buruma--Character our Guides give of
us.

13TH. The country is becoming very beautiful, and furrowed by deep
valleys; the underlying rocks, being igneous, have yielded fertile soil.
There is great abundance of large game. The buffaloes select open spots,
and often eminences, as standing-places through the day. We crossed the
Mbai, and found in its bed rocks of pink marble. Some little hills near
it are capped by marble of beautiful whiteness, the underlying rock
being igneous. Violent showers occur frequently on the hills, and cause
such sudden sweeping floods in these rivulets, that five of our men, who
had gone to the other side for firewood, were obliged to swim back.
The temperature of the air is lowered considerably by the daily rains.
Several times the thermometer at sunrise has been as low as 68 Deg., and
74 Deg. at sunset. Generally, however, it stood at from 72 Deg. to 74
Deg. at sunrise, 90 Deg. to 96 Deg. at midday, and 80 Deg. to 84 Deg.
at sunset. The sensation, however, as before remarked, was not
disagreeable.

14TH. We entered a most beautiful valley, abounding in large game.
Finding a buffalo lying down, I went to secure him for our food. Three
balls did not kill him, and, as he turned round as if for a charge, we
ran for the shelter of some rocks. Before we gained them, we found that
three elephants, probably attracted by the strange noise, had cut off
our retreat on that side; they, however, turned short off, and allowed
us to gain the rocks. We then saw that the buffalo was moving off quite
briskly, and, in order not to be entirely balked, I tried a long shot at
the last of the elephants, and, to the great joy of my people, broke his
fore leg. The young men soon brought him to a stand, and one shot in the
brain dispatched him. I was right glad to see the joy manifested at such
an abundant supply of meat.

On the following day, while my men were cutting up the elephant, great
numbers of the villagers came to enjoy the feast. We were on the side
of a fine green valley, studded here and there with trees, and cut by
numerous rivulets. I had retired from the noise, to take an observation
among some rocks of laminated grit, when I beheld an elephant and her
calf at the end of the valley, about two miles distant. The calf was
rolling in the mud, and the dam was standing fanning herself with her
great ears. As I looked at them through my glass, I saw a long string
of my own men appearing on the other