and savage-interested us considerably; and the pretty pictures, exquisitely pretty, at the head of the several bays, evoked many an exclamation of admiration.  It was the most natural thing in the world that I should feel deepest admiration for these successive pictures of quiet scenic beauty, but the Doctor had quite as much to say about them as I had myself, though, as one might imagine, satiated with pictures of this kind far more beautiful—­far more wonderful—­ he should long ago have expended all his powers of admiring scenes in nature.

From Bagamoyo to Ujiji I had seen nothing to compare to them—­none of these fishing settlements under the shade of a grove of palms and plantains, banians and mimosa, with cassava gardens to the right and left of palmy forests, and patches of luxuriant grain looking down upon a quiet bay, whose calm waters at the early morn reflected the beauties of the hills which sheltered them from the rough and boisterous tempests that so often blew without.

The fishermen evidently think themselves comfortably situated.  The lake affords them all the fish they require, more than enough to eat, and the industrious a great deal to sell.  The steep slopes of the hills, cultivated by the housewives, contribute plenty of grain, such as dourra and Indian corn, besides cassava, ground-nuts or peanuts, and sweet potatoes.  The palm trees afford oil, and the plantains an abundance of delicious fruit.  The ravines and deep gullies supply them with the tall shapely trees from which they cut out their canoes.  Nature has supplied them bountifully with all that a man’s heart or stomach can desire.  It is while looking at what seems both externally and internally complete and perfect happiness that the thought occurs—­how must these people sigh, when driven across the dreary wilderness that intervenes between the lake country and the sea-coast, for such homes as these!—­ those unfortunates who, bought by the Arabs for a couple of doti, are taken away to Zanzibar to pick cloves, or do hamal work!

As we drew near Niasanga, our second camp, the comparison between the noble array of picturesque hills and receding coves, with their pastoral and agricultural scenes, and the shores of old Pontus, was very great.  A few minutes before we hauled our canoe ashore, two little incidents occurred.  I shot an enormous dog-faced monkey, which measured from nose to end of tail 4 feet 9 inches; the face was 8 1/2 inches long, its body weighed about 100 lbs.  It had no mane or tuft at end of tail, but the body was covered with long wiry hair.  Numbers of these specimens were seen, as well as of the active cat-headed and long-tailed smaller ones.  The other was the sight of a large lizard, about 2 ft. 6 in. long, which waddled into cover before we had well noticed it.  The Doctor thought it to be the Monitor terrestris.