48 ACROSS AFRICA. [Chap. 



April, en tents belonging to the proprietors of different divisions, eacli 

 ^^'^^- being inclosed in a compound made of cloth screens or grass 

 fences which served to keep the profane eyes of outsiders from 

 penetrating the mysteries of the harem. They were in great 

 tribulation, owing to many of their hired pagazi having bolted ; 

 and I found I had reason to congratulate myself on only hav- 

 ing lost half a dozen while at Msuwah, as it is a favorite place 

 for coast people to desert, and the jungle and villages afford so 

 many lurking and hiding places that it is almost impossible to 

 find them again. 



The Arabs professed to be very anxious to join us, and I 

 should not have objected but for rumors of scarcity of food and 

 anticij^ations of difficulty in rationing so large a party. 



I determined to j)ress forward as quickly as possible toward 

 the Makata swamp, every day's delay now increasing the chances 

 of its being in bad condition for crossing. And we covered a 

 good ten miles, halting only for half an hour — passing over a 

 level table-land about four hundred or five hundred feet higheTi 

 than Msuwah — and descried right before us a glorious cloud- 

 capped range of mountainous hills. 



The country throngh which we had come was well cultivated, 

 and dotted with numerous hamlets peeping out of woods and 

 bosquets. Where the ground was not cultivated or covered 

 with jungle, the grass was excellent. 



I was much astonished at the total absence of cattle, as we 

 noticed no tsetse, and the country seemed admirably adapted 

 for grazing, being well watered, and provided with trees to af- 

 ford shade during the heat of the day. 



Every plot under cultivation had in it a miniature hut, under 

 which offerings were placed to propitiate the evil spirits lest 

 they should injure the growing crops. 



Several graves of chiefs bestrewed with broken earthenware 

 were pointed out to me. They also had huts erected over 

 them with a small tree, usually of the cactus species, serving 

 the purpose of a centre-post. 



On this march we first met with baobab-trees, which may be 

 termed the elephants or hippopotami of the vegetable kingdom, 

 their smallest twigs being two or three inches in circumference, 

 and their forms of the most grotesque ugliness. This is, how- 



