It Proved So Obstinate That Fire
Had No Effect Upon It; And Although We Cut Off The Tails Of Some
To Relieve Them By Bleeding, Still They Died.
In former days Kirengue was inhabited, and we reasonably hoped to
find some supplies for the jungly march before us.
But we had
calculated without our host, for the slave-hunters had driven
every vestige of humanity away; and now, as we were delayed by
our three loads behind, there was nothing left but to send back
and purchase more grain. Such was one of the many days frittered
away in do-nothingness.
This day, all together again, we rose the first spurs of the
well-wooded Usagara hills, amongst which the familiar bamboo was
plentiful, and at night we bivouacked in the jungle.
Rising betimes in the morning, and starting with a good will, we
soon reached the first settlements of Mbuiga, from which could be
seen a curious blue mountain, standing up like a giant
overlooking all the rest of the hills. The scenery here formed a
strong and very pleasing contrast to any we had seen since
leaving the coast. Emigrant Waziraha, who had been driven from
their homes across the Kingani river by the slave-hunters, had
taken possession of the place, and disposed their little conical-
hut villages on the heights of the hill-spurs in such a
picturesque manner, that one could not help hoping they would
here at least be allowed to rest in peace and quietness. The
valleys, watered by little brooks, are far richer, and even
prettier, than the high lands above, being lined with fine trees
and evergreen shrubs; while the general state of prosperity was
such, that the people could afford, even at this late season of
the year, to turn their corn into malt to brew beer for sale; and
goats and fowls were plentiful in the market.
Passing by the old village of Mbuiga, which I occupied on my
former expedition, we entered some huts on the western flank of
the Mbuiga district; and here, finding a coast-man, a great
friend of the little sheikh's, willing to take back to Zanzibar
anything we might give him, a halt was made, and I drew up my
reports. I then consigned to his charge three of the most sickly
of the Hottentots in a deplorable condition - one of the mules,
that they might ride by turns - and all the specimens that had
been collected. With regret I also sent back the camera; because
I saw, had I allowed my companion to keep working it, the heat he
was subjected to in the little tent whilst preparing and fixing
his plates would very soon have killed him. The number of
guinea-fowl seen here was most surprising.
A little lighter and much more comfortable for the good riddance
of those grumbling "Tots," we worked up to and soon breasted the
stiff ascent of the Mabruki Pass, which we surmounted without
much difficult.
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