1901.] Through the Heart of Africa from South to North. 543 



beast. With, a supreme effort be broke bis reim and galloped away, 

 passing witbin a few feet of bis companions. Simultaneously the 

 otbers joined in tbe mad career as clouds of bees separated from the 

 main army and attacked them. 



I would not have deemed it possible for donkeys to move so 

 freely and swiftly bad I not witnessed this unfortunate occurrence. 

 At first an attempt was made to head them off, but as they separated 

 and broke away in different directions I realised that this incident 

 might deprive me of my carrying power, and place me in a very 

 unenviable position, for the country was uninhabited, and conse- 

 quently porters were unobtainable. After two or three hours' chase 

 one was recovered, and a fire lighted to drive away the few bees 

 that still plagued the poor brute. Then sending two boys off 

 in one direction, I took another with a third. After tramping a 

 couple of miles an animal in the bush raised my hopes, but instead 

 of a donkey an old bull buffalo lumbered across my front. Having 

 shot him I returned to my temporary camp, with a view to moving 

 it to the meat. To my relief all but one donkey bad been brought 

 in, so the situation was much improved. By the following afternoon 

 five unhappy, swollen-headed quadrupeds moped about the camp. 

 The poor beasts were simply one mass of stings, as was tbe surface of 

 the reim attached to the first unfortunate. Henceforward tbey lost 

 flesh daily, but although I gave up all idea of their taking my tbings 

 into the Congolese station in Katanga, I hoped to so far lessen the 

 distance as to place me in communication with the station by tbe 

 time I came to a full stop. A fortnight later two were killed by 

 lions, but by throwing away what was not absolutely necessary we 

 still moved on, till when within 300 miles of Lukafu, the objective 

 station, I caught up a scientific expedition under the Belgian Lieu- 

 tenant Lemaire, who was bound for the same place. It transpired 

 that — on his own initiative — the Governor-General of the State had, 

 with courteous consideration, intimated to his officers the possibility 

 of my passing through Katanga, and added instructions to receive me 

 hospitably and forward my interests. 



It is with great pleasure that I not only publicly acknowledge 

 this act of consideration, but record the unvarying kindness and 

 good fellowship that were extended to me not only by the officers of 

 many nationalities serving under the auspices of the Congo State, 

 but by tbe Portuguese and Germans, as well as my own fellow country- 

 men. During my prolonged wanderings 1 encountered foreigners from 

 every European nation except Russia and Spain, and in every in- 

 stance I was most kindly received. The main points of interest in my 

 donkey journey were the discovery of the Zambesi's source one degree 

 north and one degree west of tbe position assumed on existing maps, 

 and the determination of the watershed thence eastwards, wbicb, in 

 conjunction with M. Lemaire — whose work agrees in all essential 

 points with mine — I have proved to be very inaccurately shown on 

 the standard maps. As, however, I have already described the source 



