124 THROUGH ANGOLA 



moving now due east over the foot-hills to the 

 valley of the Lengue, 



At San Pedro, where the older rocks, mostly 

 gneiss, begin to appear among the lime, sandstone, 

 and marl formations, the ascent is so steep that 

 the rails give place to rack and pinion for a couple 

 of miles. This section of the line, passing as it 

 does through a wild gorge, is picturesque and was 

 correspondingly difficult to construct ; for, climb- 

 ing ever upwards, it must pass and repass chasm 

 and river-bed to emerge from the Lengue valley 

 and enter farther into the waterless belt. 



In this thirsty country every drop of water 

 required in the construction of the line and for the 

 workers had to be carried to the work, and a party 

 of lions which hunted near San Pedro, drank at 

 Bimbas, 10 miles away. Rain falls here but rarely ; 

 the scanty low scrub and the occasional euphorbia, 

 acacias, and baobabs are covered with dust, which 

 colours everything in monotones of yellow and grey. 



The first rapid ascent from 300 feet at San 

 Pedro to over 1000 feet, 6 miles beyond it, has 

 brought the line to a rough terrace strewn with 

 granite domes and tors, but it is still ascending, 

 if more slowly. At the Coretava River, which 

 it crosses and recrosses nine times, the line has 

 reached an elevation of 2000 feet. In a series of 

 picturesque loops and curves, the railway passes 

 over the divide between this river and the Catengue, 

 and runs down a slope through scenery which 

 is passing from dreary scrub to open forest, till 

 water itself is reached where the Catengue River 

 flows by the post and station of that name. 



