A lengthy march under the deep twilight shadows of a great forest,
which protected us from the hot sunbeams, brought us, on the next
day, to a camp newly constructed by a party of Arabs from Ujiji, who
had advanced thus far on their road to Unyanyembe, but, alarmed at
the reports of the war between Mirambo and the Arabs, had
returned. Our route was along the right bank of the Rugufu, a
broad sluggish stream, well choked with the matete reeds and the
papyrus. The tracks and the bois de vaches of buffaloes were
numerous, and there were several indications of rhinoceros being
near. In a deep clump of timber near this river we discovered a
colony of bearded and leonine-looking monkeys.
As we were about leaving our camp on the morning of the 28th a herd
of buffalo walked deliberately into view. Silence was quickly
restored, but not before the animals, to their great surprise, had
discovered the danger which confronted them. We commenced stalking
them, but we soon heard the thundering sound of their gallop,
after which it becomes a useless task to follow them, with a long
march in a wilderness before one.
The road led on this day over immense sheets of sandstone and iron
ore. The water was abominable, and scarce, and famine began to
stare us in the face.
