Time Enough Had Not Elapsed Since The Slave-Trader's
Invasion, And Destruction Of Their Stores, For Them To Raise Crops Of
Grain On The Adjacent Lands.
To deal with them for a few heads of
maize was the hungry bargaining with the famished, so we hastened on
southwards as fast as the excessive heat would allow us.
It was
impossible to march in the middle of the day, the heat was so
intolerable; and we could not go on at night, because, if we had
chanced to meet any of the inhabitants, we should have been taken for
marauders.
We had now thunder every afternoon; but while occasional showers
seemed to fall at different parts, none fell on us. The air was
deliciously clear, and revealed all the landscape covered everywhere
with forest, and bounded by beautiful mountains. On the 31st October
we reached the Mukuru-Madse, after having travelled 660 geographical
miles, or 760 English miles in a straight line. This was
accomplished in fifty-five travelling days, twelve miles per diem on
an average. If the numerous bendings and windings, and ups and downs
of the paths could have been measured too, the distance would have
been found at least fifteen miles a day.
The night we slept at the Mukuru-Madse it thundered heavily, but, as
this had been the case every afternoon, and no rain had followed, we
erected no shelter, but during this night a pouring rain came on.
When very tired a man feels determined to sleep in spite of
everything, and the sound of dropping water is said to be conducive
to slumber, but that does not refer to an African storm.
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