st be in need of sleep, I told him that I would watch
while he got some rest. He acknowledged that he should be very glad of
it; and in a few seconds he was fast asleep. I sat with his carbine in
my hand, ready to fire at any wild beast which might approach us; but
happily none came near. And in a couple of hours or less Selim awoke,
and declared that he was quite able to proceed.

Our first object was to gain the bank of the river, to look out for
Halliday and Ben, whom we hoped might have found their way to it.
Though I still walked with difficulty, I managed to get along. We had
not gone far when Selim observed a tree from which, he said, the people
in his country were accustomed to manufacture bows.

"I must make one at once," he observed; "it will save our ammunition--
which will serve to defend us from human foes or wild beasts, while we
can shoot small birds or animals with arrows."

He quickly cut off a branch which he fixed on for the purpose, and as we
walked along he began to shape it with his knife.

We had followed the course of the stream, which, as we caught glimpses
of it through the trees, widened considerably. We had now arrived near
the point where the stream joined the larger river, but both of us felt
that we could go no further. We had still a good supply of dates, and
Selim quickly collected some fruit, which enabled us to satisfy our
hunger. We then cut down a number of saplings and a quantity of
branches, with which we constructed a hut between the buttressed roots
of a gigantic baobab-tree, with a strong barricade in front. Here we
hoped to rest more securely than we had done for a long time, as we
could not be attacked in the rear, and we believed that no wild beast
would attempt to break through it; then, as we had met with no traces of
inhabitants, we consequently did not expect to be attacked by human
beings. We had our hut completed before dark; and in the meantime Selim
managed to collect a number of reeds for arrows, and the strong fibre of
a plant to twist into a bow-string. We had thus plenty of occupation--
till night coming on compelled us to retire within our hut, and build up
the barricade in front of it.

When I awoke in the morning, I found that Selim had completed his bow
and arrows; so as soon as we had breakfasted on our remaining stock of
provisions we set out towards the bank of the main river. It should be
understood that we were on the eastern side of the st