CHAP. XL SOURCES OF THE ROVUMA. 311 



found in a level part, with hills only in the distance. Far 

 away in the west and north we could see high blue 

 heights, probably of igneous origin from their forms, 

 rising out of a plain. 



The distance from Ngomano, a spot thirty miles further 

 up, to the Arab crossing-places of Lake Nyassa Tsenga or 

 Kotakota was said to be twelve days. The way we had 

 discovered to Lake Nyassa by Murchison's Cataracts had 

 so much less land carriage, that we considered it best to 

 take our steamer thither, by the route in which we were 

 well known, instead of working where we were strangers ; 

 and accordingly we made up our minds to return. 



The natives reported a worse place above our turning- 

 point — the passage being still narrower than this. An 

 Arab, they said, once built a boat above the rapids, 

 and sent it down full of slaves; but it was broken to 

 pieces in these upper narrows. Many still maintained 

 that the Eovuma came from Nyassa, and that it is very 

 narrow as it issues out of the lake. One man declared 

 that he had seen it with his own eyes as it left the lake, 

 and seemed displeased at being cross-questioned, as if we 

 doubted his veracity. 



More satisfactory information, as it appeared to us, was 

 obtained from others. Two days, or thirty miles, beyond 

 where we turned back, the Eovuma is joined by the 

 Liende, which, coming from the south-west, rises in the 

 mountains on the east side of Nyassa. The great slave 

 route to Kilwa runs up the banks of this river, which is 

 only ankle-deep at the dry season of the year. The 

 Eovuma itself comes from the W.N.W., and after the 

 traveller passes the confluence of the Liende at Ngomano 

 or "meeting-place," the chief of which part is named 

 Ndonde, he finds the river narrow, and the people Ajawa. 



Crocodiles in the Eovuma have a sorry time of it. 

 Never before were reptiles so persecuted and snubbed. 



