THE OMOROANGA VAVAKKA HARDSHIPS. 473 



distance, he was observed to throw himself on his back, as 

 if startled at some object beneath him ; but in another mo- 

 ment he was pursuing his course. When, however, he was 

 about to lay his hands on the bird, his body was violently con- 

 vulsed, and, throwing his arms on high, he uttered a most 

 piercing shriek, after which he Avas seen to be gradually drawn 

 under the surface, never to reappear ! 



On the ninth day after we had entered the Teoge we left 

 the principal channel and passed into the Omoroanga (little 

 river) Yavarra. This rivulet is merely one of the small 

 branches of the main stream (formed by its ovei'flowing its 

 banks) so frequently met with, and which usually rejoin it 

 after a day or two. The Omoroanga Yavarra is only navi- 

 f^able \\dth canoes when the Teoge is at its greatest height,, 

 and even then the navigation is of the most intricate descrip- 

 tion. The boatmen, many of whom were born and bred in 

 the neighborhood, constantly lose their way. We passed 

 two nights on the Omoroanga, during which time we were 

 exposed to much inconvenience and hardship. 



Lecholetebe had placed two canoes at my disposal, but the 

 rascally boatmen had by this time so filled them with their 

 own things that no place was left for me. The consequence 

 was, as the country was one succession of swamps, lakes, 

 rivulets, and quagmires, I found myself early and late im- 

 mersed in water, sometimes swimming, at others wading up 

 to my neck. Indeed, from the time that I left my camp on 

 the Zouga to my return to it, a period of about a month, 1 

 scarcely knew what it was to have a dry thread about me. 

 The only time I could partially dry my clothes was at night 

 along the bivouac-fire ; but then I had to lie down wet. It 

 would have been ruinous to any constitution not previously 

 inured to hardships of all kinds. 



But I was compensated for what I lost in comfort by the 

 beauty of the surrounding scenery. Wherever the soil was 

 raised a few feet above the surface of the water, it was 

 covered by a rich and majestic vegetation. 



