well-grown forest that we could seldom see it. We reached
Casembe's town on the 28th November. It stands near the north
end of the Lakelet Mofwé; this is from one to three miles broad,
and some six or seven long: it is full of sedgy islands, and
abounds in fish. The country is quite level, but fifteen or
twenty miles west of Mofwé we see a long range of the mountains
of Rua. Between this range and Mofwé the Luapula flows past into
Moero, the Lake called Moero okata = the great Moero, being
about fifty miles long. The town of Casembe covers a mile square
of cassava plantations, the huts being dotted over that space.
Some have square enclosures of reeds, but no attempt has been
made at arrangement: it might be called a rural village rather
than a town. No estimate could be formed by counting the huts,
they were so irregularly planted, and hidden by cassava; but my
impression from other collections of huts was that the
population was under a thousand souls. The court or compound of
Casembe--some would call it a palace--is a square enclosure of
300 yards by 200 yards. It is surrounded by a hedge of high
reeds. Inside, where Casembe honoured me with a grand reception,
stands a gigantic hut for Casembe, and a score of small huts for
domestics. The Queen's hut stands behind that of the chief, with
a number of small huts also. Most of the enclosed space is
covered with a plantation of cassava, _Curcus purgaris_, and
cotton. Casembe sat before his hut on a equate seat placed on
lion and leopard skins. He was clothed in a coarse blue and
white Manchester print edged with red baize, and arranged in
large folds so as to look like a crinoline put on wrong side
foremost. His arms, legs and head were covered with sleeves,
leggings and cap made of various coloured beads in neat
patterns: a crown of yellow feathers surmounted his cap. Each of