944 LIFE OF DA VII) LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



" After leaving Saadani there are a few days' journey over ground 

 covered with long grass, heavy in the wet season for cattle, also one or two 

 belts of jungle, which, however, he was able to cut his way through without 

 difficulty, taking a wagon drawn by cattle with him so far. On reaching 

 the higher ground, where the grass became shorter, he left the wagon, but 

 took on the cattle, for the purpose I have already stated. Reaching the 

 passes in the mountain he found the path leading between the two hill 

 masses of Nguru on the north and Usagara on the south. There he must have 

 attained a considerable elevation, for the thermometer fell at night to 45°, 

 although the days were hot ; but he had no means of measuring heights, 

 what he was there engaged on being rather to view the roads, and he tells 

 me that he could pass these ridges with a bullock wagon without any extra- 

 ordinary difficulty. 



" Many parts of the country he traversed possess a dense population, 

 and the hills are cultivated to the summits. Sugar-cane he describes as grown 

 in large quantities and most luxuriant, the difficulty being to understand how 

 so much can be consumed, where sugar is not extracted, and the cane simply 

 chewed. 



" Although Mr. Price will, on his arrival, submit a full report of all he 

 has seen, I have thought the above sketch of his proceedings may not be un- 

 interesting to your Lordship, as indicating a practicable means of developing 

 at once the resources of the interior in a way that, so long as every article 

 sold or bought had to be carried by porters, could never have been done, and 

 I have urged his Highness to take advantage of the opportunity offered for 

 increasing the commerce of the interior, and retaining the trade his people 

 now possess with the lake regions in his own hands." 



On Mr. Price's arrival in this country, he presented a full report of his 

 proceedings, accompanied by statistics and suggestions for the guidance of 

 future travellers, to the Directors of the London Missionary Society. From 

 that report we take the following extracts. Speaking of the main ranges of 

 Nguru and Kaguru-Usagara, Mr. Price says — " I could scarcely believe my 

 eyes, as I gazed upon the mountain sides, in the evening, and saw the smoke 

 ascending from a score of peaceful villages. I unexpectedly found myself 

 in the centre of a large population. The slopes of the great Nguru, which 

 during the day appeared still and lifeless, were now seen to be dotted over 

 with villages to a great height. From Mkiropa our course still lay through 

 the Nguru valley for about seven or eight miles, when, having rounded the 

 southern end of Nguru, we made a good deal of northing till we came to the 

 Mkundi River. The Mkundi is about thirty yards wide, shallow and swift, 

 with sandy bottom. It rises on the western side of Nguru. The Mkundi is 

 the boundary between the Nguru and Kguru districts, so far as any boundary 

 is recognised. 



