CXIMATE. 473 



the Zambesi, and keeping on the north bank, because, 

 in the map given by Bowdich, Tete, the farthest inland 

 station of the Portuguese, is erroneously placed on that 

 side. Being near the end of September, the rains were 

 expected daily ; the clouds were collecting, and the wind 

 blew strongly from the east, but it was excessively hot. 

 All the Makololo urged me strongly to remain till the 

 ground should be cooled by the rains ; and as it was 

 probable that I should get fever if I commenced my 

 journey now, I resolved to wait. The parts of the country 

 about \j° and i8° suffer from drought and become dusty. 

 It is but the commencement of the humid region to the 

 north, and partakes occasionally of the character of both 

 the wet and dry regions. Some idea may be formed 

 of the heat in October by the fact, that the thermometer 

 (protected) stood, in the shade of my waggon, at ioo° 

 through the day. It rose to i io° if unprotected from the 

 wind, at dark it showed 89 , at 10 o'clock 8o°, and then 

 gradually sunk till sunrise, when it was 70 . That is 

 usually the period of greatest cold in each twenty-four 

 hours, in this region. The natives during the period 

 of greatest heat keep in their huts, which are always 

 pleasantly cool by day, but close and suffocating by night. 

 Those who are able to afford it, sit guzzling beer or boya- 

 loa ; the perspiration produced by copious draughts seems 

 to give enjoyment, the evaporation causing a feeling 

 of coolness. The attendants of the chief, on these occa- 

 sions, keep up a continuous roar of bantering, raillery, 

 laughing, and swearing. The dance is kept up, in the 

 moonlight, till past nridnight. The women stand clapping 

 their hands continuously, and the old men sit admiringly, 

 and say, "It is really very fine \" As crowds came to 

 see me, I employed much of my time in conversation, 

 that being a good mode of conveying instruction. In 

 the public meetings for worship the people listened very 

 attentively, and behaved with more decorum than formerly. 

 They really form a very inviting field for a missionary. 

 Surely the oft-told tale of the goodness and love of our 

 Heavenly Father, in giving up His own Son to death 

 for us sinners, will, by the power of His Holy Spirit, 

 beget love in some of these heathen hearts. 



1st October. — Before Ben Habib started for Loanda, 

 he asked the daughter of Sebituane in marriage. This 

 is the plan the Arabs adopt for gaining influence in a 



