Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-02-01

aquatic plantsI You may have clearer
idea of the region, if you bear in mind the
fact that the Zambasi has in the course Of
iagcs formed a delta, which juts out into
the ocean, and forms the most prominent
part of the coast The prevailing wind:
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. hut the pcnt-
up-waters hare escaped sideways. 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 channel in it, after search
of ten days. We then proceeded to exam
inc the side branches, and the very first
we came to, called KOngone, was all We re-
quirod. There are other good ports, but
all in the side branches. There are also
communicating branches between these, and
those within the influence of the tides arc
generally deep.
Having got into the main stream, We
found that We had. in going to it and
spending a month there. allowed the water
to fall considerably. 1t was also so very
much lower than usual that the Portuguese
prophesied that We could not ascend ten
miles. 1t was said also that war was
racing and no one would be allowed to 90
up, even ifhe could Our ship drew nine
feet seven inches and she was under en-
gagement to 90 to Ceylon. We, therefore,
to avoid detention in the river, sent her of,
and went up to the seat of war in small
steamer; drawing two feet six inches We
had no difficulty with the rebels, as they
were called; indeed We got pilots from them,
and continued ever after on the best of
terms with the Portuguese. They were
called rebels" as they had all been runa-
way slaves, and bore the marks, in brands
on their chests, of their former scrvitude.
Slave holders here must be civil, for it is
so easy to run away, that if slaves 90 to
the Landius, who are of the Zulu family,
they never deliver them up l have never
heard of but one case to the contrary, and
the owner great favorite of thcirs-was
obliged to give them his full value. This
is digrcssion. but l may finish off by
saying that the Portuguese Governor attack
ed the rebels. and they retired before him,
there being plenty of iron for all parties,
We continue carrying on lugguage up tie
river till November. when it reaches its
lowest point, and with care a fat-bot-
toned boat would do business even then.
We know it now at its very worst, and, as
it spreads out to from one to three miles in
brcdth. it is in many of the crossings not
more than two and half or three feet
Just now the water 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 embarrass-
ment. The reason: why so little has been
known about the Zambasi river. have been
the branching in the stormy promontory
by which it was hidden from navigators;
and their easy-chair geographers, dreaming
over the geography of Ftolomy, actually
put down the Zambasi as flowing into the
sea at Quilimane, which; in his days. it
probably did, though not drop of lam
basi water, in ordinary circumstances,
reaches that part Had some branch of
the Anglo American family planted their
footsteps on its banks we are such bab-
bling newspaper set, the world would have
k lown all about it long ago. and no one
would have ventured to play with this river
as has been done, making it lose itself and
flow under the Kalaharo Desert.
Ycu may form better idea of its size
if tell you of one of the branches. We
assembled the Shire lately, fully hundred
miles from the confluence, and found it
with two-fathom channel all the way uo.
1t varied from so to l50 yards in width,
and contains no sand banks. 1t flows IN
a beautiful fertile valley. about 90 miles
high, and fringed with mountains of great
beauty, we'll wooded to the top. Mora NJ.
Fala We assembled, and found it 400 feet
high. (This by mistake, is placed on the
wrong side of the Shire in my map.) 1t
was well cultivated on the top and had
several fine little fountains, the waters of
which were slightly chalybeate; they have
1 hot sui phurous fountain at the base,
l747 Fahrenheit The peo-
pie had many sweet potatoes, holcus sor-
5hum, and other graius, and pine-applcs,
emon and orange trees. They were very
and are independent The veg
'tatiOn is very different from the plains,
lud 50 is the climate, yet. with all these
no use had been made of it
Is sanitorum by the Portuguese, and, as
ar as We can ascertain. this river has never
been explored by Europeans before. One
'art of the luxuriant valley Of the Rhine is ;
narshy. and abounded in lagsons, in which
row great quantities of the lotus plant
The people were busy collecting the tu5ers, {
which when boiled or roasted, resemble c
hestnuts, They are thus LOtOphagi such
S are mentioned by Herodotus.
Another part of the valley abounds in i
iephants. My companions estimated the a
lumber We saw at eight hundred. Herd t
pom herd appeared as far as the eye could t