50 THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



We looked straight down on another scrub-grown valley 

 with some queer rounded rock outcrops a hundred feet 

 or so in height. The descent was sheer, but it was 

 the only way to a lower elevation so we figured out 

 zigzags. Over opposite lay another big black range, 

 but around its lower end our river broke through a 

 notch. We figured we would either go through the 

 notch or climb the range as the case might be; and so 

 returned to camp pretty tired. Cheered by the sight 

 of a dozen kongoni and three Chanler's reedbuck atop 

 the hogsback. Missed a shot at one of the latter as 

 he flew. 



Five hours' march, four hours' scout; 6^ miles; eleva- 

 tion, 5,900; morning, 48; noon, 78; night, 54. 



July 23. — Start at 6:40. We got down the length 

 of the hogsback all right, but the descent of the zigzags 

 proved to be a terror for men, and especially for don- 

 keys. The last of Dowdi's did not get in until 6 :oo p. m. ! 

 Once down, we crossed the elevated little valley by the 

 rocks, and found ourselves in face of another lesser 

 drop. Thornbush very bad, so that we moved a 

 hundred feet at a time and our clothes and skin suffered. 

 For a long time it seemed that we were "bushed,'' but 

 at last I found a rhino trail down. It was very thorny 

 and overgrown. The men dropped their packs and 

 set to work with pangas and axes and finally cleared a 

 trail. 



Cuninghame and I then pushed ahead. We de- 



