The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-03-03
The Far Interior of South Eastern AZ
RIGA

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RIGA.
At recent meeting of the American Ge-
ographical and Statistical Society in New
York, very interesting letter from Rev.
DR.. Livingstone, the African explorer, was
read. The Zambasi, or Zambeze, as is is
usually spelled, is large river that empties
into the Mozambique channel, between the
seventeenth and eighteenth degree of south
latitude. The Portuguese have held posses
sion of the regions about its mouth for
more than three centuries, but of late years,
have hardly been able to protect their few
garrisons from the attacks of the natives
much less to make explorations. MoZam
bique, Quilimane, and Inhambane are their
principal seaboard settlements, but the Eu-
ropean inhabitants are either convicts, or
soldiers, whose energies, shattered by fever,
are scarcely equal to the task of guarding
the moldering old forts that did such good
service in the wars of the colony's flourish
1--WE entered the delta of the Zambasi in
May, 1856, taking the most southerly branch
we could find, but after ascending about
seventy miles, we found it impossible to Ell
ter the Zambasi by that, as the point of
junction was filed up with reeds and other
aquatic plants. You may have a clearer
idea of the region, if you bear in mind the
fact that the Zambasi has in the course of
ages formed delta, which juts out in the
ocean and forms the most prominent part of
the coast. The prevailing winds of these
quarters beat, almost constantly, against
the head of the promontory. These, aided
by the oceanic currents, have helped to
dam up the main stream, but the pent-up
waters have escaped sideways. The main
stream, called Gualeo, enters at the point of
the promontory most exposed. To it we
went after leaving the southern branch, but
saw no possibility of entrance during three
days, though H. NJ. s. Lynx has since found
a channel in it, after search of ten days.
We then proceeded to examine the side
branches, and the very first ne came to,
called Kongone, was all we required.
Having got into the main stream, wei
found that we had, in going to it, and spend
ing month there, allowed the water to fall
considerably. It was also SO very much
lower than usual that the Portuguese prophe
sled that we could not ascend ten miles. 1t
was said also that war was raging, and no
one would be allowed to go up, even if he
could. Our ship drew nine feet seven inch
es, and she was under engagement to 60
to Ceylon. We, therefore, To avoid deten
ton in the river, sent her off, and went up
to the seat of war in a small steamer, draw
ing two feet six inches. We had no diff
Guilty with the "rebels.' as they were called,
indeed we got pilots from them, and contin-
ued ever after on the best of terms. They
were called ''rebels," as they had all been
runaway slaves, and bore the marks, in
brands on their chests, of their former SER
vitude. Shareholders here must be civil,
for it is 30 easy to run away, that if slaves
go to the Landius, who are of the Zulu
family, they never deliver them up. 1
have never heard Of but one case to the
contrary, and the owner-a great favorite
of theirs-was obliged to give them his full
value.
We continued carrying on luggage up
the river till November, when it reaches its
lowest point, and with care fiat-bottomed
boat would do business even then. We
know it now at its worst, and, as it spreads
out from one to three miles in breadth, it is
in many CT its crossings not more than two
and half or three feet. Just now the wa
ter stands twelve feet above low water mark
in November, and we are all quite sure that
during, at least. eight months in each year.
steamer of four or FIVE feet could trade
without embarrassment. The reasons why
% 1itllc HAS USSu AIOWu dDOut the ZLdtnOdSI
river have been the branching in the stormy
promontory by which it has been hidden
from navigators and their easy chair geog-
raphers, dreaming over the geography of
Ptolemy, actually put down the Zambasi
as flowing into the sea at Quilimane. which,
in his days. it probably did. though not a
drop of Zambasi water, in ordinary circunl-
stances, reaches that part. Had some
branch of the Anglo American family
planted their footsteps on its banks, we are
such babbling newspaper set, the world
had known all about it long ago; ard no
one would have yentured to play with this
river as has been done, making it lose itself
and flow under the Kelaharo desert.
You may form better idea of its size If |
tell you of one of its branches. We as
cended the Shire lately, fully a hundred |
miles from its confluence, and found it t
with two-fathom channel all the way up. /
It varied from eighty to one hundred and /
nifty yards in width, and contains no sand /
banks. 1t flows in a beautiful fertile valley I
twenty miles wide. and fringed with noun
tains of great beauty, well wooded to the |
top. The people had many sweet potatoes,
holcus. sorghum, and other grains, and /
pine apples, lemon and orange trees. They /
are very hospltable, and independent.
Another part Of the valley abounds in I
elephants. My companions estimated the
numbers we saw at eight hundred. Herd /
upon herd appeared as far as the eve could
reach, and noble animals they were. We
sometimes chased them in our little steam
ers, for the shore branches of occasionaliv
and forms islands. The upper part of the
valley is well peopled, and many of the
hills are cultivated high up. But never
having seen Europeans before, they looked
upon US with suspicion. They watched us
constantly we'll armed with bows and poi
aoned arroHa. ready to renel anv attack