Chap. XXY. 
PATH TO THE EAST COAST. 
507 
Zanzibar. The only difficulty that they assured me of was that in 
the falls of Victoria. Some recommended my going to Sesheke, 
and crossing over in a N.E. direction to the Kafue, which is only 
six days distant, and descending that river to the Zambesi. Others 
recommended me to go on the south bank of the Zambesi until 
I had passed the falls, then get canoes and proceed further down 
the river.- All spoke strongly of the difficulties of travelling on 
the north bank, on account of the excessively broken and rocky 
nature of the country near the river on that side. Amd when 
Ponuane, who had lately headed a foray there, proposed that I 
should carry canoes along that side, till we reached the spot where 
the Leeambye becomes broad and placid again; others declared 
that, from the difficulties he himself had experienced in forcing 
the men of his expedition to do this, they believed that mine 
would be sure to desert me, if I attempted to impose such a task 
upon them. Another objection to travelling on either bank of 
the river, was the prevalence of the tsetse, which is so abundant, 
that the iohabitants can keep no domestic animals except goats. 
While pondering over these different paths, I could not help 
regretting my being alone. If I had enjoyed the company of my 
former companion, Mr. Oswell, one of us might have taken the 
Zambesi, and the other gone by way of Zanzibar. The latter 
route was decidedly the easiest, because aU the inland tribes were 
friendly, while the tribes in the direction of the Zambesi were 
inimical, and I should now be obhged to lead a party, which the 
Batoka of that country view as hostile invaders, through an 
enemy’s land; but as the prospect of permanent water conveyance 
was good, I decided on going down the Zambesi, and keeping on 
the north banli, because, in the map given by Bowdich, Tete, the 
farthest inland station of the Portuguese, is erroneously placed 
on that side. Being near the end of September, the rains were 
expected daily; the clouds were collecting, and the wind blew 
strongly from the east, but it was excessively hot. AU the 
Makololo urged me strongly to remain tUl the ground should be 
cooled by the rains; and as it was probable that I should get fever 
if I commenced my journey now, I resolved to wait. The parts 
of the country about 17° and 18° suffer from drought and become 
dusty. It is but the commencement of the humid region to the 
north, and partakes occasionaUy of the character of both the wet 
