CH. XIII A SOJOURN AT RESHIAT AND KERB 289 



end of the lake, and across its northern extremity the low 

 shore could be made out. Throughout the whole length of 

 Bassu, with the exception of one part — the only one where 

 there is a water-horizon to the westward — hills are visible 

 across the lake, the land on its western banks being for the 

 most part high, though of course the actual shore is nowhere 

 visible, until it narrows at the north end where hills no longer 

 border it. 



Until the last day or two I had never, during the whole 

 journey along the lake, heard a mosquito ; since then a few had 

 been in evidence, but here they swarmed. No doubt the water, 

 impregnated with soda (or whatever the right name for its 

 saline property may be), did ' not agree with them, but here, 

 in the swampy border of the lake, where it is fresh, they find 

 a congenial habitat. 



I had heard a good deal about Reshiat, when making 

 inquiries about this country before leaving the coast, from 

 the few Sw^ahili traders who had visited it. The name is 

 used by them to designate generally the inhabited region at 

 the north end of Bassu, and I had pictured a populous and 

 extensive district. My surprise, then, was considerable when, 

 after one short march from its commencement, Mnyamiri told 

 me that we had reached the last kraals or Reshiat proper ; 

 the whole comprising but a few small villages scattered along 

 the shorc.^ It is rather a pleasant bit of country (com- 

 paratively so, at all events) ; some sandy ridges rise from the 

 shore, fairly well grassed, with open plains behind and open 

 water in front. 



I saw a good many hippos here, and herds of " topi " 

 grazed sometimes quite close up to the kraals. I did not 

 interfere with them during the march, but after camping 

 among some clumps of " suaki " bush went out to procure meat. 

 I first bagged a ram Grant's gazelle (though not without some 



' I afterwards leaniccl that there is another distriet of the same name at the north- 

 western corner of the lake. 



U 



