476 REGION EAST OF LONDA. Chap. XXIV. 



being on opposite sides of the equator. The waters of the Nile 

 are said to become turbid in June ; and the flood attains its 

 greatest height in August, or the period when we may suppose 

 the supersaturation to occur. The subject is worthy the inves- 

 tigation of those who may examine the region between the 

 equator and 10° S. ; for the Nile does not show much increase 

 when the sun is at its furthest point north, or tropic of Cancer, 

 but at the time of its returning to the equator, exactly as in the 

 other case when he is on Capricorn, and the Zambesi is affected.* 



From information derived from Arabs of Zanzibar, whom I met 

 at Naliele in the middle of the country, the region to the east of 

 the parts of Londa over which we have travelled, resembles them 

 in its conformation. They report swampy steppes, some of which 

 have no trees, where the inhabitants use grass, and stalks of 

 native corn, for fuel. A large shallow lake is also pointed out in 

 that direction, named Tanganyenka, which requires three clays 

 for crossing in canoes. It is connected with another named 

 Kalagwe (Garague ?), farther north, and may be the Nyanja of 

 the Mara vim. From this lake is derived, by numerous small 

 streams, the river Loapula, the eastern branch of the Zambesi, 

 which, coming from the N.E., flows past the town of Cazembe. 



The southern end of tins lake is ten days north-east of the town 

 of Cazembe ; and as that is probably more than five days from 

 Shinte, we cannot have been nearer to it than 150 miles. Probably 

 this lake is the watershed between the Zambesi and the Nile, as 

 Lake Dilolo is that between the Leeba and Kasai. But however 



* The above is from my own observation, together with information derived 

 from the Portuguese in the interior of Angola ; and I may add that the result 

 of many years' observation by Messrs. Gabriel and Brand at Loanda, on the 

 Avest coast, is in accordance therewith. It rains there between the 1st and 

 30th of November, but January ^and December are usually both warm and 

 dry. The heavier rains commence about the 1st of February, and last until 

 the 15th of May. Then no rain falls between the 20th of May and the 1st 

 of November. The rain averages from 12 to 15 inches per annum. In 1852 

 it was 12,034 inches; in 1853, 15,473 inches. Although I had no means of 

 measuring the amount of rain which fell in Londa, I feel certain that the 

 annual quantity exceeds very much that which falls on the coast, because for 

 a long time we noticed that every dawn was marked by a deluging shower, 

 which began without warning-drops or thunder. I observed that the rain 

 ceased suddenly on the 28th of April, and the lesser rains commenced about a 

 fortnight before the besinninci; of November. 



