168 ACROSS AFRICA. [Chap. 



after allowing the leaf to soak for a few moments, tliey press 

 out the juice and sniff it up their nostrils. 



The pungent liquid snuft" is retained in the nostrils for many 

 minutes, being prevented from escaping either by holding the 

 nose with the lingers, or ^vith a small pair of metal nippers. 

 The after - performance will not bear description. It is inde- 

 scribably droll to see half a dozen men sitting gravely round a 

 fire trying to talk with nippers on their noses. 



Another touch of fever came ujDon me at Lugowa, but I man- 

 aged to continue the journey the next morning, although still 

 very lame and scarcely able to walk, wliich was a terrible hin- 

 derance in every w^ay. 



After marching four miles, a man named Siingoro declared 

 he was too ill to proceed any farther, so I determined to leave 

 him in charge of a coast negro who had settled in a village of 

 salt-makers. I paid the negro to attend to the wants of the in- 

 valid, and to forward him to Ujiji by caravan when he became 

 convalescent. 



Rain coming on heavily, made it advisable to camp earlier 

 than I had intended, and, on looking round for Leo, I missed 

 him. I immediately sent men to search for him, and they 

 quickly returned, carrying the poor animal. To my sorrow, I 

 found he was nearly dead, and had only strength left to lick my 

 hand and try to wag his tail, when he lay down and died at my 

 feet. I believe he must have been bitten by a snake, for he 

 was running about near me, well and full of life, only a short 

 time before I lost sight of him. Few can imagine how great 

 was the loss of my faithful dog to me in my solitude, the sad 

 blank which his death made in my every-day life. 



One of the Mnyannvezi donkeys gave birth to a foal here, 

 and the little creature was carried for a few days, until it grew 

 strong enough to march with the caravan. 



Five hours from this brought us to the Eusugi, which flows 

 into the Malagarazi along a valley flanked by rocky hills on ei- 

 ther side ; and it was remarkable that, though flowing through 

 a soil impregnated with salt, the water tasted perfectly fresh. 

 On both banks of the Rusugi there were temporary villages, 

 now quite deserted, innumerable broken pots, stone fire-places, 

 and small pits where people make salt in the season. 



