SUFFERINGS FROM THIRST. 207 



were too thirsty to wait another minute. The men 

 looked as if they would have liked to drink the blood 

 — I am sure, had I not been there, they would have 

 done so. 



We now almost ran along, fairly parched. One by 

 one the hills came in sight, and were passed without 

 any stream appearing. At last, on reaching the top 

 of one higher than any I liad seen, one of the guides 

 cried, " Madsee !" (water), pointing to a dry river-bed 

 in the valley beneath. A race down the hill ensued, 

 but my dismay may be better imagined than described 

 when, arriving first at the long-wished-for goal, there 

 was not even a drop of moisture to be seen ; and the 

 bed of the river being mostly composed of bould- 

 ers of rock, digging for water was hopeless. I saw 

 that the only thing to be done was to steer for the 

 Shire at once. Piccaninnee lay down and said he 

 should die, declaring he could go no further. I was 

 bad enough myself, and though the remainder of the 

 party made no complaints, it was only too evident, 

 from the pebble in the mouth of each, that they were 

 suffering severely from thirst. I took the bottle of 

 plain lime-juice, and having put two or three drops 

 on the tongue of the prostrate Makololo, repeated 

 the dose with the others, save Chinsoro, who never 

 could bear the taste of it, and having taken a small 

 quantity myself, started for the Shire. I could hardly 

 describe what I endured during the following hour's 

 walk, but never shall I forget the delight I experi- 

 enced when, emerging from the forest into a little 

 open plain, the river met my sight. The men, throw- 

 ing down their loads, ran like fury at it, and were 



