THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 49 



and beyond that another notch. We descended into 

 the valley. Very hot. As we had no idea how far 

 back the donkeys might be, Cuninghame took a twist 

 to the right, and shortly whistled us down to him. At 

 the foot of the valley stood a single shady tree, with 

 big smooth trunk, great buttressed roots, broad leaves, 

 and a small fruit. It was big limbed and broad, and 

 just beyond it was a waterhole of mud and little pools 

 forty or fifty feet broad. This was enclosed with a 

 low thorn homa, and at a dozen openings left for the 

 purpose tall saplings had been planted and bent over 

 by means of well-made native sisal rope. Buried 

 loops were to be sprung by the animals that entered. 

 What they could be we could not imagine as there were 

 no signs of game — probably stray reedbuck. However, 

 it was encouraging to find this first sign of life in the 

 new country. It must be inhabited by somebody, even 

 though they might be only wild Wanderobo hunters. 

 In the tree was a beehive made of a section of a hoUow 

 log bound all round with faggot-like sticks. Why the 

 latter we were unable to find out. They seemed to 

 subserve no useful purpose, but may have been of 

 religious significance. 



We sprung all the snares, and made camp beneath 

 the tree. In the afternoon Cuninghame and I made a 

 very high, hot climb through the second notch; found 

 it led nowhere; cast about; and finally came on a long 

 hogsback that led gently down two miles to end abruptly. 



