452 
ADVENTURE WITH A WON. 
entered upon the Chicova plains. At Chicova the Zambesi 
expands, and resumes the size and appearance it had at 
Tette. The party uow entering on a country where lions 
were numerous, the camp at night was better arranged and 
guarded, a dozen fires being kindled. Our illustration 
shows the narrow escape made by one of the party in a 
lion hunt. At night the natives amuse themselves with 
music, talk and excited political discussions, chiefly con- 
cerning the bad government of the chiefs ; and here, as 
elsewhere, there are two parties. 
In marching, the party rose at five, or as soon as dawn 
appeared ; took a cup of tea and a biscuit, packed the 
baggage and cooking utensils, and by sunrise were on the 
way. About nine A. m., they stopped for breakfast. To 
save time, this was generally carried cooked, and had 
simply to be warmed. After breakfast, the march began 
again ; and, after a rest in the middle of the day, ended 
early in the afternoon. The average is two and a half 
miles, in a straight line, and seldom took more than five or 
six hours of actual travel. This, in a hot climate, is as 
much as can be done without exhaustion. Experience 
shows that the Europeans had a greater power of endu- 
rance thau the hardiest of the meat-eating Africans. 
The Chicova plains are very fertile, and formerly sup- 
ported a large population, which has been decimated by 
wars and slavery. The African women are* particular 
about not taking their water for cooking from the river 
directly, but dig holes in the sand near the bank, and take 
the water which collects in them after filtering through the 
•and. This custom is common in the Zambesi, the 
Rovuina, and Lake Nyassa, and the Portuguese at Tette 
have adopted it. The filth of the villages is deposited 
about them for nine months in the year, and the rains wash 
it all into the streams. Europeans in Africa who use the 
river water, without this precaution, suffer from disease' 
For the English navy on the coast, the water is now all 
condensed, with excellent results in the better health of 
the men. 
