90 Geographical Notices. 



6 or 7 inches a day. They had found some parts carrying no more than 

 5 or 6 feet of water, and as they drew nearly 6 feet, they had to return, 

 lest they should be left fixtures till the flood of next year. The cause of 

 this unsuccessful termination is to be attributed to vaiious delays suffered 

 by the Pioneer in the voyage out, making her at last quite two months 

 behind the time for a successful trip up the river. After coaling, tbey 

 left for the Zambesi, intending to go up the Shire, and then make a road 

 past Murchison Cataract on that river to Lake Nyassa. The distance is 

 only 35 miles, and it is hoped that they will carry a boat up above the 

 cataracts, and by that means explore f - '-'" 



It is also in contemplation to setth 

 comes out of the Nyassa, as 



going in the Pioneer again to mat river, ine vjxiora ana »^arauiiu-o 

 Mission accompany the expedition up the Shire, and it is proposed to 

 I the plateau of 4000 feet above the sea, on which 



stands Mount Zomba. There they are likely to enjoy go( 

 " _ ' ■ enterprise. They have had a good deal c 

 mortality. The healthy season begins in May. 



pursuing their enterprise. They have had a good deal of fever, but n 



The Rovuraa will probably turn out to be the best entrance into East- 

 ern Africa. It must, however, be navigated with a vessel of light draught, 

 and with the same skill as is required in the London above-bridge 

 passenger-boats. On the question whether it actually derives its waters 

 from Nyassa, the Doctor thinks that it cannot come out of the Nyassa 

 he discovered, but from some other lake. The reasons he adduces are: 

 the Nyassa is already known to give off one large river the Shire. L'' 

 river never rises nor falls more than 3 feet, nor is its water ever discoloiei. 

 The Rovuma rises and falls 6 or more feet, becomes very muddy, and no 

 instance is known of one lake giving off two large rivers. The probabil- 

 ity, therefore, is, that if the Rovuraa does come out of a Nyassa or Nyanza 

 (lake, or piece of water), it is some other than that discovered by the 

 expedition. It is well known that lakes having no outlets become brackish 

 in the course of ages. This is the case with Shirwa, but Nyassa and 

 Tanganyika are sweet. The former owes its sweetness to the 

 flowing out of it. Does Tanganyika owe its sweetness to the Ro\ 



2. The same number of the Proceedings contains an inter 

 report, extending through several pages, from Mr. John h 

 Botanist of the Livingstone expedition, chiefly in respect to sucii 

 vegetable products of the Shire and lower Zambesi Rivers, as 

 are in demand in Europe. He reports much of this region as 

 favorable to the growth of cotton, sugar, ground nuts, indigo 

 and cereals. India rubber, coffee, ebony, lignum vitre are also 

 produced. We copy a few paragraphs on the productions oi 

 the Zambesi delta, chiefly for what it says of the cotton culture. 



"The countries examined have been those bordering the Zambesi from 



Afii.^a r'-ievallev of a tributary river, the Shire, from 



Lak-. - with 'the Zambesi near Moramballa Hill- 



The .. . ;i and Manganja countries have also been vis- 



