472 HOPELESSNESS OF A CHANGE. Chap. XXIII. 



the Cataracts. In addition to the confession of the Governor 

 of Tette, of an intention to go on with this slaving in ac- 

 cordance with the counsel of his elder brother at Mosam- 

 bique, we had reason to believe that slavery went on under 

 the eye of his Excellency, the Governor-General himself; 

 and this was subsequently corroborated by our recognising 

 two women at Mosambique who had lived within a hundred 

 yards of the Mission-station at Magomero. They were well 

 known to our attendants, and had formed a part of a gang 

 of several hundreds taken to Mosambique by the Ajawa at 

 the very time when his Excellency was entertaining English 

 officers with anti-slavery palavers. To any one who under- 

 stands how minute the information is, which Portuguese 

 governors possess by means of their own slaves, and through 

 gossiping traders who seek to curry their favour, it is idle to 

 assert that all this slaving goes on without their approval and 

 connivance. 



If more had been wanted to prove the hopelessness of pro- 

 ducing any change in the system which has prevailed ever 

 since our allies, the Portuguese, entered the country, we 

 had it in the impunity with which the freebooter, Terera, 

 who had murdered Chibisa, was allowed to carry on his 

 forays. Belchior, another marauder, had been checked, 

 but was still allowed to make war, as they term slave- 

 hunting. 



Mr. Horace Waller was living for some five months on 

 Mount Morambala, a position from which the whole process 

 of the slave-trade, and depopulation of the country around 

 could be well noted. The mountain overlooks the Shire, 

 the beautiful meanderings of which are distinctly seen, on clear 

 days, for thirty miles. This river was for some time supposed 

 to be closed against Mariano, who, as a mere matter of form, 

 was declared a rebel against the Portuguese flag. When, 



