APRIL.] JOURNEY IN ALBANY. 
149 
entered the river, a few hundred yards from its mouth : 
it had a formidable aspect, being at least a quarter of 
a mile broad. A soldier on horseback led the way, 
to shew us the best passage. Two or three times his 
horse's head only appeared above water : it was the 
same with our oxen, their backs being in the water, 
and at one place they were obliged to have recourse 
to swimming. When the last waggon was within 
about a hundred yards of the other side, one of the 
leading oxen sunk in a swamp nearly to the neck, and 
with considerable difficulty was extricated from it 
Immediately on arriving at the beach, we were obliged 
to ascend a narrow and nearly perpendicular path 
across a wood, which was also troublesome in conse- 
quence of some of the trees projecting over the path, 
which obliged us to cut down large branches, to give 
room for our waggons to pass. Limbs of trees, broken 
off by the shoulders of elephants when passing, formed 
also obstructions. I examined one of the foot-marks 
of this huge animal, which appeared about fifteen 
inches across. Had any of them, when coming down 
that long and narrow pass to drink in the river, met 
us, I know not what might have been the consequence, 
as there was no room for our waggons to turn, and 
elephants, it seems, will not give way; as for our bul- 
lets, being only lead, they would not have felt them. 
Many of their footsteps were but newly made, which 
our Hottentots knew, from the grass which they had 
pressed down not being then risen up. However, by 
a kind providence, we got safely through the wood, 
which extended upwards of a mile across, and bid 
