akelet Mofwe; this is from one to three miles broad,
and some six or seven long: it is full of sedgy islands, and
abounds in fish. The country is quite level, but fifteen or
twenty miles west of Mofwe we see a long range of the mountains
of Rua. Between this range and Mofwe the Luapula flows past into
Moero, the Lake called Moero okata = the great Moero, being
about fifty miles long. The town of Casembe covers a mile square
of cassava plantations, the huts being dotted over that space.
Some have square enclosures of reeds, but no attempt has been
made at arrangement: it might be called a rural village rather
than a town. No estimate could be formed by counting the huts,
they were so irregularly planted, and hidden by cassava; but my
impression from other collections of huts was that the
population was under a thousand souls. The court or compound of
Casembe--some would call it a palace--is a square enclosure of
300 yards by 200 yards. It is surrounded by a hedge of high
reeds. Inside, where Casembe honoured me with a grand reception,
stands a gigantic hut for Casembe, and a score of small huts for
domestics. The Queen's hut stands behind that of the chief, with
a number of small huts also. Most of the enclosed space is
covered with a plantation of cassava, _Curcus purgaris_, and
cotton. Casembe sat before his hut on a equate seat placed on
lion and leopard skins. He was clothed in a coarse blue and
white Manchester print edged with red baize, and arranged in
large folds so as to look like a crinoline put on wrong side
foremost. His arms, legs and head were covered with sleeves,
leggings and cap made of various coloured beads in neat
patterns: a crown of yellow feathers surmounted his cap. Each of
his headmen came forward, shaded by a huge, ill-made umbrella,
and followed by his dependants, made obeisance to Casembe, and
sat down on his right and left: various bands of musicians did
the same. When called upon I rose and bowed, and an old
counsellor, with his ears cropped, gave the chief as full an
account as he had been able to gather during our stay of the
English in general, and my antecedents in particular. My having
passed through Lunda to the west of Casembe, and visited chiefs
of whom he scarcely knew anything, excited most attention. He
then assured me that I was welco