The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-15 00:00:00

In a letter to Admiral Washington, he said—

The sight of the new dhow gave me a hint, which I may
mention. She was 50ft long by 12ft, and ft deep. I would
never think of carrying more than the engines and boilers
past cataracts like ours. One could build a hull more easily.
At the foot of the lake there are many trees 30ft high with•
out a branch, and 3ft in diameter.
To Sir R. Murchison, he continued—

They pay one fathom of calico (value one shilling) for a
boy, and two for a good-looking girl. Yet the slaves would
not pay but for the ivory they carry. A trailer with 20
slaves must pay at least the price of one slave per day for
their sustenance. It is a joint ivory and slave trade which
alone renders the speculation profitable.
He wrote to Admiral Washington—

I knew this of old, but Captain Wilson, of the Gorgon,
has lately discovered it, and mentions it in his last "Slave
Trade Report." It was the knowledge that I was working
towards undermining the slave trade of Mozambique and
Iboe by buying up the ivory, that made the Portuguese
exert all their obstructive powers. I trust that operations
in the interior, under a more able leader, will not be lost
sight of. These will do more to stop the slave trade than
all the cruisers, and without them I see no hope of the
Portugnere giving up slavery.

His letter to Sir Roderick Murchison then pro-
ceeded thus—

This is the crowning place for nearly all the slaves that go
to Quiloa, Iboe, and Mcz imbique. A few go down to tho
end of the lake, and for cheapness cross the Shire. But here
lies the great trade route to Katanga, Kazembe, &e. The
Babisa are the principal traders, and the Manganja are the
cultivators of the soil. The Arabs—the same we met
before—were very civil. They came forth to meet us,
and presented rice, meal, sugar-cane, and a piece of male.
chite. Leaving them we went due west, and in three days
ascended to the edge of the plateau, which from below
looks like a range of mountains. The long ascent, adorned
with hill and dale and running streams, fringed with ever-
green trees, was very beautiful to the eye, but sore for the
legs, often causing us to puff and blow as if broken winded.
The heights have a delicious but peculiarly piercing air. It
seemed to go through ns. Five Shupanza men, who had
been accustomed all their lives to the malaria of the Zan-
zibar delta, were quite prostrated by that whioh to me was
exhilirating and bracing. We travelled about ninety miles
west, then turned up to the N.W. The country is
level. The edge of the plateau is 3,440 feet above the
sea. At the Isangwa of the lake the height shown is 3,270
feet, The direction of the streams verifies these appropriate
heights,andyour famous hypothesis too,for the Isangwa of the
lake finds itsway backwards to the Nyassa; another, called
the Isanwa of the Moravi, flows to the westward and enters
the Zambesi Zatnbu, The.feeders of these rivers are boggy
valleys with pools in their courses. We were said to have
crossed one branch of the Mortals, or Moitawa, which flaws
W.N.W. into a small lake called Bemba. The valleys in
which the rivers rise closely resemble those in Londe or
Lunde; but here each bank is dotted over with village,
and a great deal of land is cultivated. The vegetation
is more stunted, and the trees covered with flat lichens
like those on old apple trees in Scotland, and a long
thready sort like orchilla shows a humid climate. We
were going in the direction whence a great deal of
ivory is drawn by the people on the slave route, and
this induced them to put hindrances in our way, refus-
ing to sell food, and misleading us. The time that could
be spent with safety had expired, our European food was
expended, and dysentery fell upon us. I was under ex-
plicit orders not to take any long journey, but have the
Pioneer down to the sea by the earliest flood. I might have
speculated on a late rise in the river, but did not like the
idea of failing in my duty with the vessel, and gave up fur-
ther progress, The temptation to go on was that Lake Bemba
was said to be but 10 days distant. Thence, according to
native and Arab report, issues the River Loapula Luapula,
which, flowing westward, forms the Lakes Mofa or Mofae
and Moers ; then passing the town of Cazembe, it turns
round to the north and is lost in Zanganika on the west into
the River Kasai easterly; where I formerly crossed the river.
All agreed in asserting that no river flowed eastward into
Lake Nyassa. Two small ones do, but at a distance of say
89 or 90 miles from the lake ; the watershed is to the west.
One should have no bias in investigating these questions by
the aid of travelled natives; but I had a strong leaning to
a flow from Zan ganyika into Nyassa. I was stoutly opposed
by all, and I had crossed eo many running streams which,
from entering the lake among weeds, had not been observed
from the boat in our first visit, that before reaching Kotakota
I had come to the conclusion that a large river was not
needed to account for the perennial flow of the Shire. I am
sorry to give only native information instead of observa-
tions by my own eyes ; but having been confined to work of
much more importance than exploration, the above was all
I could do when set free, The work on which I had la-
boured for years has all been spoilt by the Portuguese
slave hunting. As we (the steward of the Pioneer and
myself) were on our metal not to overstep the limited time
at our disposal, it may be worth mentioning that we
travelled 660 geographical miles in 55 travelling days,
averaging twelve miles per day in strait lines. The new
leaves on the trees of the plateau were coming out fresh and
green there, and we reached this on the 31st of Oct., to find
the 9veTgreens by the streams as bare of haves as
ail exceilt
in mid-winter.
To Admiral Washiagtod be writes in con-
tinuation

