at we
were fain to desist. We concluded that we had come to the banks of the
river we were in search of, so we directed our course to some trees
which appeared in the south, in order to get a bed and a view of the
adjacent locality. Having shot a leche, and made a glorious fire, we
got a good cup of tea and had a comfortable night. While collecting
wood that evening, I found a bird's nest consisting of live leaves sewn
together with threads of the spider's web. Nothing could exceed the
airiness of this pretty contrivance; the threads had been pushed through
small punctures and thickened to resemble a knot. I unfortunately
lost it. This was the second nest I had seen resembling that of the
tailor-bird of India.

Next morning, by climbing the highest trees, we could see a fine large
sheet of water, but surrounded on all sides by the same impenetrable
belt of reeds. This is the broad part of the River Chobe, and is called
Zabesa. Two tree-covered islands seemed to be much nearer to the water
than the shore on which we were, so we made an attempt to get to them
first. It was not the reeds alone we had to pass through; a peculiar
serrated grass, which at certain angles cut the hands like a razor, was
mingled with the reed, and the climbing convolvulus, with stalks which
felt as strong as whipcord, bound the mass together. We felt like
pigmies in it, and often the only way we could get on was by both of us
leaning against a part and bending it down till we could stand upon
it. The perspiration streamed off our bodies, and as the sun rose high,
there being no ventilation among the reeds, the heat was stifling, and
the water, which was up to the knees, felt agreeably refreshing. After
some hours' toil we reached one of the islands. Here we met an old
friend, the bramble-bush. My strong moleskins were quite worn through
at the knees, and the leather trowsers of my companion were torn and his
legs bleeding. Tearing my handkerchief in two, I tied the pieces round
my knees, and then encountered another difficulty. We were still forty
or fifty yards from the clear water, but now we were opposed by great
masses of papyrus, which are like palms in miniature, eight or ten feet
high, and an inch and a half in diameter. These were laced together by
twining convolvulus, so strongly that the weight of both of us could not
make way into the clear water. At last we fortunately found a passage
prepared by a hippopotamus. Eager as soon as we r