t wish to trade with the white men, let them say so, and I
will tell my brethren that it is of no use to bring their waggons so
far."

"My people are very poor," the chief said; "they have been at war with
their neighbours, and have had no time to hunt the ostrich or to get
skins."

"They cannot have been fighting all the time," Mr Harvey rejoined;
"they must have taken furs and skins--it is clear that they do not wish
to trade. Tomorrow morning I will go on my way; there are many other
tribes who will be glad at the coming of the white trader."

After Mr Harvey's return to the waggons, it was evident that orders had
been issued that some trade should be done, for several parcels of
inferior kinds of ostrich feathers and skins were brought in. As it was
clear, however, that no genuine trade was to be done, at daybreak the
oxen were inspanned, and the caravan continued its journey.

For the next two days the track lay across an open country, and no signs
of molestation were met with.

"We are now coming," Mr Harvey said, "to the very worst part of our
journey. The hills we have seen in front of us for the last two days
have to be crossed. To-morrow we ascend the lower slopes, which are
tolerably easy; but the next day we have to pass through a very wild
gorge. The road, which is the bed of a stream, mounts rapidly; but the
ravine is nearly ten miles in length. Once at its head we are near the
highest point of the shoulder over which we have to cross, and the
descent on the other side is comparatively easy. If I could avoid this
spot, I would do so; but I know of no other road by which waggons could
cross the range for a very long distance either way; this is the one
always used by traders. In the wet season it is altogether impassable,
for in some places the ravine narrows to fifteen yards, with
perpendicular cliffs on either side, and at these points the river, when
in flood, rushes down twenty or thirty feet deep. Even putting aside
the danger of attack in going through it, I would gladly avoid it if I
could, for the weather is breaking; we have already had some showers,
and may get heavy thunderstorms and a tremendous downfall of rain any
day."

The next day the journey was an arduous one; the ground was rough and
broken, and the valley up which the road lay was frequently thickly
strewn with boulders, which showed the force with which the water in
flood-time rushed down over what was now its empty bed