280 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
that we did not want for sugar, and we found bees’ 
nests unusually numerous. 
Every evening we encamped on the banks of some 
little stream, on its way from the high tablelands to 
the Zambesi. The leading characteristic of this district 
is the prevalence of such small streams, which spring 
from the south in the form of little rills, and gradually 
increase in breadth as they approach the Zambesi; so 
that it was of course impossible to keep along the banks 
of the Great River, as they are constantly broken by 
rugged precipices shutting in the crystal waters of the 
numerous rivulets. 
Sometimes we passed whole fields of crystalline 
quartz, resting on a foundation of greenstone, and much 
resembling glaciers in appearance. Their dazzling 
glittering white surfaces were very tiring to the eyes ; 
and the sharp edges of the rocks cut a pair of new 
shoes of mine so badly that they became useless in one 
day. Even my followers’ hard sandals made of dried 
buffalo hide soon wanted repairing. 
On the evening of the 28 th of June I noticed on the 
north-north-west, far above a vast green and apparently 
endless forest, some white cloud-masses, which ascended 
continuously in the form of four or five columns from 
the same spot without any change in appearance, in 
spite of the dead calm which prevailed every now and 
then. This phenomenon was the more striking, as the 
vast blue firmament, like a huge glass cupola, was 
unbroken by even the tiniest cloud as far as the eye 
could reach. When I pointed this singular appearance 
out to Masupasila, he said it was the Sipoma (waterfall), 
and never as long as my pulses beat shall I forget that 
moment. The name Mosiatunya (smoke sounds there), 
given to these falls by their discoverer Livingstone, must 
be of Makololo origin, and the Makololos are now 
almost extinct. The expression was altogether unknown 
to my people, who always spoke of the waterfall as 
“ Sipoma.” 
In the rainy season in October game must be far 
more plentiful in these regions than it was in my time, 
