CHAP. I. BIRDS AND BEASTS ON RIVER. 19 



mus, having selected some still reach of the river to spend 

 the day, rises out of the bottom, where he has been enjoy- 

 ing his morning bath after the labours of the night on 

 shore, blows a puff of spray from his nostrils, shakes the 

 water out of his ears, puts his enormous snout up straight 

 and yawns, sounding a loud alarm to the rest of the herd, 

 with notes as of a monster bassoon. 



As we approach Mazaro the scenery improves. We 

 see the well- wooded Shupanga ridge stretching to the left, 

 and in front blue hills rise dimly far in the distance. 

 There is no trade whatever on the Zambesi below Mazaro. 

 All the merchandise of Senna and Tette is brought to 

 that point in large canoes, and thence carried six miles 

 across the country on men's heads to be reshipped on a 

 small stream that flows into the Kwakwa, or Quillimane 

 river, which is entirely distinct from the Zambesi. Only 

 on rare occasions and during the highest floods can canoes 

 pass from the Zambesi to the Quillimane river through 

 the narrow natural canal Mutu. The natives of Maruru, 

 or the country around Mazaro, the word Mazaro meaning 

 the " mouth of the creek " Mutu, have a bad name among 

 the Portuguese ; they are said to be expert thieves, and 

 the merchants sometimes suffer from their adroitness 

 while the goods are in transit from one river to the other. 

 In general they are trained canoe-men, and man many of 

 the canoes that ply thence to Senna and Tette; their 

 pay is small, and, not trusting the traders, they must 

 always have it before they start. Africans being prone 

 to assign plausible reasons for their conduct, like white 

 men in more enlightened lands, it is possible they may 

 be goodhumouredly giving their reason for insisting on 

 being invariably paid in advance in the words of their 

 favourite canoe-song, " Uachingere, Uachingere Kale," 

 " You cheated me of old ; " or, " Thou art slippery, 

 slippery truly." 



