244 SETTING OUT FOR THE HIGHLANDS. Chap. IX. 



which, immediately on our touching, always formed behind 

 us. We did not like to leave the ship short of Chibisa's, 

 lest the crew should suffer from the malaria of the low- 

 land around ; and it would have been difficult to have 

 got the Mission goods carried up. We were daily visited 

 by crowds of natives, who brought us abundance of pro- 

 visions far beyond our ability to consume. In hauling 

 the " Pioneer " over the shallow places, the Bishop, 

 with Horace Waller and Mr. Scudamore, were ever ready 

 and anxious to lend a hand, and worked as hard as any on 

 board. Had our fine little ship drawn but three feet, she 

 could have run up and down the river at any time of 

 the year with the greatest ease, but as it was, having 

 once passed up over a few shallow banks, it was impos- 

 sible to take her down again until the river rose in 

 December. She could go up over a bank, but not come 

 down over it, as a heap of sand always formed instantly 

 astern, while the current washed it away from under her 

 bows. 



On at last reaching Chibisa's, we heard that there was 

 war in the Manganja country, and the slave-trade was 

 going on briskly. A deputation from a chief near Mount 

 Zomba had just passed on its way to Chibisa, who was in 

 a distant village, to implore him to come himself, or send 

 medicine, to drive off the Waiao, Waiau, or Ajawa, whose 

 marauding parties were desolating the land. A large 

 gang of recently enslaved Manganja crossed the river, on 

 their way to Tette, a few days before we got the ship up. 

 Chibisa's deputy was civil, and readily gave us permission 

 to hire as many men to carry the Bishop's goods up to 

 the hills as were willing to go. With a sufficient number, 

 therefore, we started for the highlands on the 15th of 

 July, to show the Bishop the country, which, from its 

 altitude and coolness, was most suitable for a station. 

 Our first day's march was a long and fatiguing one. The 



