XXVIII 

 DOWN THE RIVER 



RELIEVED now of all anxiety as to water we 

 had merely to make our way downstream. 

 First, however, there remained the interesting task 

 of determining its source. 



Accordingly, next day we and our gunbearers left 

 the boys to a well-earned rest, and set out upstream. 

 At first we followed the edge of the river jungle, 

 tramping over hard hot earth, winding in and out 

 growths of thorn scrub and brilliant aloes. We saw 

 a herd of impallas gliding like phantoms, and as we 

 stood in need of meat, I shot at one of them but 

 missed. The air was very hot and moist. At five 

 o'clock in the morning the thermometer had stood 

 at 78; and by noon it had mounted to 106. In 

 addition the atmosphere was filled with the humidity 

 that later in the day was to break in extraordinary 

 deluges. We moved slowly, but even then our 

 garments were literally dripping wet. 



At the end of three miles the stream bed widened. 

 We came upon beautiful, spacious, open lawns of 



214 



