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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