how the new craft will behave. But with the buoyant koker-booms holding
it high in the water, its gives promise of good "floating" qualities,
which has put all on board into the best of spirits. Besides, they are
again experiencing that exquisite sense of pleasure derived from motion
without toil, with the added delight of ever-changing scenes. The tract
of country they are now traversing is different from any they have yet
passed over; a vast level plain, with no mountain, not even a hill,
visible on either side; treeless to a far distance, the only vegetation
near being tall grass and reeds, with here and there on the higher
stretches of bank a thin scattering of bushes, chiefly acacias. At a
different period of the year, most of the land in sight would be under
water--inundated. Even now portions of it are marsh, though it is the
season of drought, and the river at its lowest. Yet is there no lack of
animal life, birds especially abounding; birds of largest size and
endless variety of species. Standing balanced on one leg, or leisurely
winging through the air, can be seen the "Wattled" and "Blue" cranes;
while on some bit of smooth sand beach may be witnessed that curious
spectacle, "Caffre" cranes [Note 2], dancing a quadrille, with wings
extended 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 the
white egret, two kinds of flamingoes, and storks of several species;
among these the gigantic "Adjutant" [Note 3], whose beak, like a
pick-axe when pointed upward with neck at full stretch, will reach to
the height of a man's head. Affrighted from their watery rest, flocks
of wild geese and ducks fly to and fro; while the ostriches and great
"Kori" bustards go stalking over the plain, or, approaching the river's
bank, stand gazing at the raft, half in wonder, half alarmed. High in
the heaven's above are vultures of various kinds; also eagles, kites,
and others of the falcon tribe, each soaring in its own curve, with eyes
on the _qui vive_ for quarry below.
Nor are quadrupeds scarce; instead plenteous, both in number and
species. Here and there a hippopotamus appears swimming about in the
river, or but for a moment showing its clumsy head, with thick truncated
muzzle above the surface as it rises to breathe; then going under again
to leave a large eddy with floating froth and bubbles. Now and then a
rhinoceros comes crashing through the reeds by the river's edge on its
way to drink, while troops of quaggas, zebras, and antelopes, the last
varied in size and sort, roam over the veldt beyond.
But the spectacle most interesting of all was one afforded by the
largest of quadrupeds--the elephant itself; a sight so rare as to well
deserve 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 observed
elephants on the opposite side of the great river; not a single herd,
but straggling bands all moving in the same direction--downward. Day
after 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 after
embarking. As they passed down, with eyes scanning the plain on both
sides 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 of
elephants, a multitude so vast as to seem all of the elephant kind
inhabiting South Africa. The ground was thick covered and black with
them for miles upon miles, the whole drove certainly numbering not less
than a thousand head! They were up to their bellies browsing on a green
sedge--that grew luxuriantly in the wet marshy soil--no doubt the cause
of their being so congregated.
To the young Boers it was a sight not less tantalising than strange, and
their elders had a difficulty in restraining them. One and all were for
bringing the raft in to the bank, landing, and making slaughter among
the pachyderms. But the old jager in command would not listen to this;
knowing as he did, that the first shot fired would send the herd
helter-skelter, even should they stand to receive a first shot.
Besides, he urged another and more convincing objection. To stalk such
game on that ground, bare of trees and other protecting cover, would be
attended with the greatest danger. Instead of retreating, just as
likely might they charge upon the stalkers, and put them to flight, with
scarce a chance of escape.
In fine, the elephants were let alone, though not without sore
reluctance on the part of the young hunters. Even the baases disliked
it; for it seemed almost as the leaving behind some thousands of pounds
of ivory, with as many hundreds of pounds sterling. But it had to be
done; the uncertainty, with peril attendant, determining the sacrifice.
And there was still another factor which just then interfered. The
raft, hitherto gliding smoothly on at a fair rate of speed, had been
found 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 great
river.
By Jan Van Dorn this new and unexpected impediment was looked upon with
something more than vexation--indeed alarm--the wiser ones sharing it.
Before them were long leagues of river navigation; how many they could
not tell, or what time it might take to reach the sea. But they knew
there was also a rainy season before them, during which the low-lying
coast-land becomes a hotbed of malarial fever, almost always fatal to
white men. No wonder then at their dreading delay.
