A NEW ISLAND. 167 



of considerable altitude, which may be compared with Jebel 

 Eniku, and still farther south it has yet higher peaks ; the 

 entire range is called by the Negroes, from the country 

 behind it, the Mountains of Lendu. The island, off which we 

 lay, is separated from the mainland by a narrow channel, 

 which was not deep enough for the steamer. To judge from 

 the great quantity of mud in it, this channel will ere long be 

 quite filled up ; meanwhile it is kept open by the strong 

 current that is driven through it by the powerful south 

 wind. 



The island is very short, of crescent shape, and lies with its 

 convexity towards the north. It is of quite recent formation, 

 for in 1879, as we noticed whilst going across from Mahagi to 

 the hot springs of Kibiro, the spot where it now lies was 

 covered with shallow water. It was therefore formed within 

 the space of about five years, for it has been already occupied 

 for two years. Its maximum length, from horn to horn, mea- 

 sures 3200 feet, and its maximum breadth 300 feet; its 

 greatest height above the level of the lake is about 6 feet. 

 Its shores, which are flat and slope gradually down to the 

 water, consist entirely of drift saud, and surround a firmer 

 centre of rich dry mud. Tall grass and reeds grow at the water's 

 edge, and a species of acacia (Acacia mcllifera) upon the 

 higher parts of the island. A multitude of black-headed 

 weaver-birds {Hyphantornis dimidiata) were flitting about the 

 island, numerous little fly-catchers (Muscicapa) clung to the 

 stems of the reeds, a flock of Phalacrocorax africanus were 

 sunning themselves on the margin of the water, and close by 

 them some huge crocodiles were lazily basking in the sun. 

 These creatures seem to abound in the neighbourhood ; we 

 afterwards killed one which measured 1 ii feet in length. 

 Turtles of great size must also be plentiful in these waters ; at 

 least I infer so from the large eggs which we found so abun- 

 dantly everywhere ; but I never succeeded in getting possession 

 of one of the animals themselves. 



The origin of this island, to which the natives give the name 

 of Tunguru, admits of easy explanation. The large volume of 

 water contributed to the lake by the two principal feeders 

 which join it in the south-west — viz., the Nyussi-Msisi and the 



