TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 17 
that the smallest spark of fire is sufficient to set 
it in a blaze for miles. One of our animals that 
had not come up with the rear, lay down with his 
load, within range of the burning grass, which 
soon communicated with some gunpowder, and 
blew the whole to pieces. On the morning of 
the 19th, we moved forward at eight o'clock. 
The first hour's march lay along the side of a 
steep hill, rendered doubly difficult for the ani- 
mals by being covered with small rough stones. 
At ten we descended to a plain, and crossed 
three small brooks, the first running nne. and 
the two latter s. and by w. Several of the 
European non-commissioned officers and sol- 
diers were so ill during this march, that they 
lay down under some trees on the path-side. I 
prevailed on two of them to move slowly for- 
ward, but the others requested to be allowed to 
rest until the cool of the evening. My own 
horse, and every animal in the division, were so 
heavily laden, that we could not affi3rd them any 
assistance. At one, p. m., we began to ascend 
some rocky hills, where we were obliged to 
abandon three animals. At the bottom of those 
hills, we passed the dry bed of a rocky water- 
course, and, shortly after, had considerable dif- 
ficulty in crossing another of the kind, near 
which we halted, in a small valley by the side 
of a brook called Bontong Ko. 
c 
