TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 17

that the smallest spark of fire is sufficient to set

it in a blaze for miles. One of our animals that had not come up with the rear, lay down with his

load, within range of the burning grass, which

soon communicated with some gunpowder, and

blew the whole to pieces. On the morning of

the 19th, we moved forward at eight o'clock. The first hour's march lay along the side of a

steep hill, rendered doubly difficult for the ani-

mals by being covered with small rough stones.

At ten we descended to a plain, and crossed

three small brooks, the first running nne. and

the two latter s. and by w. Several of the European non-commissioned officers and sol-

diers were so ill during this march, that they

lay down under some trees on the path-side. I

prevailed on two of them to move slowly for-

ward, but the others requested to be allowed to

rest until the cool of the evening. My own

horse, and every animal in the division, were so

heavily laden, that we could not afford them any

assistance. At one, p. m., we began to ascend

some rocky hills, where we were obliged to

abandon three animals. At the bottom of those

hills, Y/e passed the dry bed of a rocky water-

course, and, shortly after, had considerable dif-

ficulty in crossing another of the kind, near

which we halted, in a small valley by the side

of a brook called Bontong Ko.