A FRESH START 281 



telling him all I knew of the position of things on 

 our side, and getting from him direct his intentions 

 and return messages (I never carried papers or 

 anything of value in the way of information of use 

 against our forces). In the Chisona camp, to my 

 great pleasure, I found an old Queensland friend, 

 now a Rhodesian, Captain Mills, and he and I 

 yarned far into the night. 



Leaving at daylight, enriched by a basin and 

 two plates from my good friend Mills, we re- 

 crossed the river, and, not knowing where we 

 should find the " Pamforce u column, made a shot 

 at it by first cutting the Maria-Nanungu road 

 about twelve miles from Nanungu. However, 

 we only observed German porter traffic on the 

 road, and, finding an enemy post not far off, we 

 had to work round through the bush for a couple 

 of days, keeping above the road, and out of the 

 way of any enemy rear-guard. At Coronga we 

 found the column hung up for rations, and fully 

 thirty miles farther back than we had at first 

 hoped. Of course, if the native people had been 

 friendly, we could have kept in touch much better ; 

 but I had learnt that it was generally better to 

 avoid villages as much as possible, and to be care- 

 ful the natives did not bolt when they saw us 

 approach the village. 



We had now entered a very curious and striking 

 country, a land that would greatly rejoice the 

 heart of a geologist. Stern and mighty granite 

 peaks of various sizes, with smooth domes that 



