IN AFRICAN FOREST AND JUNGLE 



heavens, Sirius, Canopus, Centaur, filled a part of the 

 heavens with their light. 



Mars, Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter were looking upon 

 me. That part of the Milky Way between the stars 

 Sirius and Centaur was so rich in stars and crowded 

 nebulae that it seemed a perfect blaze of light. 



There were the Magellanic clouds, white-looking 

 patches, made up of countless stars unseen to th'e eye, 

 and nebulae, — stars in formation, — shining brilliantly 

 and revolving round the starless South Pole. 



Then, looking northward, I saw the constellation of 

 the Great Bear, which reaches its meridian altitude at 

 about the same time as the constellations of the Cross 

 and of the Centaur. 



I gazed upon the heavens almost all of the night. 

 I was perfectly oblivious of everything else. Stars 

 appeared and disappeared. They were like a succes- 

 sion of guests coming and going. 



At last I said good-night to the stars, and pulling my 

 old panama hat over my head, to protect my eyes from 

 the rays of the moon, I soon fell asleep on the sand, 

 under the blue heavens and the stars twinkling over me. 

 I dreamt of friends, of boys and girls at home, of the 

 North Star, of snow, of strawberries, peaches, and jam. 

 I was suddenly awakened by the sharp barking of 

 Andekko. It was broad daylight. Rogala was cook- 



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