CHAPTERIV。
TheUpperShire——DiscoveryofLakeNyassa——Distressingexploration——
ReturntoZambesi——Unpleasantvisitors——StartforSekeletu\'sCountryintheinterior。
OurpathfollowedtheShireabovethecataracts，whichisnowabroaddeepriver，withbutlittlecurrent。Itexpandsinoneplaceintoalakelet，calledPamalombe，fulloffinefish，andtenortwelvemileslongbyfiveorsixinbreadth。Itsbanksarelow，andadensewallofpapyrusencirclesit。Onitswesternshorerisesarangeofhillsrunningnorth。OnreachingthevillageofthechiefMuana-Moesi，andaboutaday\'smarchdistantfromNyassa，weweretoldthatnolakehadeverbeenheardofthere；thattheRiverShirestretchedonaswesawitnowtoadistanceof\"twomonths，\"andthencameoutfrombetweenperpendicularrocks，whichtoweredalmosttotheskies。Ourmenlookedblankatthispieceofnews，andsaid，\"Letusgobacktotheship，itisofnousetryingtofindthelake。”\"Weshallgoandseethosewonderfulrocksatanyrate，\"saidtheDoctor。\"Andwhenyouseethem，\"repliedMasakasa，\"youwilljustwanttoseesomethingelse。ButthereISalake，\"rejoinedMasakasa，\"foralltheirdenyingit，foritisdowninabook。”Masakasa，havingunboundedfaithinwhateverwasinabook，wentandscoldedthenativesfortellinghimanuntruth。\"Thereisalake，\"saidhe，\"forhowcouldthewhitemenknowaboutitinabookifitdidnotexist？\"Theythenadmittedthattherewasalakeafewmilesoff。Subsequentinquiriesmakeitprobablethatthestoryofthe\"perpendicularrocks\"mayhavehadreferencetoafissure，knowntobothnativesandArabs，inthenorth-easternportionofthelake。Thewallsrisesohighthatthepathalongthebottomissaidtobeunderground。ItisprobablyacracksimilartothatwhichmadetheVictoriaFalls，andformedtheShireValley。
Thechiefbroughtasmallpresentofmealintheevening，andsatwithusforafewminutes。Onleavingushesaidthathewishedwemightsleepwell。Scarcehadhegone，whenawildsadcryarosefromtheriver，followedbytheshriekingofwomen。Acrocodilehadcarriedoffhisprincipalwife，asshewasbathing。TheMakololosnatcheduptheirarms，andrushedtothebank，butitwastoolate，shewasgone。Thewailingofthewomencontinuedallnight，andnextmorningwemetotherscomingtothevillagetojoininthegeneralmourning。Theirgriefwasevidentlyheartfelt，aswesawthetearscoursingdowntheircheeks。Inreportingthismisfortunetohisneighbours，Muana-Moesisaid，\"thatwhitemencametohisvillage；