70 
THE KILIMA-NJAR 0 EXPEDITION. 
plains of Lanjora through, the sultry afternoon, and 
now towards evening stopped to lay down its many 
burdens amid the dusty tufts of scorched grass round 
the base of a great mimosa-tree. Only one hour might 
we rest, for water lay two days behind us and one 
long day’s journey in front, and we intended but to 
stretch our tired legs on the lumpy soil until the 
obscurity prevailing after sunset was dispelled by the 
uprising of the full moon. Then beneath her cooler 
rays we should journey on towards our goal for half 
the night, and so be spared a longer walk through the 
heat of the morrow’s sun. The day had been sultry, 
and, though the rainy season was over, the western 
sky was a mass of lurid clouds, which in one part of 
the horizon were particularly dark and concentrated. 
I knew what caused this, and what object these cloud- 
masses were jealously concealing like the courtiers and 
officials who surround the person of some Eastern 
emperor; and I, who had journeyed many weary miles 
to see the greatest snow-capped mountain of Central 
Africa, impatiently longed for some giant broom to 
clear the sky of those heavy mists and vapours which 
now hid him from my gaze. 
Slowly a globe of yellow-white rose in the east and 
mounted into the clouds, from whence a softened light 
descended, and showed the track across the plain 
winding away like a crooked snake towards the west. 
With many an impatient sigh and grunt the weary 
men took up their burdens, and I, no less tired, but 
compelled to show my porters an encouraging example, 
staggered on to my blistered feet and limped along in 
front of the caravan, which, once more on the move, 
jogged on with little heart till midnight. Then we 
could no more; so, making fires to keep off the wild 
