Livingstone writes, that in no part of Africa had he found so dense a population as upon the shores of Lake Nyassa. Along the south side of the lake there was an almost unbroken line of villages.
It is upon the shores of this lake that much care is bestowed upon the graves. The burying grounds are all well protected, and have good broad paths running through them.
The graves are, in almost every instance, shaded by the deep foliage of the fig tree. Those of the men are distinguished from those of the women by the various implements or utensils which they were in the habit of using during life.
Here, a bit of fishing net, or a bit of broken paddle, tells the story of a fisherman's life; there, a mortar and pestle used for pounding corn, or the bucket used for sifting the meal, tells the story of the domestic life followed by the woman who now lies resting from all labor.
On each grave are the fragments of what were once utensils for holding food. They have been placed there to signify that their late owners have passed beyond the need of daily sustenance.
Lake Tchad is, perhaps, one of the most interesting lakes of Africa. It is, in fact, an immense inland sea, situated in Soudan, a portion of North Africa.
It has an elevation of about eight hundred feet above the level of the sea. According to some writers, it is from two to three hundred miles long and one hundred and forty miles broad.
Although not an especially attractive lake, it is a very interesting one. Its placid waters stretch far away to its distant banks, fringed with tall water reeds. Often numerous hippopotami may be seen resting in its depths, their ugly noses barely showing above the surface.
Here and there light barks may be seen floating. Many of these are so far in the distance that only the gleam of their sunny sails is visible to the beholder.
Ordinarily, the depth of the lake is from eight to fifteen feet; in some years the water has attained a much higher level along its shores.