172 MAGNIFICENT MOUNTAIN SCENERY. Chap. VI L 



Chief of the Banyai on the opposite bank is called Zuda, 

 which the Portuguese translate into Judas, on account of his 

 grasping propensities. Talking of us to some of our party, he 

 said, " These men passed me going down and gave me 

 nothing ; the English cloth is good ; I am come to clothe 

 myself with it now as they go up." His messenger came and 

 sat down impudently in our midst before we rose from 

 breakfast, and began an oration, not to us, but to his atten- 

 dant. This talking at us roused the Makololo's ire, and 

 they replied that "English cloth was good; and Englishmen 

 paid for all they ate. They were now w r alking on God's earth 

 in peace, doing no harm to the country or gardens, though 

 English guns had six mouths, and English balls travelled far, 

 and hit hard." However, by keeping on the left bank, we 

 avoided collision with these troublesome and exacting Banyai, 

 The remainder of the Kebrabasa path, on to Chicova, was 

 close to the compressed and rocky river. Banges of lofty 

 tree-covered mountains, with deep narrow valleys, in which 

 are dry watercourses, or flowing rivulets, stretch from the 

 north-west, and are prolonged on the opposite side of the 

 river in a south-easterly direction. Looking back, the moun- 

 tain scenery in Kebrabasa was magnificent ; conspicuous from 

 their form and steep sides, are the two gigantic portals of the 

 cataract ; the vast forests still wore their many brilliant 

 autumnal-coloured tints of green, yellow, red, purple, and 

 brown, thrown into relief by the grey bark of the trunks in 

 the background. Among these variegated trees were some con- 

 spicuous for their new livery of fresh light-green leaves, as 

 though the winter of others was their spring. The bright sun- 

 shine in these mountain forests, and the ever-changing forms 

 of the cloud shadows, gliding over portions of the surface, 

 added fresh charms to scenes already surpassingly beautiful. 



