74 MATABELE LAND. 



I tried the latter, and found them slightly bitter and 

 at the same time sweet. They are chewed and the 

 juice swallowed. The only leaf visible is contained 

 in a small green shoot, apparently just coming out 

 of the ground, but the roots are very large and long. 

 Another boy brought a pretty duiker, which he had 

 killed with an assegai. 



"October loth. — We seem on a sort of plateau, 

 with lower ground in front. Beyond is high land, 

 blue in the distance. Starting a little before 7 a.m., 

 we reached the Umvungu about 9, a big reedy river 

 with water in its bed. When we arrived one of the 

 boys was calling out, and we found he had shot a 

 sable antelope. Many flowers are now springing 

 up in the veldt, and the tints of the trees are very 

 lovely, reminding one of an English spring, or in 

 some respects of autumn ; different shades of green 

 and yellow. In the course of the afternoon we en- 

 tered very thick bush, the thickest I have yet met 

 with in South Africa, and more like English wood 

 in general appearance than what we have hitherto 

 seen, the trees budding with delicate tints of fresh 

 green, brown, and yellow. Soon after entering the 

 bush fresh elephant-spoor was announced — the first I 

 have yet heard of — and a few minutes later we came 

 on a broken tree lying across the road, and more fresh 

 elephant-spoor. Emerged from the thick bush about 

 5. 20 p.m., and soon afterwards outspanned at a spruit." 



The following day (October 1 1) the party reached 

 the Gwailo River, which was crossed without diffi- 

 culty. A half-caste Cape man, who was hunting here, 



