Around, And Up And Down, The Party Clambered Among
These Heated Blocks, At A Pace Not Exceeding A Mile An
Hour; the
strain upon the muscles in jumping from crag to boulder, and
wriggling round projections, took an enormous deal
Out of them, and
they were often glad to cower in the shadow formed by one rock
overhanging and resting on another; the shelter induced the
peculiarly strong and overpowering inclination to sleep, which too
much sun sometimes causes. This sleep is curative of what may be
incipient sunstroke: in its first gentle touches, it caused the
dream to flit over the boiling brain, that they had become lunatics
and had been sworn in as members of the Alpine club; and then it
became so heavy that it made them feel as if a portion of existence
had been cut out from their lives. The sun is excessively hot, and
feels sharp in Africa; but, probably from the greater dryness of the
atmosphere, we never heard of a single case of sunstroke, so common
in India. The Makololo told Dr. Livingstone they "always thought he
had a heart, but now they believed he had none," and tried to
persuade Dr. Kirk to return, on the ground that it must be evident
that, in attempting to go where no living foot could tread, his
leader had given unmistakeable signs of having gone mad. All their
efforts of persuasion, however, were lost upon Dr. Kirk, as he had
not yet learned their language, and his leader, knowing his companion
to be equally anxious with himself to solve the problem of the
navigableness of Kebrabasa, was not at pains to enlighten him.
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