ey were
everywhere twisted off to the height of about twenty-five feet, which is
as far as an elephant can reach.

Here and there, under the trees, were conical hills twenty feet high,
built up for residences by the white ants. Frequently they were covered
with creeping plants which met at the top, hanging back in an umbrella
shape, completely shading them. I shot several doves and other birds to
serve us for dinner, and while Jan was cooking them I went in search of
fruit, and discovered an abundance of medlars very similar to those we
have in England, as well as some small purple figs growing on bushes.
The most curious fruit I met with was like a lime in appearance, with a
thick rind, but inside was a large nut. I had to climb a tree to obtain
them, for all those lower down had been carried off by elephants who
were evidently very fond of the fruit.

As our object was to make as much haste as possible, I was resolved not
to go out of the way to shoot any large game, though I kept my rifle
loaded with ball as a defence against lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, or
hyaenas.

The first day's journey we saw several in the distance, though none came
near us. We formed our camp at the foot of a tree, with a large fire in
front of us, and on either side of the trunk we erected a fence of stout
stakes in a semi-circular form; so we hoped that we should be able to
sleep without being molested by wild beasts. The ox remained outside,
and we knew that he would run to the fire, should danger threaten him.

The usual cries proceeding from an African forest prevented us from
sleeping over soundly, and I was awakened by the roar of a lion, which
stood on a mound some little distance from our camp, afraid of
approaching near our fire, and the palisade which he probably took for a
trap.

We had exhausted our stock of wood during the night, and in the morning
Jan went out to procure a fresh supply for cooking our breakfast. I was
employed in plucking some birds which I had killed in the evening, when
I heard my companion shouting lustily for help, and at the same time, a
loud crashing of boughs reached my ears, while the ox came hurrying up
to the camp in evident alarm.

Seizing my rifle, I sprang up, fearing that a lion had pounced down upon
Jan, while picking up sticks, and I was fully prepared for an encounter
with the savage brute. Instead of a lion, however, I saw an elephant,
with trunk uplifted, rush out from among th