258 LAKE NYASSA. CHAP. IX. 



" boot-shape " of Italy. The narrowest part is about the 

 ankle, eighteen or twenty miles. From this it widens to 

 the north, and in the upper third or fourth it is fifty or 

 sixty miles broad. The length is over 200 miles. The 

 direction in which it lies is as near as possible due north 

 and south. Nothing of the great bend to the west, shown 

 in all the previous maps, could be detected by either 

 compass or chronometer, and the watch we used was an 

 excellent one. The season of the year was very unfavour- 

 able. The " smokes " filled the air with an impenetrable 

 haze, and the equinoctial gales made it impossible for us 

 to cross to the eastern side. When we caught a glimpse 

 of the sun rising from behind the mountains to the east, 

 we made sketches and bearings of them at different lati- 

 tudes, which enabled us to secure approximate measure- 

 ments of the width. These agreed with the times taken 

 by the natives at the different crossing-places — as Tsenga 

 and Molamba. About the beginning of the upper third 

 the lake is crossed by taking advantage of the island 

 Chizumara, which name in the native tongue means the 

 " ending ; " further north they go round the end instead, 

 though that takes several days. 



The lake appeared to be surrounded by mountains, but 

 it was afterwards found that these beautiful tree-covered 

 heights were, on the west, only the edges of high table- 

 lands. Like all narrow seas encircled by highlands, it is 

 visited by sudden and tremendous storms. We were on it 

 in September and October, perhaps the stormiest season of 

 the year, and were repeatedly detained by gales. At 

 times, while sailing pleasantly over the blue water with 

 a gentle breeze, suddenly and without any warning was 

 heard the sound of a coming storm, roaring on with 

 crowds of angry waves in its wake. We were caught one 

 morning with the sea breaking all around us, and, unable 

 either to advance or recede, anchored a mile from shore, 



