CROSSING THE MOUTH OF THE SHIRE. 6 21 



in the village. We were abundantly supplied with pro- 

 visions by the Commandant and Senhor Ferrao, and 

 sailed pleasantly down the broad river. About thirty 

 miles below Senna, we passed the mouth of the river 

 Zangwe on our right, which farther up goes by the name 

 of Pungwe ; and about five miles farther on our left, close 

 to the end of a low range into which Morumbala merges, 

 we crossed the mouth of the Shire, which seemed to be 

 about 200 yards broad. A little inland from the confluence 

 there is another rebel stockade, which was attacked by 

 Ensign Rebeiro with three European soldiers, and cap- 

 tured ; they disarmed the rebels and threw the guns into 

 the water. This Ensign and Miranda volunteered to 

 disperse the people of Kisaka, who were riding roughshod 

 over the inhabitants of Senna ; but the offer was declined, 

 the few real Portuguese fearing the disloyal half-castes 

 among whom they dwelt. Slavery and immorality have 

 here done their work ; nowhere else does the European 

 name stand at so low an ebb ; but what can be expected ? 

 Few Portuguese women are ever taken to the colonies, 

 and here I did not observe that honourable regard for the 

 offspring which I noticed in Angola. The son of a late 

 Governor of Tete was pointed out to me in the condition 

 and habit of a slave. There is neither priest nor school 

 at Senna, though there are ruins of churches and con- 

 vents. 



On passing the Shire, we observed great quantities of 

 the plant Alfacinya, already mentioned, floating down 

 into the Zambesi. It is probably the Pistia stratiotes, a 

 gigantic " duckweed." It was mixed with quantities of 

 another aquatic plant, which the Barotse named 

 " Njefu." containing in the petiole of the leaf a pleasant- 

 tasted nut. This was so esteemed by Sebituane, that he 

 made it part of his tribute from the subjected tribes. 

 Dr. Hooker kindly informs me that the njefu " is probably 

 a species of Trapa, the nuts of which are eaten in the 

 south of Europe and in India. Government derives a 

 large revenue from them in Kashmir, amounting to 

 ;£ 12,000 per annum for 128,000 ass-loads ! The ancient 

 Thracians are said to have eaten them largely. In the 

 south of France they are called water-chesnuts." The 

 existence of these plants in such abundance in the Shire, 

 may show that it flows from large collections of still water. 

 We found them growing in all the still branches and 



