Chap. XIII. HEEL OF LAKE NYASSA. 353 



here, and we saw buffaloes feeding in the deserted gardens, 



and some women, who ran away very much faster than 

 the beasts did. 



On the 29th, seeing some people standing under a tree 

 by a village, we sat down, and sent Masego, one of our 

 party, to communicate. The headman, Matunda, came 

 back with him, bearing a calabash with water for us. He 

 said that all the people had fled from the Ajawa, who had 

 only just desisted from their career of pillage on being paid 

 five persons as a fine for some offence for which they had 

 commenced the invasion. Matunda had plenty of grain to 

 sell, and all the women were soon at work grinding it into 

 meal. We secured an abundant supply, and four milk 

 goats. The Manganja goat is of a very superior breed to 

 the general African animal, being short in the legs and 

 having a finely-shaped broad body. By promising the 

 Makololo that, when we no longer needed the milk, they 

 should have the goats to improve the breed of their own 

 at home, they were induced to take the greatest possible 

 care of both goats and kids in driving and pasturing. 



After leaving Matunda, we came to the end of the 

 highland valley ; and, before descending a steep declivity 

 of a thousand feet towards the part which may be called the 

 heel of the Lake, we had the bold mountains of Cape 

 Maclear on our right, with the blue water at their base, the 

 hills of Tsenga in the distance in front, and Kirk's Eange 

 on our left, stretching away northwards, and apparently 

 becoming lower. As we came down into a fine rich undu- 

 lating valley, many perennial streams running to the east 

 from the hills on our left were crossed, while all those 

 behind us on the higher ground seemed to unite in one 

 named Lekue, which flowed into the Lake. 



After a long day's march in the valley of the Lake, 

 where the temperature was very much higher than in that 

 we had just left, we entered the village of Katosa. which i 



2 A 



