Chap. X. " KUNGO." 261 



CHAPTEE X. 



The Lake tribes — The Mazitu — Quantities of elephants — Distressing 

 journey — Detention on the Shire. 



Never before in Africa have we seen anything like the 

 dense population on the shores of Lake Nyassa. In the 

 southern part there was an almost unbroken chain of 

 villages. On the beach of wellnigh of every little sandy 

 bay, dark crowds were standing, gazing at the novel sight 

 of a boat under sail; and wherever we landed we were 

 surrounded in a few seconds by hundreds of men, women, 

 and children, who hastened to have a stare at the 

 " chirombo " (wild animals). 



During a portion of the year, the northern dwellers on 

 the lake have a harvest which furnishes a singular sort of 

 food. As we approached our limit in that direction, clouds, 

 as of smoke rising from miles of burning grass, were 

 observed bending in a south-easterly direction, and we 

 thought that the unseen land on the opposite side was 

 closing in, and that we were near the end of the lake. But 

 next morning we sailed through one of the clouds on our 

 own side, and discovered that it was neither smoke nor 

 haze, but countless millions of minute midges called 

 "kungo" (a cloud or fog). They filled the air to an immense 

 height, and swarmed upon the water, too light to sink in 

 it. Eyes and mouth had to be kept closed while passing 

 through this living cloud : they struck upon the face like 



