No one knows where these insects breed; at a certain season all disappear, and as suddenly come back, no one knows whence.The natives are such close observers of nature, that their ignorance in this case surprised us.A solitary hippopotamus had selected the little bay in which we landed, and where the women drew water, for his dwelling-place.Pretty little lizards, with light blue and red tails, run among the rocks, catching flies and other insects.These harmless--though to new-comers repulsive--creatures sometimes perform good service to man, by eating great numbers of the destructive white ants.
At noon on the 24th October, we found Sequasha in a village below the Kafue, with the main body of his people.He said that 210 elephants had been killed during his trip; many of his men being excellent hunters.The numbers of animals we saw renders this possible.He reported that, after reaching the Kafue, he went northwards into the country of the Zulus, whose ancestors formerly migrated from the south and set up a sort of Republican form of government.Sequasha is the greatest Portuguese traveller we ever became acquainted with, and he boasts that he is able to speak a dozen different dialects;yet, unfortunately, he can give but a very meagre account of the countries and people he has seen, and his statements are not very much to be relied on.But considering the influence among which he has been reared, and the want of the means of education at Tette, it is a wonder that he possesses the good traits that he sometimes exhibits.Among his wares were several cheap American clocks; a useless investment rather, for a part of Africa where no one cares for the artificial measurement of time.These clocks got him into trouble among the Banyai:he set them all agoing in the presence of a chief, who became frightened at the strange sounds they made, and looked upon them as so many witchcraft agencies at work to bring all manner of evils upon himself and his people.Sequasha, it was decided, had been guilty of a milando, or crime, and he had to pay a heavy fine of cloth and beads for his exhibition.He alluded to our having heard that he had killed Mpangwe, and he denied having actually done so; but in his absence his name had got mixed up in the affair, in consequence of his slaves, while drinking beer one night with Namakusuru, the man who succeeded Mpangwe, saying that they would kill the chief for him.His partner had not thought of this when we saw him on the way up, for he tried to excuse the murder, by saying that now they had put the right man into the chieftainship.
After three hours' sail, on the morning of the 29th, the river was narrowed again by the mountains of Mburuma, called Karivua, into one channel, and another rapid dimly appeared.It was formed by two currents guided by rocks to the centre.In going down it, the men sent by Sekeletu behaved very nobly.The canoes entered without previous survey, and the huge jobbling waves of mid-current began at once to fill them.With great presence of mind, and without a moment's hesitation, two men lightened each by jumping overboard;
They then ordered a Botoka man to do the same, as "the white men must be saved.""I cannot swim," said the Batoka."Jump out, then, and hold on to the canoe;" which he instantly did.Swimming alongside, they guided the swamping canoes down the swift current to the foot of the rapid, and then ran them ashore to bale them out.A boat could have passed down safely, but our canoes were not a foot above the water at the gunwales.
Thanks to the bravery of these poor fellows, nothing was lost, although everything was well soaked.This rapid is nearly opposite the west end of the Mburuma mountains or Karivua.Another soon begins below it.They are said to be all smoothed over when the river rises.The canoes had to be unloaded at this the worst rapid, and the goods carried about a hundred yards.By taking the time in which a piece of stick floated past 100 feet, we found the current to be running six knots, by far the greatest velocity noted in the river.As the men were bringing the last canoe down close to the shore, the stern swung round into the current, and all except one man let go, rather than be dragged off.He clung to the bow, and was swept out into the middle of the stream.Having held on when he ought to have let go, he next put his life in jeopardy by letting go when he ought to have held on; and was in a few seconds swallowed up by a fearful whirlpool.His comrades launched out a canoe below, and caught him as he rose the third time to the surface, and saved him, though much exhausted and very cold.
The scenery of this pass reminded us of Kebrabasa, although it is much inferior.A band of the same black shining glaze runs along the rocks about two feet from the water's edge.There was not a blade of grass on some of the hills, it being the end of the usual dry season succeeding a previous severe drought; yet the hill-sides were dotted over with beautiful green trees.A few antelopes were seen on the rugged slopes, where some people too appeared lying down, taking a cup of beer.The Karivua narrows are about thirty miles in length.
They end at the mountain Roganora.Two rocks, twelve or fifteen feet above the water at the time we were there, may in flood be covered and dangerous.Our chief danger was the wind, a very slight ripple being sufficient to swamp canoes.
