Ishouldhavelikedtoformtheiracquaintance，andtolearnwhattheyreallythinkofwhitemenIunderstoodfromSekwebu，andfromoneofChangamera’speoplewholivesatLinyanti，andwaspresentattheattackonSenna，thattheyconsiderthewhitesasaconqueredtribe。
TheZambesiatMazaroisamagnificentriver，morethanhalfamilewide，andwithoutislandsTheoppositebankiscoveredwithforestsoffinetimber；butthedeltawhichbeginshereisonlyanimmenseflat，coveredwithhigh，coarsegrassandreeds，withhereandthereafewmangoandcocoanuttreesThiswasthepointwhichwasreachedbythelatelamentedCaptainParker，whofellattheSulinamouthoftheDanubeIhadastrongdesiretofollowtheZambesifarther，andascertainwherethisenormousbodyofwaterfounditswayintothesea；butonhearingfromthePortuguesethathehadascendedtothispoint，andhadbeenhighlypleasedwiththecapabilitiesoftheriver，IfeltsurethathisvaluableopinionmustbeinpossessionoftheAdmiraltyOnmyarrivalinEnglandIappliedtoCaptainWashington，HydrographertotheAdmiralty，andhepromptlyfurnishedthedocumentforpublicationbytheRoyalGeographicalSociety。
TheriverbetweenMazaroandtheseamustthereforebejudgedoffromthetestimonyofonemorecompetenttodecideonitsmeritsthanamerelandsmanlikemyself。
`OntheQuilimaneandZambesiRivers’FromtheJournalofthelateCaptHYDEPARKER，R。N。，HMBrig“Pantaloon“。
“TheLuaboisthemainoutletoftheGreatZambesiIntherainyseasonJanuaryandFebruaryprincipallythewholecountryisoverflowed，andthewaterescapesbythedifferentriversasfarupasQuilimane；
butinthedryseasonneitherQuilimanenorOlindacommunicateswithit。
ThepositionoftheriverisratherincorrectintheAdmiraltychart，beingsixmilestoomuchtothesouthward，andalsoconsiderablytothewestwardIndeed，thecoastfromhereuptoTongamiaraseemstoofartothewestwardTheentrancetotheLuaboRiverisabouttwomilesbroad，andiseasilydistinguishable，whenabreastofit，byabluffifImaysotermitofhigh，straighttrees，veryclosetogether，onthewesternsideoftheentranceThebarmaybesaidtobeformedbytwoseriesofsand-banks；thatrunningfromtheeasternpointrunsdiagonallyacrossopposite？theentranceandnearlyacrossit。
Itswesternextremityisabouttwomilesoutsidethewestpoint。
“Thebankrunningoutfromthewestpointprojectstothesouthwardthreemilesandahalf，passingnotonequarterofamilefromtheeasternorcrossbankThisnarrowpassageistheBARPASSAGE。
Itbreakscompletelyacrossatlowwater，exceptunderveryextraordinarycircumstancesAtthistimelowwater
agreatportionofthebanksareuncovered；insomeplacestheyaresevenoreightfeetabovewater。
“Onthesebanksthereisabreakatalltimes，butinfineweather，athighwater，aboatmaycrossneartheeastpoint。
Thereisverylittlewater，and，inplaces，anastyraceandbubble，sothatcautionisrequisiteThebestdirectionsforgoinginovertheregularbarpassage，accordingtomyexperience，areasfollows：
Steerdownwelltotheeastwardofthebarpassage，soastoavoidtheouterpartofthewesternshoals，onwhichthereisusuallyabadsea。
WhenyougetneartheCROSS-BAR，keepalongittillthebluffoftreesonthewestsideoftheentrancebearsN。E。；youmaythensteerstraightforitThiswillcleartheendoftheCROSS-BAR，and，directlyyouarewithinthat，thewaterissmoothTheworstseaisgenerallyjustwithoutthebarpassage。
“Withinthepointstheriverwidensatfirstandthencontractsagain。
AboutthreemilesfromtheTreeBluffisanisland；thepassageuptheriveristheright-handsideofit，anddeepTheplanwillbestexplainit。
Theriseandfallofthetideattheentranceoftheriverbeingatspringstwentyfeet，anyvesselcangetinatthattime，but，withalltheseconveniencesfortraffic，thereisnonehereatpresent。
Thewaterintheriverisfreshdowntothebarwiththeebbtide，andintherainyseasonitisfreshatthesurfacequiteoutside。
Intherainyseason，atthefullandchangeofthemoon，theZambesifrequentlyoverflowsitsbanks，makingthecountryforanimmensedistanceonegreatlake，withonlyafewsmalleminencesabovethewaterOnthebanksoftheriverthehutsarebuiltonpiles，andatthesetimesthecommunicationisonlyincanoes；
butthewatersdonotremainupmorethanthreeorfourdaysatatime。
