A FINE WATERFALL.

143

al weeks, though it sours and becomes unfit for a civilized stomach generally after two or three days. But it will not do to be squeamish in Africa, which, with all its tropical richness of vegetation, is as good a place to starve in as any man could desire.

In the afternoon, shortly after eating our dinner of igouma and dried fish, we came to a Mbicho village, where the people all turned out to get a look at me, as they had never seen a white man before. They were a wild set, and evidently regarded me as a very strange monster.

Some hours after leaving this village we came to a high ridge or plateau, along which were strewn some of the most extraordinary boulders I ever saw; immense blocks of granite covering the ground in every direction, and many of them between thirty and forty feet high by one hundred long or more. This hill or ridge was the highest I had seen between the Moondah and the Muni; and I think if it had not been for the trees which obstructed even this view, I should have been able to see the ocean.

Near to the largest of these granite masses, a huge rock rising some fifty feet out of the ground, I saw the entrance-between solid rocks-to a fine large cavern, much used by the natives as a house to stop in over night when they are traveling back and forth, and very comfortable, as it is open to the light, and its vast opening admits such a flood of sunlight and air that it is not likely to be used as a lair for wild beasts. We saw the remains of various fires inside; but I am bound to say we saw also the tracks of various leopards and other dangerous beasts on the outside, for which reason I did not care to sleep there.

While exploring the cavern I thought several times I heard a trickling which seemed almost like the noise of rain; in fact, when we got out I was surprised to find not a cloud in the sky. Turning for an explanation to Alapay, he lead me along a path which evidently led to the trickling, which soon grew in our ears to the sound of rushing waters. Presently we came to the edge of a steep declivity, and here I saw before and around me a most charming landscape, the centre of which was a most beautiful waterfall. A stream which meandered along the slope of the plateau, and which had until now escaped us, had here made its way through a vast granite block which barred its course, and, rushing through the narrow round hole in this block, fell in one silvery cascade for fifty feet down to the lower level. Clear, sparkling, and pure as

water could be, it rushed down to its pebbly bed-a sight so charming to my eyes, long wearied of the monotony of the interior forests, that I sat for some time and literally "feasted my eyes" upon it.

Then came an attempt to have a view from the bottom. Aft er some difficult climbing we got to the bottom, and looking up, beheld, under the fall, a hole in the perpendicular face of the rock, which formed evidently the mouth of a cavern.

I determined to enter this. We lit some torches. I took my revolver and gun, and, accompanied by two men, made good my entrance without getting wet. Once inside, where probably man had never before stood, we excited the astonishment of vast numbers of huge vampire bats, who fluttered around our lights, threatening each moment to leave us in darkness, and the motion of whose wings filled the cavern with a kind of dull thunderous roar. When we had advanced about one hundred yards from the mouth we came to a stream or puddle of water extending entirely across the floor and barring our way. My men, who had gone thus far under protest, now desired to return, and urged me not to go into the water or beyond, because all sorts of wild beasts and snakes were sure to be lying in wait for us. At the word snakes I hesitated, for I confess to a great dread of serpents in the dark or in confined places, where a snake is likely to get the advantage of a man.

Peering into the darkness beyond, I thought I saw two bright sparks or coals of eyes gleaming savagely at us. Without thinking of the consequences, I leveled my gun at the shining objects and fired. The report for a moment deafened us. Then came a redoubled rush of the great hideous bats; it seemed to me millions on millions of these animals suddenly launched out on us from all parts of the surrounding gloom; our torches were extinguished in an instant, and, panic-struck, we all made for the cavern's mouth -I with visions of enraged snakes springing after and trying to catch up with me. with me. We were all glad enough to reach daylight once more, and I think my men could not have been persuaded to try the darkness again.

