276 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
background of lofty mountains. The current of the 
river is noisy and rapid, running at a pace of three 
knots an hour, and its waters are clear, transparent, and 
of a greenish-blue colour. There is plenty of fish to 
be had, and almost every minute a gigantic crocodile 
or hippopotamus rises to the surface, to disappear as 
quickly as it came. 
After taking several meridian altitudes of the sun, I 
found the latitude of my camp to be 18° 2' 30" S. 
We had a most luxurious meal considering our 
circumstances, and in the afternoon I made a grand 
toilet and set out to pay Wanki a formal visit, in a 
boat sent by him for my use. It was specially stipu¬ 
lated that only Cluley and one native should accompany 
me, and that as many shots should be fired as possible 
on our way across the river. These conditions were 
fulfilled to the best of our ability, and when we landed 
on the northern bank we found about sixty people 
awaiting us, but Wanki himself had not yet appeared. 
Soon afterwards a long procession of men moved out 
of the village, amongst whom Wanki was easily 
recognisable a long way off, for he wore a high woollen 
nightcap, of which he seemed not a little proud; behind 
him marched musicians with drums and flutes. My 
own costume was somewhat fantastic, part of it dating 
from a Leipzig carnival ; and what with it, my high 
riding boots and spurs, and above all my silver 
epaulettes, which had belonged to my late father, the 
effect on my host was almost overpowering, and he 
must have thought me a very great Induna amongst 
the whites. I made a formal bow in European style, 
and, at first, surprise kept the natives silent. The ice 
was broken, however, as it often is with us by the 
circulation of wine ; the joalla bottle was passed round 
freely, and we soon came to the point. The result of 
the interview, which lasted about an hour, was that for 
a payment of white glass beads—with blue ones they 
would have nothing to do here—I obtained five men 
as guides and bearers to go with me to the Victoria 
O O 
Falls, three hundred pounds of durra, and five goats. 