Thefirstvillageisabouteightmilesuptheriver，onthewesternbank，andisoppositetoanotherbranchoftherivercalled`Muselo’，whichdischargesitselfintotheseaaboutfivemilestotheeastward。
“Thevillageisextensive，andaboutitthereisaverylargequantityoflandincultivation；calavances，orbeans，ofdifferentsorts，rice，andpumpkins，aretheprincipalthingsIsawalsoaboutheresomewildcotton，apparentlyofverygoodquality，butnoneiscultivated。
Thelandissofertileastoproducealmostanything？withoutmuchtrouble。
“Atthisvillageisaverylargehouse，mud-built，withacourt-yard。
Ibelieveittohavebeenusedasabarracoonforslaves，severallargecargoeshavingbeenexportedfromthisriver。
IproceededuptheriverasfarasitsjunctionwiththeQuilimaneRiver，called`BocadoRio’，bymycomputationbetween70and80milesfromtheentranceTheinfluenceofthetidesisfeltabout25or30milesuptheriverAbovethat，thestream，inthedryseason，runsfrom1-1/2to2-1/2milesanhour，butintherainsmuchstronger。
Thebanksoftheriver，forthefirst30miles，aregenerallythicklyclothedwithtrees，withoccasionalopengladesTherearemanyhutsandvillagesonbothsides，andagreatdealofcultivationAtonevillage，about17milesupontheeasternbank，anddistinguishedbybeingsurroundedbyanimmensenumberofbananasandplantain-trees，agreatquantityofexcellentpeasarecultivated；alsocabbages，tomatoes，onions，etcAbovethistherearenotmanyinhabitantsontheleftorwestbank，althoughitismuchthefinestcountry，beinghigher，andaboundingincocoanutpalms，theeasternbankbeingsandyandbarrenThereasonis，thatsomeyearsbacktheLandeens，orCaffres，ravagedallthiscountry，killingthemenandtakingthewomenasslaves，buttheyhavenevercrossedtheriver；hencethenativesareafraidtosettleonthewestbank，andthePortugueseownersofthedifferent`prasos’havevirtuallylostthemThebanksoftherivercontinuemostlysandy，withfewtrees，exceptsomecocoanutpalms，untilthesouthernendofthelargeplantationofNyangue，formedbytheriverabout20milesfromMaruruHerethecountryismorepopulousandbettercultivated，thenativesafinerrace，andthehutslargerandbetterconstructedMarurubelongstoSenorAsevedo，ofQuilimane，wellknowntoallEnglishofficersontheeastcoastforhishospitality。
“Theclimatehereismuchcoolerthannearerthesea，andAsevedohassuccessfullycultivatedmostEuropeanaswellastropicalvegetables。
Thesugar-canethrives，asalsocoffeeandcotton，andindigoisaweed。
Cattleherearebeautiful，andsomeofthemmightshowwithcreditinEngland。
Thenativesareintelligent，andunderagoodgovernmentthisfinecountrymightbecomeveryvaluableThreemilesfromMaruruisMesan，averyprettyvillageamongpalmandmangotreesThereishereagoodhousebelongingtoaSenorFerrao；closebyisthecanalMutuofcommunicationbetweentheQuilimaneandZambesirivers，whichintherainyseasonisnavigable？IvisiteditinthemonthofOctober，whichisaboutthedryesttimeoftheyear；itwasthenadrycanal，about30or40yardswide，overgrownwithtreesandgrass，and，atthebottom，atleast16or17feetabovetheleveloftheZambesi，whichwasrunningbeneathIntherains，bythemarksIsaw，theentranceriseoftherivermustbeverynearly30feet，andthevolumeofwaterdischargedbyittheZambesienormous。
“AboveMaruruthecountrybeginstobecomemorehilly，andthehighmountainsofBoruruareinsight；thefirstviewoftheseisobtainedbelowNyangue，andtheymustbeofconsiderableheight，asfromthistheyaredistantabove40milesTheyarereportedtocontaingreatmineralwealth；goldandcopperbeingfoundintherange，asalsoCOAL？ThenativesLandeensareabold，independentrace，whodonotacknowledgethePortugueseauthority，andevenmakethempayforleavetopassunmolestedThroughoutthewholecourseoftheriverhippopotamiwereveryabundant，andatonevillageachasebythenativeswaswitnessedTheyharpoontheanimalwithabarbedlance，towhichisattached，byacord3or4fathomslong，aninflatedbladder。
Thenativesfollowintheircanoes，andlookouttofixmoreharpoonsastheanimalrisestoblow，and，whenexhausted，dispatchhimwiththeirlancesItis，infact，nearlysimilartoawhale-hunt。
Elephantsandlionsarealsoabundantonthewesternside；
