418 ACROSS AFRICA. [Chap. 



night, and in the morning more men professed themselves un- 

 able to bear their loads. One man ^ya& too unwell to walk, and 

 it was with great difficultj I managed to find carriers for him. 



Much of this illness was undoubtedly caused by want of shel- 

 ter, so I resolved to remain in the rear of the caravan, to pre- 

 vent any straggling and staying-about on the road, instead of 

 hastening into camp ; and a wearisome time I had on this march, 

 occupying nine hours and a half, for more than four hours 

 were wasted in driving the men along. 



We passed through a break in a range of wooded mountains, 

 with villages perched on their summits or nestled among the 

 trees on the steepest slopes, so as to be easily defended, while in 

 the valleys there were large plantations of cassava and Indian- 

 corn. 



The natives seemed very industrious, and put more energy 

 into their work than I had seen for some time. Men and 

 women were busy preparing their fields for new crops, and 

 others, in couples, w^ere carrying up to the villages at a smart 

 trot enormous baskets of cassava slung upon jioles. Among 

 them was a man who spoke Portuguese. He came to inquire 

 who we were, and gave the men some roots of sweet cassava. 



Other hills, in every variety of shape and form imaginable, 

 were now seen directly in front of us, while on the right of our 

 road a portion of the range we had passed ended abruptly. Its 

 appearance reminded me of the north front of the Rock of Gi- 

 braltar ; and on the summit was tlie village of the chief of the 

 district, to which no stranger had ever been admitted. 



At the foot of this hill, named Humbi, the carriers of the 

 sick man came to a dead stop, and declared themselves alto- 

 gether incapable of taking him any farther, although I had de- 

 tailed seven men for this duty, in order that they might con- 

 stantly relieve each other. The camp was fortunately near at 

 hand ; so I allowed the carriers and their burden to remain 

 here, and, pressing forward myself, sent other and fresher men 

 to assist them. 



Notwithstanding my care in bringing up the rear of the 

 caravan, a man named Majuto was missing. It appeared that 

 he proposed to another that they should leave the road and 

 hide in the jungle, in order to rest and sleep, remarking that if 



