364 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
easterly direction, and called Lubola mountains. To¬ 
wards the west the great rock, which crowns the Barre' 
mountain, was clearly visible. This we had first ob¬ 
served when we were upon the Umvukwe range. This 
igneous region is very striking. We passed a spot 
where the natives had evidently been reducing iron 
ore, for there were large heaps of slag from the furnace. 
But although I hunted diligently for the kiln, it could 
not be discovered. The iron ore had been brought 
from the neighbourhood of Negomo, near the Amazoe 
river. 
Changing direction towards the east, we soon dis- 
tinguished the twin peaks which had been seen from 
Inyota. We moved rapidly on, and shortly descended 
into a deep gorge, through which we passed to emerge 
upon a small plain clothed with a growth of low forest, 
and encircled by a slightly elevated chain of pointed 
mountains. 
Here we halted, our position being close to the town 
which boasts of the peculiarly musical name of 
Zingabila. 
As we approached the place, I had an opportunity of 
seeing the modus operandi of an important native 
industry. Bark blankets were being made close to our 
camp. Two boys had felled a tree, the bark of which 
they cut round about eight feet above the root. They 
then commenced to peel off the bark by means of two 
wooden adzes, removing it much in the same way as we 
would take off a long stocking, which is turned inside 
out during the operation, thus forming as it were a 
seamless kilt. The splitting down the sides is a subse¬ 
quent piece of work. Considering the diligent manner 
in which they worked, the boys would certainly be able 
to turn out two or three blankets a day. 
The stripping must be done while the tree is fresh. 
If it is allowed to lay even for a very short time the 
bark becomes too hard. After being taken off the tree, 
the bark is soaked, until the outer and harder surface 
is removed, leaving a blanket of wood-bark fibre of 
great durability; but I cannot say of extraordinary 
