LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY ON LAKE TANGANIKA. 167 
alluvial plains, enfolded on the south, the west, and the 
north by a grand mountain arc, present most luxurious 
and enchanting scenery. The vegetation seems to be of 
spontaneous growth. Groups of the Elseis Guineansis 
palm embowering some dun-brown village ; an array of 
majestic, superb growth of mvule trees ; a broad extent 
covered with vivid green sorghum stalks ; parachute- 
like tops of mimosa ; a line of white sand, on which 
native canoes are drawn far above the reach of the 
plangent, uneasy surf; fishermen idly reclining in the 
shade of a tree ; — these are the scenes which reveal 
themselves to us as we voyage in our canoe on the Tan- 
ganika. When wearied with the romance of wild tropic 
scenes such as these, we have but to lift our eyes to the 
great mountain tops looming darkly and grandly on our 
right ; to watch the light pencilling of the cirrus, brush- 
ing their summits, as it is drifted toward the north by 
the rising wind : to watch the chanoino- forms which the 
clouds assume, from the fleecy horizontal bars of the 
cirrus, to the denser, gloomier cumulus, prognosticator 
of storm and. rain, which soon settles into a portentous 
group — Alps above Alps, one above another— and we 
know the storm which was brewing is at hand, and that 
it is time to seek shelter. 
Passing Muikamba, we saw several groves of the tall 
mvule tree. As far as Bemba the Wabembe occupy the 
mountain summits, while the Wavira cultivate the 
alluvial plains along the base and lower slopes of the 
mountain. At Bemba we halted to take in pieces of 
pipe-clay, in accordance with the superstition of the 
Wajiji, who thought us certain of safe passage and good 
fortune if we complied with the ancient custom. 
Passing Ngovi, we came to a deep bend, which curved 
off to Cape Kabogi at the distance of ten miles. About 
two-thirds of the way we arrived at a group of islets, 
three in number, all very steep and rocky ; the largest 
about 300 feet in length at the base, and about 200 feet 
in breadth. Here we made preparations to halt for the 
night. The inhabitants of the island were a gorgeously- 
feathered old cock, which was kept as a propitiatory 
