22 JOURNEY TO TETTE. CHAP. 1. 



lignum vitae inferior in quality, to these timbers brought 

 from other countries. Caoutchouc, or India-rubber, ie 

 found in abundance inland from Shupanga-house, and 

 calumba-root is plentiful in the district ; indigo, in 

 quantities, propagates itself close to the banks of the 

 river, and was probably at some time cultivated, for 

 manufactured indigo was once exported. The India- 

 rubber is made into balls for a game resembling " fives," 

 and calumba-root is said to be used as a mordant for 

 certain colours, but not as a dye itself. 



We started for Tette on the 17th August, 1858 ; the 

 navigation was rather difficult, the Zambesi from Shu- 

 panga to Senna being wide and full of islands ; our black 

 pilot, John Scisssors, a serf, sometimes took the wrong 

 channel and ran us aground. Nothing abashed, he would 

 exclaim in an aggrieved tone, " This is not the path, it is 

 back yonder." " Then why didn't you go yonder at 

 first ? " growled out our Kroomen, who had the work of 

 getting the vessel off. When they spoke roughly to poor 

 Scissors, the weak cringing slave-spirit came forth in, 

 " Those men scold me so, I am ready to run away." This 

 mode of finishing up an engagement is not at all uncom- 

 mon on the Zambesi ; several cases occurred, when we 

 were on the river, of hired crews decamping with most of 

 the goods in their charge. If the trader cannot redress 

 his own wrongs, he has to endure them. The Landeens 

 will not surrender a fugitive slave, even to his master. 

 One belonging to Mr. Azevedo fled, and was, as a great 

 favour only, returned after a present of much more than 

 his value. 



We landed to wood at Shamoara, just below the con- 

 fluence of the Shire. Its quartz hills are covered with 

 trees and gigantic grasses ; the buaze, a small forest-tree, 

 grows abundantly ; it is a species of poly gal a ; its beauti- 

 ful clusters of sweet-scented pinkish flowers perfume the 



