'MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN: 



195 



Sultan Mamba scarcely deigned to notice us, and 

 the river became a succession of falls and rapids. 



After a night, in which the cimex lectularius 

 had by a long chalk the advantage of the 

 drowsy god, we were ferried at 7 a.m., on Eebru- 

 ary 13, across the stream, attended by sundry 

 guides. The start was generally too late. A 

 seasoned traveller easilv bears scorchinor heat if 

 he sets out with the dawn and works into the 

 sultry hours : after a morning spent in the shade 

 he will suffer more or less severely from sudden 

 exposure. Prom Kohode, which is more than half 

 way, there are two roads to Euga. The dh^ect 

 line, running nearly due north, crosses the High- 

 lands : at this season it is waterless. That alono* 

 the river is more than double the length : it be- 

 gins to the N. West and then turns sharply to the 

 East. We determined to see the stream, and we 

 doubted the power of our heavily-laden men to 

 front the passes in such heat : the worst of these 

 walking journeys is that the least accident disables 

 the traveller, and accidents will happen to the 

 best of marching parties. 



Presently emerging from the thicket, we fell 

 into the beaten track over the dark alluvial river- 

 plain, which here, as at Chogwe, must during rains 

 be a sheet of water. This is the first section of our 



