COUNTRY UP THE ZAMBESI. 625 



tomatos, onions, &c. Above this there are not many 

 inhabitants on the left or west bank., although it is 

 much the finest country, being higher, and abounding in 

 cocoa-nut palms ; the eastern bank being sandy and 

 barren. The reason is, that some years back the L,an- 

 deens, or Caffres, ravaged all this country, killing the 

 men and taking the women as slaves, but they have 

 never crossed the river ; hence the natives are afraid to 

 settle on the west bank, and the Portuguese owners of the 

 different " prasos " have virtually lost them. The banks 

 of the river continue mostly sandy, with few trees, except 

 some cocoa-nut palms, until the southern end of the large 

 plantation of Nyangue, formed by the river about 20 

 miles from Maruru. Here the country is more populous 

 and better cultivated, the natives a finer race, and the 

 huts larger and better constructed. Maruru belongs to 

 Senor Asevedo, of Quilimane, well known to all English 

 officers on the east coast for his hospitality. 



"The climate here is much cooler than nearer the sea, 

 and Asevedo has successfully cultivated most European 

 as well as tropical vegetables. The sugar-cane thrives, 

 as also coffee and cotton, and indigo is a weed. Cattle 

 here are beautiful, and some of them might show with 

 credit in England. The natives are intelligent, and under 

 a good government this fine country might become very 

 valuable. Three miles from Maruru is Mesan, a very 

 pretty village among palm and mango trees. There is 

 here a good house belonging to a Senor Ferrao ; close by 

 is the canal (Mutu) of communication between the 

 Quilimane and Zambesi rivers, which in the rainy season is 

 navigable (?). I visited it in the month of October, 

 which is about the dryest time of the year ; it was then 

 a dry canal, about 30 or 40 yards wide, overgrown with 

 trees and grass, and, at the bottom, at least 16 or 17 

 feet above the level of the Zambesi, which was running 

 beneath. In the rains, by the marks I saw, the entrance 

 rise of the river must be very nearly 30 feet, and the 

 volume of water discharged by it (the Zambesi) enormous. 



" Above Maruru the country begins to become more 

 hilly, and the high mountains of Boruru are in sight ; 

 the first view of these is obtained below Nyangue, and 

 they must be of considerable height, as from this they are 

 distant above 40 miles. They are reported to contain 

 great mineral wealth ; gold and copper being found in 



2 s 



