2 



THE LAKE EEGIOXS OF CENTRAL AFEICA. 



diagonally over 155 rectilinear geographical miles. 

 Bounded on the north by Usui and the Nyanza Lake, 

 to the south-eastwards by Ugala, southwards by Ukimbu, 

 and south-westwards by Uwende, it has a depth of from 

 twenty-five to thirty marches. Native caravans, if 

 lightly laden, can accomplish it in twenty -five days, 

 including four halts. The maximum altitude observed 

 by B. P. therm, was 4050 feet, the minimum 2850. 

 This region contains the two great divisions of Unyam- 

 wezi and Uvinza. 



The name of Unyamwezi was first heard by the 

 Portuguese, according to Giovanni Botero, towards the 

 end of the sixteenth century, or about 1589. Piga- 

 fetta, who, in 15 91, systeinatised the discoveries of the 

 earlier Portuguese, placed the empire of " Monemugi " 

 or Munimigi in a vast triangular area, whose limits 

 were Monomotapa, Congo, and Abyssinia : from his 

 pages it appears that the people of this central kingdom 

 were closely connected by commerce with the towns on 

 the eastern coast of Africa. According to Dapper, the 

 Dutch historian, (1671,) whose work has been the great 

 mine of information to subsequent writers upon Africa 

 south of the equator, about sixty days' journey from 

 the Atlantic is the kingdom of Monemugi, which others 

 call " Nimeamaye," a name still retained under the cor- 

 rupted form " Nimeaye " in our atlases. M. Malte- 

 Brun, senior, mentioning Mounemugi, adds, " ou, selon 

 une autographe plus authentique, Mou-nimougi." All 

 the Portuguese authors call the people Monemugi or 

 Mono-emugi ; Mr. Cooley prefers Monomoezi, which he 

 derives from "Munha Munge," or "lord of the world," the 

 title of a great African king in the interior, commemor- 

 ated by the historian De Barros. Mr. Macqueen ( c Geo- 

 graphy of Central Africa'), who also gives Manmoise, 

 declares that " Mueno-muge, Mueno niuize, Monomoise, 



DSI 



