resident in his territory, and there is perfect
security for life and property all over the interior country. The great
barriers which have kept Africa shut are the unhealthiness of the coast,
and the exclusive, illiberal disposition of the border tribes. It has
not within the historic period been cut into by deep arms of the sea,
and only a small fringe of its population have come into contact with
the rest of mankind. Race has much to do in the present circumstances of
nations; yet it is probable that the unhealthy coast-climate has reacted
on the people, and aided both in perpetuating their own degradation and
preventing those more inland from having intercourse with the rest of
the world. It is to be hoped that these obstacles will be overcome by
the more rapid means of locomotion possessed in the present age, if a
good highway can become available from the coast into the interior.

Having found it impracticable to open up a carriage-path to the west,
it became a question as to which part of the east coast we should direct
our steps. The Arabs had come from Zanzibar through a peaceful country.
They assured me that the powerful chiefs beyond the Cazembe on the N.E.,
viz., Moatutu, Moaroro, and Mogogo, chiefs of the tribes Batutu, Baroro,
and Bagogo, would have no objection to my passing through their country.
They described the population there as located in small villages like
the Balonda, and that no difficulty is experienced in traveling among
them. They mentioned also that, at a distance of ten days beyond
Cazembe, their path winds round the end of Lake Tanganyenka. But
when they reach this lake, a little to the northwest of its southern
extremity, they find no difficulty in obtaining canoes to carry them
over. They sleep on islands, for it is said to require three days in
crossing, and may thus be forty or fifty miles broad. Here they punt the
canoes the whole way, showing that it is shallow. There are many small
streams in the path, and three large rivers. This, then, appeared to me
to be the safest; but my present object being a path admitting of water
rather than land carriage, this route did not promise so much as that
by way of the Zambesi or Leeambye. The Makololo knew all the country
eastward as far as the Kafue, from having lived in former times near
the confluence of that river with the Zambesi, and they all advised this
path in preference to that by the way of Zanzibar. The only difficulty
that they as