390 SAND-K1VULET ZINGESI. Chap. XXIX 



punctured. The tin is purchased from the Portuguese; and 

 although silver is reported to have been formerly found in 

 this district, no one could distinguish it from tin. Gold how- 

 ever was known, and I heard for the first time the word 

 " dalama " (gold) in the native language. In conversing with 

 different people I found the idea prevalent that those who had 

 purchased slaves from them had done them an injury. " All 

 the slaves of Tete," said one, " are our children ; the Bazunga 

 have made a town at our expense." When I asked if they had 

 not taken the prices offered them they at once admitted it, 

 but still thought tnat they had been injured by being so far 

 tempted. 



February 1st. — "We met some native traders, of whom 1 

 bought some American calico marked " Lawrence Mills, 

 Lowell," and distributed it amongst the most needy of my men, 

 many of whom were now utterly destitute of clothes. Aftei 

 leaving Mozinkwa's we came to the Zingesi, a sand-rivulet in 

 flood (lat. 15° 38' 34" S., long. 31° 1' E.), which was now 

 sixty or seventy yards wide, and waist-deep. Like all these 

 sand-rivers it is for, the most part dry ; but by digging down 

 a few feet, water is found flowing along a bed formed by a 

 stratum of clay, a phenomenon which is dignified by the name 

 of "' a river flowing underground." In attempting to ford 

 this, the water, which percolates through the sand at a very 

 rapid pace, dug out the sand beneath our feet in a second or 

 two, and we soon sank so deep that we were glad to relinquish 

 the attempt before we got halfway over ; the man who pre- 

 ceded me was only thigh- deep, but the disturbance caused by 

 his feet made it breast-deep for me. These sand-rivers remove 

 vast masses of disintegrated rock before it is fine enough to 

 form soil. The particles which struck against my legs as I 

 was fording impressed me with an idea of the amount of 

 matter removed by every freshet. In rivers where much 

 attrition is going on, as for instance in the Vaal river when 

 that is slightly in flood, a person diving to the bottom may 

 hear thousands of stones knocking against each other. This 

 process, being carried on for hundreds of miles in different 

 rivers, must have an effect greater than if all the pestles and 

 mortars and mills of the world were grinding and wearing 

 awav the rocks. 



