672 
THE AUTHOirS OBLIGATIONS. 
Chap. XXXIL 
ill the whole of the delta are something frightful. Sailing com¬ 
fortably in this commodious launch along the river of Kilimane, 
we reached that village (lat. 17° 53' 8" S., long. 36° 40' E.) on 
the 20th of May, 1856, which wanted only a few days of being 
four years since I started from Cape Town. Here I was received 
into the house of Colonel Galdino Jose Nunes, one of the best 
men in the country. I had been three years without hearing 
from my family; letters having frequently been sent, but some¬ 
how or other, with but a single exception, they never reached 
me. I received, however, a letter from Admiral Trotter, con¬ 
veying information of then welfare, and some newspapers, which 
were a treat indeed. Her Majesty’s brig the Erohc” had called 
to inquire for me in the November previous, and Captain Nolloth 
of that ship had most considerately left a case of wine; and his 
surgeon. Dr. Jas. Walsh, divining what I should need most, left 
an ounce of quinine. These gifts made my heart overflow. I 
had not tasted any liquor whatever during the time I had been 
in Africa; but when reduced in Angola to extreme weakness, I 
found much benefit from a little wine, and took from Loanda 
one bottle of brandy in my medicine-chest, intending to use it 
if it were again required; but the boy who carried it whirled the 
box upside down, and smashed the bottle, so I cannot give my 
testimony either in favour of or against the brandy. 
But my joy on reaching the east coast was sadly embittered 
by the news that Commander MacLune, of H. M. brigantine 
“ Dart,” on coming in to Kilimane to pick me up, had, with 
Lieutenant Woodruffe and five men, been lost on the bar. I 
never felt more poignant sorrow. It seemed as if it would have 
been easier for me to have died for them, than that they should 
all be cut off from the joys of life in generously attempting to 
render me a service. I would here acknowledge my deep obli¬ 
gations to the Earl of Clarendon; to the Admiral at the Cape; 
and others, for the kind interest they manifested in my safety ; 
even the inquiries made were very much to my advantage. I 
also refer with feelings of gratitude to the Governor of Mozam¬ 
bique for offering me a passage in the schooner “ Zambesi,” 
belonging to that province; and I shall never forget the 
generous hospitality of Colonel Nunes and his nephew, with 
whom I remained. One of the discoveries I have made is that 
