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had begun. A different atmosphere reigned here. The 
lowering clouds were lifting and the genial sun was dis- 
persing the general humidity. In the forest through which 
the little track or foot-wide path meanders, the universality 
of beauty fills me with quiet delight. Delicious, pene- 
trating scents from the many flowers embalm the air; the 
chirping of insects and the pleasant low cries of birds 
gently vibrate on the ear, and the eye is continually 
feasted with the displays of colour or the endless deploying 
of graceful forms. Looking up towards the sky, you see 
the ceruleati blue chequered with a fantastic lace-work of 
leaves, and little specks and dapplines of sunlight are 
scattered lightly over the outer groups of foliage, but 
hesitate timidly before the great depths of solemn gloom 
in the heart of the forest. Much animal life is evident 
here. At almost every turning, the path introduces you 
brusquely to a happy family of monkeys, who have 
descended from the tree-tops to feed on the small ground- 
growing berries, or to plunge their greedy, wasteful fingers 
into the crimson pulp of the straying gourds. They bound 
up into the trees on your approach, taking refuge, well 
within gunshot, on large platforms and nests of twigs, 
which. they seem to have constructed on the upper 
branches.. It would be absolute brutality to take advan- 
tage of their confidence, and bring them down with a 
bullet from your Winchester, when you have plenty of 
provisions in your cases, and stand in no immediate need 
of roast monkey. Besides, if you are but discreet, and 
behave as becomes Nature’s guest, your great hostess will 
show you many of her quaint and beautiful children. 
The green fruit-pigeons startle you in the trees with their 
strange cry, commencing with a whirring noise, two or 
three clucks, and ending up with a sweet and prolonged 
coo. The bee-eaters are swooping in eccentric circles on 
the many flying insects, and little hornbills sit in staid 
immobility on bare and exposed branches, watching the 
bee-eaters, as if they would like to imitate them, but felt 
that such great exertions were unbecoming. ‘These horn- 
‘pills, large or small, come to the ground to feed almost 
VIVI TO ISANGILA. ri 
