14 



THE TROPICAL WORLD. 



has also dissappeared with the stag whom he pursued with his 

 poisoned arrows. In the Siberian Tundras the reindeer and the 



migratory birds are scared away by winter ; here life is banished 

 or suspended by an intolerable aridity. 



Sometimes the ravages of fire complete the image of death 

 on the parched savannah. 



' We had not yet penetrated far into the plain,' says Schom- 

 burgk, ' when we saw to the south-east high columns of smoke 

 ascending to the skies, the sure signs of a savannah fire, and at 

 the same time the Indians anxiously pressed us to speed on, as 

 the burning torrent would most likely roll in our direction. 

 Although at first we were inclined to consider their fears as 

 exaggerated, yet the next half-hour served to convince us of the 

 extreme peril of our situation. In whatever direction we 

 gazed, we nowhere saw a darker patch in the grass-plain 

 announcing the refuge of a water-pool ; we could already 

 distinguish the flames of the advancing column, already hear 

 the bursting and crackling of the reeds, when fortunately the 

 sharp eye of the Indians discovered some small eminences before 

 us, only sparingly covered with a low vegetation, and to these 

 we now careered as if Death himself were behind us. Half a 

 minute later, and I should never have lived to relate our 

 adventures. With beating hearts we saw the sea of fire rolling 

 its devouring billows towards us ; the suffocating smoke, striking 

 in our faces, forced us to turn our backs upon the advancing 

 conflagration, and to await the dreadful decision with the 

 resignation of helpless despair. 



' And now we were in the midst of the blaze. Two arms of 

 fire encircled the base of the little hillock on which we stood, 

 and united before us in a waving mass, which, rolling onwards. 



