EFFECT OF RAINS. 599 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



Beautiful Valley. — Buffalo. — My young Men kill two Elephants. — The Hunt. — 

 Mode of measuring Height of live Elephants. — Wild Animals smaller here than 

 in the South, though their Food is more abundant. — The Elephant a dainty 

 Feeder. — Semalembue. — His Presents. — Joy in prospect of living in Peace. — 

 Trade. — His People's way of wearing their Hair. — Their Mode of Salutation. — 

 Old Encampment. — Sebituane's former Residence. — Ford of Kafue. — Hippopot- 

 ami. — Hills and Villages. — Geological Formation. — Prodigious Quantities of 

 large Game. — Their Tameness. — Rains. — Less Sickness than in the Journey to 

 Loanda. — Reason. — Charge from an Elephant. — Vast Amount of animal Life 



on the Zambesi. — Water of River discolored. An Island with Buffaloes and 



Men on it. — Native Devices for killing Game. — Tsetse now in Country. — Agri- 

 cultural Industry. — An Albino murdered by his Mother. — "Guilty of Tlolo." — 

 Women who make their Mouths "like those of Ducks." — First Symptom of the 

 Slave-trade on this side. — Selole's Hostility. — An armed Party hoaxed. — An 

 Italian Marauder slain. — Elephant's Tenacity of Life. — A Word to young Sports- 

 men. — Mr. Oswell's Adventure with an Elephant ; narrow Escape. — Mburuma's 

 Village. — Suspicious Conduct of his People. — Guides attempt to detain us. — The 

 Village and People of Ma Mburuma. — Character our Guides give of us. 



13th. The country is becoming very beautiful, and furrowed 

 by deep valleys ; the underlying rocks, being igneous, have yield- 

 ed fertile soil. There is great abundance of large game. The 

 buffaloes select open spots, and often eminences, as standing- 

 places through the day. We crossed the Mbai, and found in its 

 bed rocks of pink marble. Some little hills near it are capped 

 by marble of beautiful whiteness, the underlying rock being 

 igneous. Violent showers occur frequently on the hills, and 

 cause such sudden sweeping floods in these rivulets, that five of 

 our men, who had gone to the other side for firewood, were obliged 

 to swim back. The temperature of the air is lowered considera- 

 bly by the daily rains. Several times the thermometer at sunrise 

 has been as low as 68°, and 74° at sunset. Generally, however, 

 it stood at from 72° to 74° at sunrise, 90° to 96° at midday, and 

 80° to 84° at sunset. The sensation, however, as before remark- 

 ed, was not disagreeable. 



14tA. We entered a most beautiful valley, abounding in large 



