Chap. XXIV. HEEL OF LAKE NYASSA. 495 



and some women, who ran away very much faster than the 

 beasts did. 



On the 29th, seeing some people standing under a tree 

 by a village, we sat down, and sent Masego, one of our 

 party, to communicate. The headman, Matunda, came back 

 with him, bearing a calabash with water for us. He said 

 that all the people had fled from the Ajawa, who had only 

 just desisted from their career of pillage on being paid 

 five persons as a fine for some offence for which they had 

 commenced the invasion. Matunda had plenty of grain 

 to sell, and all the women were soon at w T ork grinding 

 it into meal. We secured an abundant supply, and four 

 milk goats. The Manganja goat is of a very superior breed 

 to the general African animal, being short in the legs 

 and having a finely-shaped broad body. By promising the 

 Makololo that, when we no longer needed the milk, they 

 should have the goats to improve the breed of their own at 

 home, they were induced to take the greatest possible care of 

 both goats and kids in driving and pasturing. 



After leaving Matunda, we came to the end of the highland 

 valley ; and, before descending a steep declivity of a thousand 

 feet towards the part which may be called the heel of the 

 Lake, we had the bold mountains of Cape Maclear on our 

 right, with the blue water at their base, the hills of 

 Tsenga in the distance in front, and Kirk's Range on our 

 left, stretching away northwards, and apparently becoming 

 lower. As we came down into a fine rich undulating valley, 

 many perennial streams running to the east from the hills 

 on our left were crossed, while all those behind us on the 

 higher ground seemed to unite in one named Lekiie, which 

 flowed into the Lake. 



After a long day's march in the valley of the Lake, 

 where the temperature was very much higher than in that 



