ot the wind," or caught the flavour of those who had gone
by. The sport is all up with the hunter who gets to the windward of the
African beast, as it cannot stand even the distant aroma of the human
race, so much dreaded by all wild animals. Is this the fear and the
dread of man, which the Almighty said to Noah was to be upon every beast
of the field? A lion may, while lying in wait for his prey, leap on a
human being as he would on any other animal, save a rhinoceros or an
elephant, that happened to pass; or a lioness, when she has cubs, might
attack a man, who, passing "up the wind of her," had unconsciously, by
his scent, alarmed her for the safety of her whelps; or buffaloes, amid
other animals, might rush at a line of travellers, in apprehension of
being surrounded by them; but neither beast nor snake will, as a general
rule, turn on man except when wounded, or by mistake. If gorillas,
unwounded, advance to do battle with him, and beat their breasts in
defiance, they are an exception to all wild beasts known to us. From the
way an elephant runs at the first glance of man, it is inferred that this
huge brute, though really king of beasts, would run even from a child.

Our two donkeys caused as much admiration as the three white men. Great
was the astonishment when one of the donkeys began to bray. The timid
jumped more than if a lion had roared beside them. All were startled,
and stared in mute amazement at the harsh-voiced one, till the last
broken note was uttered; then, on being assured that nothing in
particular was meant, they looked at each other, and burst into a loud
laugh at their common surprise. When one donkey stimulated the other to
try his vocal powers, the interest felt by the startled visitors, must
have equalled that of the Londoners, when they first crowded to see the
famous hippopotamus.

We were now, when we crossed the boundary rivulet Nyamatarara, out of
Chicova and amongst sandstone rocks, similar to those which prevail
between Lupata and Kebrabasa. In the latter gorge, as already mentioned,
igneous and syenitic masses have been acted on by some great fiery
convulsion of nature; the strata are thrown into a huddled heap of
confusion. The coal has of course disappeared in Kebrabasa, but is found
again in Chicova. Tette grey sandstone is common about Sinjere, and
wherever it is seen with fossil wood upon it, coal lies beneath; and
here, as at Chicova, some seams crop out on the bank