SEARCH FOR FALLS ON MAO KABI 63 



said that the Falls lay in a tsetse-fly region, where 

 no horse could live, so the whole journey would have 

 to be made on foot, and the camping arrangements 

 would only be of the roughest possible kind. These 

 words excited hope once more, and, trembling lest 

 I might be combating an excuse and not a reason, 

 I volunteered the opinion that a woman was always 

 capable of doing what she wanted to do. Heaven 

 bless him ! M. Bertaut said he hoped that we did 

 want to come, and would do so, but that he had 

 not liked to suggest it at first, as the conditions of 

 the journey would be so trying. Thus it was settled : 

 but the risk we took was enormous, for had the 

 expedition proved unsuccessful Mrs Talbot and I 

 should always have felt that the men thought they 

 would have done better without us ; though, as a 

 matter of fact, both were so chivalrous that such 

 a thought would probably never have occurred to 

 either of them. 



We started the very next afternoon, passing by the 

 beautiful little lake of Trene, and sleeping the night 

 at a village of the same name ; the following night 

 at Fuli, where M. Bertaut joined us. 



Our united expedition began next day with the pass- 

 age of the Mao Kabi, The current is strong, crocodiles 

 swarm there, and it is said that hippopotami attack 

 the boats. The natives fear these dangers so much 

 that they keep no canoes upon its w^aters, and make 

 the passage as seldom as possible. 



The previous year two Europeans had been upset 

 and were never seen again, but as they were traders, 

 travelling with much merchandise, and their loads 

 were also lost, it is just possible that the hippopotami 

 were not solely responsible. 



