Chinde to Blantyre 



adventures likely to be met with during transit in 

 the basket ; in rough weather it has been known 

 to be bumped into the funnel instead of on to the 

 deck! However, nothing untoward happened, and 

 after wishing "good-bye" to the captain and officers 

 of the ship we stepped into the basket, and next 

 minute found ourselves in mid-air, descending on 

 to the tug's deck. 



The tide was falling fast, and as time was press- 

 ing it was fortunate that only one passenger besides 

 ourselves was landing. The bar can only be crossed 

 an hour or two either before or after high water. 

 Breakers were on either side of us, while the wrecks 

 lying on the sandbanks testified to the perils of the 

 coast. 



To reach Nyasaland from this point one must 

 ascend the Zambesi and Shire rivers to Port Herald, 

 in British territory, and from thence a short line of 

 rail runs to Blantyre, the commercial capital of the 

 country. 



After crossing the bar we steamed up the Chinde 

 river, one of the many outlets of the Zambesi, the 

 surf roaring and dashing itself against the shallow 

 strand on the one side, while on the other shore 

 was a tropical forest almost touching the water's 

 edge. The tug dropped anchor opposite the British 

 concession at Chinde about 9 a.m., and an African 

 Lakes Co.'s boat, with the local manager, came to 

 row us with our luggage to the shore, some fifty 

 yards away. 



The little town, with its red roofs and the 

 shipping in the harbour, looked quite pretty in the 



3 



