THE ZIWA, OE POND. 



251 



and after hurrying through thick bush we debouched 

 upon an open stubbly plain, with herds of gracefully 

 bounding antelopes and giraffes, who stood for a moment 

 with long outstretched necks to gaze, and presently 

 broke away at a rapid, striding, camel's -trot, their heads 

 shaking as if they would jerk off, their limbs loose, 

 and their joints apparently dislocated. About 9 

 p.m. we sighted the much-talked of Ziwa. The Arabs, 

 fond of " showing a green garden," had described to me 

 at Inenge a piece of water fit to float a man-of-war. 

 But Kidogo, when consulted, had replied simply with 

 the Kisawahili proverb, " Khabari ya mb'hali i.e., 

 u news from afar;" — a beau mentir qui vient de loin. I 

 was not therefore surprised to find a shallow pool, which 

 in India would barely merit the name of tank. 



The Ziwa, which lies 3,100 feet above the sea, oc- 

 cupies the lowest western level of Marenga Mk'hali, and 

 is the deepest of the many inundated grounds lying to 

 its north, north-east, and north-west. The extent 

 greatly varies: in September, 1857, it was a slaty sheet 

 of water, with granite projections on one side, and about 

 300 yards in diameter; the centre only could not be 

 forded. The bottom and the banks were of retentive clay : 

 a clear ring, whence the waters had subsided, margined 

 the pool, and beyond it lay a thick thorny jungle. In 

 early December, 1858, nothing remained but a surface 

 of dry, crumbling, and deeply-cracked mud, and, ac- 

 cording to travellers, it had long, in consequence of the 

 scanty rains, been in that state. Caravans always encamp 

 at the Ziwa when they find water there. The country 

 around is full of large game, especially elephants, giraffes, 

 and zebras, who come to drink at night ; a few widgeon 

 are seen breasting the little waves; "kata" (sand-grouse), 

 of peculiarly large size and dark plumage, flock there with 



