Kopas to Mlembo River 



machilla capitao. Even *' Breeches," who a few 

 days previously had been very indignant at being 

 given a bit of meat to carry, took up a load and 

 strode off with it to camp. 



When at last I reached our destination, about 

 3 P.M., I found that ** Cooky," Franco, Laban, and 

 some half-dozen porters had arrived. I at once 

 secured some villagers and sent them off with water 



for the men. This relief party met A and his 



rear-guard about two miles back. By 5 p.m. all 

 were in camp and the loads correct. 



We made out that the whole distance covered 

 could not have exceeded eighteen miles, and with a 

 decent lot of men we should have been in camp by 

 I or 2 P.M. ; but even good men would have been 

 unduly tried. A waterless march in hot weather is 

 a thing to be avoided: it was bad luck, and not bad 

 management. 



We ourselves, although glad of the lunch 

 ''Cooky" had ready for us, having had no refresh- 

 ment to speak of since breakfast, had suffered no ill 

 effects, as the heat of the sun had fortunately been 

 tempered by a nice breeze and a few clouds. 



In the evening all the porters who had done 

 well, and the machilla boys who had carried loads, 

 were duly rewarded, and seemed quite pleased with 

 themselves. 



Next morning the men were not very eager for 

 a move, but the promise of a short march got them 

 on the road in fairly good time. We had struck the 

 Lulimala at a village whose name I forget, but 

 which is probably that marked Miava on the map, a 



195 



