Makololo snatched up their arms,
and rushed to the bank, but it was too late, she was gone. The wailing
of the women continued all night, and next morning we met others coming
to the village to join in the general mourning. Their grief was
evidently heartfelt, as we saw the tears coursing down their cheeks. In
reporting this misfortune to his neighbours, Muana-Moesi said, "that
white men came to his village; washed themselves at the place where his
wife drew water and bathed; rubbed themselves with a white medicine
(soap); and his wife, having gone to bathe afterwards, was taken by a
crocodile; he did not know whether in consequence of the medicine used or
not." This we could not find fault with. On our return we were viewed
with awe, and all the men fled at our approach; the women remained; and
this elicited the remark from our men, "The women have the advantage of
men, in not needing to dread the spear." The practice of bathing, which
our first contact with Chinsunse's people led us to believe was unknown
to the natives, we afterwards found to be common in other parts of the
Manganja country.

We discovered Lake Nyassa a little before noon of the 16th September,
1859. Its southern end is in 14 degrees 25 minutes S. Lat., and 35
degrees 30 minutes E. Long. At this point the valley is about twelve
miles wide. There are hills on both sides of the lake, but the haze from
burning grass prevented us at the time from seeing far. A long time
after our return from Nyassa, we received a letter from Captain R. B.
Oldfield, R.N., then commanding H.M.S. "Lyra," with the information that
Dr. Roscher, an enterprising German who unfortunately lost his life in
his zeal for exploration, had also reached the Lake, but on the 19th
November following our discovery; and on his arrival had been informed by
the natives that a party of white men were at the southern extremity. On
comparing dates (16th September and 19th November) we were about two
months before Dr. Roscher.

It is not known where Dr. Roscher first saw its waters; as the exact
position of Nusseewa on the borders of the Lake, where he lived some
time, is unknown. He was three days north-east of Nusseewa, and on the
Arab road back to the usual crossing-place of the Rovuma, when he was
murdered. The murderers were seized by one of the chiefs, sent to
Zanzibar, and executed. He is said to have kept his discoveries to
himself, with the intention of publishing in Euro