THROUGH: THE FORESTS OF KIMAWENZI ; $c. 283 
any road rendered tlieir progress very trying. After 
about an hour of struggling through the rank forest 
undergrowth, during which I keenly felt my respon¬ 
sibility, we emerged on a little open grassy patch. 
Here all, uninvited, put down their loads, and very 
free criticism on our mode of travel was uttered. To 
add to our disagreeables, incessant rain had been fall¬ 
ing since two o’clock. Whilst stopping here to rest 
and hold a consultation, like a despotic monarch who 
feels his power threatened and seeks to appease his 
subjects by granting them a constitution, I invited all 
the men to take part in our deliberations, and suggest 
the best course to be followed. At this juncture the 
native guides arrived, having followed in our footsteps, 
anxious to see the result of our self-guidance. Wish¬ 
ing to transfer my responsibility to other shoulders, I 
offered them a present of cloth if they would lead us 
through the trackless forest to the precincts of Rombo ; 
whence I knew we could find our way unaided to 
Taveita. They consented, and once more we entered 
the dusky woods, following a zigzag course by means 
of the rough paths which elephants had just made. 
Often the Ion ^-stemmed flowers, and crushed, stained 
grass would be slowly rising up again erect from the 
prostrate position into which they had been trampled 
by the feet of the cumbrous proboscidians, and their 
smoking dung would bestrew the track, showing 
how recently these lords of the forest had preceded 
us. Indeed, from time to time they would make their 
presence known by sonorous trumpeting, but as they 
were quite aware of our proximity they took good 
care to conceal their huge bodies. The undergrowth 
was so dense that you might have touched an elephant 
in your gropings before you saw him; but above this 