WA now M'eut '"e west oil alp gr.at slave route to the
Babisa Itatanga and Camue, rut say 00 or 100 miles, then
turned up to the N.N.W.i but before we had gone far our
time was expired. We had ascertained that the watershed
was clearly to the west, After crossing the branches of the
Loangwa of the lake, we had the Loangwa of the Moravi
which enters the Zambesi at Zumbo. We were on a level
plateau, 3,440tt above the sea, in lat. 12.46 8. A. rivulet
called Motala, or Motawa, flows N.N.W. into Lake Be'Olbs
which is said to be the source of the Loapula. This
flows westward, and forms two lakes, Moero and Mofu or
Mofue, then passes the town of Cazembe, and is lost in
Zanganyika. These were the reports we heard, and though
Bemba was said to be ten days distant I was afraid to
speculate on a late rise of the river in view of Lord Russell's
explicit orders not to undertake a long journey. All reports
agreed that no large river flows into Lake Nyassa from t
north. Two small ones do. This agrees with the general
watershed. Nearly all the travelled natives and the Arabs
mentioned that the Loapula, or Luapula, flows into Zan-
g :nyika. I thank you for the charts of the Bovuma, and I
shall endeavour to take soundings, not on the bar, for thei
is none, but opposite the mouth. The cnly thing like a bar
is at half.ebb and up to the time the tide turns, when the
water, rushing out of the river, falls from three or four
fathoms into 19 fathoms. The water tumbling into deep
just at the mouth might swamp a beat, but no sooner does
the flow begin than all is smooth. I believe that the
Bovuma may be navigable for a vessel of light draft during
eight or nine months in the year.
Shupanga, Feb. 10.

I intend to go northwards —perhaps to Bombay—in search
of a market for the Lady Nyassa, there being no probability
of our disposing of her at the Cape.

The following is to Sir R. Murchison :
Shupanga, Feb. 10.
The river rose in tremendous force on the 19th of Janu-
ary—much later than usual. This extracted many a groan
from me, for it was plain that I had plenty of time to have
examined Bemba, the beginning, I suppose, of the drainage
system, which finds an outlet of the Congo, Mofu, or Moine,
which was seen, I believe, by Monteiro in his journey to
Cazembe. 11' e travelled part of our way on the route from
Quilon to the same chief. I hope a report of my being
murdered has not reached you or my family, as they may
believe it the more readily on account of the lose already
sustained. 1 have never known any difficulty with an in-
terior tribe, or any other engaged in slaving.
A paper was read by the Secretary, from Mr

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