CHAP. II. LAKE SHIRWA DISCOVERED. 55 



of their countrymen, they really pitied, and took kindly 

 to the strangers, and often guided them faithfully from 

 place to place, when no sane man could be hired for love 

 or money. 



The bearing of the Manganja at this time was very 

 independent ; a striking contrast to the cringing attitude 

 they afterwards assumed, when the cruel scourge of slave- 

 hunting passed over their country. Signals were given 

 from the different villages by means of drums, and notes 

 of defiance and intimidation were sounded in the travel- 1 

 lers' ears by day ; and occasionally they were kept awake 

 the whole night, in expectation of an instant attack. Drs. 

 Livingstone and Kirk were desirous that nothing should 

 occur to make the natives regard them as enemies ; Masa- 

 kasa, on the other hand, was anxious to show what he 

 could do in the way of fighting them. 



The perseverance of the party was finally crowned 

 with success; for on the 18th of April they discovered 

 Lake Shirwa, a considerable body of bitter water, con- 

 taining leeches, fish, crocodiles, and hippopotami. From 

 having probably no outlet, the water is slightly brackish, 

 and it appears to be deep, with islands like hills rising out 

 of it. Their point of view was at the base of Mount 

 Pirirniti or Mopeu-peu, on its S.S.W. side. Thence the 

 prospect northwards ended in a sea horizon with two 

 small islands in the distance — a larger one, resembling a 

 hill-top and covered with trees, rose more in the fore- 

 ground. Eanges of hills appeared on the east; and on the 

 west stood Mount Chikala, which seems to be connected 

 with the great mountain-mass called Zomba. 



The shore, near which they spent two nights, was 

 covered with reeds and papyrus. Wishing to obtain the 

 latitude by the natural horizon, they waded into the 

 water some distance towards what was reported to be a 

 sand-bank, but were so assaulted by leeches, they were 



