56 UGANDA AND THE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

towered into the sky, the summits being often lost in a veil of clouds.

Leopards were numerous here, and one evening, while sitting chatting and smoking in one of our tents, one of these creatures came to a tembe about fifty yards off, and getting its paw through a hole in the wall, seized a goat by the throat, and was attempting to drag it out when the approach of some men frightened it off. After this every one was on the qui vive for leopards, and one of my donkeys which had broken out of camp one fine night, and was indulging in the luxury of a roll in the sandy soil, nearly lost his life at the hands of one of my companions, who in the uncertain light mistook him for a leopard ; he missed his mark, however, and the astonished donkey springing to his feet revealed his true character. Another donkey having broken loose on another occasion, came back with his flanks all torn and bleeding from the claws of a lion or leopard.

The local chief, Lukole, was very civil to us, and used to send us fresh milk twice a day ; he was, however, a dirty little fellow, and much addicted to "sitting on pombe " (i.e. getting drunk), of which there was a great brew once a week. We remained at Mpwapwa till October 9th, waiting for the native masons who were building a house for Clark, who was to be permanently stationed here. About a week after my arrival at Mpwapwa another of our