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CHAPTER IV. 



Orange River — Disappointed Natives — Narrow escape of Drowning — 

 Picturesque Scenery — An Encampment of Boors — Formation of 

 a new Village — Violent Thunder-storm — Ant-hills — Ant-eaters 

 — Bald Ibis — Fatal effects of Lightning — Bull Frogs- Start a 

 Hyaena — Anecdotes of Lion Shooting — Providential Escape. 



The following morning I rode down to the river, 

 which flowed through an immense hollow without 

 being visible from the place of our encampment : 

 on my coming to the brink of an abrupt declivity, 

 this majestic stream, to visit which had so long- 

 been the object of my eager desire, lay before me 

 in all its beauty. The banks were thickly fringed 

 with rich clusters of the Babylonian willow, and 

 its channel was nearly four hundred yards broad. 

 It is easier to imagine than to describe the feelings 

 with which such a scene is regarded by those who 

 have been travelling for months over barren and 

 sandy deserts. 



Perceiving that it would be impossible to cross 

 the river with the waggon, I returned to my tent, 

 and wrote a note to my friend Mr. Melville, who 

 resided at Phillipolis, a Missionary Station about 

 three hours' ride from the opposite bank, acquaint- 

 ing him that we had reached this place, but were 

 prevented from proceeding by the swollen state of 



