They were said to belong to an Ajawa chief named Mukata.
In descending the Shire, we found concealed in the broad belt of papyrus round the lakelet Pamalombe, into which the river expands, a number of Manganja families who had been driven from their homes by the Ajawa raids.

So thickly did the papyrus grow, that when beat down it supported their small temporary huts, though when they walked from one hut to another, it heaved and bent beneath their feet as thin ice does at home.
A dense and impenetrable forest of the papyrus was left standing between them and the land, and no one passing by on the same side would ever have suspected that human beings lived there.

They came to this spot from the south by means of their canoes, which enabled them to obtain a living from the fine fish which abound in the lakelet.

They had a large quantity of excellent salt sewed up in bark, some of which we bought, our own having run out.

We anchored for the night off their floating camp, and were visited by myriads of mosquitoes.