56 ASPECT OF LAKE SHIRWA. Chap. II. 



fain to retreat; and a woman told them that in enticing 

 them into the water the men only wanted to kill them. 

 The information gathered was that this lake was nothing 

 in size compared to another in the north, from which it is 

 separated by only a tongue of land. The northern end of 

 Shirwa has not been seen, though it has been passed ; the 

 length of the lake may probably be 60 or 80 miles, and 

 about 20 broad. The height above the sea is 1800 feet, 

 and the taste of the water is like a weak solution of Epsom 

 salts. The country around is very beautiful, and clothed 

 with rich vegetation; and the waves, at the time they 

 were there, breaking and foaming over a rock on the 

 south-eastern side, added to the beauty of the picture. 

 Exceedingly lofty mountains, perhaps 8000 feet above the 

 sea-level, stand near the eastern shore. When their lofty 

 steep-sided summits appear, some above, some below the 

 clouds, the scene is grand. This range is called Milanje ; 

 on the west stands Mount Zomba, 7000 feet in height, and 

 some twenty miles long. 



Their object being rather to gain the confidence of the 

 people by degrees than to explore, they considered that 

 they had advanced far enough into the country for one 

 trip ; and believing that they could secure their end by a 

 repetition of their visit, as they had done on the Shire, 

 they decided to return to the vessel at Dakanamoio island; 

 but, instead of returning by the way they came, they 

 passed down southwards close by Mount Chiradzuru, 

 among the relatives of Chibisa, and thence by the pass 

 Zedi, down to the Shire. The Kroomen had, while we 

 were away, cut a good supply of wood for steaming, and 

 we soon proceeded down the river. 



The steamer reached Tette on the 23rd of June, and, 

 after undergoing repairs, proceeded to the Kongone to 

 receive provisions from one of H.M. cruisers. We had 

 been very abundantly supplied with first-rate stores, but 



