THE ZAMBESI AGAIN. 241 



The huge dwellers in these thickets seemed absolutely indiffer- 

 ent to man. A herd of buffalo came up and so interfered with 

 their progress by their curiosity, that one of them had to be shot 

 to get them out of the way, and a female elephant dashed 

 through the midst of the men, followed by three calves. The 

 waterfowl in great numbers hung leisurely on the air just over 

 them. The abundance of animal life was beyond anything 

 ever seen even in Africa. The Zambesi itself, when it appeared 

 again, was wider and deeper and more rapid than they had left 

 it in the neighborhood of the falls, and unlike it had been seen 

 as the Leeambye, in the great valley it was deeply discolored 

 by the washing down of the soil from the surrounding country. 

 It is worthy of notice that no mention is made of the slightest 

 discoloration of the streams in Africa between the two great 

 ridges which divide the eastern and western coasts from the 

 interior. The first indications of the washings of soil in the 

 rivers, in the western journey, were observed in the Quango. 

 And now they are in the Zambesi east of the ridge. 



Passing down the left bank of the river there were quite a 

 number of islands to attract the attention of the travellers. 

 These islands were clothed with verdure and seemed to possess 

 singular fertility. One of these river gems — the island of 

 Mengo — entertains, besides its human population, a herd of 

 buffaloes, which seem to find ample pasturage within its small 

 circumference, and dispute their claim quite valiantly with their 

 human neighbors when occasion requires. This herd might 

 easily swim to the shore if they desired to do so; their resi- 

 dence on the " little foot of soil " seems to be purely a matter of 

 choice. 



About this point the river flows between the country of the 

 Batonga on the north and that of Banyai on the south side. 

 On both sides are ranges of hills, and the multitude of buffa- 

 loes and elephants furnish unending supplies to the people. 

 "They erect stages on high trees overhanging the paths by 

 which the elephants come, and then use a large spear with a 

 handle nearly as thick as a man's wrist, and four or five feet 

 long. When the animal comes beneath they throw the spear, 

 and if it enters between the ribs above, as the blade is at least 

 twenty inches long by two broad, the motion of the handle, as 



