CHAP. I. SERVICES OF DR. KIRK. 21 



amidst the white clouds ; and further away more distant 

 hills appear in the blue horizon. This beautifully 

 situated house possesses a melancholy interest from 

 having been associated in a most mournful manner with 

 the history of two English expeditions. Here, in 1826, 

 poor Kirkpatrick, of Captain Owen's Surveying Expedi- 

 tion, died of fever ; and here, in 1862, died, of the same 

 fatal disease, the beloved wife of Dr. Livingstone. A 

 hundred yards east of the house, under a large Baobab- 

 tree, far from their native land, both are buried. 



The Shupanga-house was the head-quarters of the 

 Governor during the Mariano war. He told us that the 

 province of Mosambique costs the Home Government 

 between 5000Z. and 6000Z. annually, and East Africa yields 

 no reward in return to the mother country. We met 

 there several other influential Portuguese. All seemed 

 friendly, and expressed their willingness to assist the 

 expedition in every way in their power ; and better still, 

 Colonel Nunes and Major Sicard put their good-will into 

 action, by cutting wood for the steamer and sending men 

 to help in unloading. It was observable that not one 

 of them knew anything about the Kongone Mouth; all 

 thought that we had come in by the " Barra Catrina," or 

 East Luabo. Dr. Kirk remained here a few weeks ; 

 and, besides exploring a small lake twenty miles to the 

 south-west, had the sole medical care of the sick and 

 wounded soldiers, for which valuable services he received 

 the thanks of the Portuguese Government. We wooded 

 up at this place with African ebony or black wood, and 

 lignum vitas ; the latter tree attains an immense size, 

 sometimes as much as four feet in diameter ; our engineer, 

 knowing what ebony and lignum vitas cost at home, said 

 it made his heart sore to burn wood so valuable. Though 

 botanically different, they are extremely alike ; the black 

 wood as grown in some districts is superior, and the 



