72 



CHAPTER V. 



THE TUBUm LAKES. 



(NOVEMBER 1-9.) 



M. Bertaut had advised us to camp once more in the 

 bush on our way to Sulkando, which was now our 

 immediate destination. The carriers, however, de- 

 veloped sudden energy, and said they would rather 

 do a two days' march in one, and, as a canoe was to 

 meet us on the Tuburi lake next day, we were only 

 too glad to acquiesce and keep our appointment. Mrs 

 Talbot's leg was almost well, and she declared herself 

 quite equal to the long walk, and, as a matter of fact, 

 it did not overtire her ; neither her husband nor I 

 was ever able to persuade her to rest, if it were at 

 the expense of a day's or even half a day's march. 



The guides, however, brought serious news. Swamps 

 covered the path to such a depth that when they had 

 been to test it the water reached to their necks. The 

 only thing to do was to cut across country, and to make 

 this possible the carriers fired a passage through the 

 long thick grass. Of course this scattered the game for 

 miles, and when we saw innumerable tracks of beasts 

 and realised what sport we had missed this made us 

 very sad. 



