AGUE AGAIN. 
91 
effect, and in the course of a couple of hours I felt 
better. 
22 nd. —Eeached Utumani’s at sunset, utterly done 
up. Spent a miserable night, never closing my eyes : 
rats annoyed me beyond all possible endurance — 
galloping and chasing one another all over my body 
and face. I roused my Kaffir, struck a light, and 
took a strong dose of laudanum, and towards morn¬ 
ing I got a good sleep. 
I was now better, but the ague returned with 
dreadful punctuality at four every afternoon, and 
lasted about two hours. 
I had managed to make a short journey almost 
every day, and on the evening of the 24th I reached 
Moputa’s, and was hospitably received by the cap¬ 
tain, who sent me heaps of eggs, &c., and I had a 
good night’s rest. A long walk brought me on the 
next day to the Pongola, where, instead of the 
quinine which I had been looking forward to, and 
the luxuries of coffee, sugar, and bread (which last I 
had not tasted for seven weeks), I found simply 
nothing. At last, however, I discovered a little rice, 
which I had left behind me on my last visit, and 
which was now really welcome. The next day, Tom, 
the messenger, arrived with a supply of all comfort¬ 
able things, and raised my spirits considerably. 
On the 28th I started early, and long before 
sunset reached Tagati’s, where I stayed the following 
day with Austin. He left me the next day, after 
making an exchange of salt for some needles and 
