We passed through the gorge in two hours, and found it rather tortuous, and between 200 and 300 yards wide.  The river is said to be here always excessively deep; it seemed to me that a steamer could pass through it at full speed.  At the eastern entrance of Lupata stand two conical hills; they are composed of porphyry, having large square crystals therein.  These hills are called Moenda en Goma, which means a footprint of a wild beast.  Another conical hill on the opposite bank is named Kasisi (priest), from having a bald top.  We sailed on quickly with the current of the river, and found that it spread out to more than two miles in breadth; it is, however, full of islands, which are generally covered with reeds, and which, previous to the war, were inhabited, and yielded vast quantities of grain.  We usually landed to cook breakfast, and then went on quickly.  The breadth of water between the islands was now quite sufficient for a sailing vessel to tack, and work her sails in; the prevailing winds would blow her up the stream; but I regretted that I had not come when the river was at its lowest rather than at its highest.  The testimony, however, of Captain Parker and Lieutenant Hoskins, hereafter to be noticed, may be considered conclusive as to the capabilities of this river for commercial purposes.  The Portuguese state that there is high water during five months of the year, and when it is low there is always a channel of deep water.  But this is very winding; and as the river wears away some of the islands and forms others, the course of the channel is often altered.  I suppose that an accurate chart of it made in one year would not be very reliable the next; but I believe, from all that I can learn, that the river could be navigated in a small flat-bottomed steamer during the whole year as far as Tete.  At this time a steamer of large size could have floated easily.  The river was measured at the latter place by the Portuguese, and found by them to be 1050 yards broad.  The body of water flowing past when I was there was very great, and the breadth it occupied when among the islands had a most imposing effect.  I could not get a glimpse of either shore.  All the right bank beyond Lupata is low and flat:  on the north, the ranges of hills and dark lines below them are seen, but from the boat it is impossible to see the shore.  I only guess the breadth of the river to be two miles; it is probably more.  Next day we landed at Shiramba for breakfast, having sailed 8-1/2 hours from Lupata.  This was once the residence of a Portuguese brigadier, who spent large sums of money in embellishing his house and gardens:  these we found in entire ruin, as his half-caste son had destroyed all, and then rebelled against the Portuguese, but with less success than either Nyaude or Kisaka, for he had been seized and sent a prisoner to Mozambique a short time before our visit.  All the southern shore has been ravaged by the Caffres, who are here named Landeens, and most