CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.
AFLOAT ON THE LIMPOPO.
A broad river coursing eastward for the Indian Ocean, nearly in thelatitude of the Tropic of Capricorn. Drifting down it is a large raft,with many people upon it, and that which, seen from a distance, might betaken for three trek-waggons. On nearer view, however, these arediscovered to be but waggon--tilts, supported on upright posts insteadof wheels. Needless to say, they are the same which have been all alongsheltering our party of migrating Boers, and the river the Limpopo;while the large raft is a composite structure of the three small oneslashed and braced together, with some additional timbers to give itgreater size and strength. The original beams of koker-boom had beencarried across the second portage, put together as before, and broughton down the branch stream, without encountering any other interruption.On reaching its mouth, however, it was deemed better to continue thevoyage with the three united in one, and the union has been made. Inthe new arrangement the waggon-tilts still hold position on thequarter-deck, side by side and parallel to one another; while only oneof the steering-oars--the central one--is retained. The sheds are alsore-erected on the fore-deck, with the cargo collected into one pile, andinstead of three fire-hearths, a single one now serves for all. Withthe thermometer often at 100 degrees in the shade it is not there forwarmth, but culinary needs.
There are still a half-score of the water-horses attached, but now intow astern, and with no one bestriding them. Nor have they been muchridden since that great crocodile scare; all along the branch stream,thence downward, the reptiles being in such numbers, and so fiercelydisposed, as to make it unsafe. The horses, however, have been retainedto meet certain emergencies, as when quick communication with the banksmay be necessary or desirable. But there is now another tenderattached, of quite a different kind; a canoe full twenty feet in length,with a beam's breadth of about five, capable of holding a crew of eightor ten. It is of the "dug-out" pattern, hollowed from a single trunk,the handicraft of the Imacobas.
All this occupied time, more than a fortnight having been spent in thework of remodelling and reconstruction, the scene of operations beinginside the embouchure of the tributary. During that period the peoplewere, of course, compelled to live on land, and there passing sleeplessnights, through the torment of mosquitoes, they are glad to get out uponthe bosom of the broad river, where but few of these persecutors willfollow them [Note 1].
As the re-embarkation has been just effected, they are as yet uncertainhow the new craft will behave. But with the buoyant koker-booms holdingit high in the water, its gives promise of good "floating" qualities,which has put all on board into the best of spirits. Besides, they areagain experiencing that exquisite sense of pleasure derived from motionwithout toil, with the added delight of ever-changing scenes. The tractof country they are now traversing is different from any they have yetpassed over; a vast level plain, with no mountain, not even a hill,visible on either side; treeless to a far distance, the only vegetationnear being tall grass and reeds, with here and there on the higherstretches of bank a thin scattering of bushes, chiefly acacias. At adifferent period of the year, most of the land in sight would be underwater--inundated. Even now portions of it are marsh, though it is theseason of drought, and the river at its lowest. Yet is there no lack ofanimal life, birds especially abounding; birds of largest size andendless variety of species. Standing balanced on one leg, or leisurelywinging through the air, can be seen the "Wattled" and "Blue" cranes;while on some bit of smooth sand beach may be witnessed that curiousspectacle, "Caffre" cranes [Note 2], dancing a quadrille, with wingsextended and waving about, as the gauzy skirts of ladies in a ball-room.Not far off, but solitary, is the great "Goliath heron," as also thewhite egret, two kinds of flamingoes, and storks of several species;among these the gigantic "Adjutant" [Note 3], whose beak, like apick-axe when pointed upward with neck at full stretch, will reach tothe height of a man's head. Affrighted from their watery rest, flocksof wild geese and ducks fly to and fro; while the ostriches and great"Kori" bustards go stalking over the plain, or, approaching the river'sbank, stand gazing at the raft, half in wonder, half alarmed. High inthe heaven's above are vultures of various kinds; also eagles, kites,and others of the falcon tribe, each soaring in its own curve, with eyeson the _qui vive_ for quarry below.
Nor are quadrupeds scarce; instead plenteous, both in number andspecies. Here and there a hippopotamus appears swimming about in theriver, or but for a moment showing its clumsy head, with thick truncatedmuzzle above the surface as it rises to breathe; then going under againto leave a large eddy with floating froth and bubbles. Now and then arhinoceros comes crashing through the reeds by the river's edge on itsway to drink, while troops of quaggas, zebras, and antelopes, the lastvaried in size and sort, roam over the veldt beyond.
