Though reluctant to leave a place where such rare animals were to
be found, the fear of remaining longer on the road induced us to
leave Kikobogo, and at a good stride we crossed the flat valley
of Makata, and ascended the higher lands beyond, where we no
sooner arrived than we met the last down trader from Unyamuezi,
well known to all my men as the great Mamba or Crocodile. Mamba,
dressed in a dirty Arab gown, with coronet of lion's nails
decorating a thread-bare cutch cap, greeted us with all the
dignity of a savage potentate surrounded by his staff of half-
naked officials. As usual, he had been the last to leave the
Unyamuezi, and so purchased all his stock of ivory at a cheap
rate, there being no competitors left to raise the value of that
commodity; but his journey had been a very trying one. With a
party, at his own estimate, of two thousand souls-- we did not
see anything like that number--he had come from Ugogo to this, by
his own confession, living on the products of the jungle, and by
boiling down the skin aprons of his porters occasionally for a
soup. Famines were raging throughout the land, and the Arabs
preceding him had so harried the country, that every village was
deserted. On hearing our intention to march upon the direct
line, he frankly said he thought we should never get through for
my men could not travel as he had done, and therefore he advised
our deflecting northwards from New Mbumi to join the track
leading from Rumuma to Ugogi. This was a sad disappointment;
but, rather than risk a failure, I resolved to follow his advice.

After reaching the elevated ground, we marched over rolling tops,
covered with small trees and a rich variety of pretty bulbs, and
reached the habitations of Muhanda, where we no sooner appeared
than the poor villagers, accustomed only to rough handling,