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CHAPTEK XII. 



Prepares to examine Lake Bemba. Starts from Casembe's 11th June, 

 1868. Dead leopard. Moenampanda's reception. The Eiver Luongo. 

 Weird death-song of slaves. The forest grave. Lake Bembo changed 

 to Lake Bangweolo. Chikumbi's. The Imbozhwa people. Kombo- 

 kombo's stockade. Mazitu difficulties. Discovers Lake Bangweolo 

 on 18th July, 1868. The Lake Chief Mapuni. Description of the 

 Lake. Prepares to navigate it. Embarks for Lifunge Island. Im- 

 mense size of Lake. Peaches Mpabala Island. Strange dream. Fears 

 of canoe men. Return to shore. March back. Sends letters. Meets 

 Banyamweze. Reviews recent exploitations at length. Disturbed 

 state of country. 



1st June, 1868. — Mohamad proposes to go to Katanga to 

 buy copper, and invites me to go too. I wish to see the 

 Lufra Eiver, but I must see Bemba or Bangweolo. Grant 

 guidance from above ! 



2nd June. — In passing a field of cassava I picked the 

 pods of a plant called Malumbi, which climbs up the 

 cassava bushes ; at the root it has a number of tubers 

 with eyes, exactly like the potato. One plant had six- 

 teen of these tubers, each about 2 inches long and 1^ 

 inch in diameter: another tuber was 5 inches long and 

 2 in diameter, it would be difficult for anyone to distin- 

 guish them from English potatoes. When boiled they are 

 a little waxy, and, compared with our potato, hard. There 

 are colours inside, the outer part reddish, the inner whiter. 

 At first none of the party knew them, but afterwards they 

 were recognised as cultivated at Zanzibar by the name 



