We turned aside early in our march to avoid being wetted by rains, and took shelter in some old Babisa sheds; these, when the party is a slaving one, are built so as to form a circle, with but one opening: a ridge pole, or rather a succession of ridge poles, form one long shed all round, with no partitions in the roof-shaped hut.
On the _9th of January_ we ascended a hardened sandstone range.

Two men who accompanied our guide called out every now and then to attract the attention of the honey-guide, but none appeared.

A water-buck had been killed and eaten at one spot, the ground showing marks of a severe struggle, but no game was to be seen.

Buffaloes and elephants come here at certain seasons; at present they have migrated elsewhere.
The valleys are very beautiful: the oozes are covered with a species of short wiry grass, which gives the valleys the appearance of well-kept gentlemen's parks; but they are full of water to overflowing--immense sponges in fact;--and one has to watch carefully in crossing them to avoid plunging into deep water-holes, made by the feet of elephants or buffaloes.

In the ooze generally the water comes half-way up the shoe, and we go plash, plash, plash, in the lawn-like glade.