BETWEEN THE ZAMBEZI AND THE PUNGWE 



of the Pungwe at the mercy of the tempest, which 

 engulfs itself in the attempt, I drive, at the cost 

 of unheard of efforts, on to the flooded banks, and 

 cause the anchor to be dropped. Unfortunately, this 

 holds badly ; and, under the stress of the tempest, 

 drags twice. Twice, after an effort rendered the more 

 difficult by the absence of three men, I bring the boat 

 back. She is again drawn back, and I foresee the 

 moment when we shall be carried away by the furious 

 current, when by good luck the anchor catches among 

 the reeds on the bank and holds fast. I lighten the 

 boat by striking the awnings, and we remain there 

 till the arrival of the canoe. The latter tows the boat, 

 and we proceed inland, where the surface is already 

 covered with three feet of water. 



In the evening the wind blows with renewed fury, 

 the squalls being accompanied with terrific scuds of 

 rain. Under these circumstances I again lower the 

 tents, not wishing to find ourselves carried in the 

 middle of the night into the stream of a river which 

 is now bringing down tree-trunks of sixty feet in 

 length. My wife and myself spend the night in the 

 cabin, full of anxiety, while the negroes shiver under 

 the linen sail. At dawn the weather improves, 

 although the flood does not abate. I start out to shoot, 

 and see the arrival of the first egrets, attracted by the 

 inundation. I shoot one, which falls into a marsh, 

 and when one of my negroes proceeds to retrieve it, 

 a crocodile shows itself close to the man. My only 



(149) 



