In our way along the shores we crossed several running rivulets of clear cold water, which, from having reeds at their confluences, had not been noticed in our previous exploration in the boat.  One of these was called Mokola, and another had a strong odour of sulphuretted hydrogen.  We reached Molamba on the 8th September, and found our old acquaintance, Nkomo, there still.  One of the advantages of travelling along the shores of the Lake was, that we could bathe anywhere in its clear fresh water.  To us, who had been obliged so often to restrain our inclination in the Zambesi and Shire for fear of crocodiles, this was pleasant beyond measure.  The water now was of the same temperature as it was on our former visit, or 72 degrees Fahr.  The immense depth of the Lake prevents the rays of the sun from raising the temperature as high as that of the Shire and Zambesi; and the crocodiles, having always clear water in the Lake, and abundance of fish, rarely attack man; many of these reptiles could be seen basking on the rocks.

A day’s march beyond Molamba brought us to the lakelet Chia, which lies parallel with the Lake.  It is three or four miles long, by from one to one and a half broad, and communicates with the Lake by an arm of good depth, but with some rocks in it.  As we passed up between the Lake and the eastern shore of this lakelet, we did not see any streams flowing into it.  It is quite remarkable for the abundance of fish; and we saw upwards of fifty large canoes engaged in the fishery, which is carried on by means of hand-nets with side-frame poles about seven feet long.  These nets are nearly identical with those now in use in Normandy—­the difference being that the African net has a piece of stick lashed across the handle-ends of the side poles to keep them steady, which is a great improvement.  The fish must be very abundant to be scooped out of the water in such quantities as we saw, and by so many canoes.  There is quite a trade here in dried fish.

The country around is elevated, undulating, and very extensively planted with cassava.  The hoe in use has a handle of four feet in length, and the iron part is exactly of the same form as that in the country of the Bechuanas.  The baskets here, which are so closely woven together as to hold beer, are the same with those employed to hold milk in Kaffirland—­a thousand miles distant.

Marching on foot is peculiarly conducive to meditation—­one is glad of any subject to occupy the mind, and relieve the monotony of the weary treadmill-like trudge-trudging.  This Chia net brought to our mind that the smith’s bellows made here of a goatskin bag, with sticks along the open ends, are the same as those in use in the Bechuana country far to the south-west.  These, with the long-handled hoe, may only show that each successive horde from north to south took inventions with it from the same original source.  Where that source may have been is probably indicated by another pair of bellows, which we observed below the Victoria Falls, being found in Central India and among the Gipsies of Europe.