xxr A TOUR OF INSPECTION 463 



if the king heard that our party had killed one he 

 might give our boys some trouble by accusing them 

 of having preserved the liver for occult purposes. 



Although Lo Magondi's people must have known 

 better, they all declared that the Umniati river was 

 three hard days' journey on foot to the west of where 

 we now were. I did not believe them ; and as it was 

 advisable that we should keep our main camp in the 

 same place for a few days yet, in order to thoroughly 

 dry a good supply of fat meat, I proposed to Jameson 

 that we should each make a tour of inspection in 

 different directions in order to spy out the land, 

 taking each our own boys, and leaving some behinci 

 to guard the camp. This plan we adopted ; so, on 

 the 2nd ot August, taking four days' provisions 

 with us, we bade adieu for a short time, and each 

 took a different course ; my friend making for a 

 stream Lo Magondi had told him of to the S.W., 

 where he would be likely to fall in with buffalo ; 

 and I striking pretty well due west, having deter- 

 mined to reach the Umniati, if possible, before 

 turning back. I first followed the river's bank, 

 intending to cross at a place Lo Magondi had told 

 me of, where there was a waterfill. At a pool about 

 two miles below our camp I came upon the two 

 young hippos, the survivors of the herci we had so 

 nearly annihilated, and which, I forgot to mention, 

 had made good their escape the same day, as soon 

 as darkness fell. I did not molest them, but 

 went on until I reached the falls. The river here 

 runs over and amongst huge boulders of granite 

 rock in three channels, altogether quite 300 yards 

 broad, and when swollen by heavy rains these streams 

 must all be united into one broad expanse of seething 

 cataract, foaming over a bed of solid rock, and at 



