CHAPTER V. 



FORT MELANGANI TO DEDZA THE CALICO MACHILLA 



THE WHITE FATHERS. 



We passed a very pleasant evening, and had a 

 comfortable night in a room Mr. Hofmeister kindly 



placed at our disposal. Next morning A went 



out in search of game but found none, which was 

 perhaps not surprising when we remember that the 

 fort was occupied by an energetic sporting young 

 officer with a fair amount of spare time on his hands. 

 At noon we sent on our caravan, and gave John 

 instructions to encamp half-way on the road to 

 Dedza; we ourselves followed about three o'clock. 



Fort Melangani is situated on the plateau which 

 forms the summit of the chain of mountains that 

 separates Nyasaland from Portuguese East Africa. 

 Our road to Dedza ran along the summit of the 

 plateau, passing through a corner of the Portuguese 

 territory. On either side of us were rolling downs, 

 but in the valleys we could everywhere see dwarf 

 acacia trees, a commencement of the everlasting 

 forests clothing the slopes and low country. The 

 plateau has a vegetation of its own ; everywhere 

 flowering bulbs were springing up, small irises of 

 different colours, scarlet gladiolas, pale blue flowers, 

 something like verbenas, growing in bunches, pink 



55 



