At Zumbo we had entered upon old gray sandstone, with shingle in it, dipping generally toward the south, and forming the bed of the river.  The Zambesi is very broad here, but contains many inhabited islands.  We slept opposite one on the 16th called Shibanga.  The nights are warm, the temperature never falling below 80 Deg.; it was 91 Deg. even at sunset.  One can not cool the water by a wet towel round the vessel, and we feel no pleasure in drinking warm water, though the heat makes us imbibe large quantities.  We often noticed lumps of a froth-like substance on the bushes as large as cricket-balls, which we could not explain.

On the morning of the 17th we were pleased to see a person coming from the island of Shibanga with jacket and hat on.  He was quite black, but had come from the Portuguese settlement at Tete or Nyungwe; and now, for the first time, we understood that the Portuguese settlement was on the other bank of the river, and that they had been fighting with the natives for the last two years.  We had thus got into the midst of a Caffre war, without any particular wish to be on either side.  He advised us to cross the river at once, as Mpende lived on this side.  We had been warned by the guides of Mburuma against him, for they said that if we could get past Mpende we might reach the white men, but that he was determined that no white man should pass him.  Wishing to follow this man’s advice, we proposed to borrow his canoes; but, being afraid to offend the lords of the river, he declined.  The consequence was, we were obliged to remain on the enemy’s side.  The next island belonged to a man named Zungo, a fine, frank fellow, who brought us at once a present of corn, bound in a peculiar way in grass.  He freely accepted our apology for having no present to give in return, as he knew that there were no goods in the interior, and, besides, sent forward a recommendation to his brother-in-law Pangola.  The country adjacent to the river is covered with dense bush, thorny and tangled, making one stoop or wait till the men broke or held the branches on one side.  There is much rank grass, but it is not so high or rank as that of Angola.  The maize, however, which is grown here is equal in size to that which the Americans sell for seed at the Cape.  There is usually a holm adjacent to the river, studded with villages and gardens.  The holms are but partially cultivated, and on the other parts grows rank and weedy grass.  There is then a second terrace, on which trees and bushes abound; and I thought I could detect a third and higher steppe.  But I never could discover terraces on the adjacent country, such as in other countries show ancient sea-beaches.  The path runs sometimes on the one and sometimes on the other of these river terraces.  Canoes are essentially necessary; but I find that they here cost too much for my means, and higher up, where my hoes might have secured one, I was unwilling to enter into a canoe and part with my men while there was danger of their being attacked.