966 LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



coarse conglomerate sandstone, with trees growing on it. After a time we 

 left the forest and entered the valley of the Wami again, along which we 

 proceeded for a couple of miles, and then encamped at a village one hundred 

 yards from the river called Kwediebago. At a village we passed on the edge 

 of the valley, I noticed a large tree like a sycamore without a single leaf, 

 but completely covered with little green figs. I think this must be the syca- 

 more of the Bible, or a tree closely allied to it. In the evening the king of 

 the village sent to receive the toll which it seems it is customary to charge 

 caravans for crossing the Wami, which we are to do to-morrow; I suppose it 

 is for keeping the bridge in repair. He wanted to charge ten doti, but, as I 

 found that three was the usual toll, I refused to pay any more. 



" 2Qth. The men did not want to go, but the king of the village sent a 

 message to say he wanted us gone. So I told him that I could not get them 

 to move, but if he liked to try I should be very glad. He did so, and, his 

 majesty's logic succeeding, we were off by a few minutes past eight. Our 

 road lay through the forest which covers the banks of the Wami, and which 

 must be almost primeval. Enormous trees, covered with creepers as thick as a 

 man's leg, and often twisted like huge ropes, form the forest, as there is little 

 underwood. It was deliciously cool here, as the trees quite kept out the sun. 

 We soon came to the bridge, and such a bridge it was ! It was made of two 

 stout creepers stretched from one bank to the other, and supported at inter- 

 vals by stakes driven into the bed of the river. Here and there stout pieces 

 of wood were tied across from one creeper to the other, and on these were 

 lashed long poles, with occasional cross-pieces to keep them in their places. 

 Two rude sort of hand-rails were made of creepers fastened to sticks. The 

 bridge was also further secured by creepers tied to trees on each bank ; but 

 the whole shook and trembled most ominously when you walked on it. The 

 sticks, too, had got worn smooth, and were quite polished from frequent use ; 

 there were also great gaps, which told you plainly if you slipped you must 

 go into the river below. The men got over very well, and, with a little trou- 

 ble, the donkeys were got across also. We encamped in a grassy plain, hav- 

 ing gone three miles, and taken four hours to do it. 



"Sunday, 27th. We rested to-day as usual. The Usagara Mountains are 

 right in front of us, and look very grand. We were very much troubled by 

 large black ants, which got into everything, and crawled all over us; they 

 did not sting, but were very annoying. 



" 2St,h. At 6.45 we started. The road lay for some miles through an 

 almost treeless plain, in which were large herds of different kinds of ante- 

 lopes, which stood and stared at us as we passed. The road was rather 

 swampy at first, which made walking unpleasant. After a time we entered 

 a number of groves of palmyra palm, and, after this, forest again. The path 

 led gradually up towards the mountains. We encamped at the foot of a 



