2io LODGES IN THE WILDERNESS 



In the middle of the afternoon we reached 

 the river. It was at half-flood. In the mass, 

 the water looked muddy, but one could see 

 the bottom of a pannikin filled with it, and 

 the taste was delicious. The lovely, dark- 

 green fringe of forest — generally continuous 

 on both sides, but occasionally adorning one 

 only — was soothing to gaze on. .We rested for 

 a while, and then took our course along the 

 left-hand curve of the sickle-bend, — thus 

 trending: more to the north-westward. The 

 way was extremely rough. When it was prac- 

 ticable to keep close to the river bank we 

 made good progress, but now and then were 

 obliged to recede for the purpose of avoiding 

 rocky bluffs. Then our experiences were 

 purgatorial, for we had to plunge into and 

 climb out of a succession of deep, sand-choked 

 clefts. On the southern bank of the river there 

 was comparatively little forest. 



Just about sundown we reached a wide 

 terrace of stone below a cliff, and close to the 

 water's edge, so we decided to camp there for 

 the night. The only game we had seen was 

 a covey of pheasants; of these I managed to 

 bag three. I also shot two monkeys in the 

 forest. I felt like a murderer in consequence, 

 ■ — but my followers had to be fed. They had 



