Liwonde to Fort Melangani 



Nyasaland is equivalent to February in England. 

 We often wondered what the dried-up stems or 

 withered seed vessels promised. The answer was 

 not found for weeks; then many miles away in 

 another part of the country we recognized an old 

 acquaintance in a spring dress. 



The caretaker reported kudu in the neigh- 

 bourhood, so we remained two nights in the 

 hopes of seeing one; but had no luck, though a 

 servant declared he had seen kudu on the river 

 bank. I went out with A the second after- 

 noon; but though we made a good round, saw 

 nothing. We heard a bushbuck barking close to 

 the river, and disturbed some francolin as we went 

 along, but they were out of shot before the rifle could 

 be exchanged for a gun. 



On the nth we made a good march of fourteen 

 miles, mostly uphill. Our tents were pitched in a 

 mealie field not far from the Chiole Mission Station, 

 not a very choice spot, but the best we could find. 

 Among the dried mealie stalks were growing some 

 very tall plants, six feet in height at the least, with 

 bell-like seed vessels something like a Canterbury 

 bell, some of which I gathered and have brought 

 home with me. I subsequently saw this plant in 

 several village gardens, and fancy it is cultivated for 

 a purpose. 



The air was a good deal cooler, for we had risen 

 to an altitude of three thousand two hundred feet. 



That evening A brought in some guinea-fowl, 



which were a desirable addition to the larder. 



Next morning, the 12th, knowing that we had a 



51 



