176 
HERDS OF THE LATOOKAS AND GAME. [chai\ vir. 
entirely de-pastured by the enormous herds of the 
Latookas who were driven to that distance from the 
towns daily, all the country in the immediate vicinity 
being dried up. The valley was extremely fertile, but 
totally Unoccupied and in a state of nature, being a 
wilderness of open plains, jungles, patches of forest and 
gullies, that although dry evidently formed swamps 
during the wet season. When about eight miles from 
the town we came upon tracks of the smaller antelopes, 
which, although the weakest, are the most daring in 
approaching the habitations of man. A few miles 
farther on, we saw buffaloes and hartebeest, and shortly 
came upon tracks of giraffes. Just at this moment the 
inky clouds that as usual had gathered over Tarrangolle 
came circling around us, and presently formed so dense 
a canopy that the darkness was like a partial eclipse. 
The thunder warned us with tremendous explosions 
just above us, while the lightning flashed almost at our 
feet with blinding vividness. A cold wind suddenly 
rushed through the hitherto calm air ; this is the certain 
precursor of rain in hot climates, the heavier cold air 
of the rain-cloud falling into the stratum of warmer 
and lighter atmosphere below. It did rain ;—in such 
torrents as only the inhabitants of tropical countries 
can understand. “ Cover up the gunlocks ! ”■—and the 
pieces of macintosh for that purpose were immediately 
secured in their places. Well, let it rain !—it is rather 
pleasant to be wet through in a country where the 
thermometer is seldom below 92° Fahr., especially when 
there is no doubt of getting wet through;—not like 
the wretched drizzling rain of England, that chills you 
with the fear that perhaps your great-coat is not water¬ 
proof, but a regular douche bath that would beat in 
the crown of a cheap hat. How delightful to be really 
cool in the centre of Africa ! I was charmingly wet—■ 
the water was running out of the heels of my shoes, 
which were overflowing; the wind howled over the 
flood that was pouring through the hitherto dry gullies, 
and in the course of ten minutes the whole scene had 
