One of these plains, near the Kafue, is covered with the large stumps and trunks of a petrified forest.
We halted a couple of days by the fine stream Sinjere, which comes from the Chiroby-roby hills, about eight miles to the north.

Many lumps of coal, brought down by the rapid current, lie in its channel.

The natives never seem to have discovered that coal would burn, and, when informed of the fact, shook their heads, smiled incredulously, and said "_Kodi_" (really), evidently regarding it as a mere traveller's tale.

They were astounded to see it burning freely on our fire of wood.

They told us that plenty of it was seen among the hills; but, being long ago aware that we were now in an immense coalfield, we did not care to examine it further.
A dyke of black basaltic rock, called Kakolole, crosses the river near the mouth of the Sinjere; but it has two open gateways in it of from sixty to eighty yards in breadth, and the channel is very deep.
On a shallow sandbank, under the dyke, lay a herd of hippopotami in fancied security.