Women And Girls Began To Pound And
Grind Meal, And Men And Boys Chased The Screaming Fowls Over The
Village, Until They Ran Them Down.
In a few hours the market was
completely glutted with every sort of native food; the prices,
however, rarely fell, as they could easily eat what was not sold.
We slept under the trees, the air being pheasant, and no mosquitoes
on the hills. According to our usual plan of marching, by early dawn
our camp was in motion. After a cup of coffee and a bit of biscuit
we were on the way. The air was deliciously cool, and the path a
little easier than that of yesterday. We passed a number of
villages, occupying very picturesque spots among the hills, and in a
few hours gained the upper terrace, 3000 feet above the level of the
sea. The plateau lies west of the Milanje mountains, and its north-
eastern border slopes down to Lake Shirwa. We were all charmed with
the splendid country, and looked with never-failing delight on its
fertile plains, its numerous hills, and majestic mountains. In some
of the passes we saw bramble-berries growing; and the many other
flowers, though of great beauty, did not remind us of youth and of
home like the ungainly thorny bramble-bushes. We were a week in
crossing the high-lands in a northerly direction; then we descended
into the Upper Shire Valley, which is nearly 1200 feet above the
level of the sea.
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