ereign. It is sometimes called _Senna_ by the
Portuguese, from the name of a fort possessed by them in the
interior.--E.]
On his arrival at Mozambique, Barreto went to subdue the king of _Pate_,
who had revolted against the Portuguese authority. In his instructions,
Barreto was ordered to undertake nothing of importance without the
advice and concurrence of Francisco do Monclaros, a Jesuit, which was
the cause of the failure of this enterprise. It was a great error to
subject a soldier to the authority of a priest, and a most presumptuous
folly in the priest to undertake a commission so foreign to his
profession. There were two roads to the mines, one of which was through
the dominions of Monomotapa, and the other by way of Sofala. Barreto was
disposed to have taken the latter, but Monclaros insisted upon the
former, and carried his point against the unanimous votes of the council
of war; so that the first step in this expedition led to its ruin. But
before entering upon the narrative of events, it may be proper to give
some account of the climate, quality, and extent of the country.
From Cape Delgado in lat. 10 deg. 1O' S. to Mozambique in 14 deg. 50', the coast
is somewhat bent in the form of a bow, in which space are the islands of
Pujaros, Amice, Mocoloe, Matembo, Querimba, Cabras, and others, with the
rivers Paudagi, Menluanc, Mucutii, Mucululo, Situ, Habe, Xanga, Samoco,
Veloso, Pinda, Quisimaluco and Quintagone, with the bays of Xanga and
Fuego, and the sands of Pinda. From Mozambique in lat. 14 deg. 5O' S. to the
port or bay of Asuca in 21 deg. 8O', the coast falls off to the westwards,
opposite to the _Pracel de Sofala_ or great bank of _Pracel_, on the
coast of Madagascar, the dangerous _Scylla_ and _Charibdis_ of those
seas. On this coast are the rivers Mocambo, Angoxa, or Bayones, Mossige,
Mojuncoale, Sangage, and others, with many islands, and the ports of
Quilimane and Luabo; the rivers Tendanculo, Quiloe, Sabam, Bagoe, Miaue,
and Sofala, with the opposite islands of Inbausato, Quiloane, Mambone,
Molimon, and Quilamancohi. Between Cape Bosiqua or St Sebastian in lat.
21 deg. 40' S. and Cape Corientes in 24 deg. S. is the great bay of Sauca, into
which falls the river Inhamhane, where there is a great trade for ivory.
From the frequent recurrence of the soft letters _L_ and _M_ in these
names, it may be inferred that the language of that country is by no
means harsh. From the mouth of the Cuama or Zambeze
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