the sun; and to my regret kept me from much anticipated
intercourse with the natives, and the formation of full vocabularies of
their dialects.

I may add that all wearisome repetitions are as much as possible avoided
in the narrative; and, our movements and operations having previously
been given in a series of despatches, the attempt is now made to give as
fairly as possible just what would most strike any person of ordinary
intelligence in passing through the country. For the sake of the
freshness which usually attaches to first impressions, the Journal of
Charles Livingstone has been incorporated in the narrative; and many
remarks made by the natives, which ho put down at the moment of
translation, will convey to others the same ideas as they did to
ourselves. Some are no doubt trivial; but it is by the little acts and
words of every-day life that character is truly and best known. And
doubtless many will prefer to draw their own conclusions from them rather
than to be schooled by us.

CHAPTER I.

Arrival at the Zambesi--Rebel Warfare--Wild Animals--Shupanga--Hippopotamus
Hunters--The Makololo--Crocodiles.

The Expedition left England on the 10th of March, 1858, in Her Majesty's
Colonial Steamer "Pearl," commanded by Captain Duncan; and, after
enjoying the generous hospitality of our friends at Cape Town, with the
obliging attentions of Sir George Grey, and receiving on board Mr.
Francis Skead, R.N., as surveyor, we reached the East Coast in the
following May.

Our first object was to explore the Zambesi, its mouths and tributaries,
with a view to their being used as highways for commerce and Christianity
to pass into the vast interior of Africa. When we came within five or
six miles of the land, the yellowish-green tinge of the sea in soundings
was suddenly succeeded by muddy water with wrack, as of a river in flood.
The two colours did not intermingle, but the line of contact was as
sharply defined as when the ocean meets the land. It was observed that
under the wrack--consisting of reeds, sticks, and leaves,--and even under
floating cuttlefish bones and Portuguese "men-of-war" (Physalia), numbers
of small fish screen themselves from the eyes of birds of prey, and from
the rays of the torrid sun.

We entered the river Luawe first, because its entrance is so smooth and
deep, that the "Pearl," drawing 9 feet 7 inches, went in without a boat
sounding ahead. A small steam launch having been brought