145 
with the shore of Lake Malombe ; then a great hog’s-back culminating 
in Mangoche Mountain and ius Castellated -— and to the east of the 
main range a broken series of more or high mountains (Usui, 
Lisamba, Unangu, Lipelele). "Savior to this east are many isolated 
mountains in Portuguese territory dotting the Lujenda plain 
ntil the recent expedition, no European had ever set foot in Zarafi’s 
country proper, that is to say,on Mount Mangoche, which is a long 
range about 14 miles in length, including the Castellated Hills, oa four 
miles broad: not of course, quite isolated, but connected with other 
ranges, north and south, 2 ‘outlying spurs. The culminating Sit of 
the level of the sea, or about 
4,000 feet above the level. ar Lake tin To the north of n highest 
point of Mangoche the mountain slopes rather -abruptly to a 
1,200 feet below, which is a flattened ridge sloping with undalstioné into 
the Lujenda valley on the one side and more abruptly on the other into 
the Malombe plain. In the centre of this flattened ridge, which is a 
veritable gate into Central Africa from the east coast, is built Zarafi’s 
town. At the northern end of this e pass rise a two Castel- 
lated Hills—extraordinary pyramids of tremendous rounded rocks or 
boulders, nearly equal in height. to ianooehs Mogtiteis Between 
these Castellated Hills a steep pass descends to the north-west duro d a 
lovely fertile valley through which a road reall ends over the western range 
of foot-hills down to the Upper Shire and ape Nyasa. From the 
summit of Mangoche Mot looking down over the pass whereon 
Zarati’s town is built, north-west from the teo Castellated Hills, the 
iom dias v a mountains bears a fantastic resemblance on a gigantic 
sc o the of some colossal extinet two-horned rhinoceros (such as 
vom were in nios past), which bore the horns — on the end 
of the nose and not vim tienes as do the existing species. "The crest 
of Mangoche would be the crest of the animal's skull, the fisttened pass 
in which Zarafi’s town is built the curious depressed frontal bones of the 
rhinoceros, and the two Castellated Hills the transverse korns on the en 
There is probably no place in the Protectorate — on such an 
almost impregnable site, and with such commanding views as Zarafi’s. 
Although flat and pleasant for walking on the summit of t the pass, the 
ascents on the east, west, and north are abrupt and narro into 
gorges which a €— resolute men could easily block. On the south is 
the erest of Mangoche Mountain, from which the place could be easily 
shelled by iropean abtillary, but which would offer no advantage to 
savage warriors, as Zarafi’s town would be quite beyond range “from 
these heights. Another feature which adds to the impregnability of this 
natural fortress is the ample water supply. Not only do four streams 
take their rise within a circuit of a mile and a-half of Zarafi's town, but 
two of these streams rise from springs actually at the a of the p 
the centre of the town, and one of them affords pure cold drink 
water, whilst the other is suitable for washing ‘idle hong it, fo, 
could be made perfectly drinkable by gene the source from defile- 
ment. In the first valley to the east of Zarafi’s town and about 100 
feet below is a beautiful rushing stream full of water, even at the very 
end of the wil pri The pass has, however, been greatly denuded of 
trees—not, hink, because of any action of the wind, but simply by 
cn usual enti of the Yaos. Such trees as remain in or near the 
n grow well—in fact, one of these trees at the end of the town is a 
yer for. miles, and can be easily seen from Fort Johnston, 20 miles 
wa town is replanted extensively with shady trees the only 
U 93999, n 