It seemed a poor alternative, taking to oars; but they had hopes of
again getting into a current farther down, and so took to them. Poling
they did not think of now; as, despite the river being at its lowest, it
was too deep for that. But there were oars in plenty, with men to man
them; so out went they, to be worked with a will.
Notwithstanding, their progress was unsatisfactory, the cumbrous
structure refusing to move at a speed of much more than a mile to the
hour. And as still further discouragement a long reach of the river--
leagues of it--stretched before them, straight as a canal, and to all
appearance as stagnant. But this, at first dispiriting, after a little
became suggestive. If in directness of course the stream resembled a
canal, either of its banks--smooth, firm, and level as they were--might
be likened to a tow-path.
Why should they not try towing? Just the idea that occurred to baas Van
Dorn; to be acted upon without an instant's delay. Quick as it could be
done, the old waggon trek-trouws were spliced together, one end made
fast to the raft, and the other carried ashore, with a score of
Hottentots and Caffres to do the towing. Which commenced amid a chorus
of encouraging cries; and soon the huge, heavy craft, with constantly
increasing speed, was "walking the water like a thing of life."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note 1. If a wide river, mosquitoes are rarely found far from the bank.
Along the water's edge is their favourite haunt, especially where
wooded.
Note 2. The "Wattled" crane (_Grus carunculata_). The "Blue" crane of
the South African colonists is that better known to naturalists as the
Stanley crane (_Anthropoides Stanleyanus_). The "Caffre" crane is the
beautiful species with coronetted head (_Balearica Regulorum_); called
also "Crowned" crane, and sometimes "Balearic" from its being an
inhabitant 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 South
Africa possesses no less than seven distinct species. The species of
_Ardeinae_ or Herons, are there even much more numerous, there being
fifteen of them including true herons, egrets, and bitterns.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.
LEGS EASILY BROKEN.
The towers had advanced but a very short way when an incident arose,
illustrating a strange ornithological fact--indeed, so strange as to
seem apocryphal. While pulling onward with shouts and laughter, they
saw before them two large birds, which all knew to be _Slangvreters_
[Note 1],--easily recognisable as such by their slender bodies, thick
aquiline beaks, and long stilt-like legs. But still more, by the spike
of plumelets growing out of their crowns with a backward slant; which,
from a fancied resemblance to the old-fashioned quill-pen stuck behind
the ear of clerk or scrivener, has earned for them the more common title
of "Secretary birds." When first observed, they were out on the open
veldt serpent-hunting. One had even seized a large green snake, borne
it aloft into the air, and was in the act of dashing it to the ground,
where the other, with outstretched neck and vibrating wings, was waiting
to pounce upon it. They were but a little out of the way of the towers,
who expected to see them drop the snake, and retreat further, or carry
it away. They did drop the snake, but instead of making off, drew
nearer with a rush, half running, half flying; nor stopped they till
close up, and direct on the path the towing party must take. Not to
remain at rest there, but with continued fluttering around a mimosa-bush
that grew upon the bank--all the while screaming affrightedly.
There was no mystery about their behaviour, strange as it appeared. Its
cause was declared by cries, a sort of guttural rattling, which came
responsive out of the mimosa, where a nest was now descried with young
in it. It was an immense cluster of sticks loosely put together,
through which the long legs of the two young secretaries--for there was
but a pair--hung dangling down. By this the towers were beside it, and
a scramble ensued to get hold of the chicks, the old birds having at
length despairingly forsaken them, though still tarrying near. But the
youngsters were not to be caught so easily. Nearly full-fledged and
grown, before hand could be laid on either, they bolted out of the nest,
and struck off in run over the veldt, flapping their wings to assist
them. Half a dozen of the men followed, eagerly bent on capture. For
the slangvreter is a favourite pet with the South African Dutch; often
tamed and kept as a protector of the poultry-yard. But notwithstanding
the swiftness of some of their pursuers, the young secretaries, running
like ostriches, would doubtless have escaped, but for an accident
depriving them of the use of their limbs. Traversing the line of their
retreat was a fissure in the ground, and into it both tumbled head
foremost, from their eyes being all on the pursuers behind. It was a
dry rain-gulch, so shallow, it seemed as though the birds might easily
have got out again, and continued on. So could they, and would, had
their legs but held good, which they did not. Instead the young
secretaries lay struggling at the bottom of the gulch; and when taken
up, it was found that one had both legs broken, the other a leg and a
wing!
