. Lake Ngami; or, Explorations and discoveries during four years' wanderings in the wilds of southwestern Africa . only occasionally relieved by apleasant group of the date and the fan-palm. The bankswere in many places so low that, when bivouacking on shore,we often slept in the water. Even where the banks rose afew feet above the surface, they were entirely undermined bythe stream; and if a stick was thrust through, water imme-diately appeared in the hole. Fuel was exceedingly scarce,and could only be purchased from the natives (thinly scatter-ed along its banks), who not unfrequently brough
. Lake Ngami; or, Explorations and discoveries during four years' wanderings in the wilds of southwestern Africa . only occasionally relieved by apleasant group of the date and the fan-palm. The bankswere in many places so low that, when bivouacking on shore,we often slept in the water. Even where the banks rose afew feet above the surface, they were entirely undermined bythe stream; and if a stick was thrust through, water imme-diately appeared in the hole. Fuel was exceedingly scarce,and could only be purchased from the natives (thinly scatter-ed along its banks), who not unfrequently brought it from avery great distance. On the fourth day the landscape assumed a more pleas-ing aspect; the banks of the river became higher, and wererichly covered with a rank vegetation. There was the fan-palm, the date, the black-stemmed mimosa, the wild andwide-spreading sycamore, the elegant and dark-foliaged mo-shoma, and a variety of other beautiful, often to me new,trees, many yielding an abundance of palatable and nourish-ing fruit. Timbo, Avho accompanied me, recognized no leso VEGETATION ANIMAL LIFE. 461. ASCENDING THE TKOGF^ than six or seven kinds of fruit-trees indigenous to the easteoast of Africa and the adjacent countries. The arborealscenery, indeed, in some pLaces exceeded in beauty any thingthat I had ever seen. I could have spent days under theshade of some of these ornamental trees, resounding at timeswith the wild notes of birds, while in the distance might beseen herds of the finest of the antelope tribe. Yet commonprudence forbids the traveler to tarry. When the stream,after the annual overflow, begins to subside, noxious effluviaare emitted, carrying death along with them. Such is theclimate of Africa! Animal life was almost on a par with the exuberantvegetation. Rhinoceroses, hippopotami, buffaloes, sassabys,hartebeests, pallahs, reed-bucks, leches, &c., were constantlyseen, and every day some game animal or other was I was able to support and sati
Size: 1938px × 1289px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorandersso, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookyear1856
