34 
THE NEW AFRICA 
Towards daylight the storm abated somewhat, and we pro¬ 
ceeded on our way, slipping and floundering along, in a most 
exhausting manner, through the long grass that met over the 
footpath. Towards midday on the 24th the rain came down 
again in such torrents that we decided to build a grass hut for 
protection; but, through the haste we made, this affair turned 
out a complete failure, and we spent the rest of the day and the 
night in a plight that was worse than in the open, exposed to 
the direct downpour; for the accumulated large drops that fell 
from the roof of the hut in showers had a much more disturbing 
effect than the direct unhindered rain, and I preferred an outside 
berth. The weather cleared towards morning, and bright sun¬ 
shine seemed to offer an apology for past discomforts, so we gaily 
marched along through the bush, with our clothes steaming into 
dryness in the morning air. 
The little rivulets we had to cross were now swollen to the 
proportion of torrents, and in one of these I nearly came to grief 
by falling on the assegai I was stupidly carrying, blade upwards, 
as a walking-stick. This rivulet, from its raging appearance, 
frightened the boys from crossing; so, to give them confidence, I 
jumped in, dressed as I was, and forded the drift breast high. 
In the middle I lost my footing by slipping on a stone, and, the 
current forcing me downward, I sought to support myself by 
jamming the heel of the spear on the bottom, and in an instant 
was forced against the point by the rushing water, which with 
the impetus given by the fall threatened to impale me. But 
with a rapid wrench in the moment I forced the spear aside, 
just grazing the skin through the shirt—the only garment 
covering the spot. It is needless to say that I abandoned 
assegais as walking-sticks after this experience. 
Some twenty miles from the falls, after climbing a red sand¬ 
hill, a magnificent view burst on our gaze as we emerged from 
the forest. Below us the wooded country lay stretched out like 
a picture, while slightly to the right a faint cloud, hovering and 
swaying in the sunshine as if fettered to the ground by some 
invisible force, indicated the locality of the falls. Franz and 
