1884.] 
From the Zambesi to Be^iguella, 
99 
THE BAMBUNDA — HILLY COUNTRY. 
May \^th. — A tedious journey through a dense, dark forest, 
which smelt like a dank dungeon, with moss and lichen, but no 
grass. Camped at Ka-kinga on the river Ninda, as the upper 
part of the Nyengo is called, where the Ambuella, a small tribe 
of the Bambunda race, are living. 
\(^h. — Travelled along the right bank of the Ninda. 
20th. — A wild-looking company of Bambunda hunters came 
to the camp ; they dress their hair to imitate the horns of wild 
animals, and one had a stick through his nose. In this part the 
Bambunda are peaceable, but further on they form robber gangs, 
and would be dangerous to a small party. 
2\st. — Journeyed along the Ninda. Ever since leaving the 
Barotse valley we have been constantly ascending, so that now 
we are travelling through hilly country, very cold at night, with 
sharp touches of frost, but during the day the sun is strong. I 
have tried to walk barefoot, my boots being worn out, but the 
sand was so hot that after half-an-hour's hopping along I had 
to give in, with four large blisters on my feet ; this is winter here. 
WATERSHED OF THE ZAMBESI AND QUANDO. 
May 22nd. — To-day we reach the source of the Ninda, which 
flows from a range of hills dividing the water-flow between the 
Zambesi and Quando (or Kwando) rivers. Here the hills are 
high and thickly-wooded. 
2^rd. — Crossed the hills and reached the source of the river 
Shulongo, tributary to the Kumbule, which again is tributary 
to the Quando river. Following the Shulongo we came to the 
Kumbule, a large, beautiful stream, which seemed to dance 
along over a bed of silver sand, so bright that it was painful to 
look at it. Orange, green, and other bright-coloured water- 
weeds were growing in abundance, and were beautifully mixed. 
All the rivers and little streams have the same bright appearance 
in this part of the country, showing that "Afric's sunny fountains" 
is no mere poetic dream ; but the sands are silver, not "golden," 
as in Heber's hymn. It is a pity to see such a fertile and un- 
doubtedly healthy country so thinly peopled. 
24th. — Crossed hilly country, densely wooded, and reached 
the river Shikoloi, running south through a valley. 
H 2 
