xxri A FAVOURITE DRINKING-PLACE 477 



The following morning we again struck camp 

 and started homewards, intending to follow the 

 course ot the Umniati, and, later on, its tributary 

 the Umzweswe, from which river we could strike 

 across to our camp on the Umfule. In order to 

 avoid the hills, at whose base the river ran, we kept 

 away at some distance from its banks, and had been 

 walkino; for about three hours throuo;h leafless, 

 dreary-looking mopani forests and patches of dense 

 scrub, when we emerged upon a large open valley, 

 where we saw feeding several herds of zebras and a 

 large troop of impala antelopes. 



We at once guessed there was water not far off, 

 and soon afterwards found a beautiful vley covered 

 with water-lilies,^ and surrounded by some fine wide- 

 spreading thorns, amongst them a huge old wild fig- 

 tree, whose thick dark-green foliage offered a splendid 

 shade. On the surface of the vley several of the 

 large black-and-white spur-winged geese were slowly 

 swimming to and fro, not to mention a large flock 

 of wild duck or teal. There was, too, a good deal 

 of black rhinoceros, buffalo, and other game spoor 

 about, that showed it to be a favourite drinking-place ; 

 indeed, whilst we were breakfasting, a herd of koodoos 

 came down the opposite slope, walking slowly and 

 warily towards the water ; upon seeing us, however, 

 they bounded away again, and soon regained the 

 shelter of the bush. 



Our meal over, we filled our calabashes with 

 water, and struck away to the south-west, intending 

 to curve down towards the river in the afternoon. 

 We had been walking in this direction for maybe 

 two hours, and had just emerged from a large patch 



' Rather smaller than our own, but of a pale beautiful forget-me- 

 not blue. 



