M. Giraud's Description. 
2/1 
When Livingstone, in his last days, passed round the east of 
Bangweolo, the chief Matipa Hved upon an island, but Giraud calls it 
a peninsula — a difference easily explained by the different depths of 
water at different seasons. Matipa, however, had died before this. 
At this period the south-east breeze was constant, like the trade winds, 
and Giraud's boat rapidly proceeded westward under the shelter of 
the land on the south coast, which he describes as covered with 
verdure. But he could not discern the mountains of Bisa, which 
Livingstone places to the south of the lake."^ The white sail of the 
boat attracted attention everywhere, and called forth yellings from the 
natives on the south coast ; but Giraud could not affirm that they 
were hostile. Some villages were enclosed by stockades, which ran 
down into the lake, and the population was very dense. The natives 
informed him that the Luapularan to the south of the lake, but would 
give him no information about the mouth of the Chambeze. On his 
map he puts the two rivers — Chambeze and Luapula — as almost 
meeting in the lake, instead of being at opposite sides, as represented 
by Livingstone ; but that one river should run into the lake and another 
out of it almost at the same spot seems geographically very improbable. 
Continuing to sail towards the south-west, Giraud reached a point 
of land called Kawende, to the east of which water and reeds 
abounded ; but there was an open stretch of water about one hundred 
yards in width, and as it had an unmistakable current, Giraud was 
assured that he had found the mouth of the Luapula. Returning 
towards the centre of the lake, he reached the end of a long tongue of 
land, which he called Bawara, and which in position might corres- 
pond with a small island called Mpbala, on which Livingstone slept in 
his first visit to the lake fifteen years previously. Here again it is very 
difficult to reconcile the statements of the two travellers, for both 
visited this part in the month of July. We can only conjecture that 
in different years the height of the water varies much at the same 
season, and the small island might thus become a tongue of land 
when the rainfall was less than usual. 
Giraud next sailed to the island of Kisi, where Livingstone's men 
were afraid to go, saying they had stolen their canoe from that island. 
Giraud found many more people there than at Bawara ; they were 
clothed with skins, and carried bows and elephant spears. The 
women dyed their hair red, and dressed it very elaborately by means 
of combs and copper pins. The men shaved the head, leaving only 
two or three tufts of hair. From a piece of rising ground Giraud's 
guide showed him the whole island of Kisi, Bawara, and Kirui ; to the 
west the country of the Baoussi ; to the north the states of Miombo, 
* As Livingstone in his first journey northward passed these mountains to 
the east of Bangweolo, they doubtless run to the south of the lake, though 
they were too far off to be seen by Giraud. As to climate, they might form a 
suitable place from which to reach the people of the lake. 
