156 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



Ruwenzori, on a borderline of peoples as well as of 

 plants and animals. 



I had not left my bed for four days when one of 

 three men, whom I had sent to catch butterflies, 

 came in to say that they had all three been 

 attacked by the natives, and that he had seen one 

 man killed. I immediately rushed off with ten 

 men to the place, which was about three hours' off 

 — a walk that tried me more than any I have ever 

 undertaken. On arriving we found the spot 

 covered with blood, and I ordered my men to 

 attack the neighbouring huts. Of course these 

 cowards had tied to the hills on my approach. 

 My Suahilis outran me, and it was with some 

 difficulty that I could call them back, after 

 burning the huts whose inhabitants had done 

 this. 



The hills were by this time lined with hundreds 

 of natives who, however, would not come down to 

 attack us. I crawled back to camp after carefully 

 examining the ground, and found the second man, 

 who gave me a circumstantial account of the way 

 in which the other man had been killed. 



Thinking the matter over that night, I decided 

 to leave next day. I could not avoid leaving my 

 men alone for a week if I were to attempt any 

 valuable work up the valley, and if left alone they 

 would certainly have attempted reprisals, and I 

 should also have lost men who would have gone 

 out by themselves ; for the Suahili cannot be 



