CHAPTER VII.
LATOOKA.
The country in the immediate neighbourhood of
Latooka was parched, as there had been no rain for some
time. The latitude was 4? 35', longitude 32°. 55' E .;
the rains had commenced in February on the mountains
on the south side of the valley, about eighteen
miles distant. Every day there was an appearance of a
storm j the dark clouds gathered ominously around the
peak of the Gebel Lafeet above the town, but they were
invariably attracted by the higher range on the
opposite and south side of the valley, where they
daily expended themselves at about 3 p.m. On
that side of the valley the mountains rose to about
6,000 feet, and formed a beautiful object seen from my
camp. I t was most interesting to observe the embryo
storms travel from Tarrangolle in a circle, and
ultimately crown the higher range before us, while the
thunder roared and echoed from rock to rock across
the plain.
The Latookas assured me that at the foot of those
mountains there were elephants and giraffes in abundance
; accordingly, I determined to make a reconnaissance
of the country.
On the following morning I started on horseback,
with two of my people mounted, and a native guide,
and rode through the beautiful valley of Latooka to
the foot of the range. The first five or six miles were
entirely de-pastured by the enormous herds of the
Latookas who were driven to that distance from the
towns daily, all the country in the immediate vicinity
being dried up. The valley was extremely fertile, but
totally unoccupied and in a state of nature, being a
wilderness of open plains, jungles, patches of forest and
gullies, that although dry evidently formed swamps
during the wet season. When about eight miles from
the town we came upon tracks of the smaller antelopes,
which, although the weakest, are the most daring in
approaching the habitations of man. A few miles
farther on, we saw buffaloes and hartebeest, and shortly
came upon tracks of giraffes. Just at this moment the
inky clouds that as usual had gathered over Tarrangolle
came circling around us, and presently formed so dense
a canopy that the darkness was like a partial eclipse.
S 2