and into the Nyassa, forming a chain of lakes, drained
by the Shire river into the Zamb^ze; but I did not,
unfortunately, argue it out with him. I feel convinced
also that he was romancing when talking of the
northern river’s flow, not only because the northern
end of the lake is encircled by high hills—the concave
of the Mountains of the Moon—but because the
lake’s altitude is so much less than that of the adjacent
plateau. Indeed, the waters of the lake are so
low they would convey the impression that the trough
they lie in has been formed by volcanic agency, were
it not that Dr Livingstone has determined the level
of the Nyassa to be very nearly the same as this
lak e ; and the Babisa, who live on the west of the
Nyassa, in crossing the country between the two lakes
to Luwemba,* cross the Marungu river, and yet cross
no mountain-range there. With reference to the
time which it would take us to traverse the entire
lake, he said he thought we should take forty-six
days in going up and down the lake, starting from
Ujiji. Going to the north would take eight days,
and going to the south fifteen. As Hamed had said
nothing about the hire of the dhow, though he had
offered it so willingly, I thought it probable that
shame of mentioning it in public had deterred him
from alluding to the subject—so begged a private
conference. He then came to my house with Bombay
and a slave, a confidant of his own, who could also
* The Babisa purchase ivory at Luwemba for the Kilua merchants,
and are met there by the Kaze merchants.
speak Hindustani, and was told, through my medium
Bombay, exactly what things I had brought with me,
and requested to speak his mind freely, as I had called
him especially for business, and we were now alone.
He still remained mute about the price; but again
saying I could have his dhow whenever I chose, he
asked permission to retire, and departed. Puzzled at
this procedure, I sent Bombay to observe him, and
find out if he had any secret motives for shirking so
direct an appeal, and empowered him to offer money
in case my cloth and powder did not afford sufficient
inducement. Bombay soon returned as much puzzled
as myself, unable to extract any but the old answer
—that I was welcome to the dhow, and that he
would try and procure men for me. As a hint had
reached me that Hamed cast covetous eyes on my
powder-magazine, I tried enticing him to take some
in part payment for her; but he replied that he did
not require anything in payment, but would gladly
accept a little powder if I had any to spare. To this
I readily assented, as he had been so constant and
liberal in his attentions to me ever since I landed on
the island and became his guest, that I felt it was the
least I could do in return for his generosity. Indeed,
he was constantly observing and inquiring what I
wanted, and supplied everything in his power that I
found difficult to obtain. Every day he brought
presents of flesh, fowl, ducks (the Muscovite, brought
from the coast), eggs, plantains, and ghee (clarified
butter).