The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-01-20
DIR. IIv1NesToNE's DISCOVERIES
IN AFRICA.

AC GIoSOfCAlCOO VI LII. III al
rica, are considered of great commercial
value. He lived with tribe of Bechuanas
for eight years, and in cooperation with
Mr.. Oswald, discovered Lake Ngami. He
traced by himself TIE course of the great
river Zamhesi, in Eastern Africa, extend
ing two thousand lies.
This immense stream, whose discovery is
the great fruit of the journey, is in itself an
enigma without parallel. But q. small por-
ton of its waters reach the seacoast. Like
the Aby ssinian Nile. it falls through ba-
saltic cleft, near the middle Of its course,
which reduces its breadth from 1000 to 90
yards. Above these falls it spreads out
periodically into a great sea, filling hum
dreds Of lateral channels; below it is tran
quill stream of a totally different character.
Its mouths seems to be closing. The south
ernmost was nayigable when the Portuguese
first arrived in the country, 800 years ago,
but it has long since ceased to be practica-
bic. The Quillimane mouth has of late
years been impossible, even for canoe,
from July to February, and for 200 to 900
miles up the river navigation is never at
tempted in the dry season. And in this
very month of July, when the lower portion
of the river, after its April freshets, has
sunk to mere dribiet above the falls the
river spreads out like sea over hundreds
of square miles. This, with frequent cat
aracts, and the hostility of the natives,
would seem to be an effectual bar to the
high hopes of fat trade and 6llibustering, in
which English merchants and journals arc
now indulging.
During this unprecedented march, alone
and among sayages, to whom white face
was miracle. DIR. Livingstone was com
PEELED to struggle through indesoribable
hardships. The hospitality Of the natives
he conquered by his intimate knowledge Of
their character and tho Bechurna tongue,
to which theirs is related. He waded rivers
and slept in the sponge and oozes of marsh
es, being often SO drcnched as to be com
PEELED to turn his armpit into watch-pock-
ct. His cattle were destroyed by the ter
rible tso-tse fly, and he was too poor to
purchase canoe. Lions were numerous,
being worshipped by many of the tribes as
the receptacles of the departed souls of their
chiefs dangerous, too, as his crushed arm
testifes. However, he thinks the fear of
African wild beasts greater in England than
in Africa. Many of his documents were
lost while crossing river, in which be came
near losing his life also, but he has memo
randa of the latitudes and longtudes of
multitude of cities, towns rivers and noun
tains, which will go far to fill up the ':un-
known region'' in our ALIASES.
Toward the interior he found the country
more fertile and more populous. The ma
tives worshipped idols, believed in transmit
grated existence after death, and performed
religious ceremonies in groves and woods.
They were less fcrocious and suspicious
than the seaboard tribes; had tradition of
the deluge and more settled governments.
Some ofthem practiced incubation and used
quinine, and all were eager for trade, being
entirely dependent on English calico for
clothing, small piece of which would pur-
chase slave. Their language was sweet
and expressive. Although their women, on
the whole, were not we'll treated, man
having as many wives as he chose, they
were complete mistresses Of their own hous-
es and gardens, which the husband dared
not enter in his wife's absence. They were
fond of show and glitter, and as much as
$3.50 had been given for an English rifle
On the arid platena OF the interior, water
melons supplied the place Of water for some
months of the year, as they do on the plains
Of Hungary in summer. A Quaker tribe,
on the river Zanga, never fight, never have
consumption, scrofula, hydrophobia, chol-
era, smallpox, or measles. These advan-
tages, however, are counterbalanced by the
necessity of assiduous devotion to trade and
raising children to make good their loss
from the frequent inroads of their fighting
neighbors.
MARRIAGES IN Boston IN 1S56-Dur-