The men went about during the day, and brought back wild fruits of several varieties, which I had not hitherto seen.  One, called mogametsa, is a bean with a little pulp round it, which tastes like sponge-cake; another, named mawa, grows abundantly on a low bush.  There are many berries and edible bulbs almost every where.  The mamosho or moshomosho, and milo (a medlar), were to be found near our encampment.  These are both good, if indeed one can be a fair judge who felt quite disposed to pass a favorable verdict on every fruit which had the property of being eatable at all.  Many kinds are better than our crab-apple or sloe, and, had they the care and culture these have enjoyed, might take high rank among the fruits of the world.  All that the Africans have thought of has been present gratification; and now, as I sometimes deposit date-seeds in the soil, and tell them I have no hope whatever of seeing the fruit, it seems to them as the act of the South Sea Islanders appears to us, when they planted in their gardens iron nails received from Captain Cook.

There are many fruits and berries in the forests, the uses of which are unknown to my companions.  Great numbers of a kind of palm I have never met with before were seen growing at and below the confluence of the Loeti and Leeambye; the seed probably came down the former river.  It is nearly as tall as the palmyra.  The fruit is larger than of that species; it is about four inches long, and has a soft yellow pulp round the kernel or seed; when ripe, it is fluid and stringy, like the wild mango, and not very pleasant to eat.

Before we came to the junction of the Leeba and Leeambye we found the banks twenty feet high, and composed of marly sandstone.  They are covered with trees, and the left bank has the tsetse and elephants.  I suspect the fly has some connection with this animal, and the Portuguese in the district of Tete must think so too, for they call it the ’Musca da elephant’ (the elephant fly).

The water of inundation covers even these lofty banks, but does not stand long upon them; hence the crop of trees.  Where it remains for any length of time, trees can not live.  On the right bank, or that in which the Loeti flows, there is an extensive flat country called Manga, which, though covered with grass, is destitute in a great measure of trees.

Flocks of green pigeons rose from the trees as we passed along the banks, and the notes of many birds told that we were now among strangers of the feathered tribe.  The beautiful trogon, with bright scarlet breast and black back, uttered a most peculiar note, similar to that we read of as having once been emitted by Memnon, and likened to the tuning of a lyre.  The boatmen answered it by calling “Nama, nama!”—­meat, meat—­as if they thought that a repetition of the note would be a good omen for our success in hunting.  Many more interesting birds were met; but I could make no collection, as I was proceeding on the plan of having as little luggage as possible, so as not to excite the cupidity of those through whose country we intended to pass.