a deep ro ck y channel. Near this ravine was a
space about a square mile in extent, strangely
torn up and exhibiting thousands o f boulders
and blocks, large and small, with smooth, water-
worn tops; and the sides o f what is now a
small hill in the centre o f the basin showed
visible traces o f the action o f furious torrents
through centuries o f time. T he hard granite
was worn into cones, the tops o f which bore a
calcined appearance, proving the effect o f intense
heat suddenly cooled b y rain. T h e ro ck y channel
o f this stream • in the Matongo basin was a
veritable geological section. The surface consisted
o f massive granite boulders imbedded in
vegetable deposit; below this was a stratum o f
sand about 3 feet deep, below the sand a stratum
o f coarse shingle o f quartz, feldspar, and porphyry,
about 8 feet thick, and below this was alluvium,
resting on solid rock.
During these days the thermometer had seldom
risen higher than 78°; for hours during the day
it stood at 66°, while at night the mean was 63°.
Seven miles from Chiwyu stand the villages o f
Mangura on the borders o f Ituru. Soon after
leaving Mangura we ought to have followed the
left-hand road, which, after traversing a forest,
would have brought us to Mgongo Tembo,
where w e should have found Wangwana and
Wanyamwezi. W e also discovered that we had
already lost the regular path to Usukuma at
Kashongwa, which would hare taken us, we
were td d , to Utaturu and thence to Mgongo
■Tembo. But the Mangura natives, though they
were otherwise tolerant o f our presence and b y
no means ill-disposed, would not condescend
show us the road, and we were therefore ex-
p o s ld to a series o f calamities, which at one
time threatened our very existence.
After passing Mangura, we entered Ituru.
Streams now became numerous, all flowing northw
trd but though such a well-watered country,
the cattle in it were poor and gaunt f r am ,
the dogs half starved, and the sheep and goats
mere skeletons. Only the human J | . n ^ m e d ]
to me to be in go od condition. Among
birds o f this region which attracted our ¡ M M
we noted spur-winged g e e se , small brown short-
billed ducks, delicate o f flesh and dehcious
e a t i n g , long-legged plover, snipe, cranes herons
spoonbills, parroquets and ja y s , and a large
greyish-brown bird with short legs resembling
a goose , and v e r y shy and difficult o f approach.
T h e language o f Ituru is totally distinct from
that o f U g o g o or o f Unyamwezi. Besides possessing
large herds o f cattle, nearly every village
boasts o f one or two strong Masai asses. A s t e
Wanyaturu stood in groups indulging t eir
curiosity outside our camps, I observed they
had a curious habit o f employing themselves^.n