7 2 
BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA 
Arabs, however, soon established themselves in strong stockades in the Senga 
country, through which the great Luangvva River flows. Then they began 
to adopt, as an alternative route to the journey across Lake Nyasa, the direct 
journey from Zanzibar overland across the Nyasa-Tanganyika plateau ; and 
gradually the strong Arab dominion on Lake Tanganyika became connected 
with the settlements in the Senga country and on Lake Nyasa. The Arabs 
had also found a friend and ally in Merere, an 
intelligent and enterprising chief of the Wa-sango 
people, who had his capital in the high mountainous 
region to the north of Lake Nyasa. In their journeys 
to and fro between Senga and the sea coast, by way 
of the Nyasa-Tanganyika plateau, the Arabs became 
struck with the magnificent fertility and the wealth 
in cattle of the Nkonde country at the north end of 
Lake Nyasa. A certain Zanzibar Arab, named Mlozi, 1 
appears to have commenced by trading in the country, 
and gradually proceeded to surround his trade estab¬ 
lishments with stockades and by degrees take forcible 
possession of this delectable land. Mlozi had, with 
several other Arabs, established strong trading stations 
in the Senga country, and was almost a prince among 
slave traders. But Mlozi’s schemes were not to be so 
easily accomplished. Prior to his settlement in the 
Nkonde country, or simultaneous with it at any rate, the Lakes Company had 
obtained a footing at Karonga for the purpose of opening up communication 
with Lake Tanganyika. 
The Lakes Company had employed amongst other Europeans two notable 
men to conduct the expeditions which transported the London Missionary 
Society’s steamer in sections from Nyasa to Tanganyika. These men were 
Low Monteith Fotheringham and John Lowe Nicoll. 
become finally their agent at Karonga, on the north¬ 
west coast of Lake Nyasa, while Mr. Nicoll was chiefly 
employed on Tanganyika and in going backwards and 
forwards between Nyasa and Tanganyika. Fothering¬ 
ham was a man of very strong character and upright 
disposition, severe occasionally with the natives in 
maintaining the laws which he laid down for the 
maintenance of order, but of great bravery, and 
absolutely just in his dealings. No qualities ensure 
a man greater favour amongst the negroes than 
mingled firmness and justice; and the natives of the 
north end of Lake Nyasa, the Mambwe of the Nyasa- 
Tanganyika plateau, and the Atonga of West Nyasa, 
came by degrees to look upon Mr. Fotheringham' 2 as 
their natural leader and champion. The Arabs under 
Mlozi began to press their rule on the Nkonde people. 
The Wankonde looked to Fotheringham for advice and protection. Fothering¬ 
ham was at first disinclined to interfere in the quarrels, as he feared that the 
1 Mlozi means in Swahili “an almond tree”; but I expect the real derivation of the word is 
from Mulozi (= a sorcerer) in the dialects spoken in the Senga and Bisa countries. 
2 Whom they called Montisi, from an Africanising of his second name. 
Mr. Fotheringham had 
JOHN LOWE NICOLL 
L. MONTEITH FOTHERINGHAM 
