destitute　of　means　of　curing　the　pelts；　we　started；
  and；　sailing　through　the　lagoon；　followed　the　course
  of　the　river　on　the　farther　side。　At　midday；　when　the
  breeze　dropped；　we　were　fortunate　enough　to　find　a
  convenient　piece　of　dry　land　on　which　to　camp　and
  light　a　fire；　and　here　we　cooked　two　wild　duck　and
  some　of　the　water　buck's　fleshnot　in　a　very
  appetizing　way；　it　is　true；　but　still　sufficiently。
  The　rest　of　the　buck's　flesh　we　cut　into　strips　and
  hung　in　the　sun　to　dry　into　〃biltong；〃　as　I　believe
  South　African　Dutch　call　flesh　thus　prepared。　On　this
  welcome　patch　of　dry　land　we　stopped　until　the
  following　dawn；　and；　as　before；　spent　the　night　in
  warfare　with　the　mosquitoes；　but　without　other
  troubles。　The　next　day　or　two　passed　in　similar
  fashion；　and　without　noticeable　adventures；　except
  that　we　shot　a　specimen　of　a　peculiarly　graceful
  hornless　buck；　and　saw　many　varieties　of　water…lilies
  in　full　bloom；　some　of　them　blue　and　of　exquisite
  beauty；　though　few　of　the　flowers　were　perfect；　owing
  to　the　prevalence　of　a　white　water…maggot　with　a　green
  head　that　fed　upon　them。
  It　was　on　the　fifth　day　of　our　journey；　when　we　had
  travelled；　so　far　as　we　could　reckon；　about　one
  hundred　and　thirty…five　to　a　hundred　and　forty　miles
  westward　from　the　coast；　that　the　first　event　of　any
  real　importance　occurred。　On　that　morning　the　usual
  wind　failed　us　about　eleven　o'clock；　and　after　pulling
  a　little　way　we　were　forced　to　halt　more　or　less
  exhausted　at　what　appeared　to　be　the　junction　of　our
  stream　with　another　of　a　uniform　width　of　about　fifty
  feet。　Some　trees　grew　near　at　handthe　only　trees　in
  all　this　country　were　along　the　banks　of　the　river
  and　under　these　we　rested；　and　then；　the　land　being
  fairly　dry　just　here；　walked　a　little　way　along　the
  edge　of　the　river　to　prospect；　and　shoot　a　few
  waterfowl　for　food。　Before　we　had　gone　fifty　yards　we
  perceived　that　all　hopes　of　getting　farther　up　the
  stream　in　the　whale…boat　were　at　an　end；　for　not　two
  hundred　yards　above　where　we　had　stopped　were　a
  succession　of　shallows　and　mud…banks；　with　not　six
  inches　of　water　over　them。　It　was　a　watery　_i_　cul…de…
  sac　_i_　。
  Turning　back；　we　walked　some　way　along　the　banks　of
  the　other　river；　and　soon　came　to　the　conclusion；　from
  various　indications；　that　it　was　not　a　river　at　all；
  but　an　ancient　canal；　like　the　one　which　is　to　be　seen
  above　Mombasa；　on　the　Zanzibar　coast；　connecting　the
  Tana　River　with　the　Ozy；　in　such　a　way　as　to　enable
  the　shipping　coming　down　the　Tana　to　cross　to　the　Ozy；
  and　reach　the　sea　by　it；　and　thus　avoid　the　very
  dangerous　bar　that　blocks　the　mouth　of　the　Tuna。　The
  canal　before　us　had　evidently　been　dug　out　by　man　at
  some　remote　period　of　the　world's　history；　and　the
  results　of　his　digging　still　remained　in　the　shape　of
  the　raised　banks　that　had　no　doubt　once　formed　towing…
  paths。　Except　here　and　there；　where　they　had　been
  hollowed　out　or　fallen　in；　these　banks　of　stiff；
  binding　clay　were　at　a　uniform　distance　from　each
