286 LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



prevented them obtaining the latitude by the natural horizon, which they 

 hoped to do on a sand-bank at some distance from the shore. Several 

 varieties of fish, hippopotami, and crocodiles were abundant in the waters of 

 the lake. The lake was found to be 1800 feet above the level of the sea. 

 They did not on this occasion get any reliable information as to its extent. 

 Lofty mountains, whose height was supposed to be about 8000 feet, stand near 

 its eastern shore ; and on the west is a long ridge, called Mount Zomba, with 

 a height of about 7000 feet, and a length of about twenty miles. In 

 returning to the steamer they changed their route, and passed through a 

 country peopled by friends of Chibisa, who did not interfere with their 

 progress. They found their quartermaster, John Walker, ill of fever ; and 

 having cured him, they steamed down to the Zambesi, reaching Tete on the 

 23rd of June. 



We again turn to Dr. Livingstone's communications to the Foreign 

 Office with the view of supplementing our narrative at this stage : — 



" In accordance with the intention expressed of revisiting the River Shire 

 as soon as the alarm created by our first visit had subsided, I have the pleasure 

 of reporting to your Lordship that, having found the people this time all 

 friendly, we left the vessel in charge of the quartermaster and stoker, with a 

 chief named Chibisa (latitude 16° 2 South, longitude 35° East), and, with Dr. 

 Kirk and thirteen Makololo, advanced on foot till we had discovered a magni- 

 ficent inland lake, called Shirwa. It has no known outlet, but appears 

 particularly interesting from a report of the natives on its banks, that it is 

 separated from Lake Nyassa, which is believed to extend pretty well up to the 

 equator, by a tongue of land only five or six miles broad ; and, as we ascertained, 

 the southern end of the Shirwa is not more than 30 miles distant from a branch 

 of the navigable Shire. 



"We had traced the Shire up to the northern end of Zomba, but were 

 prevented by a marsh from following it further on that side. Coming round 

 the southern flank of the mountain, on the 14th April, we saw the lake, and 

 were then informed that the river we had left so near it had no connexion with 

 Lake Shirwa. We then proceeded eastwards, and on the 18th April reached 

 its shores : a goodly sight it was to see, for it is surrounded by lofty moun- 

 tains, and its broad blue waters, with waves dashing on some parts of its 

 shore, look like an arm of the sea. The natives know of no outlet. We saw 

 a good many streams flowing into it, for the adjacent country is well watered; 

 several rivulets which we crossed unite and form the Talombe and Sombane, 

 which flow into the lake from the south-west. The water of the Shirwa has 

 a bitter taste, but is drinkable. Fish abound, and so do alligators and hippo- 

 potami. When the southerly winds blow strongly, the water is said to retire 

 sufficiently from that side to enable the people to catch fish in weirs 

 planted there. 



