THE MOUNTAINS OP DUT'HUMI. 



87 



diminish in elevation till confounded with the almost 

 horizontal surface of the champaign ; the jagged broken 

 crests and peaks argue a primitive formation. Their 

 lay is to the N.KT.W. ; after four days' journey, accord- 

 ing to the guides, they inosculate with the main chain 

 of the Usagara Mountains, and they are probably the 

 southern buttress of Ngu, or Nguru, the hill region 

 westward of Saadani. This chain is said to send forth 

 the Kingani River, which, gushing from a cave or fissure 

 in the eastern, is swollen to a large perennial stream by 

 feeders from the southern slopes, whilst the Mgeta flows 

 from the western face of the water-parting, and circles the 

 southern base. The cold temperature of these cloud- 

 capped. and rainy crags, which never expose their out- 

 lines except in the clearest weather, affects the plains ; 

 by day bleak north-east and north-west gusts pour down 

 upon the sun -parched Dut'humi, and at night the ther- 

 mometer will sink to 70°, and even to 65° F. Water is 

 supposed to freeze upon the highlands, yet they are not 

 unhealthy; sheep, goats, and poultry abound ; betel- 

 pepper grows there, according to the Arabs, and, as in 

 the lowlands, holcus and sesamum, manioc and sweet- 

 potatoes (Convolvulus batata), cucumbers, the turai 

 (Luffa acutangula), and beans, plantains, and sugar- 

 cane, are plentiful. The thick jungle at the base of the 

 hills shelters the elephant, the rhinoceros in considerable 

 numbers, the gnu, and the koodoo, which, however, can 

 rarely be found when the grass is high ; a variety of the 

 ngole — a small Dendraspis — haunts the patriarchs of 

 the forest, and the chirrup of the mongoose, which the 

 people enjoy, as Europeans do the monotonous note of 

 the cricket, is heard in the brakes at eventide. This 

 part of the country, about six hours' march northward 

 from Dut'humi, is called the Inland Magogoni ; and it 



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