  other；　and　the　depth　of　the　water　also　appeared　to　be
  uniform。　Current　there　was　little　or　none；　and；　as　a
  consequence；　the　surface　of　the　canal　was　choked　with
  vegetable　growth；　intersected　by　little　paths　of　clear
  water；　made；　I　suppose；　by　the　constant　passage　of
  waterfowl；　iguanas；　and　other　vermin。　Now；　as　it　was
  evident　that　we　could　not　proceed　up　the　river；　it
  became　equally　evident　that　we　must　either　try　the
  canal　or　else　return　to　the　sea。　We　could　not　stop
  where　we　were；　to　be　baked　by　the　sun　and　eaten　up　by
  the　mosquitoes；　till　we　died　of　fever　in。　that　dreary
  marsh。
  〃Well；　I　suppose　that　we　most　try　it；〃　I　said；　and　the
  others　assented　in　their　various　waysLeo；　as　though
  it　were　the　best　joke　in　the　world；　Job；　in　respectful
  disgust；　and　Mahomed；　with　an　invocation　to　the
  Prophet；　and　a　comprehensive　curse　upon　all
  unbelievers　and　their　ways　of　thought　and　travel。
  Accordingly；　as　soon　as　the　sun　got　low；　having　little
  or　nothing　more　to　hope　for…from　our　friendly　wind；　we
  stared。　For　the　first　hour　or　so　we　managed　to　row　the
  boat；　though　with　great　labor；　but　after　that　the
  weeds　got　too　thick　to　allow　of　it；　and　we　were；
  obliged　to　resort　to　the　primitive　and　most　exhausting
  resource　of　towing　her。　For　two　hours　we　labored；
  Mahomed；　Job；　and　I；　who　was　supposed　to　be　strong
  enough　to　pull　against　the　two　of　them；　on　the　bank；
  while　Leo　sat　in　the　bow　of　the　boat；　and　brushed　away
  the　weeds　which　collected　round　the　cutwater　with
  Mahomed's　sword。　At　dark　we　halted　for　some　hours　to
  rest　and　enjoy　the　mosquitoes；　but　about　midnight　we
  went　on　again；　taking　advantage　of　the　comparative
  cool　of　the　night。　At　dawn　we　rested　for　three　hours；
  and　then　started　once　more；　and　labored　on　till　about
  ten　o'clock；　when　a　thunderstorm；　accompanied　by　a
  deluge　of　rain；　overtook　us；　and　we　spent　the　next　six
  hours　practically　under　water。
  I　do　not　know　that　there　is　any　necessity　for　me　to
  describe　the　next　four　days　of　our　voyage　in　detail；
  further　than　to　say　that　they　were；　on　the　whole；　the
  most　miserable　that　I　ever　spent　in　my　life；　forming
  one　monotonous　record　of　heavy　labor；　heat；　misery；
  and　mosquitoes。　All　the　way　we　passed　through　a　region
  of　almost　endless　swamp；　and　I　can　only　attribute　our
  escape　from　fever　and　death　to　the　constant　doses　of
  quinine　and　purgatives　which　we　took；　and　the
  unceasing　toil　which　we　were　forced　to　undergo。　On　the
  third　day　of　our　journey　up　the　canal　we　had　sighted　a
  round　hill　that　loomed　dimly　through　the　vapors　of　the
  marsh；　and　on　the　evening　of　the　fourth　night；　when　we
  camped；　this　hill　seemed　to　be　within　five…and…twenty
  or　thirty　miles　of　us。　We　were　by　now　utterly
  exhausted；　and　felt　as　though　our　blistered　hands
  could　not　pull　the　boat　a　yard　farther；　and　that　the
  best　thing　that　we　could　do　would　be　to　lie　down　and。
  die　in　that　dreadful　wilderness　of　swamp。　It　was　an
  awful　position；　and　one　in。　which　I　trust　no　other
  white　man　will　ever　be　placed；　and　as　I　threw　myself
