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This should be either Mlanje (old spelling) or Mulanje. The pool is probably Likabula at its foot, or it could be the Little Ruo, at the opposite end of the mountain. The trees in the gorge in the lower left picture are Mlanje cedar, which has the most beautiful scent of any wood. This cedar doesn't grow anwhere else. Unfortunately, most have now been cut down.

Two of the several species of Widdringtonia commonly referred to as cedars are present on Mulanje: Widdringtonia whytei, the Mulanje cedar, a tall, wide-crowned tree endemic to Mulanje Mountain, and Widdringtonia nodiflora, a multi-stemmed shrub or narrow-crowned tree, previously referred to in Malawi as the dwarf cedar. W. nodiflora is present in isolated locations at high altitude from Mulanje Mountain in Malawi through the highlands of the Zimbabwe/Mozambique border zone and the Drakensberg as far south as Table Mountain. The Widdringtonias, which are not related to the true cedars, are relics of the vegetation of a former cooler, wetter climate, that has retreated to higher altitudes with increasing dessication. For more information on W. whytei, now on the Red List of endangered species, see www.arkive.org/mulanje-cedar/widdringtonia-whytei/info.html.

Coffee and coffee drying on raised tables

Coffee was the main plantation crop on the Shire Highlands in the early years of European settlement. Tea was introduced in the 1890s, but only became predominant in the early 1900s.

Suspect this may be Delagoa Bay, Mozambique.

The paddle steamer looks like one of our family photo's of the ALC fleet that plied from Chinde on the India Ocean coast, a British Enclave just over the sand bar on the only navigable tributary of the Zambezi River, to the Shire River - later to Chindio they went up to Chindio Delagoa Bay is down by Muputu so why did they put that place on a card with Zambezi River photo's? Oh what a puzzle.

Erica, if that was the route taken into Nyasaland (Malawi) by early settlers, missionaries and administrators (although I know some had to walk from the coast, perhaps when the Shire was in flood). Maybe the ship from Europe only disembarked passengers at Maputo on this occasion. It's a pity there isn't a journal.

I have never heard the word 'Slamer' so wonder if that is correct? I have also never heard of early travellers having to walk due to flooding. The main problem was low river levels which meant the deeper hulled boats were no good and they had to use primitive punt like boats of very low draught to get up the river in the dry season. The Society of Malawi has been producing a journal twice a year since 1948 covering such matters. It also has a very fine photographic archive including many photos on this Flickr site.

It looks more like Sh..... to me - Sharmer, perhaps, Mike. Will look at the SM site - thanks.