38 THROUGH GASA LAND. 



coming in contact with them, but they seem to take 

 it all as a matter of course, and never murmur. Is 

 this not stoicism worthy of a Spartan ? 



I feel convinced we had an hour of this work, 

 during which time we possibly covered two miles. 

 But for the occasional assistance afforded by the late 

 passage of elephants through this bush, our course 

 inevitably would have been stopped. 



No doubt elephants have for years been travel- 

 ling this route, but if they neglect to use a passage 

 for a short time, so rapid is the growth of vegeta- 

 tion in this part of the world, that it soon becomes 

 as blind as if it had never been opened. 



But, thank goodness, there is generally an end 

 to such troubles, and we ultimately came to it, for 

 through the bush in front sunshine became apparent 

 in little patches, then in larger, till the country 

 beyond opened to view, and a glorious country it 

 was — a gradually, although rather steep hillside, 

 covered with an abundance of dwarf vegetation, 

 here and there interspersed with islands of diminu- 

 tive trees. The beauty of the scene before us was 

 almost a sufficient reward for all our labour, for it 

 was charming Devonshire hills repeated in altitude 

 and incline, only occasional clumps of trees usurped 

 the place of grass and gorse. 



