Chap. XXVIII. REASON OF IMPROVED HEALTH. 37-5 



The elephants stood fanning themselves with their large ears, 

 as if they did not see us, at 200 or 300 yards distance. Great 

 numbers of red-coloured pigs (Potamochoerus), gazed at us in 

 wonder. 



Continuous rains kept us for some time on the banks of the 

 Chiponga, where we were unfortunate enough to fall among 

 the tsetse. We tried to leave one morning, but the rain came 

 on afresh, and after waiting an hour wet to the skin we were 

 fain to retrace our steps to our sheds. These rains were from 

 the east, and the clouds might be seen on the hills like the 

 " Table-cloth " on Table Mountain. This was the first wetting 

 we had got since we left Sesheke, for I had gained some 

 experience in travelling. In Londa I braved the rain, and 

 was pretty constantly drenched ; but now, when a storm 

 came, we invariably halted and lighted fires. The effect ol 

 this care was that we had much less sickness than on the 

 journey to Loanda. I also learnt from experience to avoid an 

 entire change of diet. In going to Loanda I took little or no 

 European food, but trusted entirely to what might be got by 

 the gun, or by the liberality of the Balonda ; but on this 

 journey I took flour and always baked my own bread in 

 an oven extemporized out of an inverted pot. With these 

 precautions, aided, no doubt, by the greater healthiness of the 

 district over which we passed, I enjoyed perfect health. 



When we left the Chiponga, on the 30th, we skirted a range 

 of hills, composed of mica and clay-slate, on our left. At the 

 bottom we found a forest of large petrified trees of the arau- 

 carian type, ail lying as if the elevation of the range had made 

 them fall away from it in the direction of the river. An 

 ordinary-sized tree, standing on end, measured 22 inches in 

 diameter, and contained 1 2 laminae to the inch. 



As we approached nearer the Zambesi the country became 

 covered with broad-leaved bushes, pretty thickly planted, and 

 we had several times to shout to elephants to get out of our 

 way. At an open space a herd of buffaloes came trotting up 

 to look at our oxen, and it was only by shooting one that I 

 made them retreat. The only danger we encountered was 

 from a female elephant, with three young ones of different 

 sizes, who charged through the centre of our extended line, 

 and caused the men to throw down their burdens in a great 



