356 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
far out of the heavy surf, and then climbed the 2000 
feet-high slopes in search of game ; but the gras-s was 
high, the jungle dense, the slope steep and fatiguing, 
and we had to return without sighting: a single head. 
Next day we coasted along land familiar to me from 
my journey with Livingstone to Unyanyembe, and at 
7 p.m. encamped at Urimba, about a mile south-west of 
the river Luwajeri, or Luwegeri. 
Having been so successful in January 1872, I sallied 
out the next day over ground which I looked upon 
with reverence. The exact place covered by our little 
tent, only six feet square of land, was hallowed by 
associations of an intercourse which will never, never 
be repeated. I recognized the tree above which we 
hoisted our mighty crimson and white banner to attract 
the lagging land caravan, the plain where I had dropped 
the zebra, the exact spot where I shot a fine fat goose 
for breakfast, the aspiring peak of Kivanga, the weird- 
looking mountains of Tongwe. I knew my road here, 
and dwelt upon all its features, until the old life seemed 
renewed, and all things seemed as before. 
But I resumed my search. In an hour I am two 
miles from camp, and in view of a herd of zebra. 
Billali becomes feverish lest I should miss the game, 
and, like an honest, faithful servant taking enormous 
interest in his master’s success, lies down to hug the 
ground in piteous stillness. I advance a few paces 
cautiously behind a scraggy acacia, and in a few seconds 
two of the noble creatures are dead, and the others are 
sweeping round a clump of hills, whimpering for their 
lost companions. As we have now enough meat to last 
us several days, I give them their liberty. 
The day is devoted to cutting the meat into long 
strips and drying it over wooden grates, while each of 
the forty men composing the lake exploring band seems 
profoundly impressed with the necessity of forestalling 
future demands on his digestive organs by consuming 
injudicious quantities there and then. 
In the midst of this most innocent recreation there 
stepped forth to our view some sinister objects — Ruga- 
