THE ZAMBESI REGION. 
317 
Aumsinga, which, as I found to my cost, only too justly 
had the reputation of being the most dangerous of any 
of the Sesheke and Nambwe cataracts. I was still 
feeling very unwell, and could not even sit in my canoe 
without much pain ; but there was nothing in my con¬ 
dition that alarmed me, and I continued to work at my 
chart of our course. 
The Mutshila Aumsinga rapids are formed by a con¬ 
siderable slope in the river-bed, combined with the 
projection of numerous masses of rock above the water. 
But the chief danger in crossing them arises from 
another cause. Between a wooded island and the left- 
hand shore are two side-currents, about fifty yards 
broad, formed by some little islands at their head ; and 
as no part of the rapids is sufficiently shallow for boats 
to be lifted across them, the strength of the rowers has 
to be put to the test by pulling against the full force of 
the stream, and is consequently liable to be exhausted. 
The boat in which I was sitting happened to be the 
third in the order of procession. It carried my journals, 
all my beads and cartridges, and the presents intended 
for the native kings and chiefs. Like all my other 
boats it was too heavily laden, and not adequately 
manned. The second boat just ahead of me conveyed 
my gunpowder, my medicines, and provisions, and all 
the plants and insects that I had collected at Sesheke, 
the bulk of my specimens having been left with West- 
beech to send back to Panda ma Tenka. Observing 
that the crew in front were experiencing the utmost 
difficulty in holding their own against the current, I 
shouted to them to catch hold of the branches of some 
overhanging trees ; I was most anxious to see them at 
least keep their bow in the right direction. My voice 
was lost in the roar of the waters. I could see that the 
oars of the men were slipping off the surface of the rock 
that was as smooth as a mirror, and that the men, 
although obviously aware of their peril, were paddling 
wildly and to no purpose at all. My heart misgave me. 
Nothing could save the boat ; still I could not bring 
myself to believe that fate was about to deal so hardly 
