94 
TITE CH0BE 
roed, and the climbing convolvulus, with stalks which felt 
as strong as whipcord, bound the mass together. Wo felt 
like pygmies in it, and often the only way wo could get 
on was by both of us leaning against a part and bending 
it down till wo could stand upon it. The perspiration 
streamed off our bodies, and as the sun roso high, there 
boing no ventilation among the reeds, tho heat was stifling, 
and tho water, which was up to tho knees, felt agreeably 
refreshing. After some hours’ toil wo reached one of tho 
islands. Hero wo met an old friond, tho bramble-bush. 
My strong moleskins were quite worn through at the knees, 
and the leather trousers of my companion were torn and 
nis legs bleeding. Tearing my handkerchief in two, I tied 
tho pieces round my knees, and then encountered another 
difficulty. Wo were still forty or fifty yards from tho clear 
water, but now wo were opposed by great masses of papy- 
rus, which are like palms in miniature, eight or ten foot 
high, and an inch and a half in diameter. These wero 
laced together by twining convolvulus so strongly that the 
weight of both of us could not make way into tho clcaT 
water. At last wo fortunately found a passage prepared 
by a hippopotamus. Eager as soon as wo reached the 
island to look along tho vista to clear water, I stepped in 
and found it took mo at oneo up to tho neck. 
Koturning nearly worn out, wo proceeded up tho bank 
of tho Chobo till wo camo to the point of departure of tho 
branch Sanshurch; we then went in tho opposite direction, 
or down tho Chobo, though from tho highest trees we could 
see nothing but ono vast expanse of reed, with hero and 
there a tree on tho islands. This was a hard day’s work ; 
and, when wo camo to a deserted Bayciye hut on an ant- 
hill, not a bit of wood or any thing clso could bo got fo) » 
firo except tho grass and sticks of tho dwelling itself. 1 
dreaded tho “ Tampans, ” so common in all old huts; but 
outside of it wo had thousands of mosquitos, and cold 
dew began to bo deposited, so wo wero fain to crawl bo- 
noath its shelter. 
