stay. It seemed healthy, food was abundant, but one
day’s journey down-stream, and for those that do not
long for hills it was certainly a most beautiful spot.
On the march to Hameye I shot a fine specimen of
walleri antelope. While buried in the woods, waiting
until my men finished the road, I was startled by the
crackling of bush; when suddenly a beautiful specimen
of water-buck leaped past me, his horns lying along his
neck, and his head thrown back. In a moment he was
gone. I am glad I had laid my gun aside, or I should
have been tempted to shoot him. A t 8 p .m . all the men
reached the river, and we camped on the shore. The
following day all the loads and beasts were safely ferried
over the stream, and the place began to look as if it had
been inhabited at all times, instead of having been
deserted for more than a year. I gave the guides presents,
and sent them home.
In contrast with the two weeks of work we had just
finished, our life at Hameye seemed a Paradise. Our
cup of happiness seemed filled, when we realized that
we had a cool roof over our heads, a stream of clear
water flowing at our feet, and meals consisting of good
food served with regularity three times daily. Camps
like the one at Hameye are welcome oases in the desert
of African travel; but to yield to the attractions of any
one spot does not subserve the ends for which an
expedition into Africa is promoted. Onward ! Onward !
is the cry ever ringing in one’s ears; so after two days
of this delicious idleness we began preparations for the
continuance of our journey. The canoes were returned
to the coast, as we had agreed with Sadi and the Po-
komo to return them as soon as we reached Hameye.