many Babisa among the people.  The women have their hair ornamented with strings of cowries, and well oiled with the oil and fat from the seeds of the Mosikisi trees.  I sent the chief a fathom of calico, and got an audience at once.  Masantu is an oldish man; had never prayed to the Great Father of all, though he said the footsteps of “Mungu,” or Mulungu, could be seen on a part of Lifunge Island:  a large footstep may also be seen on the rock at the Chambeze, about fifteen inches long.  He informed us that the Lake is much the largest at the part called Bangweolo.

The country around the Lake is all flat, and very much denuded of trees, except the Motsikiri or Mosikisi, which has fine dark, dense foliage, and is spared for its shade and the fatty oil yielded by its seeds:  we saw the people boiling large pots full of the dark brown fat, which they use to lubricate their hair.  The islands, four in number, are all flat, but well peopled.  The men have many canoes, and are all expert fishermen; they are called Mboghwa, but are marked on the forehead and chin as Babisa, and file the teeth to points.  They have many children, as fishermen usually have.

21st July, 1868.—­Canoe-men are usually extortionate, because one cannot do without them.  Mapuni claims authority over them, and sent to demand another fathom that he may give orders to them to go with us:  I gave a hoe and a string of beads instead, but he insisted on the cloth, and kept the hoe too, as I could not afford the time to haggle.

    Chipoka spring water at 9 A.M. 75 deg. }
    Lake water at same time 71 deg. } air 72 deg.

Chipoka spring at 4 P.M. 74 deg. 5’    } air 71 deg. 5’;
Lake water at same time 75 deg.        } wet bulb 70 deg.

No hot fountains or earthquakes are known in this region.  The bottom of the Lake consists of fine white sand, and a broad belt of strong rushes, say 100 yards wide, shows shallow water.  In the afternoons quite a crowd of canoes anchor at its outer edge to angle; the hooks are like ours, but without barbs.  The fish are perch chiefly, but others similar to those that appear in the other Lakes are found, and two which attain the large size of 4 feet by 1-1/2 in. thickness:  one is called Sampa.

22nd July, 1868.—­A very high wind came with the new moon, and prevented our going, and also the fishermen from following their calling.  Mapuni thought that we meant to make, an escape from him to the Babisa on the south, because we were taking our goats, I therefore left them and two attendants at Masantu’s village to assure him.

23rd July, 1868.—­Wind still too strong to go.  Took lunars.

24th July, 1868.—­Wind still strong.