sured me of was that in the falls of Victoria. Some
recommended my going to Sesheke, and crossing over in a N.E. direction
to the Kafue, which is only six days distant, and descending that river
to the Zambesi. Others recommended me to go on the south bank of the
Zambesi until I had passed the falls, then get canoes and proceed
farther down the river. All spoke strongly of the difficulties of
traveling on the north bank, on account of the excessively broken
and rocky nature of the country near the river on that side. And when
Ponuane, who had lately headed a foray there, proposed that I should
carry canoes along that side till we reached the spot where the
Leeambye becomes broad and placid again, others declared that, from
the difficulties he himself had experienced in forcing the men of his
expedition to do this, they believed that mine would be sure to desert
me if I attempted to impose such a task upon them. Another objection to
traveling on either bank of the river was the prevalence of the tsetse,
which is so abundant that the inhabitants can keep no domestic animals
except goats.

While pondering over these different paths, I could not help regretting
my being alone. If I had enjoyed the company of my former companion, Mr.
Oswell, one of us might have taken the Zambesi, and the other gone by
way of Zanzibar. The latter route was decidedly the easiest, because all
the inland tribes were friendly, while the tribes in the direction of
the Zambesi were inimical, and I should now be obliged to lead a party,
which the Batoka of that country view as hostile invaders, through an
enemy's land; but, as the prospect of permanent water-conveyance was
good, I decided on going down the Zambesi, and keeping on the north
bank, because, in the map given by Bowditch, Tete, the farthest inland
station of the Portuguese, is erroneously placed on that side. Being
near the end of September, the rains were expected daily; the clouds
were collecting, and the wind blew strongly from the east, but it was
excessively hot. All the Makololo urged me strongly to remain till the
ground should be cooled by the rains; and as it was probable that I
should get fever if I commenced my journey now, I resolved to wait. The
parts of the country about 17 Deg. and 18 Deg. suffer from drought and
become dusty. It is but the commencement of the humid region to the
north, and partakes occasionally of the character of both the wet and
dry regions. Some idea