Hartley Hill. 263 



CHxVPTER XVII. 



WEALTH OE MASHONALAND. DOUBT AND DISAP- 

 POINTMENT. 



Hartley Hill — Our party again i;nited — The Tsetse-fly pest — 

 jNlr. Perkins joins me in a clay's shooting — Surgeon 

 Eayner's adventure with a lion — Contemplating the return 

 journey — Making a clean V)reast of it — Deceptive appear- 

 ances — Reefs in the Eiffel district — What is to become of 

 the country 1 — Mr. Perkins and the leopard. 



Hartley Hill is a low two-peaked kopje, rising 

 out of a plain covered with thick bush. At the 

 foot of the koj^je runs the Zimboe, a fresh stream 

 floAving in a rocky bed, which, within a distance 

 of half a mile, joins the Umfuli. This latter river 

 is here a line piece of water. It was quite re- 

 freshing after so long a travel in q, comparatively 

 waterless land to find one's self gazing at the long, 

 broad, deep flats which distinguish the Umfuli 

 as a real river from among such a number of 

 capricious and scantily supplied water-courses. 

 Tliere is little of attraction in Hartley Hill itself. 

 The kopje has an unhealthy, stuffy appearance, 

 and its sanitary character corresponds with its 

 appearance. The soil has been much tainted with 

 numerous " outspans." A veritable plague of 

 common black flies persecutes one from morning 

 till evenino". For some reason or other the fresh 



