Chap. XXHI. RECALL OF THE EXPEDITION. 471 



the native mind, though little to be wondered at, is sad, very 

 sad to witness. Musical instruments, mats, pillows, mortars 

 for pounding meal, were lying about unused, and becoming 

 the prey of the white ants. With all their little comforts 

 destroyed, the survivors were thrown still further back into 

 barbarism. 



It is of little importance perhaps to any but travellers, to 

 notice that in occupying one night a well-built hut, which 

 had been shut up for some time, the air inside at once gave 

 us a chill, and an attack of fever ; both of which vanished 

 when the place was well-ventilated by means of a fire. We 

 have frequently observed that lighting a fire early in the 

 mornings, even in the hottest time of the year, gives fresh- 

 ness to the whole house, and removes that feeling of closeness 

 and languor, winch a hot climate induces. 



On the night of the 1st July, 1863, several loud peals of 

 thunder awoke us ; the moon was shining brightly, and not 

 a cloud to be seem All the natives remarked on the clear- 

 ness of the sky at the time, and next morning said, " We 

 thought it was God " (Morungo). 



On arriving at the ship on the 2nd July, we found a 

 despatch from Earl Russell, containing instructions for the 

 withdrawal of the Expedition. The devastation caused by 

 slave-hunting and famine lay all around. The labour had 

 been as completely swept away from the Great Shire Valley, 

 as it had been from the Zambesi, wherever Portuguese in- 

 trigue or power extended. The continual forays of Mariano 

 had spread ruin and desolation on our south-east as far as 

 Mount Clarendon. 



While this was going on in our rear, the Tette slave- 

 hunters from the West had stimulated the Ajawa to sweep 

 all the Manganja off the hills on our East; and slaving 

 parties for this purpose were still passing the Shire above 



