TI-IEOUGH ZAMBESIA. 
361 
far to the south-west. We had to cross streams which 
had swollen to the proportions of goodly-sized rivers, 
and remembered that we had seen their original 
waters trickling in tiny rills in their rough and rocky 
birthplaces on the slopes of the Umvukwe mountains. 
Our first camp was pitched in a cosy spot under 
the frowning shades of the Magombegom.be mountains, 
consisting of gigantic rocks, which were as bare of 
verdure as blocks of well-hewn stone, and whose yawn¬ 
ing, cavernous gaps had for ages been the trumpets of 
RETREAT FROM CHUZU’b COUNTRY. 
the storm, shrieking aloud or groaning dismally through 
the riven nooks. 
Where, oh where ! was that much longed-for Zambesi ? 
T was beginning to think that it was a mirage of the 
map-makers. The fact was clear that my party would 
soon break up. There was but one course left for me, 
and that was to press on with all possible speed. The 
aspect of affairs was daily becoming more serious. 
John’s conversation was far from being inspiriting. 
“ Master, I am varee seek. I feel all de life ” [he 
meant his body], “ and dese peoples say that dey don’t 
