slow, every step of the way having to be hacked through the
dense bush ; this continued, with constant halts to allow the
men ahead time to cut the bush, till three in the afternoon,
when we were nearly abreast of the ridge we had been
making for so long; the guides called it Makundu. The
country passed through presented much the same characteristics
as previously described ; we passed numerous clumps of
Sansevieria.
On reaching Makundu ridge, I told Bwana Siri that as the
OUR PATH THROUGH THE BUSH.
people had had a very hard day’s work I proposed camping
on the other side of it, but he said to get there we must
make a wide circuit, as the bush immediately round the ridge
was very thick and quite impenetrable. Off we went again,
and after another hour’s hard cutting the guide suddenly
declared that as there was no water there we must again
alter our direction. I agreed, but asked him why on earth
he had not told me this before!
Now began an aimless wandering here and there, our head
guide showing, purposely I believed, an utter ignorance of
the country, for it seemed to me that we were now retracing
our steps towards Burkau in a parallel direction to that we
had travelled over yesterday. A s it was getting late I said
nothing, intending to remonstrate afterwards, for I found the
local guide brought from Burkau to be perfectly useless.
He admitted that he was only a slave,, and knew nothing
whatever about the country, having never been here before,
but said he had been ordered to come, and what could he do ?
LAST DAY ’S CAMP IN THE BUSH.
Just as it was getting dark we reached a water-pool, by
which we camped, all dead beat after our tedious ten hours
wandering in the bush.
In the evening I had a long talk with the guide, Bwana
S ir i; I told him I had sent for him privately, as I did not
wish to shame him before the others. I asked him what was I
to think ?— here we were, after three days’ aimless wanderings,
as far off as ever from the forest we were seeking; could he
be surprised if, judging from his actions to-day, I had begun