different vegetation. Instead of the laurel-leaved trees of various
kinds, we have African ebonies, acacias, and mimosae: the grass is
shorter and more sparse, and we can move along without wood-cutting.
We were now opposite a hill on the south called Simba, a lion, from
its supposed resemblance to that animal. A large Mabiha population
live there, and make raids occasionally over to this side for slaves.

_6th May, 1866._--Tsetse again. The animals look drowsy. The cow's eye
is dimmed; when punctured, the skin emits a stream of scarlet blood.
The people hereabouts seem intelligent and respectful. At service a
man began to talk, but when I said, "Ku soma Mlungu,"--"we wish to
pray to God," he desisted. It would be interesting to know what the
ideas of these men are, and to ascertain what they have gained in
their communings with nature during the ages past. They do not give
the idea of that boisterous wickedness and disregard of life which we
read of in our own dark ages, but I have no one to translate, although
I can understand much of what is said on common topics chiefly from
knowing other dialects.

_7th May, 1866._--A camel died during the night, and the grey buffalo
is in convulsions this morning. The cruelty of these sepoys vitiates
my experiment, and I quite expect many camels, one buffalo, and one
mule to die yet; they sit down and smoke and eat, leaving the animals
loaded in the sun. If I am not with them, it is a constant dawdling;
they are evidently unwilling to exert themselves, they cannot carry
their belts and bags, and their powers of eating and vomiting are
astounding. The Makondé villages are remarkably clean, but no sooner
do we pass a night in one than the fellows make it filthy. The climate
does give a sharp appetite, but these sepoys indulge it till relieved
by vomiting and purging. First of all they breakfast, then an hour