ELEPHANTS IN THE DISTANCE. 91 



through Sinjeery I asked them a few questions re- 

 garding their village, &c., all of which they cheerfully 

 answered, though still speaking with the same whine. 



These people told me that the Mavite were far off 

 on the hills to the east, and they knew nothing of 

 their reported intention of crossing the Shire. We could 

 not, however, place much reliance on what they said, 

 as if they had arranged to assist them across, or had 

 entered into any treaty with them, they would not be 

 the fools to tell us. The Makololo, who are ever 

 dreaming of these marauders, told the Manganja here 

 that if they were to bring the Mavite across, the 

 English would come and kill them all ; that there 

 were plenty of English in the country now, and more 

 coming. We left this village at dawn next morning, 

 without a breath of air to help us, the Makololos 

 doing their usual amount of hard work. A touch of 

 fever and ague rendered me incapable of giving any 

 assistance for some hours. 



At one o'clock, just as all hands had gone ashore 

 '' to rest," elephants were heard in the distance, but 

 in consequence of the marshy nature of the country 

 round us, nothing could be seen any distance off 

 through the long grass. However, within a hundred 

 yards of us one solitary tree stood close to the river. 

 Moloka and I were soon busy with the glasses from 

 its topmost branches. We had not been long thus 

 engaged when a small herd' of elephants were 

 seen moving quietly along, leaving the river, where 

 they most likely had been bathing, behind. They 

 were about three quarters of a mile ahead of us. The 

 guns were now got ready, Mr. Young taking his wall- 



