a name applied to a large extent of the seaboard of Eastern Africa, belonging to Portugal; as well as to the chief town of the same. The former is bounded E. by the Mozambique Channel, N. by Cape Delgado (S. Lat. 10. 38.), and S. by Delagoa. Mozambique.

Bay (S. Lat. 25°), and has an extent of about 1200 miles. The entire territory, with the exception of some settlements on the River Zambesi, is confined to the coast, and cannot be said to have any definite interior boundary. It was discovered in 1498 by Vasco da Gama, the great Portuguese navigator, and the chief town was founded by Afonso de Albuquerque in 1506. The coast is characterized by the two prominent headlands of Cape Corrientes in the S., and Cape Delgado in the N.; and also by several large bays, the chief of which are Delagoa, Moçambique, and Pamba. Between Delagoa Bay and Cape Corrientes, and from Mozambique city to Cape Delgado, the shores are described as high and precipitous; while reefs and numerous islands lie off the land nearly throughout its entire length. Many large streams discharge themselves here. Of these the principal are—the Maniza and Inhambura, between Delagoa Bay and Inhambana town; the Inhambana and Great Sofala, between the towns of the same name; and the Buzé, N. of Sofala, which is navigable up to Mossiquire. The Zambesi, the largest river of Eastern Africa, discharges itself by several mouths at the middle point of the Mozambique coast. The principal branches of the delta are the Luabo and Kilimane, the former, and southernmost, having the largest volume of water. (For further information on this river, see the article ZAMBESI.) The St George enters the sea between Kilimane mouth and Mozambique city; while the Fernando Veloso, and Mangaló enter Tungué Bay further to the north. Settlements have been established along the coast at the most accessible points, and where easy communication may be had with the interior. The Portuguese, however, have so neglected their possessions, that in every instance the trade and government are now in a very feeble condition. Indeed, at some stations the government may be said to rest more with the influential chiefs of the neighbouring tribes than with the Portuguese governor or representative, who frequently holds his position as much from the clemency or indolence of the natives as from any fear they have of his power. The military force is very small for such an extent of territory, and is composed of the worst class of soldiers, who are either convicts from Europe, or cowardly disaffected half-castes or natives. The coast, for administrative purposes, is divided into six sub-districts, and Mozambique is the head district. The former are (going from N. to S.) Cape Delgado, Kilimane (with military stations at Senna and Tete in the interior), Sofala, Inhambana, and Lorenzo Marques. A governor-general and secretary, appointed by the crown, administer the government, assisted by a junta, which is composed of a president, treasurer, and twelve members. The judicial staff includes a high judge and substitute, as well as an attorney and delegate. The established religion is Roman Catholic, and is superintended by a prelate, a prior, and twelve parochial priests. Education, which, like religion, is here at a very low ebb, is dispensed by sixteen teachers in all, four of whom are females. Most of these, moreover, reside in the capital. The military staff consists of two commanders; and the regular force amounts to 1096 men,—distributed into the Mozambique foot battalion, 368 men; the district company of Cape Delgado, 161 men; and the district companies of Kilimane, Senna, Tete, Zumbo, Inhambana, Sofala, and Lorenzo, 81 men each. Most of these stations are commanded by a major and adjutant. A militia force, composed of natives, is nominally extant; but, with the exception of its officers, who are native chiefs, receiving from their appointments from L.4 to L.20 a year, its very numbers are not ascertained. The cost of the military establishment amounts annually to about L.9522, and that of the marine, which consists of a brig and a smaller vessel, to L.2552. The territory contains an estimated population of 300,000 souls, including 22,000 slaves; but of that number there were only 3600 regular Portuguese subjects in 1848, and 3250 in 1852.

Little is known of the condition or resources of the country, except at the few stations placed along the coast; and these we shall now notice shortly in their order from N. to S., thereby giving a general idea of those parts not yet within European influence.

San João, on the island of Ibo, lying close upon the mainland, is the northernmost of these settlements, and is situated between S. Lat. 12° 20' and E. Long. 40° 50'. It is defended by three forts, and belongs to Cape Delgado district; which abounds in cotton, coffee, tobacco, gum, and amber, but has comparatively little trade. Pop. 140 Christians, 800 free blacks, and 600 slaves.

Mozambique city, on an island of the same name, in S. Lat. 15° 1', E. Lon. 40° 5', and a short distance from the continent, was founded in 1763, and incorporated as chief town in 1813. The cognominal district to which it pertains extends on the mainland from Pamba Bay, in S. Lat. 12° 58', to the Moma River, in S. Lat. 16° 45', a length of about 300 miles; but its interior frontier is undefined. Many of the African tribes here, who do not formally acknowledge the sovereignty of Portugal, yet pay tribute annually. The site of Mozambique city was chosen for its security, and supposed advantageous position for controlling the coast; but otherwise a worse place could not have been selected on the whole shore. It is barren, confined, and very ill watered. Three forts command the island, and could supply ample accommodation for a large garrison. The town, which is notorious for its filthiness, has nevertheless some good private houses as well as public buildings. Among the latter there are a marine arsenal, an hospital, and a casa da misericordia; while a military hospital and public baths are situated in the south part of the island. The trade of the place is at its height in the autumn, when the blacks from the interior or adjacent ports bring their goods hither for barter. Direct communication, however, with the interior is much obstructed by want of a fort on the mainland opposite. The slave trade thrives here, connived at by the authorities, who are said to make great gains from the prices required from the traders by way of bribes or licenses; and large numbers are still kept on the island for the purposes of trade, in spite of art. 145, § 8, of the constitution. These poor creatures, who number 20,000, are said to be ill clothed, ill fed, and shockingly ill treated. It is, moreover, a matter worthy of remark, that the blacks who have received their freedom here are a peaceful and industrious class, true to the government, and ever ready to receive religious instruction. Pop. of city, 270 Christians, 102 Banyans or Portuguese Hindus from Goa, 1150 blacks, and 7000 slaves; total 8522.

