186 
TEAVELS IN CENTEAL AFEICA. 
a.m. ; breakfasted. At noon again on the march our light brigade^ 
as we called the mountaineers^ having previously started. The wood 
was so dense that pioneers with their hatchets were summoned to 
cut a passage. Dr. Murie volunteered to walk ; his donkey was 
knocking up. Signor Carlo and Foxcroft soon followed his example. 
At one p.m. reached a vast shallow pond^ forded it_, and soon found 
ourselves on a common of great extent^, grandly studded with trees^ 
tamarinds principally. At two p.m. overtook the light brigade — 
our cooks and two soldiers^ their body-guard — all were resting 
beneath the shadow of a luxuriant tree. Pleasant greetings ex- 
changed. We were about to dismount and take a rest_, as the sun was 
scorching, when a shot was fired from an opposite direction to our 
line of march. We feared that Zein, a favourite soldier, who had, with 
two negroes, started an hour in advance of any of us, 'might have 
lost his way, no guide being with him. Petherick said, The poor 
fellow is in some danger : let us seek him.^^ Fatigue all forgotten, 
away we rode, and after half an hour^s rough riding we came up to 
Zein and the two porters with him. He related that after leaving 
the pond, trusting these men, he followed whither they led j but 
after a time he began to fear that they were taking him in a wrong 
direction, so he fired in the air, hoping to attract the attention of 
some of our party. Ere he had time to reload the negroes were 
upon him, and attempted to strangle him ; but Zein, a powerful 
fellow, threw them off : reloading his gun and pointing it at them, 
he compelled them to retrace their steps, he following, until met by 
us. We at once returned to the tree where all had congregated, 
partook of some refreshment, and at four p.m. again on the march, 
but very wearily. At five a halt, and tents fixed on the outskirts 
of a small village where grain was in abundance. We endeavoured 
to purchase some, as we were without, but the negroes would not sell 
