as Moemba's,
where he thought others might be purchased. They were manned by his own
canoe-men, who were to bring them back. The river is about 250 yards
wide, and flows serenely between high banks towards the North-east. Below
Sinamane's the banks are often worn down fifty feet, and composed of
shingle and gravel of igneous rocks, sometimes set in a ferruginous
matrix. The bottom is all gravel and shingle, how formed we cannot
imagine, unless in pot-holes in the deep fissure above. The bottom above
the Falls, save a few rocks close by them, is generally sandy or of soft
tufa. Every damp spot is covered with maize, pumpkins, water-melons,
tobacco, and hemp. There is a pretty numerous Batoka population on both
sides of the river. As we sailed slowly down, the people saluted us from
the banks, by clapping their hands. A headman even hailed us, and
brought a generous present of corn and pumpkins.

Moemba owns a rich island, called Mosanga, a mile in length, on which his
village stands. He has the reputation of being a brave warrior, and is
certainly a great talker; but he gave us strangers something better than
a stream of words. We received a handsome present of corn, and the
fattest goat we had ever seen; it resembled mutton. His people were as
liberal as their chief. They brought two large baskets of corn, and a
lot of tobacco, as a sort of general contribution to the travellers. One
of Sinamane's canoe-men, after trying to get his pay, deserted here, and
went back before the stipulated time, with the story, that the Englishman
had stolen the canoes. Shortly after sunrise next morning, Sinamane came
into the village with fifty of his "long spears," evidently determined to
retake his property by force; he saw at a glance that his man had
deceived him. Moemba rallied him for coming on a wildgoose chase. "Here
are your canoes left with me, your men have all been paid, and the
Englishmen are now asking me to sell my canoes." Sinamane said little to
us; only observing that he had been deceived by his follower. A single
remark of his chief's caused the foolish fellow to leave suddenly,
evidently much frightened and crestfallen. Sinamane had been very kind
to us, and, as he was looking on when we gave our present to Moemba, we
made him also an additional offering of some beads, and parted good
friends. Moemba, having heard that we had called the people of Sinamane
together to tell them about our Saviour's