THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 395 



elephants' foot-prints one hour and a half, then came in one hour 

 to a small rivulet tea feet broad, but waist-deep ; bridge covered 

 and broken down. Carrying me across one of the broad, deep, 

 sedgy rivers is really a very difficult task. One we crossed was 

 at least one thousand feet broad, or more than three hundred 

 yards. The first part, the main stream, came up to Susi's mouth 

 and wetted my seat and legs. One held up my pistol behind, 

 then one after another took a turn ; and when he sank into a 

 elephant's deep foot-print, he required two to lift him, so as to 

 gain a footing on the level, which was over waist-deep. Others 

 went on, and bent down the grass, to insure some footing on the 

 side of the elephant's path. Every ten or twelve paces brought 

 us to a clear stream, flowing fast in its own channel, while over 

 all a strong current came bodily through all the rushes and 

 aquatic plants. Susi had the first spell, then Farijala, then a tall, 

 stout, Arab-looking man, then Amoda, then Chan da, then Wade 

 Sale ; and each time I Was lifted off bodily, and put on another 

 pair of stout, willing shoulders, and fifty yards put them out of 

 breath : no wonder ! It was sore on the women-folk of our party. 

 It took us full an hour and a half for all to cross over, and 

 several came over turn to help me and their friends. The water 

 was cold, and so was the wind, but no leeches plagued us. We 

 had to hasten on the building of sheds after crossing the second 

 rivulet, as rain threatened us. After 4p.M. it came on a pouring, 

 cold rain, when we were all under cover. We are anxio-'s about 

 food. The lake is near, but we are not sure of provisions, as 

 there have been changes of population. Our progress is distress- 

 ingly slow. Wet, wet, wet; sloppy weather truly, and no 

 observations, except that the land near the lake being very level, 

 the rivers spread out into broad friths and sponges." 



The hemorrhagic discharge from which Livingstone suffered 

 so much was intensified by the dreadful exposure he was forced 

 to encounter. That he evidently saw great danger in the constant 

 recurrence of the disorder, is shown in frequent solemn reflec- 

 tions recorded in a pocket-book which he carried ; one of these, 

 written Februaiy 14th, reads as follows : 



