LAKE BANGWEOLO. 573 



the village of Mapuni) and saw the shores of the lake for the 

 first time ; thankful that I had come safely hither." 



He found the people about the lake very kind, and although 

 he was forced to tell them that his goods were all done, they did 

 not hesitate to supply his wants. The chief, Mapuni, showed 

 him all the respect he could have shown had he been loaded 

 with presents, and readily furnished a guide for exploring the 

 lake. A great many Babisa were found residing about the lake, 

 having made their homes among the native tribes. 



On the 19th the doctor came to the village of Masantu, who 

 lives on the shore of the lake, and having secured a canoe, with 

 no little trouble, however, he was enabled to visit several of the 

 islands. The water of the lake was of a deep sea-green color, 

 nowhere exhibiting the dark blue of Nyassa. It was much to 

 be regretted that he could make no measurements of its depth, 

 but he had been compelled to leave his line where one of his men 

 forsook him just after leaving Kabwabwati. The waves on the 

 lake ran high, and when strong winds are blowing it would be 

 quite hazardous to venture on its surface with a canoe. It was 

 ascertained to receive the waters of the Chambeze on the east, 

 and find its outlet through the Luapula into Moero. By the 

 best estimates which he could make, the doctor decided that 

 Bangweolo must be about one hundred and fifty miles long by 

 about eighty miles broad. The country immediately around 

 the lake he reports to be " flat, and very much denuded of trees 

 except the motsikiri or mosikisi, which has fine dark, dense foli- 

 age, and is spared for its shade, and the fatty oil yielded by its 

 seeds." Many people were seen boiling great pots of this oil, 

 which is greatly valued by them. There was not much of 

 novelty in the home scenes about the lake : " fishing, weaving 

 nets, beating bark for cloth, nursing babies, and smoking to- 

 bacco, is all the story." 



Having spent already more time than he had given himself 

 at the lake, he started north again on the 30th. He was par- 

 ticularly anxious to rejoin Mohamad Bogharib, with whose 

 trading party he had come down from Casembe's, in the hope 

 that the movements of that party might furnish him an escort 

 north again. But when he reached the village of Kombo 

 Kombo he found serious difficulties surrounding him, and the 



