382 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



in the boats, Walker and I taking our rifles, fol- 

 lowed it up for about a quarter of a mile. Unfor- 

 tunately, my companion was scarcely up to stalking 

 such wary animals, and treading upon a dry stick, 

 he made such a noise that the game took the alarm 

 and absquatulated. We heard a loud trumpetting, 

 followed by a crashing through the woods, and our 

 chance of a shot was gone. I did not know then, 

 that the herd was upon an island, or I should cer- 

 tainly have followed them up. The ground was 

 very false underfoot, and the bush consisted chiefly 

 of mangrove, interspersed with palms, tree ferns 

 and parasitical plants. 



After this disappointment we returned to our 

 boats and pulled up the river to King Passall's 

 Town, where we landed to have a chat with the 

 king, with whom Walker was well acquainted. 

 After a short stay we again embarked and pulled 

 to Prince Malimba's Town, where we got out our 

 provisions and breakfasted under the shade of a 

 gigantic cotton tree. The brother of the prince 

 " dashed" us each a duck, and produced a bottle of 

 what he called champagne, but which turned out 



