Chap. XII. recall of the expedition. 337 



destroyed, the survivors were thrown still further back 

 into barbarism. 



It is of little importance perhaps to any but travellers 

 to notice that in occupying one night a well-built hut, 

 which had been shut up for some time, the air inside at 

 once gave us a chill, and an attack of fever; both of 

 which vanished when the place was well-ventilated by 

 means of a fire. We have frequently observed that light- 

 ing a fire early in the mornings, even in the hottest time 

 of the year, gives freshness to the whole house, and 

 removes that feeling of closeness and langour, which a 

 hot climate induces. 



On the night of the 1st July, 1863, several loud peals 

 of thunder awoke us; the moon was shining brightly, 

 and not a cloud to be seen. All the natives remarked on 

 the clearness of the sky at the time, and next morning 

 said, " We thought it was God " (Morungo). 



On arriving at the ship on the 2nd July, we found a 

 despatch from Earl Eussell, containing instructions for 

 the withdrawal of the Expedition. The devastation 

 caused by slave-hunting and famine lay all around. The 

 labour had been as completely swept away from the Great 

 Shire Valley, as it had been from the Zambesi, wherever 

 Portuguese intrigue or power extended. The continual 

 forays of Mariano had spread ruin and desolation on our 

 south-east as far as Mount Clarendon. 



While this was going on in our rear, the Tette slave- 

 hunters from the West had stimulated the Ajawa to sweep 

 all the Manganja off the hills on our East ; and slaving 

 parties for this purpose were still passing the Shire above 

 the Cataracts. In addition to the confession of the 

 Governor of Tette, of an intention to go on with this 

 slaving in accordance with the counsel of his elder brother 

 at Mosambique, we had reason to believe that slavery 

 went on under the eye of his Excellency, the Governor- 



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