•CHAP. XV.] 
KAMBASVS RETREAT , 
415 
in mock fight with each other as though full of 
valour, and boiling over with a desire to meet the 
enemy. Bacheeta, who was a sworn enemy to Kamrasi, 
delighted at his approaching discomfiture. As some of 
the most desperate looking warriors, dressed with horns 
upon their heads, rushed up to us brandishing their 
spears, she shouted in derision, “ Dance away, my boys ! 
now's your time when the enemy is far away, but if 
you see a M'wa, as big as the boy Saat, you will run 
as fast as your legs can carry you." 
The M was were reported to be so close to Kisoona 
that their nogaras had been heard from Kamrasi's 
position, therefore we were to be ready to march for 
Atada before daybreak on the following morning. 
There was little sleep that night, as all the luggage had 
to be packed in readiness for the early start. Cassave, 
who could always be depended upon, arrived at my 
hut, and told me that messengers had reported that 
the M'was had swept everything before them, having 
captured all the women and cattle of the country and 
killed a great number of people; that they had seen 
the light of burning villages from Kamrasi's camp, and 
that it was doubtful whether the route was open to 
Atada. I suggested that men should be sent on in 
advance to report if the path were occupied—this was 
immediately done. 
Before daybreak on the following morning an im¬ 
mense volume of light with dense clouds of smoke in 
the direction of Kamrasi's position showed that his 
camp had been fired according to custom, and that his 
retreat had commenced;—many thousand grass huts 
were in flames, and I could not help being annoyed at 
the folly of these natives at thus giving the enemy 
notice of their retreat by a signal that could be seen 
at many miles' distance, when success depended upon 
rapid and secret movements. Shortly after these signs 
of the march, crowds of women, men, cows, goats, and 
luggage appeared, advancing in single file through a 
grove of plantains and passing within twenty yards of 