  down　in　the　boat　to　sleep　the　sleep　of　utter
  exhaustion；　I　bitterly　cursed　my　folly　in　ever　having
  been　a　party　to　such　a　mad　undertaking；　which　could；　I
  saw；　only　end　in　our　death　in　this　ghastly　land。　I
  thought；　I　remember；　as　I　slowly　sank　into　a　doze；　of
  what　the　appearance　of　the　boat　and　her　unhappy　crew
  would　be　in　two　or　three　months'　time　from　that　night。
  There　she　would　lie；　with　gaping　seams　and　half　filled
  with　fetid　water；　which；　when　the　mist…laden　wind
  stirred　her；　would　wash　backward　and　forward　through
  our　mouldering　bones；　and　that　would　be　the　end　of
  her；　and　of　those　in　her　who　would　follow　after　myths
  and　seek　out　the　secrets　of　nature。
  Already　I　seemed　to　hear　the　water　rippling　against
  the　desiccated　bones　and　rattling　them　together；
  rolling　my　skull　against　Mahomed's；　and　his　against
  mine；　till　at　last　Mahomed's　stood　straight　up　upon
  its　vertebrae；　and　glared　at　me　through　its　empty　eye
  holes；　and　cursed　me　with　its　grinning　jaws；　because
  I；　a　dog　of　a　Christian；　disturbed　the　last　sleep　of　a
  true　believer。　I　opened　my　eyes；　and　shuddered　at　the
  horrid　dream；　and　then　shuddered　again　at　something
  that　was　not　a　dream；　for　two　great　eyes　were　gleaming
  down　at　me　through　the　misty　darkness。　I　struggled　up；
  and　in　my　terror　and　confosion　shrieked；　and　shrieked
  again；　so　that　the　others　sprang　up　too；　reeling；　and
  drunken　with　sleep　and　fear。　And　then　all　of　a　sudden
  there　was　a　flash　of　cold　steel；　and　a　great　spear　was
  held　against　my　throat；　and　behind　it　other　spears
  gleamed　cruelly。
  〃Peace；〃　said　a　voice；　speaking　in　Arabic；　or　rather
  in　some　dialect　into　which　Arabic　entered　very
  largely；　〃who　are　ye　who　come　hither　swimming　on　the
  water？　Speak　or　ye　die；〃　and　the　steel　pressed　sharply
  against　my　throat；　sending　a　cold　chili　through　me。
  〃We　are　travellers；　and　have　come　hither　by　chance；〃　I
  answered　in　my　best　Arabic；　which　appeared　to　be
  understood；　for　the　man　turned　his　head　and；
  addressing　a　tall　form　that　towered　up　in　the
  background；　said；　〃Father；　shall　we　slay？〃
  〃What　is　the　color　of　the　men？〃　said　a　deep　voice　in
  answer。
  〃White　is　their　color。〃
  〃Slay　not；〃　was　the　reply。　〃Four　suns　since　was　the
  word　brought　to　me　from　_i_　She…who…must…be…obeyed　_i_
  ；　'White　men　come；　if　white　men　come；　slay　them　not。
  Let　them　be　brought　to　the　land　of　_i_　She…who…must…
  be…obeyed　_i_　。'　Bring　forth　the　men；　and　let　that
  which　they　have　with　them　be　brought　forth　also。〃
  〃Come；〃　said　the　man；　half　leading　and　half　dragging
  me　from　the　boat；　and　as　he　did　so　I　perceived　other
  men　doing　the　same　kind　office　to　my　companions。
  On　the　bank　were　gathered　a　company　of　some　fifty　men。
  In　that　light　all　I　could　make　out　was　that　they　were
  armed　with　huge　spears　were　very　tall；　and　strongly
  built；　comparatively　light　in　color；　and　nude；　save
  for　a　leopard　skin　tied　round　the　middle。
  Presently　Leo　and　Job　were　bundled　out　and　placed
  beside　me。
  〃What　on　earth　is　up？〃　said　Leo；　rubbing　his　eyes。
  〃Oh；　Lord！　sir；　here's　a　rum　go；〃　ejacul