Farther down the coast, between the last-mentioned town and Kilimane, is Quizango or Angozha, an old settlement of the Portuguese, but which, being attacked and destroyed in 1847 by a rebel chief of European origin, was abandoned. Kilimane, or Quillimane, a small town 12 miles above the mouth of the Kilimane, a delta branch of the Zambesi, is situated S. Lat. 17° 53', and E. Lon. 36° 56', in a cognominal district, comprising the Zambesi delta, with the two stations of Senna and Tete. It stands on a mud bank on the left side of the stream, surrounded by swamps, which render the ground on which the town is situated so soft that the walls of the houses are always sinking. The climate is very unhealthy, and fevers are extremely prevalent. A large trade in slaves is carried on here surreptitiously. They are collected in the town from the interior, and remain there till the ships from Rio de Janeiro and other ports of America arrive in the river. Pop. of town, 200 Christians, 32 free blacks, and 3260 slaves. Senna, a decayed town of the interior, on the right bank of the Zambesi, about 200 miles above Kilimane, contains about 30 houses, and is surrounded by conical hills, on one of which there is a dismantled fort. Though once a thriving station, it has now, from repeated attacks by the neighbouring tribes, and from an insufficient garrison, become of little consequence as a place of trade. The vicinity, however, has all the resources to render it an important town, possessing as it does rich iron and copper deposits, as well as producing oil, fruits, and cereals in abundance. Pop. of town, about 108 Christians and 2850 slaves.

Tete, about 300 miles farther up the Zambesi, on the right bank of the same, is a walled town containing nearly 1200 huts, and defended by the fort Santiago Maior. It is well situated for trade, and was, before the formal abolition of the slave trade, the most important commercial port on the Zambesi. Recently, however, the town has much declined, although not to the same extent as Senna. It has frequently, like it, suffered from attacks made by the neighbouring tribes and rebel half-castes. Excellent iron, coal, copper, and marble, abound in the vicinity, but are left unworked. Gold also exists, but is not collected to so great an extent as formerly. Dr Livingstone, who visited this place in March 1856, says that 130 lb. of gold were annually obtained here before a stoppage was put to the slave trade, but now the amount has diminished to from 8 to 10 lb. annually. Pop. of town estimated by Livingstone at 2500.

The next station belonging to Portugal is Sofala, situated on the sea-coast, about 250 miles S.E. of Kililame, S. Lat. 20. 12., and E. Lon. 35. 20., formerly the chief town of a large district of the same name, but now much fallen in importance. Its harbour, however, is one of the best on the shore, and the neighbourhood abounds in gold, ivory, and precious stones.

Inhambana, situated on a peninsula at the mouth of a cognominal river, more than 200 miles south of Sofala, in S. Lat. 23. 51., and E. Lon. 35. 30., has a considerable trade in slaves and ivory. The river here has little fall of water, and its entrance is dangerous; while the country round the town is flat, subject to inundation, and very unhealthy. A hill a little beyond, however, is much resorted to by the inhabitants for its comparative salubrity. Regular government is all but extinct here. Pop. 182 Christians, 205 free blacks, and 1852 slaves.

The last station on the Mozambique coast is that of Lorenzo Marques, situated in Delagao Bay, S. Lat. 26., and E. Lon. 30. 30., and surrounded by a swampy district of land, subject to periodical inundation, and very unhealthy. The bay, however, forms a secure and convenient harbour for vessels rounding the Cape; while the vicinity is famous for its fertility in all the articles of South African produce. Excellent Indian corn, rice, cassia, and coffee grow here with little culture, and building timber of the best quality is abundant. The trade is mostly contraband, on account of the impotency of the government, and consists in the export of ivory, hides, and amber, in return for cheap calicoes and beads from America and the Cape Colony. Numerous mutinies have occurred here, ending with the murder of the governor,—an atrocity which has brought the place into disrepute, and hastened its fall. Pop. about 50 Christians and 256 slaves.

From what has been said of the condition of the various settlements on this shore, it must be evident that a new system of administration is urgently required. The resources of the country are great and various; and were the government steady and liberal in its policy, their development would be easily accomplished, and attended with great profit both to the home government and to the tribes of Africa. A company, called the East Africa Company, was formed lately in Portugal avowedly for this purpose, and laid certain conditions before the King, on which they bound themselves to re-open the country to European enterprise, but these were not accepted by the government.

Mozambique Channel, a wide strait of the Indian Ocean, separating the island of Madagascar from the continent of Africa, between S. Lat. 12. and 25., and E. Lon. 35. and 45. It has a length of about 1000 miles, and a breadth of from 300 miles at Mozambique city to about 600 miles at the widest part. The Comoros, a numerous cluster of islands, are situated at its northern outlet.