WAR-DRUM AT BHIRAMBA. 
421 
When we parted from him, wo passed the stcckado ol 
Bonga at the confluence of the Luonya, but did not go 
near it, as ho is said to be very suspicious. The Portuguese 
advised mo not to tako any observation, as the instruments 
might awaken fears in Bonga'a mind, but Manoel said I 
might do so if I wished : his garden, howevor, being above 
the confluence, could not avail as a geographical point 
There aro somo good houses in the stockado. The troesof 
which it is composed soemod to me to bo living, and could 
not bo burned. It was strango to see a stockado menacing 
the whole commorco of the river in a situation whore tho 
guns of a vessel would havo full play on it ; but it is a 
formidable affair for thoso who have only muskets. On 
one occasion, when Nyaudo was attacked by Kisaka, they 
fought for weeks; and, though Nyaudo was reduced to 
cutting up his copper anklets for balls, his onomics wore 
not ablo to enter tho stockado. 
Wo sailed on quickly with tho curront of tho river, and 
found that it spread out to more than two miles in breadth : 
it is, howevor, full of islands, which aro generally covered 
with reeds, and which previous to tho war wero inhabited 
and yielded vast quantities of grain. Wo usually landed 
to cook breakfast, and then wont on quickly. 
Noxt day wo landed at Shiramba for breakfast, having 
sailed eight and a half hours from Lupata. This was once 
tho rosidcnco of a Portuguese brigadier, who spent large 
sums of money in ombollishing his houso and gardons: 
these we found in entire ruin, as his half-casto son had 
destroyed all, and then robellod against tho Portuguese, 
but with less success than oithor Nyaudo or Kisaka, for he 
had been soizod and sent a prisoner to Mozambique a short 
timo beforo our visit. All tho southern shore has boen 
ravaged by tho Caffros, who aro hero named Landoens; 
and most of tho inhabitants who remain acknowledge the 
authority of Bonga and not of tho Portuguese. When at 
breakfast, tho peoplo of Shiramba commenced beating the 
Arum of war Lieutenant Miranda, who was well ao- 
36 
