Drs. Livingstone And Kirk Were
Desirous That Nothing Should Occur To Make The Natives Regard Them As
Enemies; Masakasa, On The Other Hand, Was Anxious To Show What He
Could Do In The Way Of Fighting Them.
The perseverance of the party was finally crowned with success; for
on the 18th of April they discovered Lake Shirwa, a considerable body
of bitter water, containing leeches, fish, crocodiles, and
hippopotami.
From having probably no outlet, the water is slightly
brackish, and it appears to be deep, with islands like hills rising
out of it. Their point of view was at the base of Mount Pirimiti or
Mopeu-peu, on its S.S.W. side. Thence the prospect northwards ended
in a sea horizon with two small islands in the distance - a larger
one, resembling a hill-top and covered with trees, rose more in the
foreground. Ranges of hills appeared on the east; and on the west
stood Mount Chikala, which seems to be connected with the great
mountain-mass called Zomba.
The shore, near which they spent two nights, was covered with reeds
and papyrus. Wishing to obtain the latitude by the natural horizon,
they waded into the water some distance towards what was reported to
be a sand-bank, but were so assaulted by leeches, they were fain to
retreat; and a woman told them that in enticing them into the water
the men only wanted to kill them. The information gathered was that
this lake was nothing in size compared to another in the north, from
which it is separated by only a tongue of land.
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