CHAPTER XL
AMONG THE MAKORIKORI PEOPLE.
Tedious marching—Magombegombe mountains—John is | varee seek 1—
Our comical goat—Baboons—Lubola mountains—Zingabila—Mode of
making bark blankets—M’jela, the chief—Kunyungwi still far off—
Desertions—Method bf securing an ox—Difficulty in getting boys—
Presents from M’jela—Umfana’s eating powers—The Dorah river
Camping places selected by natives—A lioness in the way—Lost
chances of a shot John’s lion experiences—A fearful position—A
wild forest scene—Hovering vultures—Adventure with a lioness—
Native scramble for the lion’s prey—Happy natives—The Mutua
river—The Buiana river—The Makomwe mountains—An amusing
old fossil—Long fasting—poor diet—The “ dry goods bank” nearly
empty—“ How many moon’s is dat since we leave Buluwayo?”—
Miseries of travel—Native houses—The “ Three Brothers ’’—The great
basin of the Zambesi—Tropical forests.
A s il e n t and lovely evening followed one of the hottest
days which had been experienced during our long journey.
Now the party was somewhat weary, for the march had
been long and tedious. The many miles we had covered
had carried us through tracts of marshy country, the deep
black soil being intersected by numerous muddy rivulets.
We had crossed the Ruia river, beside the headwaters of
which we had encamped during the eventful journey to
Chuzu’s.
We were now holding upon a more easterly course.
Chuzu’s inhospitable country would, therefore, be left far
to the south-west. We had to cross streams which had
swollen to the proportions of goodly-sized rivers, and remembered
that we had seen their original waters trickling in
tiny rills in their rough and rocky birthplaces on the slopes
of the Umvukwe mountains.
Our first camp was pitched in a cosy spot under the
frowning shades of the Magombegombe mountains, consisting
of gigantic rocks, which were as bare of verdure as blocks of
well-hewn stone, and whose yawning, cavernous gaps had
for ages been the trumpets of the storm, shrieking aloud or
groaning dismally through the riven nooks.
Where, oh where! was that much longed-for Zambesi?
X was beginning to think that it was a mirage of the map-
makers. The fact was clear that my party would soon
break up. There was but one course left for me, and that
was to press on with all possible speed. The aspect of
affairs was daily becoming more serious.
John’s conversation was far from being inspiriting.
« Master, I am varee seek. I feel all de life ” [he meant
his body], “ and dese peoples say that dey don’t go to the
rafeer. De town is long way dis side! Den I tink of my
wife. My Gaut, I tink there is wanting in de house at home
now! My heart is varee sore dis night.”
“ John, Jo h n ! ” I exclaimed, knowing his weak point;
“ elephants ahead, my boy. Never mind to-day—onwards!”
This chat occurred upon one of those nights when I had
to cheer the man in his despondency. But now he proved
to be inconsolable; therefore I told him that if he would
go to the town to which our new guides would take us, he
might afterwards return homewards. I would not ask him
to go any farther ; I would try and get Earemba to go with
me. After this declaration I retired to my blankets.
When attempting to find repose, I found the old goat in
an uncomfortably playful mood. I t is curious what a lot
of amusement may be found in observing the antics even of
a goat, especially of such a truly comical one as ours. It