CHAPTER III. 



MERAMANA AND ZOMBA TO LIWONDE ON THE ROAD 



WITH OUR CARAVAN. 



Our preparations completed, the next morning we 

 started for Zomba, the capital of the Protectorate, 

 a journey of about fifty miles, which is usually 

 divided into two stages of twenty-five miles each. 



A travelled in his machilla, while I was provided 



with a rickshaw for that distance; the road being 

 a good one, my crew of four men ran me along at 

 a good pace and quickly outdistanced him. The 

 scenery was pretty; forest prevailed, with here and 

 there open glades, locally known as ** dambos." We 

 passed a few farms, a fair amount of cultivated 

 land, and an occasional coffee plantation.-^ 



About half a dozen miles from Blantyre we were 

 suddenly brought up by a wide gap in the road, 

 where a bridge was in course of construction. 

 I had to get out and cross on foot, the English 

 engineer in charge kindly helping me over with 

 all my impedimenta — kodak, wraps, field-glasses, 

 etc. This chasm would have been dangerous at 

 night, for even in daylight it could not be seen till 

 we stood on the very verge. 



^ See p. 114. 

 28 



