478 
EXPLORING THE ROVIJMA. 
December. A stock of provisions were therefore sought 
at the island of Johanna, and it was determined to explore 
the Rovutna. Cattle cannot live on the banks of the Ro- 
vuma on account of the tsetse. The river was so low, that 
the boats had to be drawn over the shallow places. The 
Zambesi men showed great skill in finding out the proper 
channel. The natives are Makonde, and arc on friendly 
terms with the Mabiha and the Makoa, who live south of 
the Rovuma. Their language differs considerably from 
that in use on the Zambesi, but belongs to the same family. 
On the lfith of September the party arrived at the inha- 
bited island of Kichokomane. At first the inhabitants 
were shy, but soon opened a trade for fowls and meal. 
On the left bank, above Kichokomane, is a very fertile 
plain, nearly two miles broad, and filled with deserted vil- 
lages. The inhabitants had lied leaving every thing, for 
fear of being made slaves of. Above this village a large 
crowd gathered on the banks with the evident intention to 
fight. After a long parley, however, they were persuaded 
that the party came merely for exploration, “ This was 
their river,” they said finally; “they did not allow the 
white men to pass over it, unless they paid toll.” As it 
was pay or fight, the party paid thirty yards of cloth, and 
the natives then swore to be their friends for ever after, 
and to have food cooked for them when they returned. 
After these protestations, and when the party w r ere congra- 
tulating themselves upon the settlement, suddenly without 
a word of warning, the natives fired a volley from their 
muskets and bows and arrows. No one was hurt, and the 
natives all ran away at a return fire. The slave-trade is 
the cause for making the natives of this part of Africa 
blood-thirsty and treacherous. This people has a bad 
name among the natives themselves. On their return the 
party was, however, not molested. 
In the country of Chonga Miehi, about 80 or 90 miles 
up the river, the people, though of the same tribe, were 
ft. u nd to be quite decent. A bouy oi. ibiaKoa hau come front 
