348 
FALLS OF THE KAIIGIRI RIVER 
[chap. XII. 
Fortunately there was a village not far from the 
spot where we landed, and we took possession of a 
hut, lighted a good fire, and wrapped ourselves in 
Scotch plaids and blankets wrung out, while our clothes 
were being dried, as there was not a dry rag in our 
possession. 
We could procure nothing to eat, except a few dried 
fish that, not having been salted, were rather high 
flavoured. Our fowls, and also two pet quails, were 
drowned in the boat during the storm; however, the 
drowned fowls were made into a stew, and with a 
blazing fire, and clean straw to sleep upon, the night’s 
rest was perhaps as perfect as in the luxury of home. 
On the following morning we were detained by bad 
weather, as a heavy sea was still running, and we were 
determined not to risk our canoes in another gale. It 
was a beautiful neighbourhood, enlivened by a magni¬ 
ficent waterfall that fell about a thousand feet from the 
mountains, as the Kaiigiri river emptied itself into the 
lake in a splendid volume of water. ' This river rises 
in the great marsh that we had crossed on our way 
from M’rooli to Yacovia. In this neighbourhood we 
gathered some mushrooms—the true Agaricus cam- 
pestris of Europe—which were a great luxury. 
In the afternoon the sea subsided, and we again 
started. We had not proceeded above three miles 
from the village, when I observed an elephant bathing 
in the lake; he was in water so deep, that he stood 
with only the top of his head and trunk above the 
surface. As we approached, he sunk entirely, only 
the tip of his trunk remaining above the water. I 
ordered the boatmen to put the canoe as close to 
him as possible, and we passed within thirty yards, 
just as he raised his head from his luxurious bath. 
I was sorely tempted to fire, but remembering my 
resolve, I refrained from disturbing him, and he slowly 
quitted the lake, and entered the thick jungle. A 
short distance beyond this spot two large crocodiles 
were lying upon the beach asleep; but upon the 
