THE VICTORIA FALLS 
37 
cloud filled the depths, and as it was late we adjourned to 
camp. That night we sat long on the river banks in the moon¬ 
light, discussing the falls, till warned by the approach of a sea- 
cow, from whose wet hide the light cast a silver-white reflection, 
that we had better retire to our fireside. Our excitement was 
too great to allow much sleep, and with the first rays of dawn we 
were off again, ignoring the attractions of breakfast, to renew the 
search for points affording better views of the falls. We got 
parted during the search in the thick bush lining the opposite 
bank of the falls, and Hammar, while crawling on all fours 
ZAMBESI ABpVE VICTORIA FALLS 
along a sea-cow path from one place to another, ran bang 
against a hippo face to face, to his no small trepidation. Luckily 
the fright was shared by the pachyderm, which made off' with 
many grunts into the thicket. 
The first point that really permitted a view down to the 
water’s surface, at the bottom of the falls, was at the outlet—a 
spot known as the Devil’s Kettle; and here, standing opposite the 
falls on the brink of the deep chasm into which the water pre¬ 
cipitates itself, through the mist and haze we could recognise 
the water below in great commotion, seething and churning in 
a manner quite justifying its name. Beyond this the river 
rushes at great speed in its course along the chasm—a veritable 
crack in the earth. 
