The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-01-07
Axaeriean Geographical and Statistical
Society,

INTERESTING LETTER FROM REV. DAVID LIVINGSTON,
D. D., FROM zAMBEsf RIVER, SOUTH AFRICA.
The regular monthly meeting Of this society was held
It their rooms, in Clinton Hall, Aston place, thursday
vening at TX O'Clock, the principal asrv ;tion Of the
yeniDg being letter from the celebrated traveller Dr.
and paper "Afrca aner the Eauator''
by B. Du ChMiu Esq, who has ia' ely returned after
long sojourn In that region.
The business Of the evening Jas commenced by the
reading of the minutes OF the vst meeting which being
approved Of she reports frcm the several committees
handed in aud rher miscellaneous business
disposed Of The Secretary then ordered 10 read
the letter, which we give in fun.
MY rEAR Sa-EaviDg been c. ected a member Of your
scceJ take the liberty TO send you short account OF
THAI, though asay appear interesting 10 your mem
bvs, 1t may, at least show my good will and desire 70
perform Corresponding members duty ,e.o
We entered the delta of the Zamoese In May, 1905
taking the most southcry branch we could hnt, out ater
ascending &sou seventy miles found u impossible TO
enter the mbrse by that as the points Of junction were
filled up with reeds and other aquatic plants You may
have clearer idea OF the region you bear In mind the
fact that the Fam has in the Of ages formed
delta which uts out into the ocean and form the
proustueut part of the coast The prevailing winds OF
these quarters beat almost constantly against The head Oh
have helped TO dam The main stream but the pcntup
waters have escaped Sideways The main stream called
exposed To went after leaving the southern
branch, bat possibility of entrance during three
y
channel in it, after search Of ten days We then pro
ceeded examine the side branches and the very nrst
to. called Kongone, was all we required There
other good ports but all the side branches. There
also communicating branches between these, and
those within the influence of tue tides generally dee?
Having got Into the main stream, found that We had
In going to II and spending a month there allowed the
water fall considerably It was, also, so very much
than that the Portuguese prophesed that
could ascend miles, II was said also, that war
raging and would be allowed to go up, even
If he could our ship drew nine inches, and
fore, to avoid detention in the river, scot her or and
went 10 the seat Of war in small steamer drawing Two
feet six inches. We had difficulty with the "reoes,
they caled-ndeed, We got pilots FRO n them, and
continued after the beet OF terms with the Portu
guese. They called "rebeis they had all been
runaway slaves, and bore the marks IN brands their
chests, OF their former servude. Shareholders here
70 TO the Iandus who are OF the Zulu family they never
deliver EN- up have never heard OF but case to
the contrary and ta owners great favore OF theirs
was obliged 10 give them his fall value Tha is dgres-
sion but may finish of by saying that the Portuguese
Governor attacked the rebels aud they retired before
HIM there being plenty of iron tor all parties
We continue carrying luggage up the river TIL No
vembcr when reaches its lowest point; and with care
fiat bo,somed boat would do business even then. We
know now at It's very worst and, as spreads out 70
from one TO three miles 10 BREADTH II Is in many Of the
crossings not than two and half or three feet
Just the water stands twelve feet above low water
mark In November and all quite cure that during
at least eight months in each year steamer OF four or
FIVE feet could trade without embarrassment The
why little has been KIN about the Zambese river
have been the branching in the stormy promoutory by
chair gecgraphers, dreaming over the geography OF
Pto!omy, actually put down the Znbese AS flowing into
the sea At ulimanc which in his days probably did,
though not drop of Fam 3ese water tn ordinary circum
stances, reaches that part Had some branch OF the
Anglo american family planted their footsteps on iss
banks we such banblug newspaper set, the world
would have known all about IL long ago; and one
would have ventured to play with THIS river as has been
done making lose Itself and flow under the Kaaharo
desert You may form better idea Of its size II tell
you Of one Of the branches. We assembled the Shire
lately, fully hundred miles from the confluence, and
found II with two fa,hom channel ali the way up Il
varied from so to $50 yards in width, and contains
twenty miles high and fringed with mountains Of great
beauty, we'll wooded tn the top. Mora ~ vaa
Osss ,ss 01s e0 feet SS nls S
we'll cultivated on the top, aud had several tae
little fountains the waters of which slightly chaly
beat they have ho suphurous fountain at the base,
Temperature ia deg ahrenheiL) The people had many
sweet potatoes hocus sargham and other grains and pine
table and independent The vegetation very die.
rent from the plains and SO is the climate; yet with aIl
these M , no use eas oeen made OF Il as
ascertain, this river has been explored by Eu-
ropeans before. One part OF the luxurant valley Of
which grow great quantities Of the lotus plant The
people we're busy collecting the tubers, when, when
boiled roasted, resemble chestnuts. They thus
Iotophngi, ouch as mentioned by Herodotus. Ano-
! Their part Of tho valley abounds in elephants My
ompanons estimated the plumbers we saw at eight hun
dred Herd upon herd as far as the eye could
reach and noble animals they were; We sometimes
chased them in our title sesmes for the shore branches
valley well pcoped and many Of the hills cultivated
high But never having seen Europeans before, they
| SANITY, well armed with bow, and poisoned arrows
ready to repe any attack, but incvity offered
We obtained what may be considered reHa 5e nforma.
ton that the Shire actually does low out Of Lake Nyanga
We were brought up by cataract but I'VE days beyond
down in canoes from Nyanga thiher. Seeing the susp
cions we had arrouscd we deemed nsae 70 leave the
The greatest coward nrcs Ars., so, thinking had
much pluck as them, we did not lift gun, though
were ready IRE, rather shoot We did nothing 70
make ashamed 10 return, and mean to do 50 next
mouth; and II we have their confidence may 60 far
ther They had abundance Of provisions aud sold them
at cheap rate. Also cotton OF two knds-one indigo
short in the staple but very strong and wooly
s feeling INC other very ane and long , Inc STAPLE
yarn, and quite equal TO American upands did
not offer them any American seed The cotton plant is
met with everywhere and though burned down annually
springs up again fresh and strong They grow
sugar cane, too, bananas &c. The said by the
women wear the lip ornam snt, round one Of which put
pen The slit is made in the upper lip, at rst, by
eoser oeeher and cause apsorpon I'm
This is enlarged by bits Of reed, TIL in Lady Of fashion
ring either hollow or cup shaped inserted and the
edge Of the lip prorudes beyond the perpendicular Of the
nose at least an inch am thus particular our
ladies' who show noble perseverance when fashion
dictates, may wish TO adopt lip ornaments
Above this we have rapid, called Zebra, or rather
Kaorahasa When the watcr is low II shows q deep
grove with perpendicular sides when steamnr M This
the man at the lead kept calling bottom" ten "a
thoms and the top OF the walls Of the grove lowered
from 50 to 80 feet above deck is from 60 TO so
There were some caiArAc.s Ia which high water Oh.
terates This steamer 100 weak 10 ascend She being
thick We NOT Try her 10 the rapids We shall work
down here sonc time yet long 10 lead back my faith
ta Who are SUI 9 Tele though thirty Of them
ing chief.
shall refer 70 one point more before concluding We
were warned BY the fate Of the Niger expedition not
lay among the mangrovc swanps Of tho Delts-he