r the surf to go
down. He had never seen such waves before. We had to beach the boat
every night to save her from being swamped at anchor; and, did we not
believe the gales to be peculiar to one season of the year, would call
Nyassa the "Lake of Storms."

Distinct white marks on the rocks showed that, for some time during the
rainy season, the water of the lake is three feet above the point to
which it falls towards the close of the dry period of the year. The
rains begin here in November, and the permanent rise of the Shire does
not take place till January. The western side of Lake Nyassa, with the
exception of the great harbour to the west of Cape Maclear, is, as has
been said before, a succession of small bays of nearly similar form, each
having an open sandy beach and pebbly shore, and being separated from its
neighbour by a rocky headland, with detached rocks extending some
distance out to sea. The great south-western bay referred to would form
a magnificent harbour, the only really good one we saw to the west.

The land immediately adjacent to the lake is low and fertile, though in
some places marshy and tenanted by large flocks of ducks, geese, herons,
crowned cranes, and other birds. In the southern parts we have sometimes
ten or a dozen miles of rich plains, bordered by what seem high ranges of
well-wooded hills, running nearly parallel with the lake. Northwards the
mountains become loftier and present some magnificent views, range
towering beyond range, until the dim, lofty outlines projected against
the sky bound the prospect. Still further north the plain becomes more
narrow, until, near where we turned, it disappears altogether, and the
mountains rise abruptly out of the lake, forming the north-east boundary
of what was described to us as an extensive table-land; well suited for
pasturage and agriculture, and now only partially occupied by a tribe of
Zulus, who came from the south some years ago. These people own large
herds of cattle, and are constantly increasing in numbers by annexing
other tribes.

CHAPTER X.

The Lake tribes--The Mazitu--Quantities of elephants--Distressing
journey--Detention on the Shire.

Never before in Africa have we seen anything like the dense population on
the shores of Lake Nyassa. In the southern part there was an almost
unbroken chain of villages. On the beach of wellnigh of every little
sandy bay, dark crowds were standing, gazing at the novel sight of