222 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LIX. 
side of the valley. Here the danger from the enemy- 
was already considered so great, that the gates of the 
town on this side had been walled up, only a very 
narrow passage having been left, which could only 
be used by way of a drawbridge or kadarku. Having 
here learned that our new companions were already 
gone on in advance, and had encamped at the very 
border of the forest, we changed our direction from 
north-east to north-west, and, after a march of about 
a mile, encamped close to them. A large herd of 
cattle had its resting-place in the neighbourhood. 
Friday, When we started, at an early hour in the 
June ioth. morn i n g ? we soon left the cultivated grounds 
and entered a dense forest, which at the present sea- 
son had a very pleasant appearance, all the trees 
being in blossom, and spreading a delightful fragrance 
around. We were also agreeably surprised when, after 
proceeding about five miles, we passed two extensive 
ponds, which supplied us with delicious water. But 
on our return journey, in August 1854, the water 
of these same ponds had acquired such a pernicious 
character, that it almost poisoned the whole of my 
troop. A little beyond these ponds, we had a con- 
siderable rocky declivity, of about one hundred 
feet, from the top of which we surveyed the ex- 
tensive forest before us. To our disappointment, 
we encamped at a very early hour, a little after 
noon ; but a short distance further on, the danger 
would have become so imminent that it would have 
been unwise to pass the night there. Having, 
