Lost in the African Wilderness. 



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steep, and it is a stiffish pull for wao-gons. Some 

 Kaffir waggons following us that are carrying 

 annnnnition, etc., to Maslionaland had to double 

 span each waggon, and then thev had a lot of 

 trouble because their trek chains broke over and 

 over again. AVe trekked about four miles after 

 sundown. Road was very hilly and crossed by 

 many dry spruits. 



Tfmrsdaj/, JiiJij 2 ml. — Arrived sunrise LijDokwe 

 River ; good road from our last camp, Avhich is 

 about eight miles aAvay. River noAv about five 

 yards in In'eadth ; clear, good running water. 

 There are many pheasants and guinea-foAvl here, 

 and our larder is no ay Avell supplied Avith game. 



Friday, July 3. — ArriATd Semalali RiA^er, about 

 eighteen miles trek. I don't think I am likely to 

 forget this place. It is the easiest thing in the 

 Avorld to lose one's Avay in this country, and to-day 

 is not the first time it has hapj^ened to me. You 

 take careful landmarks of kopjes, the direction of 

 the Avind, the position of the sun, etc. ; you pro- 

 Adde yourself Avith a i)air of field glasses and a 

 compass, and then imagine that it is impossible to 

 mistake the direction from Avhich a^ou came. And 

 yet Avhen }^ou arriA^e at some point to Avliich you 

 liaA'e taken a l:)ee-line, say a couple of miles aAvay, 

 you look back, and, somehoAv or other, the Avliole 

 scene seems changed. A'our landmarks appear in 

 a different position, the Avind is noAv in another 

 quarter, and }'our camp, from Avhicli you could see 

 distinctly the spot on Avliich you noAV stand, is in- 

 visible. You search the landscape carefully Avith 