thelatterdestroymanyoftheblacksannually，andaremuchfearedbythem。
Alligatorsaresaidtobenumerous，butIdidnotseeany。
“ThevoyageuptoMaruruoccupiedsevendays，asIdidnotworkthemenattheoar，butitmightbedoneinfour；wereturnedtothebarintwoandahalfdays。
“ThereisanothermouthoftheZambesisevenmilestothewestwardofLuabo，whichwasvisitedbythe`Castor’spinnace’；andIwasassuredbyLieutenantHoskinsthatthebarwasbetterthantheoneIvisited。”
TheconclusionsofCaptainParkerarestrengthenedbythoseofLieutAHHHoskins，whowasonthecoastatthesametime，andalsovisitedthisspotHavingappliedtomyfriendforhisdeliberateopiniononthesubject，hepromptlyfurnishedthefollowingnoteinJanuarylast：
“TheZambesiappearstohavefiveprincipalmouths，ofwhichtheLuaboisthemostsouthernandmostnavigable；Cumana，andtwowhosenamesIdonotknow，nothavingmyselfvisitedit，lyingbetweenitandtheQuilimane，andtheriseandfallatspringtidesonthebaroftheLuabois22feet；andas，inthepassage，thereisNEVER
lessthanfourfeetIhavingcrosseditatdeadlow-watersprings，thiswouldgiveanaveragedepthsufficientforanycommercialpurposes。
Theriseandfallissixfeetgreater，thepassagesnarrowandmoredefined，consequentlydeeperandmoreeasilyfoundthanthatoftheQuilimaneRiver。
Theriverabovethebarisverytortuous，butdeep；anditisobservablethattheinfluenceofthetideisfeltmuchhigherinthisbranchthanintheothers；forwhereasintheCatrinaandCumanaIhaveobtaineddrinkablewateraveryshortdistancefromthemouth，intheLuaboIhaveascendedseventymileswithoutfindingthesaltnessperceptiblydiminished。
Thiswouldfacilitatenavigation，andIhavenohesitationinsayingthatlittledifficultywouldbeexperiencedinconveyingasteam-vesselofthesizeandcapabilitiesofthegunboatIlatelycommandedashighasthebranchingoffoftheQuilimaneRiverMazaro，which，inthedryseason，isobservedmanyyardsabovetheLuabomainstream；
thoughIhavebeentoldbythePortuguesethatthefresheswhichcomedowninDecemberandMarchfillittemporarily。
Thesefreshesdeepentheriverconsiderablyatthattimeoftheyear，andfreshenthewatermanymilesfromthecoastThepopulationofthedelta，exceptintheimmediateneighborhoodofthePortuguese，appearedtobeverysparseAntelopesandhippopotamiwereplentiful；
theformertameandeasilyshotIinquiredfrequentlyofbothnativesandPortugueseifslaverswereinthehabitofenteringtheretoshiptheircargoes，butcouldnotascertainthattheyhaveeverdonesoinanyexcepttheQuilimaneWithcommonprecautiontheriversarenotunhealthy；for，duringthewholetimeIwasemployedinthemoffandonduringeighteenmonths，inopenboatsandatalltimesoftheyear，frequentlyabsentfromtheshipforamonthorsixweeksatatime，Ihadnot，inmyboat’screwoffourteenmen，morethantwo，andthosemild，casesoffeverToomuchimportancecannotbeascribedtotheuseofquinine，towhichIattributeourcomparativeimmunity，andwithwhichourjudiciouscommander，CommodoreWyvill，keptusamplysuppliedIhopethesefewremarksmaybeofsomelittleuseinconfirmingyourviewsoftheutilityofthatmagnificentriver。
AHHHoskins。”
Itoughttoberememberedthatthetestimonyofthesegentlemenisallthemorevaluable，becausetheyvisitedtheriverwhenthewaterwasatitslowest，andthesurfaceoftheZambesiwasnot，asitwasnow，onalevelwithandflowingintotheMutu，butsixteenfeetbeneathitsbed。
TheMutu，atthepointofdeparture，wasonlytenortwelveyardsbroad，shallow，andfilledwithaquaticplantsTreesandreedsalongthebanksoverhangitsomuch，that，thoughwehadbroughtcanoesandaboatfromTete，wewereunabletoentertheMutuwiththem，andleftthematMazaro。
DuringmostoftheyearthispartoftheMutuisdry，andwewereevennowobligedtocarryallourluggagebylandforaboutfifteenmiles。
AsKilimaneiscalled，inallthePortuguesedocuments，thecapitaloftheriversofSenna，itseemedstrangetomethatthecapitalshouldbebuiltatapointwheretherewasnodirectwaterconveyancetothemagnificentriverwhosenameitbore；and，oninquiry，IwasinformedthatthewholeoftheMutuwaslargeindaysofyore，andadmittedofthefreepassageofgreatlaunchesfromKilimanealltheyearround，butthatnowthispartoftheMutuhadbeenfilledup。