The Padrao and Pinda. 75 
time to fit up the hammocks. At night a body of 
armed bushmen marched down to inspect us. 
The demands for porterage were so exorbitant 
next morning, that we set out on foot under the 
guidance of Tom Peter. We passed southwards 
over large tracts of bush and gramineous plants, 
with patches of small plantations, manioc and 
thur; and settlements girt by calabash-trees, 
cocoas, palmyra and oil palms. The people poured 
out, threatened impotent vengeance on those who 
brought the white men to “ make their country,” 
that is, to seize and settle in it. The only animals 
were fowls and pigs ; small strong cages acting as 
hogstyes showed that leopards were dangerous ; 
in 1816 Lieutenant Hawkey found signs of these 
animals, together with elephant, wild boar, and 
antelope. Now there is no sport below the cata¬ 
racts, and possibly very little, except in the water, 
above them. Thence we debouched upon rolling 
land, loose and sandy waves, sometimes divided 
by swamps ; it is the lower end of the high yellow 
band seen from the south of the river, the true 
coast of alluvial soil, scattered here and there with 
quartz and pebbles. Then the bush opened out, and 
showed to the north-east stretches of grassy land, 
where the wild fig-tree drooped its branches, 
laden with thick fleshy leafage, to the ground ; 
these are the black dots which are seen from afar 
studding the tawny desert-like surface. Flowers 
