Page 26 - Adventures in Africa

W hat pigmies we felt as we stood beneath that
giant tree. An army might have found shelter from

the sun under its wide-spreading boughs, W e thought
the spot a perfect paradise after our long journey
across the plain.

W e had not long been seated round our camp-fire,
when Jan made a dart at his foot and caught a fly

which had settled on it; and, exhibiting it to my
uncle, exclaimed—
“ No good, no good ! "

It was of a brownish colour with thee yellow bars
across the body, and scarcely larger than a common

house-fly. W e soon saw others buzzing about in
considerable numbers.
I asked Jan what he meant,
“ Das de teef.se: when bite horse or ox den dey die/'

he answered.
As, however, neither my uncle nor I felt any ill

effects from the bites of the flies, we thought that Jan
must be mistaken, and at all events it1 was now too
late to shift our encampment. W e therefore, having

made up a blazing fire to scare off any wild beasts,
lay down to sleep, without thinking more of the flies,
which did not cause us any annoyance.

The next morning we saw some of the creatures on
the legs of our horses and the ox ; but we soon
brushed them away, and, loading up, we continued

our journey. They went on as usual, Jan, however,
looked much disconcerted, and I saw him continually
brushing off the flies,

“ No good, no good 1” he said, “ hope soon get
through, for de horses not go far."