lthough there seems to be plenty of water for us over the banks on
either side, I have no fancy for trusting to the soundings laid down
here on the chart. These African rivers are never to be depended upon,
the shoals are constantly shifting, and where you may find water enough
to float a line-of-battle ship to-day, you may ground in that same
ship's launch a month hence."

He rolled up the chart, tucked it under his arm, gathered up his
parallel ruler, pencil, and dividers, and together we left the cabin and
made our way up the hatchway to the deck, where we found the first luff
still perched upon the carronade slide, anxiously scanning the horizon
on either bow under the sharp of his hand.

As we reached the deck a spark of golden fire flashed out upon the
horizon on our lee bow, and the sun's disc soared slowly into view,
warming the tints of a long, low-lying broken bank of grey cloud that
stretched athwart his course into crimson, and fringing its skirts with
gold as his first beams shot athwart the heaving water to the ship in a
tremulous path of shimmering, dazzling radiance.

The lieutenant caught a glimpse of us out of the corner of his eye as we
emerged from the hatchway, and at once stepped down off the slide on to
the deck.

"Good-morning, Bates," said he. "Well, here we are, with the land
plainly in view, you see; and I am glad that you have come on deck to
tell us just _where_ we are, for all this part of the world is quite new
ground to me. We are closer in than I thought we were, for just before
the sun rose the horizon ahead cleared, and I caught sight of what
looked like the tops of trees, both on the port and on the starboard
bow--you can't see them now for the dazzle, but you will presently, when
the sun is a bit higher--and there seemed to be an opening or
indentation of some sort between them, which I take to be the mouth of
the river."

"Ay, ay," answered Bates, "that will be it, no doubt." He sprang on to
the slide that Young had just vacated, took a long look at the land, and
then, turning to the helmsman, demanded, "How's her head?"

"East-south-east, sir," answered the man for the second time.

With this information the master in his turn took an approximate bearing
of the southernmost extremity of the range of hills, after which he
stepped down on to the deck again and, going to the capstan, spread out
his chart upon the head of it, calling me to help him keep the roll
open. The