TO ARMS. 



253 



sandstone. After ascending a hill, we fell into a second 

 watercourse, whose line was almost choked with wild 

 and thorny vegetation, and we raised the tents in time 

 to escape a pitiless pelting, which appeared to spring 

 from a gap in the southern mountains. The time oc- 

 cupied in marching from Ikuka to Inena of Usagara 

 was four hours, and, as usual in these short stages, 

 there was no halt. 



Two porters were found missing on the morning of the 

 14th December, — they had gone for provisions, and had. 

 slept in the villages, — moreover, heavy clouds hanging 

 on the hill-tops threatened rain : a Tirikeza was there- 

 fore ordered. At 11 a.m. we set out over rises, falls, 

 and broken ground, at the foot of the neighbouring 

 highlands which enclose a narrow basin, the seat of vil- 

 lages and extensive cultivation. Small cascades flashing 

 down the walls that hemmed us in showed the copious- 

 ness of the last night's fall. After five hours' heavy 

 marching, we forded a rapid Fiumara, whose tall banks 

 of stiff red clay, resting upon tilted-up strata of green- 

 stone, enclosed a stream calf-deep, and from 10 to 12 

 feet broad. At this place, called Ginyindo, provisions 

 w r ere hardly procurable ; consequently the caravan, as 

 was its wont on such occasions, quarrelled for disport, 

 and the Baloch, headed by " Gray-beard Musa," began 

 to abuse and to beat the Pagazis. 



The morning of the 15th December commenced with 

 a truly African scene. The men were hungry, and 

 the air was chill. They prepared, however, to start 

 quietly betimes. Suddenly a bit of rope was snatched, 

 a sword flashed in the air, a bow-horn quivered with 

 nocked arrow, and the whole caravan rushed franti- 

 cally with a fearful row to arms. As no one dissuaded 

 the party from " fighting it out," they apparently be- 



