108 STORM ON THE LAKE. 



showed that it was sometimes visited by the lake 

 men, there was no cultivation of any kind. We took 

 up our residence on it for the night. 



As our object was to get to the north end of the 

 lake mth the least possible delay, it was decided that 

 next day we should try and reach the Arab crossing 

 place marked on Livingstone's map as being near 

 Mount Ngombo, in latitude 13° 50' south, and dis- 

 tant about thirty miles, nearly due north. There 

 we hoped to hear something of the state of the 

 country. The Makololo protested against going up the 

 eastern shore at all, saying that when they were on 

 the lake with Livingstone he went up the other side, 

 because he knew it was the best. However, after a 

 considerable amount of talk, they said " all right." 



At dawn the following morning we were under 

 weigh and steering for Ngombo. The wind was from 

 the south-west, but light, when we left Boazuru, and 

 we were getting along nicely till about 9 a.m., when 

 the breeze freshened, and the waters of the lake, 

 hitherto calm, became troubled. Still we carried on 

 our course. The wind soon increased to a storm, a tre- 

 mendous sea running. The Makololo and boys in the 

 boat became sea-sick and frightened. Happily there 

 was no work for them to do, or they would have 

 proved of but little use. In fact, as things were, they 

 were better out of the wav ; but I must confess it dis- 

 gusted me to see them lie down in the boat and cover 

 their heads with everj^thing they could get hold of, 

 saying, '^ We are going to die, and don't want to look 

 at death." They were, indeed, dreadfully frightened ; 



