already on the ancient bed of the lake.
Though now clothed with forest, the whole district has obviously been
under water at a comparatively recent period, and the shores of Lake
Shirwa probably reached at one time to within a few miles of Blantyre
itself. On reaching the lake a very aged female chief came to see us,
and told us how, long, long ago, a white man came to her village and
gave her a present of cloth. Of the white man, who must have been
Livingstone, she spoke very kindly; and indeed, wherever David
Livingstone's footsteps are crossed in Africa, the fragrance of his
memory seems to remain.

The waters of Shirwa are brackish to the taste, and undrinkable; but
the saltness must have a peculiar charm for game, for nowhere else in
Africa did I see such splendid herds of the larger animals as here.
The zebra was especially abundant; and so unaccustomed to be disturbed
are these creatures, that with a little care one could watch their
movements safely within a very few yards. It may seem unorthodox to
say so, but I do not know if among the larger animals there is
anything handsomer in creation than the zebra. At close quarters his
striped coat is all but as fine as the tiger's, while the form and
movement of his body are in every way nobler. The gait, certainly, is
not to be compared for gracefulness with that of the many species of
antelope and deer who nibble the grass beside him, and one can never
quite forget that scientifically he is an ass; but taking him all in
all, this fleet and beautiful animal ought to have a higher place in
the regard of man than he has yet received.

We were much surprised, considering that this region is almost
uninhabited, to discover near the lake shore a native path so beaten,
and so recently beaten, by multitudes of human feet, that it could
only represent some trunk route through the continent. Following it
for a few miles, we soon discovered its function. It was one of the
great slave routes through Africa. Signs of the horrid traffic became
visible on every side; and from symmetrical arrangements of small
piles of stones and freshly cut twigs, planted semaphore-wise upon the
path, our native guides made out that a slave caravan was actually
passing at the time. We were in fact between two portions of it, the
stones and twigs being telegraphic signals between front and rear. Our
natives seemed much alarmed at this discovery, and refused to proceed
unless we promised not to in