XIV 
THE BUFFALO 
53 
rounding plains were as green as an English 
meadow, and beautiful forest trees bordered the 
extreme boundaries of the plains like giant warders 
of the adjoining jungle. Long promontories, 
densely wooded, stretched far into the waters of 
the lake, forming sheltered nooks and bays 
teeming with wild-fowl. The deer browsed in 
herds on the wide extent of plain, or lay beneath 
the shade of the spreading branches. Every 
feature of lovely scenery was here presented. In 
some spots groves of trees grew to the very 
waters edge ; in others the wide plains, free from 
a single stem or bush, stretched for miles along the 
edge of the lake; thickly wooded hills bordered 
the extreme end of its waters, and distant blue 
mountains mingled their dim summits with the 
clouds. . . . The grass was most verdant, 
about the height of a field fit for the scythe in 
England, but not so thick. From this the snipe 
rose at every 20 or 30 paces, although the ground 
was perfectly dry. Crossing a large meadowy 
and skirting the banks of the lake, from which 
the ducks and teal rose in large flocks, we entered 
a long neck of jungle which stretched far into 
the lake. This was not more than 200 paces 
in width, and we soon emerged upon an ex¬ 
tensive plain bordered by fine forests, the 
waters of the lake stretching far away upon 
our left, like a sheet of gold. A few large 
rocks rose above the surface near the shore; 
these were covered with various kinds of wild- 
