64 AFRICAN CAMP FIRES. 



He stretched his long legs and jumped down from 

 the rail. 



" Nothing stirring above the ears," said he. 



It is customary in books of travel to describe this 

 part of the journey somewhat as follows : " Skirt- 

 ing the low and uninteresting shores of Africa we 

 at length reached," etc. Low and uninteresting 

 shores ! Through the glasses we made out distant 

 mountains far beyond nearer hills. The latter 

 were green-covered with dense forests whence rose 

 mysterious smokes. Along the shore we saw an 

 occasional cocoanut plantation to the water's 

 edge and native huts and villages of thatch. 

 Canoes of strange models lay drawn up on 

 shelving beaches ; queer fish-pounds of brush 

 reached out considerable distances from the coast. 

 The white surf pounded on a yellow beach. 



All about these things was the jungle, hem- 

 ming in the plantations and villages, bordering 

 the lagoons, creeping down until it fairly over- 

 hung the yellow beaches ; as though, conqueror 

 through all the country beyond, it were half- 

 inclined to dispute dominion with old Ocean 

 himself. It looked from the distance like a 

 thick, soft coverlet thrown down over the 

 country ; following or, rather, suggesting the 

 inequalities. Through the glasses we were occa- 



