XV.] 



ANOTHER DEMON. 191 



at Uiiii beiiiff spoiled by the continuous rams, we began to feel Apni, 



•' •' ° 1874. 



Imngry. _ 



At the mouth of the river Musamwira, which drains the 

 Likwa into the Tanganyika, we next halted among a group of 

 sandy, grass - covered islands. Some people engaged here in 

 fishing made an attempt to run away on seeing us ; for on this 

 occasion we were thought to be followers of Mirambo, whose 

 dreaded name had reached this remote spot. 



A few years previously these islands had been part of a large, 

 cultivated, and inhabited plain ; and during the day we pulled 

 through stumps of trees and over sites of many old villages. 

 According to the accounts given me by the guides, the lake is 

 constantly encroaching upon its shores and increasing in size. 

 And at Kawele I remarked that, since Burton was there, a 

 strip more than six hundred yards wide appeared to have been 

 washed away for a distance of three or four miles. 



Although there were many large fishing-traps lying about, we 

 could get nothing to eat, the few fishermen telling us that all 

 the people had gone elsewhere, owing to the constant washing- 

 away of the shores of the lake. Indeed, the ei-rand which had 

 now brought them to the island was merely to collect fish- 

 ing -2-ear which had been left behind when the flitting took 



place. 



Another devil's habitation was passed on the next day's 

 cruise. The guides made the usual offering and oration, with 

 the addition of putting salt on their heads, besides throwing 

 some into the water. The name of the demon was Musamwira ; 

 and on inquiring why he did not haunt the river of that name, 

 I w-as told he sometimes went there, but his usual dwelling- 

 place was just behind a hill where the offering was made. 



We made sail the next morning, to run down to Massi Kam- 

 bi, where we hoped to be able to get some food. But it being 

 rather squally, my men became so nervous that I had to allow 

 the sail to be lowered. They then persisted in going close in- 

 shore, and in the end had to pull head to wind, instead of run- 

 ning right across with a fair breeze. 



All the entrances of Massi Kambi were closed, and the crows'- 

 nests manned, on our drawing near; so we camped on a small 

 sand -bank, having on it a few fishermen's huts built on piles. 



