_, from which the following selection is taken. We may
judge from his account that he did not find Africa as disappointing
as India and Newfoundland had proved.

His style is not that of a literary man, but he has the happy
faculty of presenting things in a very vivid manner, so that we are
willing to make some allowance for faults in style. He was
conscious of his weakness in this matter, and partially explained
it by saying, "The hand, wearied all day with the grasping of a
rifle, is not the best suited for wielding the pen."

On the 25th, at dawn of day, we inspanned, and trekked about five hours
in a northeasterly course, through a boundless open country sparingly
adorned with dwarfish old trees. In the distance the long-sought
mountains of Bamangwato at length loomed blue before me. We halted
beside a glorious fountain, which at once made me forget all the cares
and difficulties I had encountered in reaching it. The name of this
fountain was Massouey, but I at once christened it "the Elephant's own
Fountain." This was a very remarkable spot on the southern borders of
endless elephant forests, at which I had at length arrived. The fountain
was deep and strong, situated in a hollow at the eastern extremity of an
extensive vley,[386-1] and its margin was surrounded by a level stratum
of solid old red sandstone. Here and there lay a thick layer of soil
upon the rock, and this was packed flat with the fresh spoor of
elephants. Around the water's edge the very rock was worn down by the
gigantic feet which for ages had trodden there.

The soil of the surrounding country was white and yellow sand, but
grass, trees, and bushes were abundant. From the borders of the fountain
a hundred well-trodden elephant foot-paths led away in every direction,
like the radii of a circle. The breadth of these paths was about three
feet; those leading to the northward and east were the most frequented,
the country in those directions being well wooded. We drew up the wagons
on a hillock on the eastern side of the water. This position commanded a
good view of any game that might approach to drink. I had just cooked my
breakfast, and commenced to feed, when I heard my men exclaim, "Almagtig
keek de ghroote clomp cameel;" and, raising my eyes from the
sassaby[386-2] stew, I beheld a truly beautiful and very unusual scene.

From the margin of the fountain there extended an open level vley,
without a tre