Chap. XXXIH. VIEW OF THE MOUNTAINS. 395 
day, and which seems to pass at a short distance to 
the east of this lake. The latter, however, is said 
always to contain water, which, as far as I know, is 
not the case with the river ; but certainly even the 
lake must become much shallower in the dry season. 
A small torrent joins the lake near its south-western 
corner ; and on the bank of this torrent I observed 
a rounded mass of granite rising to the height of 
about fifteen feet, this being the only eminence in 
the whole plain. Though it was not elevated enough 
to allow me a fair survey of the plain itself, it afforded 
a splendid and interesting panorama of the moun- 
tains. 
The whole range of mountains, which forms the 
western barrier of the little country of Wandala, 
lay open before me at the distance of about twenty 
miles, while behind it, towards the south, mountains 
of more varied shape, and greater elevation, became 
visible. It was here that I obtained the first view of 
Mount Mendefi, or Mindif, which, since it was seen by 
Major Denham on his adventurous expedition against 
some of the Fellata settlements to the south of Mora, 
has become so celebrated in Europe, giving rise to 
all sorts of conjectures and theories. It might, indeed, 
even from this point be supposed to be the centre of 
a considerable mountain mass, surrounded as it is by 
several other summits of importance, particularly the 
Mechika and Umshi, while it is in reality nothing more 
than a detached cone starting up from a level plain, 
like the Mount of Mbutiidi on a smaller scale, or that 
