There We Breakfasted, And Pushed On, Carrying Water To A Bivouac
In The Jungles, As The Famine Precluded Our Taking The March More
Easily.
Pushing on again, we cleared out of the woods, and arrived at the
eastern border of the largest clearance of Ugogo, Kanyenye.
Here
we were forced to halt a day, as the mules were done up, and
eight of the Wanyamuezi porters absconded, carrying with them the
best part of their loads. There was also another inducement for
stopping here; for, after stacking the loads, as we usually did
on arriving in camp, against a large gouty-limbed tree, a hungry
Mgogo, on eyeing our guns, offered his services to show us some
bicornis rhinoceros, which, he said paid nightly visits to
certain bitter pools that lay in the nullah bottoms not far off.
This exciting intelligence made me inquire if it was not possible
to find them at once; but, being assured that they lived very far
off, and that the best chance was the night, I gave way, and
settled on starting at ten, to arrive at the ground before the
full moon should rise.
I set forth with the guide and two of the sheikh's boys, each
carrying a single rifle, and ensconced myself in the nullah, to
hide until our expected visitors should arrive, and there
remained until midnight. When the hitherto noisy villagers
turned into bed, the silvery moon shed her light on the desolate
scene, and the Mgogo guide, taking fright, bolted.
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