24 INDUSTRY OF THE NATIVES. CHAP. I. 



Ferrao. The benevolence of this gentleman is unbounded. 

 The poor black stranger passing through the town goes 

 to him almost as a matter of course for food, and is never 

 sent away hungry. In times of famine the starving 

 natives are fed by his generosity ; hundreds of his own 

 people he never sees except on these occasions; and the 

 only benefit derived from being their master is, that they 

 lean on him as a patriarchal chief, and he has the satis- 

 faction of settling their differences, and of saving their 

 lives in seasons of drought and scarcity. 



Senhor Ferrao received us with his usual kindness, 

 and gave us a bountiful breakfast. During the day the 

 principal men of the place called, and were unanimously 

 of ojrinion that the free natives would willingly cultivate 

 large quantities of cotton, could they find purchasers. 

 They had in former times exported largely both cotton 

 and cloth to Manica and even to Brazil. " On their own 

 soil," they declared, " the natives are willing to labour 

 and trade, provided only they can do so to advantage : 

 when it is for their interest, blacks work very hard." We 

 often remarked subsequently that this was the opinion 

 of men of energy ; and that all settlers of activity, enter- 

 prise, and sober habits had become rich, while those who 

 were much addicted to lying on their backs smoking, 

 invariably complained of the laziness of the negroes, and 

 were poor, proud, and despicable. 



Beyond Pita lies the little island Nyamotobsi, where 

 we met a small fugitive tribe of hippopotamus hunters, 

 who had been driven by war from their own island in 

 front. All were busy at work ; some were making 

 gigantic baskets for grain, the men plaiting from the 

 inside. With the civility so common among them the 

 chief ordered a mat to be spread for us under a shed, and 

 then showed us the weapon with which they kill the 

 hippopotamus; it is a short iron harpoon inserted in the 



