Daniel Rankin to William Mackinnon. highly confidential report to British South Africa Company on an armed expedition on the Zambezi to regain control from the Portuguese in Nyasaland, take control of Tete area, & establish a basis for controlling Mashonaland; settlement envisaged as well as prospecting, mining, & trade; if not forewarned only Serpa Pinto's forces to deal with, impressed inadequately armed natives of poor morale; if warned, take months to collect forces from sickly Goanese port troops, Inhambane warriors & Zambezi princes; discusses kind of craft required, need for coal-hulk, gunboat at Chinde river month after area & river surveyed, type of troops & /or expedition members needed, whites & Beluchi, placing of garrisons along the river.