Came to Desert, and hired camel to go across on, (N.B. These animals are styled "Back-tryin"--which they _are_.) Only eighteen-pence an hour, which would have been reasonable enough, but quite impossible to sit out more than nine-penn'orth. Decided to take an ostrich for remainder of journey. Softer to sit. Ostrich a failure; ran for five hours in a circle, at express speed, and then suddenly turned shy, and buried its head in sand, without the slightest notice; foolish habit for any bird to acquire. Determined to try a quagga--quagga tried _me_, and very soon found me wanting, A quagga is a brute to buck! After all, came back to my old wooden mount--spot better than stripes, any day. In the Jungle again. Discovered Colony of Highly-educated Anthropoid Apes. Lent them some copies of _Punch_, which are indispensable to all African travellers. Apes delighted--one large gorilla quite hysterical with laughter. Much gratified--till discovery that it was the _advertisements_ which amused them most. Sense of humour of apes much exaggerated. Reached the Kit'ldrumma District. Natives hostile at first; war-drums sounded incessantly. Fortunately fond of music, so easily pacified them by playing selection from "_Tannhäuser_," arranged for drum and panpipes by LISZT. TOBY taking violent fancy to a "_Spottiduff_," or native dog, _Spottiduff_ vanishing mysteriously shortly before dinner; find this animal considered a great dainty in this locality. TOBY inconsolable. Among the Ustingis. Received with great ceremony by their king--CHESIPARA. Palm wine (corked) handed round in liqueur glasses. Dinner beastly. CHESIPARA saying repeatedly that he "made no stranger of me"--he _will_, though, for the future. Exchange of presents. Gave CHESIPARA a silver-mounted dressing case (bankrupt stock--a bargain), a handsome coloured supplement, _Muzzer's Darling_ (given away with Christmas Number of _Timon_), a microscope (object-lens missing--but he'll never miss it), a plated fish-slice, and a pair of nut-crackers. CHESIPARA, after a good deal of parade, presented me with a bunch of very indifferent bananas, and a brass collar, belonging to one of his wives, whom he had had killed on purpose! Told him, with much emotion, that I should never forget it. Reached the Centre of Africa; found that luggage had _not_ been forwarded after all! Had to borrow a clean shirt from Kollamangel chief, promised to return it on arrival at Coast. Difficulty with TIPPOO-TIP of the Blackmaïlas, who refused to allow _Mr. Punch_ to pass without tribute. Pacified him with palm butter and reached coast without further incident. * * *