488 
THE BOAT LOST AT THE FALLS. 
however, passed the small piece of road built, the difficul- 
ties in the way were seen to be practically insurmountable, 
from the time it would take. The Ajawa and Mangunja 
settled at Cbibisa’s were, therefore, sent for, and they 
taking the boat upon their shoulders, carried it, in a few 
days, past all the cataracts but one. Between the last two 
cataracts, they took advantage of a still reach of the river 
to haul the boat a couple of miles. The Makololo, accus- 
tomed to rapids, had her in charge. Finding the rapids 
too strong, they resolved to take the boat out of the water, 
and carry it round the last cataract. Five Zambesi men, 
feeling that they could manage her, took an opportunity, 
when no one was looking, to get three of them into the 
boat before it was lifted from the water, while two hauled 
on the rope. All at once the current struck her, the rope 
broke, those in the boat leaped out for their lives, and, 
like an arrow, she shot over the cataract, shattering her- 
self to pieces, and destroying the result of all their labor 
and hope. The five men, who were the cause, approached 
with the sheepish air of children who have broken a milk 
pitcher ; but they were forgiven, their only sentence being 
to go back to the ship for provisions. 
The cataracts on the Shire begin in 15° 20' S., and end 
in lat. 15° 56' S. ; the difference in latitude is, therefore, 
35'. The river runs here nearly north and south till we 
pass Malango, so that the distance is under forty miles. 
There are five principal cataracts, and three or four smaller 
ones. The lesser descend at an angle of about 20°, the 
larger fail 100 feet in 100 yards, at an angle of 45°, and 
one at an angle of 70°. The entire descent from the Upper 
to the Lower Shi re is 1200 feet. 
On the 15th of August, the men came back from tho 
ship with provisions, and the party started with light 
hearts. The weather was cool, and on the 1 9th they were 
on the march. The intention was to proceed parallel with 
Lake Nyassa, at some distance from it, so as to pass tbo 
Zulus near its northern end, without touching them ; to 
