UNEASY THOUGHTS 
71 
whose bright metallic colouring radiated the sparkling light like 
gems in the sunshine; and also by the warbling of swarms of 
golden weaver-birds, whose motley melody struck the ear in 
varying cadence, modulated by gentle breezes that stirred the 
pendent foliage rustling into life. Then at night resting under 
some mighty tree with a cloudless sky overhead, while the 
babbling of the camp merged into one continuous murmur, 
occasionally broken by the declamation of some excited native 
narrating past adventures, with the sparkling fires throwing 
mysterious shadows around, how well we felt recompensed for 
the day’s exertion, it were vain to tell. Only the thought of 
what was before us disturbed the harmony—the thirst to see 
the unknown, with a myriad anxieties for the future: Would we 
reach our goal, and would we be there to see the results of our 
journey recorded ? or would, through some contrary influence, the 
objects of our expedition be nullified, and the account of it never 
reach the outer world ? Such thoughts, better left alone, would 
plague one in the still of night, banishing sleep, and bringing 
memories of the civilised world, until in sheer desperation one 
would pace the darkness between the fires until calmer reflection 
brought rest to refresh one for the coming day. 
A remarkable irregular white blotchiness of the skin on 
the natives’ abdomens, which had aroused our curiosity, found 
explanation in the fact that the natives, during the cold nights 
on which they slept out without clothing, built themselves little 
oblong frameworks of green wood, sixteen inches high, on top 
of which they made fires. Sleeping under this for warmth, the 
burning embers often fell through the framework on to their 
naked skins, raising blisters which, when healed, left the affected 
part white or grey. It is from this circumstance, widely spread 
in South Africa, that the Boers have humorously nicknamed the 
tribes living west of the Transvaal ‘ Vaalpense,’ or 'grey bellies.’ 
Owing to their nakedness, there was a great demand for skins 
suitable for covering by our boys, the letzwee buck being the 
favourite, and it was not long before each bearer had a skin 
attached to his bundle, waiting for a favourable opportunity to 
