eleira,
and by the natives--from its resemblance to Gerzilin, or sesamum--"wild
sesamum," was shown to us, and is said to be well known among native
nurses as a very gentle and tasteless aperient for children. A few
leaves of it are stirred in a cup of cold water for eight or nine
seconds, and a couple of teaspoonfuls of the liquid given as a dose. The
leaves form a sort of mucilage in the water by longer stirring, which is
said to have diuretic properties besides.

On the 16th April we steamed out from Mosambique; and, the currents being
in our favour, in a week reached Zanzibar. Here we experienced much
hospitality from our countrymen, and especially from Dr. Seward, then
acting consul and political agent for Colonel Playfair.

Dr. Seward was very doubtful if we could reach Bombay before what is
called the break of the monsoon took place. This break occurs usually
between the end of May and the 12th of June. The wind still blows from
Africa to India, but with so much violence, and with such a murky
atmosphere, that few or no observations for position can be taken. We
were, however, at the time very anxious to dispose of the "Lady Nyassa,"
and, the only market we could reach being Bombay, we resolved to run the
risk of getting there before the stormy period commenced; and, after
taking fourteen tons of coal on board, we started on the 30th April from
Zanzibar.

Our complement consisted of seven native Zambesians, two boys, and four
Europeans; namely, one stoker, one sailor, one carpenter, whose names
have been already mentioned, and Dr. Livingstone, as navigator. The
"Lady Nyassa" had shown herself to be a good sea-boat. The natives had
proved themselves capital sailors, though before volunteering not one of
them had ever seen the sea. They were not picked men, but, on paying a
dozen whom we had in our employment for fifteen months, they were taken
at random from several hundreds who offered to accompany us. Their wages
were ten shillings per mensem, and it was curious to observe, that so
eager were they to do their duty, that only one of them lay down from sea-
sickness during the whole voyage. They took in and set sail very
cleverly in a short time, and would climb out along a boom, reeve a rope
through the block, and come back with the rope in their teeth, though at
each lurch the performer was dipped in the sea. The sailor and
carpenter, though anxious to do their utmost, had a week's severe illness