1866.] SOUTHERN SLOPE OF THE LOANGWA VALLEY. 151 



Iiasamba, about two miles from Mokatoba, and yet found it, 

 though so near its source, four yards wide, and knee deep. 

 Its source is about a mile above Mokatoba, in the same 

 valley, with the Bua and Tembwd. We were told that 

 elephants were near, and Ave saw where they had been an 

 hour before ; but after seeking about could not find them. 

 An old man, in the deep defile between Kokwe and Yasika 

 Mountains, pointed to the latter, and said, " Elephants ! 

 why, there they are. Elephants, or tusks, walking on foot 

 are never absent;" but though we were eager for flesh, we 

 could not give him credit, and went down the defile which 

 gives rise to the Sandili Eiver : where we crossed it in the 

 defile, it was a mere rill, having large trees along its banks,, 

 yet it is said to go to the Loangwa of Zumbo, N.W. or 

 N.N.W. We were now in fact upon the slope which inclines 

 to that river, and made a rapid descent in altitude. We 

 reached Silubi's village, on the base of a rocky detached 

 hill. No food to be had ; all taken by Mazitu, so Silubi 

 gave me some Masuko fruit instead. They find that they 

 can keep the Mazitu off by going up a rocky eminence, 

 and hurling stones and arrows down on the invaders : they 

 can defend themselves also by stockades, and these are 

 becoming very general. 



On leaving Silubi's village, we went to a range of hills, 

 and after passing through found that we had a compara- 

 tively level country on the north : it would be called a well- 

 wooded country if we looked at it only from a distance. 

 It is formed into long ridges, all green and wooded; but 

 clumps of large trees, where villages have been, or are still 

 situated, show that the sylvan foliage around and over the 

 whole country is that of mere hop-poles. The whole of this 

 upland region might be called woody, if we bear in mind 

 that where the population is dense, and has been long 

 undisturbed, the trees are cut down to the size of low 

 bush. Large districts are kept to about the size of hop- 



