They Had Not Gone Far, However, When The Canoe Began To
Leak, And They Discovered That It Had Been Patched
Up in many places,
After they had paddled about thirty miles, they were in great danger from
the hippopotami, which
Rose very near to them, and came "snorting,
splashing, and tumbling all round the canoe." They fired a shot or two,
but the noise only called up more of these unwieldy monsters to the
surface. The boatmen, who had never before been exposed in a canoe to
such huge and formidable beasts, trembled with fear and apprehension, and
absolutely "wept aloud; their terror was not a little increased by the
dreadful peals of thunder that burst over their heads, and the awful
darkness that prevailed, which was only broken at intervals by vivid
flashes of lightning. We were told that they frequently upset canoes in
the river, when every one in them is sure to perish. They came so close
to us, that we could reach them with the butt-end of a gun." To add to
their terror, as the night advanced the storm increased. The wind was so
furious, that it dashed the water several times over the sides of the
canoe, so that she was nearly filled. The little vessel became almost
unmanageable; at length, however, they got to a bank about the centre of
the stream, and fastened the boat to a thorny tree. The weather became
calmer at midnight, after which the rain descended in torrents,
accompanied with terrific thunder and lightning. They were obliged
constantly to bale. Next morning they perceived several mountains, which
were so elevated and distant, that their blue summits could scarcely be
distinguished from the clouds. They were of the most varied shapes, and
appeared to form part of a regular mountain chain. After having passed
the island of Gungo, which contains about 100 inhabitants, they were
again exposed to danger on the river, which was so agitated, that the
canoe was "tossed about like a cocoa-nut shell." The only method by which
they could escape sinking, was by pulling it among the Tushes on the
banks, which was effected after much labour and difficulty. No sooner did
they conceive themselves safe, than a huge crocodile rose up close to the
canoe, plunging near it with much violence: one blow from him would have
split it to pieces. Shortly after they came to a place where the current
rushed with the impetuosity of a torrent over a broad sand bank; they
were carried along with irresistible velocity, and the canoe struck
against the roof of a hut which was covered with water.
They now passed the mountains which they had observed on the preceding
day; they were flat table mountains, and appeared to be not far distant
from the bank. One or two were entirely barren, while a few were most
fertile, being covered with corn up to the very summits; they rest
displayed only stunted vegetation. Several villages, surrounded by groups
of tall trees, were situated at their foot.
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