260 FERTILITY OF THE ADJACENT LAND. Chap. IX. 



take place till January. The western side of Lake Nyassa, 

 with the exception of the great harbour to the west of 

 Cape Maclear, is, as has been said before, a succession of 

 small bays of nearly similar form, each having an open 

 sandy beach and pebbly shore, and being separated from 

 its neighbour by a rocky headland, with detached rocks 

 extending some distance out to sea. The great south- 

 western bay referred to would form a magnificent harbour, 

 the only really good one we saw to the west. 



The land immediately adjacent to the lake is low and 

 fertile, though in some places marshy and tenanted by 

 large flocks of ducks, geese, herons, crowned cranes, and 

 other birds. In the southern parts we have sometimes ten 

 or a dozen miles of rich plains, bordered by what seem 

 high ranges of well-wooded hills, running nearly parallel 

 with the lake. Northwards the mountains become loftier 

 and present some magnificent views, range towering 

 beyond range, until the dim, lofty outlines projected 

 against the sky bound the prospect. Still further north 

 the plain becomes more narrow, until, near where we 

 turned, it disappears altogether, and the mountains rise 

 abruptly out of the lake, forming the north-east boundary 

 of what was described to us as an extensive table-land ; 

 well suited for pasturage and agriculture, and now only 

 partially occupied by a tribe of Zulus, who came from the 

 south some years ago. These people own large herds of 

 cattle, and are constantly increasing in numbers by 

 annexing other tribes. 



