.26 AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
nificent it would be when all those gorges and crevices 
-and channels were filled to the brim with a rushing 
mighty torrent, such as must pour thundering through 
them in the rainy season ! But there was no time to 
indulge in reverie just then, and Lulu’s voice calling to 
me to “ Come up and see how grand it looks from this 
rock,” brought me to my senses. 
“ No more sight-seeing or photographing to-day,” 
I replied. “ If you don’t pack up and hurry back, we 
shall become sleeping partners of these grand old rocks.” 
“ Why,” he asked, “what’s the matter with you all of 
a sudden ? ” 
“ Don’t you see the river is rising ? That rock with 
the water rippling over it was bare when we came here, 
and the chances are we shall find the road back full of 
rapids and pools, torrents and waterfalls, if we stay 
here much longer.” 
“ All right ! but I want you just to go and sit on 
yonder rock, so that I can add your beautiful figure to 
this picture of the beauties of nature. There are only 
two or three crevices to jump over, and a pool or two 
to wade through, and while you are getting there I’ll 
find the focus. I promise not to stay any longer, for 
I’ve feasted my eyes pretty well on the scenery here, 
but find it very light food for the stomach.” 
While obeying the artist’s orders, and climbing to 
the appointed place, the thought of the feast of Nature’s 
grandeur — combined with visions of a meal that Fritz 
had no doubt long ago prepared for us — nearly gave 
me indigestion ; but this was no place to give way to 
dyspepsia, and all our thoughts were now centred on 
the shortest way back. All went smoothly till we 
came to the mighty angular rock, forming a sort of 
archway, beneath which we had walked on bur way 
down, but through which a swift stream of water was 
now gliding. We tried to get over it, but it was too 
steep and too slippery ; and in our explorations we 
found that, if only one of us could get to the opposite 
side, it would be easy to reach the top and let down a 
rope, and haul up the camera, &c. So I doffed my 
