FOURTH DAY. 65 
were forced to leave our hiding-place. Our time, too, was 
pretty nearly exhausted, and we had to think of returning. 
Great drops were falling from the trees, and all the bushes 
were loaded with water, so one can easily imagine how much 
more disagreeable was the return journey through the deep 
mud and wet undergrowth. As fast as we could work 
through it we hurried along to our “ esikeln,” which had 
come a good bit of the way to meet us, and, wet to the skin, 
stepped into them and began our homeward route. In my 
eraft lay a Sea-Hagle and the young owls, a scanty booty 
considering the many splendid chances I had been favoured 
with during the day. 
We went back to our boat by the same way, and after 
paddling along the first channel, and through the narrow places 
among the bushes, we got along much faster across the broad 
sheet of open water. I preferred travelling in my “ esikel ” 
rather than in the slow heavy boat, although the wind had 
raised high waves, and my men advised me not to do so. 
The storm was already over, the heavens had emptied 
themselves in waterspouts, and a fine rain was falling instead 
of the heavy torrents. The black clouds also gradually dis- 
appeared towards the east, the whole sky grew clearer, and 
the wind fell, while the rain had driven off the swarms of 
troublesome mosquitoes, and a pure delightfully cool spring 
air had replaced the heavy fatiguing atmosphere which had 
hitherto prevailed. 
Thanks to the vigorous strokes of the very adroit Ferencz, 
we glided over the open water towards the wood far in 
advance of the other boats, but had then to proceed rather 
more slowly and carefully through the thick bushes and the 
wood of tall trees. However, by following this morning’s 
route we soon reached the narrow lane of water which 
opened into the main branch of the river where our steamer 
lay. 
