and the undergrowth were saturated with moisture, we got
drenched through and through. Frequent halts were necessary
to allow stragglers to come up, and once some excitement
was caused by a .deep growl and a rustling ahead, probably
due to a leopard. After this little episode all the
porters kept up most beautifully!
We reached my old camping-ground at U’Kanga at 3 a.m.,
and as soon as my tent was pitched I had some supper and
hot cocoa and went to bed, sleeping till nine in the morning.
The same afternoon I left for Kipini, arriving there at 5.15
in the evening.
The temperature during this day was as follows— .
U’Kanga, 10 a.m., ... 83?
12 noon, ... 82° (Heavy rain and thunderstorm)
2 p.m., ... 88°
3 „ ... 88°
Kipini, 6 „ ... 8i°<t(
The next day (March 30) much time was wasted in
waiting for the ferry-boat to cross the Ozi river, and I passed
the time in trying to stalk some hippo in the river. The
ferryman could not be found, so I got my porters to launch
the boat— and very leaky it was— and we paddled ourselves
across. It was nearly ten o’clock by the time every one had
crossed and we had started along the sea-shore for the mouth
of the Tana river. Marching was very pleasant and easy
over the splendid flat sandy beach, fringed all along by low
white sandhills, which were covered with low green vegetation
and thick fan-palm clumps. .
We reached the mouth of the Tana river at 5 p.m., having
taken six and a half hours, resting one hour on the way, to
do the twenty miles from Kipini.
There were a lot of crocodiles swimming about the river,
and I shot a large one while my porters and loads were being
ferried across, the ferry-boat being a small canoe only capable
of holding six people at a time. I camped on the other side
of the river, the banks of which are flat and sandy. The river-
water becomes quite fresh and drinkable as soon as the tide
has gone out.