ROMANTIC SCENERY. 317 



margin of the river on either side was a sloping bank, 

 along which grew an avenue of picturesque acacias of 

 enormous bulk and lofty stature ; beneath these were 

 well-beaten paths of elephants, and the sides of the 

 trees were well polished to the usual distance from the 

 ground. Leaving the river, I ascended to the sum- 

 mits of loftier hills beyond, where I commanded a glori- 

 ous prospect of tlie endless gray forests which stretched 

 away as far as I could see over slightly undulating coun- 

 try, the faint blue outline of extensive mountain ranges 

 bounding the landscape to the east. Descending from 

 my lofty station, I discovered four bull buffaloes feeding 

 in the valley far beneath me ; I left them undisturbed, 

 and bent my steps toward the carcass of the elephant. 



In the evening CaroUus arrived, bringing the horses 

 and ammunition, and accompanied by a numerous body 

 of the natives. At an early hour on the 30th I started 

 with Mutchuisho and a numerous retinue to search for 

 elephants in an easterly direction, and we crossed the 

 gravelly bed of the River' Mahalapia, about a mile be- 

 low the gorge I had visited on the preceding day. In 

 after years I renewed my acquaintance with the Maha- 

 lapia, on the banks of the fair Limpopo, into whiolv it 

 empties itself several days' journey to the east. 



This was one of the loveliest spots I had seen in 

 Southern Africa : a bold bend of the river was adorned 

 with groves of remarkably lofty and picturesque aca- 

 cias. Three trees in particular, of the same descrip- 

 tion, graced the spot, which in size and beauty surpass- 

 ed any I had hitherto met with, ocirrying their thick- 

 ness to an immense height from the ground, when they 

 divided into goodly branches, which slaretched away in 

 beauty to the skies. 



Here, in the bed of the river, we took up the spoor 