The scene outside was as charming as that within was hideous. I stood long looking at one of the most beautiful landscapes I met in Africa. Before me, the little stream, whose fall over the cliff behind me filled the whole forest with a gentle roar, ran on

between steep banks which sometimes seemed almost to meet and hide it. Away down the valley we could see its course, traced like a silver line over the plain, finally losing itself to our sight in a denser part of the forest. The valley itself was a pleasant wooded plain, which it seemed the hand of man had not yet disturbed, and whence the song of birds, and the chatter of monkeys, and hum of insects came up to us in a confusion of sounds very pleasant to the ear.

We could not loiter long over this scene, however. I was anxious to get to the sea-shore, and we set off again to make as good progress before dark as possible. The forest abounded in vines, which were every moment getting in our way, and briers, which were even worse, so that traveling in the dark, if we had to do it, was like to be very unpleasant. The whole of this country abounds in little rivulets and streams, which take their rise in these first hills which we were crossing this afternoon and run down toward the sea-shore, some losing themselves ere getting there, and others emptying their tiny loads of fresh water into the great Atlantic.

I suppose the elephants like plenty of water; we found ourselves almost continually crossing or following elephants' tracks. Indeed, my men walked very cautiously, expecting every moment to find ourselves face to face with a herd. But they are very shy in this part of the country, being much chased for the ivory; and keep a good watch for their enemy, man.

At last the country became quite flat, the elephant-tracks ceased, and presently, as we neared a stream, we came to a mangrove swamp. It was almost like seeing an old friend, or an old enemy, for the reminiscences of musquitoes, tedious navigation, and malaria which the mangrove-tree brought up in my mind, were by no means pleasant. From a mangrove-tree to a mangrove swamp is but a step. They never stand alone.

Presently we stood once more on the banks of the little stream whose clear, pellucid waters had so charmed me a little farther up country. Now it was only a swamp. Its bed, no longer narrow, was spread over a flat of a mile, and the now muddy waters meandered slowly through an immense growth of mangroves, whose roots extended entirely across and met in the middle, showing their huge rounds above the mire and water, like the folds of some vast serpent.

K

146

CROSSING A MANGROVE SWAMP.

It was high tide, and there was not a canoe to be had. To sleep on this side among the mangroves and be eaten up by musquitoes, was not a pleasant prospect, and to me there seemed no other. But my men were not troubled at all. We were to cross over, quite easily too, on the roots which projected over the water's edge, and which lay from two to three feet apart at irregular distances. It seemed a desperate venture; but they set out, jumping like monkeys from place to place, and I followed, expecting every moment to fall in between and stick in the mud, perhaps to be attacked by some noxious reptile whose rest my fall would disturb. I had to take off my shoes, whose thick soles made me more likely to slip. I gave all my baggage, and guns, and pistols to the men, and then commenced a journey whose like I hope never to take again. We were an hour in getting across-an hour of continual jumps and hops. In the midst of it all a man behind me flopped into the mud, calling out "Omemba” in a frightened voice.

Now "omemba" means snake. The poor fellow had put his hand on an enormous black snake, and, feeling its cold, slimy scales, let go his hold and fell through. All hands immediately began to run faster than before, and to shout and make all kinds of noises to frighten the serpent. But the poor animal also took fright, and began to crawl away among the branches as fast as he could. Unfortunately, his fright led him directly toward some of us; and a general panic now ensued, every body running as fast as he could to get out of the way of danger. Another man fell into the mud below, and added his cries to the general noise. I came very near getting a mud-bath myself, but luckily I escaped. But my feet were badly cut up.

At last we were safe across, and I breathed freely once more. A little way from the edge of the swamp we came to our restingplace, the village of an old friend of mine, named King Apouron. He came out to meet me; guns were fired, and the usual African welcome of shouts and dances gone through with, and then we entered the village, where Alapay and Apouron began the ceremonies of introduction; the former giving a short account of my various adventures in his village, and the latter listening with apparent interest, and once in a while exclaiming, in a wondering way, "I do not know why our white man went to your bushcountry! I do not know why he should go there!"