At Zumbo we had entered upon old gray sandstone, with shingle in it,
dipping generally toward the south, and forming the bed of the river.
The Zambesi is very broad here, but contains many inhabited islands. We
slept opposite one on the 16th called Shibanga. The nights are warm, the
temperature never falling below 80 Deg.; it was 91 Deg. even at sunset.
One can not cool the water by a wet towel round the vessel, and we feel
no pleasure in drinking warm water, though the heat makes us imbibe
large quantities. We often noticed lumps of a froth-like substance on
the bushes as large as cricket-balls, which we could not explain.

On the morning of the 17th we were pleased to see a person coming from
the island of Shibanga with jacket and hat on. He was quite black, but
had come from the Portuguese settlement at Tete or Nyungwe; and now, for
the first time, we understood that the Portuguese settlement was on
the other bank of the river, and that they had been fighting with the
natives for the last two years. We had thus got into the midst of a
Caffre war, without any particular wish to be on either side. He advised
us to cross the river at once, as Mpende lived on this side. We had been
warned by the guides of Mburuma against him, for they said that if we
could get past Mpende we might reach the white men, but that he was
determined that no white man should pass him. Wishing to follow this
man's advice, we proposed to borrow his canoes; but, being afraid to
offend the lords of the river, he declined. The consequence was, we were
obliged to remain on the enemy's side. The next island belonged to a man
named Zungo, a fine, frank fellow, who brought us at once a present of
corn, bound in a peculiar way in grass. He freely accepted our apology
for having no present to give in return, as he knew that there were no
goods in the interior, and, besides, sent forward a recommendation to
his brother-in-law Pangola. The country adjacent to the river is covered
with dense bush, thorny and tangled, making one stoop or wait till the
men broke or held the branches on one side. There is much rank grass,
but it is not so high or rank as that of Angola. The maize, however,
which is grown here is equal in size to that which the Americans sell
for seed at the Cape. There is usually a holm adjacent to the river,
studded with villages and gardens. The holms are but partially
cultivated, and on the other parts grows rank and weedy grass. There is
th