h us, but this, being fresh and still
raw, would not greatly benefit us.

Under these circumstances it occurred to us that we might as well take
shelter under some tree, which, if it failed to warm, would at least
protect us from the falling dew.

We had already noticed a grove at some distance along the slope of the
hill. It appeared to promise the very shelter we wanted, and taking up
the gun, the lion-skin, what remained of the bustard, and some burning
faggots to make a new fire out of, we proceeded in the direction of the
grove.

This grove appeared of that kind usually termed a coppice or copse--such
as may be often observed in English parks. It was of a circular form,
and covered about half an acre of ground. None of the timber was tall--
not over thirty or forty feet in height, but as we drew nearer we could
perceive that it was all of one sort. This we could tell by the leaves,
which were very large and of a shining green colour. They were oblong,
and each leaf was divided into five leaflets, that were placed in
relation to each other like the fingers of a hand. Even the leaflets
were like large entire leaves, and out of each bunch of leaves we could
see that there grew a large white flower hanging upon a long pendulous
flower-stalk with its top downward. These flowers gave the grove a very
beautiful appearance--their splendid white corollas contrasting
elegantly with the deep-green of the leaves.

All these matters we noted as we drew nigh, for although the sun had
gone down, there was still light enough to view objects at a
considerable distance.

We noticed nothing else about this little copse that appeared peculiar,
until we had advanced close to its edge. We only observed that it was
nicely rounded, just as if it belonged to some fine park and had been
kept neatly trimmed by the pruning knife of the park-keeper, or some
landscape gardener. Of course this was a peculiarity--considering that
the grove grew in a wild uninhabited country, where no human hand ever
interfered with it, as we supposed. But I had heard that such regularly
formed copses are often met with in wild regions, both on the table
plains of Southern Africa and the prairies of America, therefore there
was nothing remarkable that they should be found in Central Africa as
well.

On this account we had scarce made any remark about the singularity of
its shape, but approached it with no other intention than to obtain
shelter un