IV RETURN TO THE WAGGONS 57 



soft sand. He had come to within fifteen paces oi 

 where we had been lying, and then walked silently 

 away ; I have no doubt that he had come to drink, 

 and was very much disgusted to find us all rounci 

 the water. 



At the end of another week we again, having 

 found no more elephants, returned to the waggons, 

 the more so as the long-wished-for rain had come at 

 last, and we ourselves and our blankets had been wet 

 through for two days past. The river, where only a 

 ftw nights previously we had searched so long for a 

 drop of water, was transformed into a torrent several 

 feet in depth. The whole f;ice of the country was 

 changed, and where, a w^eek before, we might have 

 sought in vain, there were now ponds, lakes, rivers, 

 and brooks enough. 



Near our waggons there was a grove of " Macunas," 

 the handsomest species of tree in this part of the 

 country, its wide-spreading branches being covered 

 with dark-green foliage, and in some years with a 

 profusion of yellow fruit about the size of a pigeon's 

 egg. This tree does not bear every year ; its fruit is 

 rather nice when perfectly ripe, having something the 

 taste of a dried date ; the stone, however, is so large 

 that there is not much edible matter to be got. It is 

 a favourite food of the elephants, and they will come 

 long distances to feed upon it. 



We reached the waggons on a Friday, and on the 

 following Monday again went into the " fly " country 

 after elephants, this time remaining away for a month, 

 and penetrating as far as the thickly-wooded hills in 

 the neighbourhood of the Umniati river, known by 

 the name of " Mafungabuzi." On this trip we had 

 rather a rough time of it, for, as all my Kafir corn 

 was finished, we had to live entirely u]")on meat, 



