Sailing boat on Lake Malawi, Malawi, ca.1924

“Deep Bay Islands, North Nyasa.” Exterior view of two indigenous boys standing in the water of Lake Nyasa beside a boat with a single sail. The lakes were an important means of transportation before the advent of the railway and the African Lakes Corporation, founded in 1878, were one of the first to exploit trade routes using steamships. They were closely associated with the Scottish Missions. Supply stations were also situated along the Lake’s costal routes. The Livingstonia mission field was established by Lieutenant E D Young and Dr Robert Laws (1851-1934) in 1875, as a tribute to David Livingstone, after they travelled up the Zambesi River, the Shire River and into Lake Nyasa. The field covered an area from the western shore of Lake Nyasa into Northern Rhodesia [Zambia] .The original station at Cape Maclear moved to Bandawe in 1881.