62 
THE NEW AFRICA 
remainder under a chief called ‘ Lozani ’ took up their quarters 
in the hitherto unoccupied Mababe district. 
Proceeding up the river under great difficulties, as the 
previous rainy season had been an unexceptionally heavy one, 
the river, according to Jan, being fourteen feet higher than usual, 
and consequently overflowing its banks, we were obliged to 
abandon the usual native footpaths and splash along through 
jungle and swamp with nothing to guide us but the outer edge 
of the water, which, according to the configuration of the 
country, often extended miles into the monotonous bush-grown 
sandy wastes. 
While resting at midday on July 3rd, some of the bearers 
followed a honey bird that invitingly twittered to us from a 
neighbouring tree. They returned shortly with some beautiful 
honey and a large python, to which the treacherous little 
feathered demon had taken them, a not unusual occurrence in 
this self-constituted little guide’s behaviour. Usually he leads 
one on, flying backwards and forwards as if in stages along the 
route, excitedly twittering till overtaken, then resuming his 
journey till he at last brings one to a bee’s nest, when he quietly 
waits until the honey is taken out and then consumes the 
crumbs left by the plunderers, who usually place a cake of honey 
aside to satisfy the desire for sweet things of their kind little 
guide, whose motive is clearly not so disinterested as at first 
might appear. It is as well, however, when following up the 
honey bird to go well armed, as he frequently leads one, whether 
by accident or intention I know not, across dangerous game. 
Some of the boys, as soon as the python was descried being 
carried to camp, made a rush for a share of the meat, which 
is considered by them to be a great delicacy. Seizing hold 
of one end, others rushed to the support of their friends at the 
other, and in a twinkling a good tug of war was organised, 
whereof the result was largely biassed in favour of those at the 
head end by the convulsions of the snake, which was only half 
dead, and, acting under the sudden stimulus of the pull, 
struggled fiercely to get free, and in its contractions simply 
