THE HIGH PLATEAU 105 



On the first day's march, some 15 miles, we 

 crossed three streams and passed three villages, 

 before we camped at Almafodas store. From here, 

 a motor track an hour's walk led us to the great 

 motor road, 150 miles long, which, starting from 

 Neves Fercira on the Coanza, 15 miles south of 

 Chuso, passes through Belmonte to Chinguar. 

 Along this road we marched for 20 miles, past a 

 store called Camacupas and tw r o others, then the 

 rising town of Catabella, and camped at dusk 

 an hour's inarch beyond it. 



A wagon track from Bihe runs near the motor 

 road, and on the track the Boer settler of the 

 plateau may be seen slowly driving his long span 

 of sixteen oxen, while a motor-car may pass him, 

 moving at ten times his oxen's pace. 



Five miles west of Camacupas, a w r agon road ran 

 northward, I w r as told, to the Coanza, and its 

 crossing at Massanga. Any hunter of the sable, 

 coming from Bihc by wagon, might take this 

 track to cross the river there. 



The third day's march was over a country 

 of open hill and dale, like the high veldt of the 

 Transvaal, but better watered with clear mountain 

 streams ; that evening we reached Belmonte (Bihe). 



We now had crossed 50 miles of the plateau, 

 while 80 miles of still higher and more open country 

 lay between us and the rail-head at Chinguar. At 

 Belmonte I was forced to stay a day, as the carriers, 

 engaged to this point only, refused to take me 

 farther till doubly paid. 



Though there lias been trade at Belmonte for 

 over fifty years, and the little town lies close to the 



