208 UNCULTIVATED VALLEYS. 



but, riding to the deep part, before I could dismount and 

 seize the helm the ox dashed off with his companions, and 

 his body sank so deep that I failed in my attempt even to 

 catch the blanket-belt, and if I pulled the bridle the ox 

 seemed as if he would come backward upon me; so I struck 

 out for the opposite bank alone. My poor fellows were 

 dreadfully alarmed when they saw me parted from the 

 cattle, and about twenty of them made a simultaneous rush 

 into the water for my rescue, and just as I reached tho 

 opposite bank one seized my arm, and another threw his 

 around my body. When I stood up it was most gratifying 

 to see them all struggling toward me. Some had leaped 

 off the bridge and allowed their cloaks to float down the 

 stream. Part of my goods, abandoned in the hurry, were 

 brought up from the bottom after I was safe. Great was 

 the pleasure expressed when they found that I could swim 

 like themselves, without the aid of a tail, and I did and do 

 feel grateful to these poor heathens for the promptitude 

 with which they dashed in to save, as they thought, my 

 life. I found my clothes cumbersome in the water : they 

 could swim quicker from being naked. They swim like 

 dogs, not frog-fashion as we do. 



In the evening we crossed the small rivulet Lozeze, and 

 came to some villages of the Kasabi, from whom we got 

 some manioc in exchange for beads. They tried to frighten 

 us by telling of the deep rivers we should have to cross in 

 our way. I was drying my clothes by turning myself round 

 and round before the fire. My men laughed at the idea of 

 being frightened by rivers. "We can all swim: who car- 

 ried the white man across the river but himself?" I felt 

 proud of their praise. 



Saturday, 4th March. — Came to the outskirts of the ter- 

 ritory of the Chiboque. We crossed the Konde and Ka- 

 luze rivulets. The former is a deep, small stream with a 

 bridge, the latter insignificant; the valleys in which these 

 rivulets run are beautifully fertile. My companions are 

 continually lamenting over the uncultivated vales in such 