But the spectacle most interesting of all was one afforded by thelargest of quadrupeds--the elephant itself; a sight so rare as to welldeserve being called wonderful; and so the old jager, Jan Van Dorn,pronounced it--even he never having witnessed the like before.
During the time they were engaged in raft-building, they had observedelephants on the opposite side of the great river; not a single herd,but straggling bands all moving in the same direction--downward. Dayafter day they had noticed this stream of the great pachyderms,supposing them to be the same animals that had returned up in the night,and were thus journeying to and fro for food, or water.
Now they had evidence to the contrary, and in less than an hour afterembarking. As they passed down, with eyes scanning the plain on bothsides of the river, they arrived opposite a wide expanse of wet marsh,or savanna, extending away from the right bank. On this was a herd ofelephants, a multitude so vast as to seem all of the elephant kindinhabiting South Africa. The ground was thick covered and black withthem for miles upon miles, the whole drove certainly numbering not lessthan a thousand head! They were up to their bellies browsing on a greensedge--that grew luxuriantly in the wet marshy soil--no doubt the causeof their being so congregated.
To the young Boers it was a sight not less tantalising than strange, andtheir elders had a difficulty in restraining them. One and all were forbringing the raft in to the bank, landing, and making slaughter amongthe pachyderms. But the old jager in command would not listen to this;knowing as he did, that the first shot fired would send the herdhelter-skelter, even should they stand to receive a first shot.
Besides, he urged another and more convincing objection. To stalk suchgame on that ground, bare of trees and other protecting cover, would beattended with the greatest danger. Instead of retreating, just aslikely might they charge upon the stalkers, and put them to flight, withscarce a chance of escape.
In fine, the elephants were let alone, though not without sorereluctance on the part of the young hunters. Even the baases dislikedit; for it seemed almost as the leaving behind some thousands of poundsof ivory, with as many hundreds of pounds sterling. But it had to bedone; the uncertainty, with peril attendant, determining the sacrifice.
And there was still another factor which just then interfered. Theraft, hitherto gliding smoothly on at a fair rate of speed, had beenfound to be gradually slowing, and was now scarce making way at all.The cause was clear enough. Up to this point, or rather _down_ to it,they had been carried along on the current of the inflowing stream,which here came to an end amid the more sluggish waters of the greatriver.
By Jan Van Dorn this new and unexpected impediment was looked upon withsomething more than vexation--indeed alarm--the wiser ones sharing it.Before them were long leagues of river navigation; how many they couldnot tell, or what time it might take to reach the sea. But they knewthere was also a rainy season before them, during which the low-lyingcoast-land becomes a hotbed of malarial fever, almost always fatal towhite men. No wonder then at their dreading delay.
It seemed a poor alternative, taking to oars; but they had hopes ofagain getting into a current farther down, and so took to them. Polingthey di
d not think of now; as, despite the river being at its lowest, itwas too deep for that. But there were oars in plenty, with men to manthem; so out went they, to be worked with a will.
Notwithstanding, their progress was unsatisfactory, the cumbrousstructure refusing to move at a speed of much more than a mile to thehour. And as still further discouragement a long reach of the river--leagues of it--stretched before them, straight as a canal, and to allappearance as stagnant. But this, at first dispiriting, after a littlebecame suggestive. If in directness of course the stream resembled acanal, either of its banks--smooth, firm, and level as they were--mightbe likened to a tow-path.
Why should they not try towing? Just the idea that occurred to baas VanDorn; to be acted upon without an instant's delay. Quick as it could bedone, the old waggon trek-trouws were spliced together, one end madefast to the raft, and the other carried ashore, with a score ofHottentots and Caffres to do the towing. Which commenced amid a chorusof encouraging cries; and soon the huge, heavy craft, with constantlyincreasing speed, was "walking the water like a thing of life."
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Note 1. If a wide river, mosquitoes are rarely found far from the bank.Along the water's edge is their favourite haunt, especially wherewooded.
Note 2. The "Wattled" crane (_Grus carunculata_). The "Blue" crane ofthe South African colonists is that better known to naturalists as theStanley crane (_Anthropoides Stanleyanus_). The "Caffre" crane is thebeautiful species with coronetted head (_Balearica Regulorum_); calledalso "Crowned" crane, and sometimes "Balearic" from its being aninhabitant of the Balearic Isles.
Note 3. The Adjutant, or, as more commonly called, "Adjutant bird"(_Ciconia Argali)_, belongs to the family of storks, of which SouthAfrica possesses no less than seven distinct species. The species of_Ardeinae_ or Herons, are there even much more numerous, there beingfifteen of them including true herons, egrets, and bitterns.