destitute of vegetation, while the ground was covered with
small stones, brightened here and there by patches of short
coarse grass.
Away to the eastward lay expanded a very sterile country,
of extreme flatness, until the horizon was broken by a chain
of craggy mountains, stark upheavals of spire-like rocks,
whose wild recesses concealed Neanda, a large Mashona
town, of which Setouro was the chief, and he was said to
be friendly towards the Unyamwenda people. As: I have
previously remarked, these heights of rock are peculiar to
the country; they often tower hundreds of feet above the
land level, and almost invariably guide the traveller to the
sequestered towns of the oppressed Mashona.
Though not very late in the day, the boys were making
constant halts which boded that a camp would soon have to
be formed; and as I always preferred to anticipate the
wishes, and not allow them to “ run ” me altogether, which
in reality they were doing, I announced that we would
make a camp close to .the nearest water.
We soon arrived at the sloping banks of a small swiftly
running river, called the Gwiwi, which flows towards the
Hanyane.
Wading through the water, we had to force our way
through tall reeds which grew as thickly as grass. We
passed through a small black swamp, and, reaching the
other side, climbed the slopes, from which we could see a
small kopjie surrounded by young forest trees.
For a camp the place had quite an inviting appearance,
and consequently a halt was made.
As all the Mashona carry a small axe (the blade of
which, at the cutting edge, is not more than two inches in
width), they soon succeeded in clearing a comfortable spot;
forming indeed a capital enclosure (skerm) of young trees,
and branches which wound in and ou t; the whole being a
circular fence about six feet in height, having a small
opening as a sort of gateway, which at night was closed up
with scrub.
Although the night was dark, its gloom seemed to have
but little effect upon the spirits of the company, which
were very much improved since the word-storm of the
morning.
Immense fires were soon alight, with forked sticks on
either side, and another stretching across. Upon the latter
were hung long strips of eland meat, so that the little
camp was a great kitchen, redolent with the odour of
savoury roast, but never too strong, because there was no
trouble about ventilation so long as the mighty star-lit sky
was our only roof.
The scene was novel in every way. Indeed it was noticeable
that, although I had now been camping for months,
newness in surroundings and experience was continually
present. Such changes might almost be called kaleidoscopic
in their variety. At present I was wandering with
a following of Mashona whose every act was new to me,
and supplied many oddities to arouse all sorts of quaint
reflections.
John and the worthy trio were the only companions whose
character and peculiarities I knew well.
Animation of a very lively description brightened the
camp as soon as the first repast was finished; and it must
be noted, that with the Mashona, dinner is not over until
everything in the shape of raw material is demolished, or
the gormandising powers of the carnivorous horde have
been defeated by repletion. A rebellion of nature alone
can curb the appetite of the insatiable cormorants.
Another indispensable part of the peculiar enjoyment of