people have their bodies
tattooed with new and full moons, stars, crocodiles, and Egyptian
gardens.

_19th September, 1869._--We crossed several rivulets three yards to
twelve yards, and calf deep. The mountain where we camped is called
Sangomelambe.

_20th September, 1869._--Up to a broad range of high mountains of light
grey granite; there are deep dells on the top filled with gigantic
trees, and having running rills in them. Some trees appear with enormous
roots, buttresses in fact like mangroves in the coast swamps, six feet
high at the trunk and flattened from side to side to about three inches
in diameter. There are many villages dotted over the slopes which we
climbed; one had been destroyed, and revealed the hard clay walls and
square forms of Manyuema houses. Our path lay partly along a ridge, with
a deep valley on each side: one on the left had a valley filled with
primeval forests, into which elephants when wounded escape completely.
The forest was a dense mass, without a bit of ground to be seen except a
patch on the S.W., the bottom of this great valley was 2000 feet below
us, then ranges of mountains with villages on their bases rose as far as
they could reach. On our right there was another deep but narrow gorge,
and mountains much higher than on our ridge close adjacent. Our ridge
looked like a glacier, and it wound from side to side, and took us to
the edge of deep precipices, first on the right, then on the left, till
down below we came to the villages of Chief Monandenda. The houses here
are all well filled with firewood on shelves, and each has a bed on a
raised platform in an inner room.

The paths are very skilfully placed on the tops of the ridges of hills,
and all gullies are avoided. If the highest level were not in general
made the ground for passing through the country the distances would at
least be doubled, and the fatigue greatly increased. The paths seem to
have been used for ages: they are worn deep on the heights; and in
hollows a little mound rises on each side, formed by the feet tossing a
little soil on one side.

_21st September, 1869._--Cross five or six rivulets, and as many
villages, some burned and deserted, or inhabited. Very many people come
running to see the strangers. Gigantic trees all about the villages.
Arrive at Bambarre or Moenekuss.

About eighty hours of actual travelling, say at 2' per hour = say 160'
or 140'. Westing from 3rd August to 21st September. My stre