THE TIRIKEZA. 



205 



a little harmless sword-play, with a vast show of ferocity 

 and readiness for fight. The road lay over several rough, 

 steep, and bushy ridges, where the wretched asses, 

 rushing away to take advantage of a yard of shade, 

 caused constant delays. The Wanyamwezi animals 

 having a great persistency of character, could scarcely 

 be dislodged ; and when they were, they threw their 

 loads in pure spite. After topping a little " col " or 

 pass, we came in sight of an extensive basin, bounded 

 by distant blue hills, to which the porters pointed with 

 a certain awe, declaring them to be the haunts of the 

 fierce Wahumba. A descent of the western flank led 

 us to a space partially cleared by burning, when the cry 

 arose that men were lurking about. We then plunged 

 into a thick bush of thorny trees, based upon a red 

 clayey soil caked into the semblance of a rock. Con- 

 trary to expectation, when crossing a deep nullah trend- 

 ing northwards, we found a little rusty, ochreish water, 

 in one of the cups and holes that dented the sandstone 

 of the soles. Thence the path, gradually descending, 

 fell into a coarse scrub, varied with small open savan- 

 nahs, and broken, like the rest of the road, by deep, 

 narrow watercourses, which carry off the waters of the 

 southern hills to the northern lowlands. About 6 p.m., 

 we came upon a cleared space in a thick thorn-jungle, 

 where we established ourselves for the night. The 

 near whine of the hyaena, and the alarm of the asses, 

 made sleep a difficulty. The impatience and selfish- 

 ness of thirst showed strongly in the Baloch. Belok 

 had five large gourds full of water, perhaps three gal- 

 lons, yet he would not part with a palmful to the sick 

 Ismail. That day I was compelled to dismiss my usual 

 ass-leader Shahdad. the zeze-player and fracturer of fe- 

 male hearts, who preferring the conversation of his 



