Chap. XII. DANGEROUS RAPIDS. 251 



only when the river is very low, as it was now, that any 

 one durst venture to the island to which we were bound. If 

 one went during the period of flood, and fortunately hit the 

 island, he would be obliged to remain there till the water 

 subsided again, if he lived so long. Both hippopotami and 

 elephants have been known to be swept over the Falls, and of 

 course smashed to pulp. 



Before entering the race of waters, we were requested 

 not to speak, as our talking might diminish the virtue of 

 the medicine ; and no one with such boiling eddying rapids 

 before his eyes, would think of disobeying the orders of 

 a " canoe-smasher." It soon became evident that there was 

 sound sense in this request of Tuba's, although the rea- 

 son assigned was not unlike that of the canoe-man from 

 Sesheke, who begged one of our party not to whistle, be- 

 cause whistling made the wind come. It was the duty of 

 the man at the bow to look out ahead for the proper course, 

 and when he saw a rock or snag, to call out to the steers- 

 man. Tuba doubtless thought that talking on board might 

 divert the attention of his steersman, at a time when the 

 neglect of an order, or a slight mistake, would be sure to 

 spill us all into the chafing river. There were places where 

 the utmost exertions of both men had to be put forth in 

 order to force the canoe to the only safe part of the rapid, 

 and to prevent it from sweeping down broadside on, where 

 in a twinkling we should have found ourselves floundering 

 among the plotuses and cormorants, which were engaged 

 in diving for their breakfast of small fish. At times it 

 seemed as if nothing could save us from dashing in our 

 headlong race against the rocks which, now that the river 

 was low, jutted out of the water ; but, just at the very 

 nick of time, Tuba passed the word to the steersman, and 



