62 THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



Wandered widely, always in the thorn scrub, and to- 

 ward evening came out on coarse grass savannahs near 

 the head of the lake ; and there enjoyed some marvellous 

 mirage effects on game, on the flat, and on distant 

 mountains. Here fed a herd of zebra one of which I 

 killed at 256 yards to the huge delight of the natives. 

 They use every scrap of a beast, even to the sinews for 

 bowstrings, and were much chagrined that I would not 

 shoot another before the herd got out of range. They 

 are a cheerful, friendly lot. In camp, Cuninghame 

 reported that he had gone out on the flat, and had there 

 found buffalo tracks. We decided to cross the head 

 of the lake to where the N'gouramani empties into it 

 in the hopes of one of the beasts. 



This evening the little fires down the length of our 

 tiny glade, the light reflected from the leaves, were very 

 fine. 



Five hours; 9 J miles; elevation, 1,950; morning, 63; 

 noon, 93; night, 83. 



July 28. — Up at daylight. Leaving the bulk of our 

 goods and some of the men, we marched across the soda 

 flats at the head of the lake. The whole surface looked 

 like a map of the moon, mountains, craters, queer knife- 

 edged peaks, all in a miniature of four inches high. 

 When we stepped on them they collapsed with a loud 

 crackling. Distances were very deceitful. An object 

 might be a mile away or ten yards, and you could not 

 tell what it was. A herd of zebra looked like an orange 



