136 TlMEHRI. 



along the western side, as was done by Mr. Brown in 

 his visit in July, 1870; and the other — considerably the 

 shorter, owing to the easterly bend of the channel — by 

 swimming across the river to the eastern bank, as was 

 done by Mr. Brown's companions, Sir GEORGE YOUNG 

 and Mr. MITCHELL. In the dry season, at any rate, 

 swimming across the river, in spite of the strong current, 

 is nothing at all serious to any tolerably good swim- 

 mer; and the plunge into the cool water is indeed a 

 most welcome refresher after the tedious walking. In 

 order to secure dry clothing for the return journey, we 

 all stripped, and, in pun's naturalibus, with the excep- 

 tion of a pocket handkerchief over the head, we swam 

 across, and clambered, and slid, and jumped our way 

 along the smooth and reddish black, huge boulders, piled 

 along the bed of the cataract, the total height of which 

 is 81 feet. The water from the pool trickled down be- 

 neath these boulders, and was but rarely discernible 

 between them. After about half-an-hour's peculiarly 

 arduous and difficult walking, the bowman and I reached 

 the edge of the pool — the other three men having 

 stopped about half way, not caring to follow us by 

 jumping across a deep and ugly-looking chasm, from one 

 huge and smooth rounded boulder to another. 



The pool is of very considerable size, being at this 

 low state of the water apparently more than a hundred 

 yards in length, and appearing about the same in total 

 width, though, owing to the intervention of the great 

 fall of water, no really accurate idea could be formed of 

 it. In the wet season, however, the length of the pool 

 must be considerably greater, for then the wide extent 

 of bare and slippery rocks at the sides is evidently 



