192 
WAGANDA ARE SO JOYOUS. 
even more agreeable ; he drew his flute from his waist, 
played some soft music, making his eyes twinkle with 
delight, and swayed his body as if charmed with his 
own sweet strains. They certainly are a most joyous 
race. On our third march from Karague, the ground 
was so steep, and there was so much danger of my 
falling off the stretcher, that I was obliged to get out, 
and be half-carried up the rocky side of the hill, never 
dreaming that they would run away with my convey- 
ance, which they did on seeing that I was able to put 
my foot to the ground. For a couple of hours they 
allowed me to wait there, while they, like a parcel of 
wicked boys, kept throwing rocks down the precipice, 
listening in perfect quiet till they heard the last sound 
of the stones reaching the bottom of the ravine, when 
all would shout together. 
From the capital of Karague to the right bank of 
the Kitangule, the distance via Meegongo was forty 
miles *over flat-topped bare hills, and across valleys 
with swamps. On emerging from these to the river 
plain, the flat country became studded with mounds 
from six to eight feet high, raised by the ever-working 
white ants. Thorny shrubs, cactus, climbing aloes, 
with pink flowers, covered them, or the jungle of grass 
was varied by circles of brushwood, giving shade to 
the rhinoceros ; the older trees were veiled over with 
silvery grey moss, which drooped gracefully, like the 
pendent branches of the weeping willow. The plain 
extended for ten miles, with several " back-waters " 
upon it, covered with the thorny mimosa and papyrus, 
through which we had to cut our way. Emerging from 
it and going towards the river, we came upon higher 
land — a dry grassy plain three miles across, kept short 
