THE MAIL BAGS LOST. 293 



rearing of cotton, corn, &c, a profitable speculation if a proper means of 

 communication with the coast were opened up. Water carriage by the Shire and 

 the Zambesi exists all the way, save for a distance of about thirty miles at the 

 Murchison Cataracts ; and from the character of the country, the making of a 

 road for this distance would be no serious difficulty. At the time of Living- 

 stone's visit, cotton, of which the Manganja grew considerable quantities for 

 their own use, was worth less than a penny per pound. 



The tribes on the Upper Shire were suspicious and less hospitable than 

 those in the lower valley. Many slave-trading parties had visited them with 

 as much pretension to friendliness as Dr. Livingstone and his party, only to 

 abuse their confidence. As every care was taken to do nothing that could 

 give offence, they were slowly but surely won over to a belief in the friendly 

 intentions of the red men, as they termed Livingstone and his white friends. 

 Lake Nyassa, as he proved on his second visit, was more than two hundred 

 miles long, with a breadth of from eighteen to fifty or sixty miles at its widest 

 parts. It is narrowest towards its southern end, and has somewhat of the 

 boot-shape of the Italian peninsula. 



The party returned to the steam-boat after a land journey of forty days, 

 very much exhausted from eating the cassava root. In its raw state it ia 

 poisonous, but when boiled twice, and the water strained off, it has no evil 

 effect. The cook, not knowing this, had served it up after boiling it until the 

 water was absorbed ; and it was only after it had been tried with various mix- 

 tures, and the whole party had suffered for days from its effects, that the 

 cause was discovered. 



At Elephant Marsh on their return, they saw nine vast herds of ele- 

 phants ; they frequently formed a line two miles long. 



From Chibisa's Village Dr. Kirk and Mr. Rae, with guides, went overland 

 to Tete, and suffered greatly from the heat on the journey, arriving there very 

 much exhausted. The steamer with the other members of the expedition had 

 arrived at Tete before them and gone down to Kongone, as it was necessary to 

 beach the vessel for repairs, as she leaked worse than ever. Off Senna, Senhor 

 Ferrao sent them a bullock, which was a very acceptable gift. At Kongone 

 they were supplied with stores from Her Majesty's ship Lynx ; but unfortu- 

 nately a boat was swamped in crossing the bar, and the mail bags, with 

 despatches from Government and letters from home, were lost. It is easy to 

 sympathise with Livingstone's distress at this most unfortunate accident. 

 " The loss of the mail bags," he says " was felt severely, as we were on the 

 point of starting on an expedition into the interior, which might require eight 

 or nine months ; and twenty months is a weary time to be without news of 

 friends and family. After returning to Tete, where they stayed some time 

 enjoying the hospitality of the Portuguese merchants, Livingstone and his 

 companions, before proceeding inland to visit the Makololo country, sailed down 



