SECOND DANGEROUS STATION. 



63 



cultivation and tangled jungle, which presently opened 

 out into a forest where the light-barked Msandarusi, or 

 copal-tree, attains its fullest dimensions. This is one 

 of the richest " diggins," and the roadsides are every- 

 where pitted with pockets two or three feet deep by one 

 in diameter. Rain fell in huge drops, and the heaviness of 

 the ground caused frequent accidents to the asses' loads. 

 About noon we entered the fine grain-fields that gird 

 the settlements of Muhogwe, one of the most dreaded 

 in dreaded Uzaramo. In our case, however, the only 

 peril was the levee en masse of the fair sex in the villages, 

 to stare, laugh, and wonder at the white men. " What 

 should you think of these whites as husbands ? " asked 

 Muinyi Wazira of the crowd. " With such things on 

 their legs ? — Sivyo ! — not by any means ! " — was the 

 unanimous reply, accompanied with peals of merriment. 



Beyond Muhogwe all was jungle and forest, tall trees 

 rising from red copalliferous sand, and shading bright 

 flowers, and blossoming shrubs. After crossing a low 

 mud overgrown with rush and tiger-grass, and a 

 watercourse dotted with black stagnant pools, we as- 

 cended rising well-forested ground, and lastly debouched 

 upon the kraals of Muhonyera. 



The district of Muhonyera occupies the edge of the 

 plateau forming the southern terrace of the Kingani 

 River; and the elevated sea-beach is marked out by 

 lines of quartsoze pebbles running along the northern 

 slope of the hill upon which we encamped. Water is 

 found in seven or eight reedy holes in the valley below ; 

 it acquires from decomposed vegetation an unnaturally 

 sweet and slimy taste. This part of the country, being 

 little inhabited by reason of its malarious climate, abounds 

 in wild animals. The guides speak of lions, and the cry 

 of the Fisi or Cynhysena was frequently heard at night, 



