VEGETATION ANIMAL LIFE. 



461 



ASCENDING THE TKOGF^ 



than six or seven kinds of fruit-trees indigenous to the east 

 eoast of Africa and the adjacent countries. The arboreal 

 scenery, indeed, in some pLaces exceeded in beauty any thing 

 that I had ever seen. I could have spent days under the 

 shade of some of these ornamental trees, resounding at times 

 with the wild notes of birds, while in the distance might be 

 seen herds of the finest of the antelope tribe. Yet common 

 prudence forbids the traveler to tarry. When the stream, 

 after the annual overflow, begins to subside, noxious effluvia 

 are emitted, carrying death along with them. Such is the 

 climate of Africa ! 



Animal life was almost on a par with the exuberant 

 vegetation. Rhinoceroses, hippopotami, buffaloes, sassabys, 

 hartebeests, pallahs, reed-bucks, leches, &c., were constantly 

 seen, and every day some game animal or other was shot. 

 Thus I was able to support and satisfy our large and hungry 

 party, noAV consisting of fifty or sixty individuals. 



One fine afternoon we came to a place where the tracks 



