106 ACROSS AFEICA. [Chap. 



July, using was so thick that the ' pags ' had been calling it pombe in 

 ^^'^^- derision. Nearly all the grass has been burned in the woods, 

 and all the Kambi we have passed have shared the same fate, 

 as the fires are left burning, and any breeze scatters the sparks, 

 and away flashes the grass. One passes tracts of miles at a 

 time as black as a coal : I can't say my hat or my boots, as the 

 first is white, and the second are brown. One donkey died to- 

 day of a sort of low fever which seems to attack the coast don- 

 keys. The Wanyamwezi thriving wonderfully. "Water sup- 

 posed to be scarce at the camp, but we found some by digging 

 about two feet close to the tents. I fancy water must lie all 

 about here on the top of the granite, which is everywhere close 

 to the surface, as the whole rain-fall is either absorbed or evap- 

 orated, there being no drainage. 



"Another pagazi ran last night ; it is very considerate of 

 them now, as it will save their pay at Unyanyembe. Some 

 men came in from tliere to-day, and say that there are numer- 

 ous robbers about the road in front, and we must look out, or 

 we shall lose some loads. They talk of a road to Ujiji of twen- 

 ty-five marches, but fourteen of these are without food ; so the 

 bother would be to carry it, otherwise it would be grand to get 

 there in five weeks from Unyanyembe. I think I shall try and 

 get some more donkeys at Unyanyembe, as where there are 

 grass and water they are all right. 



'■^Jiihj 2dt/i. — Got away in the morning. On account of an- 

 other pagazi having run, were delayed till past eight. About 

 twelve, we arrived at some puddles of water, which in the rainy 

 season form part of a river, according to the natives ; but as the 

 whole country shows signs of being a swamp in the rains, and 

 there is no river-bed, I expect they only form a long, narrow 

 pond. Game very plentiful ; and one of the pagazi got a zebra 

 after a very long stalk. Dillon and I M-ent out ; we saw sev- 

 eral antelopes and a herd of mimba or gnu, at which we got a 

 long shot ; and I think both hit on our first barrels, as the 

 shells burst, and did not send up any dust; but they (the gnu) 

 were off 'like a flash of greased lightning through a gooseberry- 

 bush.' There were tracks and droppings of all sorts of four- 

 footed animals ; and if one only had time to devote a few days 

 to shooting, this would be a perfect hunter's paradise. 



