Fort Melangani to Dedza 



on the 1 6th, gave a favourable account of the 

 prospects of sport; and as the Fathers sent us at the 

 same time a very cordial invitation to visit them, we 

 decided to brave the heat and to go. We only 

 proposed remaining a week, at the outside, in the 

 low country ; so our loads were considerably 

 lightened, and Mr. Webb kindly allowed us to stack 

 our surplus property in his verandah. 



We started the caravan off by midday, and 

 followed ourselves about 2 p.m. The road was 

 bordered on the left by a chain of peaks resembling 

 the Dedza mountain in shape and conformation, 

 their steep sides covered with patches of flat topped 

 mimosa trees. Everywhere else were open rolling 

 downs, with here and there a sugar loaf hill rising 

 high above the general level; the summits were 

 bare, but every dip was filled with variegated 

 acacias, offshoots from the adjacent great forests. 



After travelling uphill and down dale for about 

 three hours, we reached the edge of the plateau, and 

 obtained a glorious view over the lake, whose blue 

 waters gleamed in the sunshine as far as the eye 

 could reach. In the foreground was the flat forest- 

 covered low country, and in the distance a shadowy 

 range of blue mountains indicating the far away 

 shore of German territory. 



We had now to get out and walk. For the first 

 thousand feet or so the descent was fairly gradual, 

 but it was necessary to scramble down the next two 

 thousand feet as best we could ; the track was so 

 rough and water-worn that in places I should have 

 had difficulty in keeping my footing without the 



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