This Continued For Three Hours More. As I Had Never Seen A Case In Which Fever-Heat Continued So Long After Death, I Delayed The Funeral Until Unmistakable Symptoms Of Dissolution Occurred. She Was A Widow, Only Twenty-Two Years Of Age, And Had Been Ten Years In Africa.

I attended the funeral in the evening, and was struck by the custom of the country.

A number of slaves preceded us, and fired off many rounds of gunpowder in front of the body. When a person of much popularity is buried, all the surrounding chiefs send deputations to fire over the grave. On one occasion at Tete, more than thirty barrels of gunpowder were expended. Early in the morning of the 21st the slaves of the deceased lady's brother went round the village making a lamentation, and drums were beaten all day, as they are at such times among the heathen.

The commandant provided for the journey most abundantly, and gave orders to Lieutenant Miranda that I should not be allowed to pay for any thing all the way to the coast, and sent messages to his friends Senhors Ferrao, Isidore, Asevedo, and Nunes, to treat me as they would himself. From every one of these gentlemen I am happy to acknowledge that I received most disinterested kindness, and I ought to speak well forever of Portuguese hospitality. I have noted each little act of civility received, because somehow or other we have come to hold the Portuguese character in rather a low estimation. This may have arisen partly from the pertinacity with which some of them have pursued the slave-trade, and partly from the contrast which they now offer to their illustrious ancestors - the foremost navigators of the world. If my specification of their kindnesses will tend to engender a more respectful feeling to the nation, I shall consider myself well rewarded. We had three large canoes in the company which had lately come up with goods from Senna. They are made very large and strong, much larger than any we ever saw in the interior, and might strike with great force against a rock and not be broken. The men sit at the stern when paddling, and there is usually a little shed made over a part of the canoe to shade the passengers from the sun. The boat in which I went was furnished with such a covering, so I sat quite comfortably.

Chapter 32.

Leave Tete and proceed down the River - Pass the Stockade of Bonga - Gorge of Lupata - "Spine of the World" - Width of River - Islands - War Drum at Shiramba - Canoe Navigation - Reach Senna - Its ruinous State - Landeens levy Fines upon the Inhabitants - Cowardice of native Militia - State of the Revenue - No direct Trade with Portugal - Attempts to revive the Trade of Eastern Africa - Country round Senna - Gorongozo, a Jesuit Station - Manica, the best Gold Region in Eastern Africa - Boat-building at Senna - Our Departure - Capture of a Rebel Stockade - Plants Alfacinya and Njefu at the Confluence of the Shire - Landeen Opinion of the Whites - Mazaro, the point reached by Captain Parker - His Opinion respecting the Navigation of the River from this to the Ocean - Lieutenant Hoskins' Remarks on the same subject - Fever, its Effects - Kindly received into the House of Colonel Nunes at Kilimane - Forethought of Captain Nolloth and Dr. Walsh - Joy imbittered - Deep Obligations to the Earl of Clarendon, etc.

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