1^ THE LOWER BENCHES 



This time our journey lasted five hours, so that 

 our relaying consumed three days. We broke back 

 through the ramparts, by means of another pass we 

 had discovered when looking for kudu, to the Third 

 Bench again. Here we camped in the valley of 

 Lengetoto. 



This valley is one of tne most beautiful and 

 secluded in this part of Africa. It is shaped like an 

 ellipse, five or six miles long by about three miles 

 wide; and is completely surrounded by mountains. 

 The ramparts of the western side — those forming 

 the walls of the Fourth Bench — rise in sheer rock 

 cliffs, forest crowned. To the east, from which 

 direction we had just come, were high, rounded 

 mountains. At sunrise they cut clear in an outline 

 of milky slate against the sky. 



The floor of this ellipse was surfaced in gentle 

 undulations, like the low swells of a summer sea. 

 Between each swell a singing, clear-watered brook 

 leaped and dashed or loitered through its jungle. 

 Into the mountains ran broad upward flung valleys 

 of green grass; and groves of great forest trees 

 marched down canons and out a short distance into 

 the plains. Everything was fresh and green and 

 cool. We needed blankets at night, and each morn- 

 ing the dew was cool and sparkling, and the sky very 

 blue. Underneath the forest trees of the stream 



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