NGAMBA 99 



no crocodiles or ** Enswa-swa," the favourite source of 

 food ; although hippos are fond of the island I do not 

 consider them of much importance as food for the fly, 

 which has therefore to depend for food, on Kimmi, mainly 

 on birds which frequent the shore. 



On January 30th we visited Ngamba, which lies between 

 Kome and Nsadzi, This island, like Tavu, is covered 

 with forest growth, but is more rocky and rises higher ; 

 it is roughly square, and of about the same size as Kimmi. 

 The forest everywhere comes close to the water's edge 

 save on the east side, where part of the shore is marshy, 

 and at the rocky north-east point. The shore, on the 

 whole, is either rocky or pebbly, and only at the north- 

 west corner is there a raised beach of sand. Along the 

 south coast the rock is grey, but at the north-east 

 point is of the more common spongy red brown 

 formation. 



As usual we first circumnavigated the isle, and counted 

 six crocodiles and three " Enswa-swa ; " two others were 

 also seen, and bushes of " Oluzibaziba " bore evidence 

 that Situtunga antelope had been browsing on them : 

 probably these had swum across from Kome, where they 

 live, for none were seen on Ngamba. The forest trees were 

 noted to be varied ; one very fine fig tree with huge 

 leaves, also occurring on Kimmi, was conspicuous here : 

 the natives called it " Omululu." Another noticeable tree 

 had sprays of greenish flowers like those of Portuguese 

 laurel : the natives called it " Omuziru " ; and another, 

 with large white flowers, was called " Omukoba." 



Here and there were beds of a magnificent herb which 

 I took to be at least allied to Salvia, with spikes of large 

 blue flowers, growing up to a height of four or five feet. 

 This was subsequently often found growing in pebbly 

 places near the water, and was quite a feature of some 

 islands. Of birds, a sacred ibis and giant heron were 

 noted, but no other notes were made. There were some 



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