10 THE KONGONE. CHAP. 1. 



of sand brought down by the Zambesi has in the course of 

 ages formed a sort of promontory, against which the long 

 swell of the Indian Ocean, beating during the prevailing 

 winds, has formed bars, which, acting against the waters 

 of the delta, may have led to their exit sideways. The 

 Kongone is one of those lateral branches, and the safest ; 

 inasmuch as the bar has nearly two fathoms on it at low 

 water, and the rise at spring tides is from twelve to four- 

 teen feet. The bar is narrow, the passage nearly straight, 

 and, were it buoyed and a beacon placed on Pearl Island, 

 would always be safe to a steamer. When the wind is 

 from the east or north, the bar is smooth ; if from the 

 south and south-east, it has a heavy break on it, and is not 

 to be attempted in boats. A strong current setting to the 

 east when the tide is flowing, and to the west when ebbing, 

 may drag a boat or ship into the breakers. If one is 

 doubtful of his longitude and runs east, he will soon see 

 the land at Timbwe disappear away to the north; and 

 coming west again, he can easily make out East Luabo 

 from its great size ; and Kongone follows several miles 

 west. East Luabo has a good but long bar, and not to be 

 attempted unless the wind be north-east or east. It has 

 sometimes been called " Barra Catrina," and was used in 

 the embarkations of slaves. This may have been the 

 " Eiver of Good Signs," of Vasco da Gama, as the mouth 

 is more easily seen from the seaward than any other ; but 

 the absence of the pillar dedicated by that navigator to 

 " St. Raphael," leaves the matter in doubt. No Portu- 

 guese live within eighty miles of any mouth of the 

 Zambesi. 



The Kongone is five miles east of the Milambe, or 

 western branch, and seven miles west from East Luabo, 

 which again is five miles from the Timbwe. We saw but few 

 natives, and these, by escaping from their canoes into the 

 mangrove thickets the moment they caught sight of us, 



