34 
Seven Years in Central Africa. [July, 
longer. I was lying back in the waggon, and had just mentioned 
to the Lord that promise, " Their water shall be sure," when a 
young man of the company asked me if I wished to drink. 
Three Masaroa, sent by Tinka, had brought three calabashes 
full of water for us, so that we all had a drink of it. The next 
thing was to try and find a little food. Setobi was too much 
knocked up to go and hunt, so I started with one of Tinka's 
men to look for something. We walked a long way through 
thick wood but got nothing; and then, finding we were too far 
from the waggon to be sure of meeting it again, we decided to 
make for the Mababi River. 
After wandering along through thick wood and bush and 
patches of long, reedy grass, we struck a footpath leading in the 
direction of the river. Just as the sun was sinking I shot an 
antelope; it rolled over, then got up and ran into some bush. 
The man who was with me said it would soon die, but that we 
must push on as the river was very far away yet ; so on we went, 
the night setting in clear, so that we could see the path. On and 
on we walked for a long time, till at last through the trees we 
saw the fires of a camp of Masaroa Bushmen. 
THE MABABI RIVER. 
We found that the river was close by; so after eating some 
meat and drinking some water which they kindly brought me I 
thankfully lay down beside their fire for the night, though I did 
not sleep much. As it was very cold I was also glad to share the 
warmth of their skin wraps. The Bushmen kept up a continual 
talk; then some lions began roaring, the dogs of the Bushmen 
replying in a tone as shrill as possible. Towards morning I 
slept a little. 
These Bushmen live a strange, wild life, constantly moving 
about. At night they make no protection against the lions. A 
few nights before a woman of their company whilst asleep was 
seized by a lion and had her head much torn. 1 was asked 
to do something for her, but could do little, the flesh having 
been torn right off her head and gathered up in a big lump at 
the back. 
Next morning I started along the river to some Basubia towns. 
On the way I met Tinka returning. He wished to wait for the 
