III.] THE KUNGWA HILLS. 51 



All the hills were exceedingly rocky — being composed most- April, 

 ly of granite, but in some instances of nearly pure quartz — but ^^'^^• 

 they were thickly clothed with trees "Wherever the inequalities 

 of the surface allowed sufficient soil to accumulate. The great- 

 er number of the trees being acacias in full bloom, their red, 

 white, and yellow blossoms, and those of other flowering trees, 

 stood out in masses of gorgeous color. 



Late in the afternoon we arrived at the camping - place, a 

 rocky pass having at the bottom pools of water in granite ba- 

 sins. Out of these two streams issued, one running west and 

 the other east, but both ultimately falling into the Kingani. 



This was the direct road through the range of hills that had 

 been in sight since leaving Kisemo, and I now ascertained they 

 were named Kungwa, though by Burton and Speke they are 

 grouped with others as the Duthumi Hills. 



The tail of the caravan, owing to the long and tiring march, 

 was all over the country, and many of the stragglers were not 

 up till after sunset. 



Next morning saw us off betimes, our path, with a water- 

 course beside it, leading us through a regular pass. Along this 

 route we had trouble in forcing our way through sword -grass 

 and bamboo — the first we had seen — which was covered with a 

 creeper very like the English sweet-pea, bearing many twin and 

 a few double flowers. 



Five miles of this work brought us into a valley inclosed b}^ 

 the Kungwa Hills, and full of conical knolls, many of which 

 were crowned by villages. The Arabs camped in one called 

 Kongassa, while we halted at anothe^named Kungwa, from the 

 mountains, the highest peak of which overhung us. 



The sides of the knolls were planted with Indian and Kaffir corn 

 and sweet-potatoes, while the damp bottoms served to produce 

 rice, and in the village ebony or blackwood trees were growing. 



A large, unfinished house — the building of which had been 

 commenced by an Arab with a view of settling here, but now 

 falling into decay — afforded good shelter for our stores and 

 many of our men. Those who were unable to get quarters in 

 it shared the huts of the natives in order to escape the rain, 

 which fell almost continuously, and prevented us from starting 

 till late the following day. 



