The Donkeys Were Exceedingly Fresh, But
They Had Acquired A Most Disgusting Habit.
The Latookas are remarkably
clean in their towns, and nothing unclean is permitted within the
stockade or fence.
Thus the outside, especially the neighbourhood of the
various entrances, was excessively filthy, and my donkeys actually
fattened as scavengers, like pigs. I remembered that my unfortunate
German Johann Schmidt had formerly told me that he was at one time
shooting in the Base country, where the grass had been burnt, and not a
blade of vegetation was procurable. He had abundance of sport, and he
fed his donkey upon the flesh of antelopes, which he ate with avidity,
and throve exceedingly. It is a curious fact that donkeys should under
certain circumstances become omnivorous, while horses remain clean
feeders.
CHAPTER VII.
LATOOKA.
The country in the immediate neighbourhood of Latooka was parched, as
there had been no rain for some time. The latitude was 4 degrees 35',
longitude 32 degrees 55' E.; the rains had commenced in February on the
mountains on the south side of the valley, about eighteen miles distant.
Every day there was an appearance of a storm; the dark clouds gathered
ominously around the peak of the Gebel Lafeet above the town, but they
were invariably attracted by the higher range on the opposite and south
side of the valley, where they daily expended themselves at about 3 P.M.
On that side of the valley the mountains rose to about 6,000 feet, and
formed a beautiful object seen from my camp. It was most interesting to
observe the embryo storms travel from Tarrangolle in a circle, and
ultimately crown the higher range before us, while the thunder roared
and echoed from rock to rock across the plain.
The Latookas assured me that at the foot of those mountains there were
elephants and giraffes in abundance; accordingly, I determined to make a
reconnaissance of the country.
On the following morning I started on horseback, with two of my people
mounted, and a native guide, and rode through the beautiful valley of
Latooka to the foot of the range. The first five or six miles were
entirely de-pastured by the enormous herds of the Latookas who were
driven to that distance from the towns daily, all the country in the
immediate vicinity being dried up. The valley was extremely fertile, but
totally unoccupied and in a state of nature, being a wilderness of open
plains, jungles, patches of forest and gullies, that although dry
evidently formed swamps during the wet season. When about eight miles
from the town we came upon tracks of the smaller antelopes, which,
although the weakest, are the most daring in approaching the habitations
of man. A few miles farther on, we saw buffaloes and hartebeest, and
shortly came upon tracks of giraffes. Just at this moment the inky
clouds that as usual had gathered over Tarrangolle came circling around
us, and presently formed so dense a canopy that the darkness was like a
partial eclipse.
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