Page 109 - Adventures in Africa

that we were very weary, placing our heads oil
our hands and closing our eyes, were led cere­

moniously to our liut? into which we were thankful to
enter. Having closed the entrance we lay down and
tried to go to sleep. The noises which readied our

ears showed us, however, that the dance was being
kept up with unabated spirit, and I suspect that our
hosts formed but a mean opinion of our tastes in con­

sequence of our disappearing from the festive sccnc.
Next morning, having bestowed a few remaining

trinkets to delight the hearts of the black damsels, we
wished our hospitable entertainers farewell and con­
tinued our voyage, not an article of our property
having been purloined.

Our raft clung together far better than I should
have supposed, but I suspect, had it struck a rocky

bottom, the case would have been very different. W e
passed by herds of hippopotami, some with young
ones on their backs, and although they sank as Ave
approached, they soon came to the surface to breathe,

On the trees overhead were numbers of iguanas,
which, on seeing us, splashed into the water. The
chief canoeman carried a light javelin, with which he

speared a couple, the flesh proving to be tender and
gelatinous.
Numerous large crocodiles, as we appeared., plunged

heavily into the stream, indeed there was everywhere an
abundance of animal life. Had we not been anxious

to join our friends, we should have been contented
to continue the voyage for several days longer.
Another evening was approaching when we espied
beneath a huge tree what looked like a tent and a