434 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
like month was seen in herds, all in sportive mood, 
gambolling, gaping, and grunting among the waters. 
Some of these monsters would wait until the bow of 
the launch was within a few feet of their broad-beamed 
heads, and then, with an angry snort, would plunge 
away from their too formidable rival, to writhe and roll 
with leviathan lunge, and double on the stream. 
SHEl’HEKD. 
All day long we had lived in the hope that by sunset 
we would reach Matope ; but at various portions of the 
way the water had been so shallow—owing to the 
gradual silting up of the river—that we had frequently 
been bumping bottom, and so ran the danger of un¬ 
shipping the rudder, or, worse still, driving a hole in 
the hull. These contino-encies had necessitated a reduc- 
O 
tion of speed, so that ere long the stars were seen 
shining brightly above the line of trees which studded 
