Page:The Past, Present and Future Trade of the Cape Colonies with Central Africa.pdf/38

the Portuguese power goes no further in the mainland than a bullet goes from the gun. When, about eighteen months ago, the natives around Lorenzo Marques became a little threatening, the Portuguese took refuge on an island. How are they to grant the Zambesi valley, which to nine-tenths belongs to free natives? Yes, to give them away, that the one who has been presented with it had first to fight for it; but that is not my way of colonisation. The colonisation must go in peace forward, and then we shall get strong. Then, with regard to our trade, they ought to suggest to the King of Portugal that these Colonies are useless to Portugal. If those in Portugal would abandon their eastern ports for the benefit of Great Britain, we will promise if we go over the Zambesi not to go over the western bank of it, which would for ever leave the west coast to the Portuguese for their own. If we successfully cross the Zambesi, and again, like under Sepopo, gain the trade with the Marutse, the whole trade of the proper heart of Africa will fall into our hands by itself, our traders and goods being always preferred to those of the Portuguese traders as often as they accidentally come on the same market in South and Central Africa. Look back, gentlemen, at what I have already said; remember Sepopo: he changed his residence to be nearer the English traders, to deal with the English, so that if we bring in the Portuguese they are nowhere. Besides this, remember the whole way of Portuguese trading. I know their mode of trading, and how they bring their goods in, and all that is connected with some of the difficulties of the situation with the natives. They bring in their goods by carriers, and if I can bring about £5,000 worth of goods up with a single waggon into the Marutse empire, the Portuguese trader has to make use of 800 carriers before he can bring the same quantity in those parts; and then easily we may soon compete with him. With regard to the malaria fever, I must say that in October, November, and December there is intermittent dysentery, and in January, February, and March there is malaria fever. I know that fever well; I have been ill for sixteen months with that fever. I was taken ill on December 3rd, and on December 4th one of my canoes, containing my medical things and provisions, capsized, and thus I lost all my medicine. We must take this into consideration; and if we ever penetrate into those parts there are lots of things to be done, and specially two questions must be solved: one is the malaria, and the one of the tsetse secret. I have considered that in these parts it is said that this poisonous fly is the cause of death of our domestic animals. I consider that to be a cause, because only I could not find another cause for their death. I am not sure