the 

 best of every one, giving, if possible, credit for good inten- 

 tions ; but, though deeply sensible of obligations to indivi- 

 duals of the nation, and anxious to renew the expressions 

 of respect formerly used, we must declare the conduct of 

 Portuguese statesmen to Africa to be simply infamous. 



After a few miles of road were completed, and the oxen 

 broken in, we resolved to try and render ourselves independ- 

 ent of the South for fresh provisions, by going in a boat up 

 the Shire, above the Cataracts, to the tribes at the foot of 

 Lake Nyassa, who were still untouched by the Ajawa invasion. 

 In furtherance of this plan Dr. Livingstone and Mr. Rae 

 determined to walk up to examine, and, if need be, mend 

 the boat which had been left two seasons previously hung 

 up to the limb of a large shady tree, before attempting to 

 carry another past the Cataracts. The Pioneer, which was to 

 be left in charge of our active and most trustworthy gunner, 

 Mr. Edward Young, R.N., was thoroughly roofed over with 

 euphorbia branches and grass, so as completely to protect 

 her decks from the sun : she also received daily a due 

 amount of man-of-war scrubbing and washing ; and, besides 

 having everything put in shipshape fashion, was every even- 

 ing swung out into the middle of the river, for the sake of 

 the greater amount of air which circulated there. In ad- 

 dition to their daily routine work of the ship, the three 

 stokers, one sailor, and one carpenter — now our comple- 

 ment — were encouraged to hunt for guinea-fowl, which in 

 June, when the water inland is dried up, come in large 



