TwelvedaysafterourdeparturefromthewagonsatNgabisanewecametothenortheastendofLakeNgami；andonthe1stofAugust，1849，wewentdowntogethertothebroadpart，and，forthefirsttime，thisfine-lookingsheetofwaterwasbeheldbyEuropeans。
ThedirectionofthelakeseemedtobeN。N。EandS。S。Wbycompass。
Thesouthernportionissaidtobendroundtothewest，andtoreceivetheTeoughefromthenorthatitsnorthwestextremity。
WecoulddetectnohorizonwherewestoodlookingS。S。W。，norcouldweformanyideaoftheextentofthelake，exceptfromthereportsoftheinhabitantsofthedistrict；and，astheyprofessedtogorounditinthreedays，allowingtwenty-fivemilesadaywouldmakeitseventy-five，orlessthanseventygeographicalmilesincircumferenceOtherguesseshavebeenmadesinceastoitscircumference，rangingbetweenseventyandonehundredmilesItisshallow，forIsubsequentlysawanativepuntinghiscanoeoversevenoreightmilesofthenortheastend；itcannever，therefore，beofmuchvalueasacommercialhighwayInfact，duringthemonthsprecedingtheannualsupplyofwaterfromthenorth，thelakeissoshallowthatitiswithdifficultycattlecanapproachthewaterthroughtheboggy，reedybanksThesearelowonallsides，butonthewestthereisaspacedevoidoftrees，showingthatthewatershaveretiredthenceatnoveryancientdateThisisanotheroftheproofsofdesiccationmetwithsoabundantlythroughoutthewholecountryAnumberofdeadtreeslieonthisspace，someofthemimbeddedinthemud，rightinthewater。
WewereinformedbytheBayeiye，wholiveonthelake，thatwhentheannualinundationbegins，notonlytreesofgreatsize，butantelopes，asthespringbuckandtsessebe`Acronotuslunata’，aresweptdownbyitsrushingwaters；thetreesaregraduallydrivenbythewindstotheoppositeside，andbecomeimbeddedinmud。