204 VAST LEVEL PLAINS. 



The vast expanse of ground over which the eye 

 can range upon wide plains, very often conveys the 

 erroneous impression to the beholder of its forming a 

 perfectly level surface, similar to the prospect seen at 

 sea, either from the deck of a vessel or while standing 

 on the beach, looking out to seaward. As a matter 

 of fact however, very few plains, however flat, really 

 at all approach this uniformity of level; this will be 

 readily seen by turning slowly round, so as to take 

 in the whole panorama on every side, when it will 

 generally be found that one can see much further in 

 some directions than in others thus showing how far 

 removed the surface around varies from a true plane. 

 Moreover if there are streams, their generally shallow 

 but rapid current at once proves that the land inclines 

 considerably in some particular direction ; if the streams 

 are dry, the traces of former torrents will tell the same 

 tale in other words. 



In our chapter on Climates and Temperatures, the 

 rainstorms and peculiar character of these plains rivers 

 will be found fully described; it will therefore be un- 

 necessary to repeat these details here. We may 

 however just say that the great plains regions every- 

 where are almost always subject to these rain bursts, 

 which form quite one of the phenomena of plains 

 travel that require always to be watched by travellers. 



Another of these phenomena which from a hunter's 

 point of view requires to be taken into account, is 

 the peculiar condition to which the atmosphere, es- 

 pecially upon dry plains, is subject. " English sports- 

 men " ' (says the great Dr. Livingstone) " though first- 

 rate shots at home, are notorious for the number of 

 their misses on first trying to shoot in Africa. Every- 



