CAMEROM'S JOURNFA' ACROSS AFRICA- 371 



marches were then begun through a mountainous country, which 

 greatly increased the labor of walking. 



At last, terribly exhausted and in almost the last stage of weak- 

 ness and pain, the summit of the lofty range they had for some time 

 been ascending was reached. "What was that distant line upon the 

 sky?" They gazed and gazed, and then joyfully knew that it was the 

 sea ! Then the march was resumed, but it was only at a crawling pace, 

 so utterly was their strength worn out. 



The next morning, when Cameron went to bathe, he was puzzled 

 by discovering that his body^was marked all over with great purple 

 spots, and that a slight bruise on his ankle had developed into a large 

 sore; also when he began to smoke his morning pipe, he discovered 

 that his mouth was bleeding. Though he did not know it then, the 

 fact was that the poor and' insufficient food he had subsisted on for 

 some time had brought on an attack of scurvy. On they went that day 

 across a rough and waterless plain, "intersected by ravines and dry 

 watercourses, up and down the sides of which we clambered in the 

 dark, slipping about and bruising ourselves. But what did it matter? 

 The next morning would see us at Katombela," the European settle- 

 ment. Towards evening one of the men who was in advance shouted, 

 "Here's the camp, master!" and there was the messenger returning, 

 and, best of all, bearing with him a basket containing wine, bread, 

 tins of sardines and a sausage; and although from the state of his 

 mouth Cameron could not eat without pain, he. managed to make 

 something of a supper. 



The next day, long before the rising of the sun, full of excitement 

 in the prospect of reaching the sea that day, he was on the march. 

 Then came the joyful end of the long marches and weary labors, and 

 this is what he says of it: 



"I ran down the slope towards Katombela swinging my rifle 

 round my head, which I believe was almost 'turned' for very joy ; and 

 the men, carried away with the same sense of relief, joined in the 

 running till we approached nearer the town. Then I unfurled my 

 colors and went forward more quietly. Coming towards us I saw a 

 couple of hammocks with awnings, followed by three men carrying 

 baskets; and on meeting this party a jolly-looking little Frenchman 



