O0NYE END Ot WINTia. 
317 
»f Gonyo ; nor is thoro any evidonco or tradition of hur- 
ricanes. 
I loft Naliolo on tbo 13th of August, and, when procoed- 
lug along tho shore at mid-day, a hippopotamus struck the 
canoo with her forohoad, lifting ono-half of it quito out of 
the water, so as nearly to overturn it. The forco of the 
butt she gavo tilted Mashauana out into ID* river; the lost 
of us sprang to tho shore, which was only about ten yards 
off. Glancing hack, I saw her como to tho surfaco a short 
way off and look to tho canoo, as if to sco if sho had 
done much mischief. It was a female, whoso young ono 
had been speared tho day beforo. -No damago was dono, 
except wotting porson and goods. This is so unusual an 
occurrence, when tho precaution is taken to coast along 
tho shore, that my mon oxclaimod, “ Is tho boast mad 1” 
Thore wero eight of us in tho canoo at tho timo, and tho 
shake it received shows tho immenso power of this animal 
in tho water. 
August 22. — This is tho end of winter. The trees which 
lino tho banks begin to bud and blossom, and thoro is somo 
show of the influence of tho new sap, which will soon end 
in buds that push off tho old foliage by assuming a very 
bright orange color. This orange is so bright that I mis- 
took it for masses of yellow blossom. There is every 
variety of shade in iho leaves, — yellow, purplo, copper, 
liver-color, and oven inky black. 
Having got the loan of other canoes from Mpololo, and 
three oxen as provision for tho way, which mado the 
number we had been presented with in tho Barotso valley 
amount to thirteen, wo proceeded down tho river toward 
Soshoko, and wero as much struck as formerly with the 
noblo river. Tho whole sconory is lovely, though tho atmo- 
sphere is murky in consequonco of tho continuance of the 
smoky tinge of winter. 
Tho amount of organic life is surprising. At tho time 
tho river begins to rise, tho Ibis religiosa comes down in 
flocks of fifties, with prodigious numbers of other water- 
27 * 
