DESCRIPTIVE 23 



down-torn branches of the massive trees, and 

 the stragghng, levered-up roots, whose bitten- off 

 ends show that they too are appreciated items 

 of the elephant's daily menu. Although the 

 winter season is still at its height, and here 

 and there sad blackened expanses show where 

 the forest fires have licked up the exuberant 

 summer greenery, the delicate blades of newly 

 sprung grasses are already surrounding the 

 charred roots, fuU of the promise of that abundant 

 life which, with the first of the spring rains, 

 will transform the whole face of the land into a 

 vast, wild, all too short-lived garden. 



We now reach one of those numerous expanses 

 of swampy reed-surrounded fen which, in this 

 part of Africa, are so full of interesting forms of 

 Ufe. The ground shakes beneath one, and here 

 and there the black, moisture-laden soil of the 

 path we follow forms a gay, sulphur-hued, 

 tremulous carpet, covered as it is for several 

 square yards by countless tiny, thirsty, pale 

 yeUow butterflies. The breeze of afternoon ruffles 

 the surface of the water, gay with light blue 

 lilies, surrotinded by bright verdant spear-grass 

 with great snowy heads, and wide expanses of 

 transparent green papyrus rushes, tall marsh 

 thistles, and the tender greenery of the finely 

 woven bog-moss. The reeds and rushes are 

 f ull of warblers and chats, and out among the 

 great flopping leaves of the water-hhes ducks 

 and spur- winged geese sit tranquilly. At the 

 foot of the surrounding greenery a dozen snowy- 

 white egrets are watching the water, with a 