Their captors thought little of this, knowing it a thing of common
occurrence, and that the legs of young slangvreters are so brittle as
often to snap in twain--even from a fall on level ground, if the birds
be alarmed, and started suddenly into a run.
The captives were taken on board the raft; but, as it was known that
their broken limbs could not be set again, they were humanely killed, to
save them from a lingering death. But compassion had to undergo a still
greater trial, at sight and hearing of the parent birds, as they flew
frantically around the now untenanted nest, uttering shrill plaintive
cries. But the Caffres and Hottentots, callous to pity, made light of
their anguished demonstrations; and, hoisting the tow-rope over the
mimosa-bush, once more bent themselves along it, and treked on, mirthful
and boisterous as ever.
They had not proceeded much farther, however, before encountering
another incident, of a less pleasant nature, as though meant to rebuke
and punish them for their unfeeling behaviour. With the sun high up in
a cloudless sky, the atmosphere had become hot as the inside of a
glass-house; so sultry as soon to put an end to their merry caperings.
Instead of jumping about, and playing tricks on one another, they were
now contented to move soberly and slowly along--even letting the
tow-rope drag the ground. The thick hawser of raw hide was no light
weight in itself, to say nothing of the huge thing that needed pulling
along.
Jan Van Dorn, with others upon the raft, began to chafe at the slow
progress they were making; the baas at length calling out to them to
mend their pace. As he spoke commandingly, expecting obedience, what
was his surprise to see them drop the tow-rope as if it had been a bar
of red-hot iron, and at the same time recommence capering about! But
their antics were now of a different kind, both legs and arms in violent
agitation, as though one and all had become suddenly afflicted with the
malady of Saint Vitus! Their voices, moreover, had quite a different
tone; no more in jest or laughter, but cries and exclamations betokening
pain. So shouting, and wildly gesticulating, some ran out on the open
veldt, others to and fro along the bank. But most of them made a rush
down to the river, and plunging in, swam off for the raft. Not till
they were close up to it, did the cause of their debandade become known
to those on board; then by their seeing over the head of each swimmer a
swarm of insects easily recognisable as bees. Each had his own escort
of them; the bees infuriated, and spitefully buzzing, as at intervals
they darted down to inflict their stings. All was understood now. The
trailing hawser had caught upon a hive, to make wholesale ruin of it;
and the incensed insects were taking revenge for the destruction of
their honeyed store.
As the swimmers came on, it was seen that the Caffres, protected by
their thick lanigerous mops, suffered least; while the Hottentots, with
scantier covering of wool, had to keep constantly ducking their heads
under water.
All this was highly provocative of mirth to the people on the raft, and
most of them were now in convulsions of laughter. But not long to
continue it; scarce a minute more, till they had convulsions of another
and very different kind. For soon as the retreating towers climbed upon
deck, the bees, forsaking them, attacked every one indiscriminately--
white, black, and yellow all the same. The shouts and gesticulations,
heard and seen hitherto, were nothing to compare with the racket that
arose now. Women shrieked as they rushed in under the canvas tilts,
tugging their children after, all in wild hullabaloo; while the young
Boers leaped about, arms up and buffeting the air, as so many Don
Quixotes fighting imaginary windmills. Even the trio of grave,
phlegmatic baases were forced to take part in the grotesque saltatorial
performance!
Nor was it so soon over, but kept up for nigh twenty minutes' time; till
the last bee got killed, or driven from the raft. But before this could
be done, scarce anybody escaped without a sting; some of the towers
first attacked having eyes "bunged up," and features so swollen as to be
well-nigh obliterated. Neither was this the worst, or at least the
whole of it. For in addition to the physical pain, there was a mental
one. They had heard of a species of bee, inhabiting that very part of
Africa, whose sting is poisonous, resulting in certain death. No wonder
at their apprehensions being keen, even to torture. Nor did they get
over them, with full confidence restored, for days after; not till the
swelling had gone down, and all suspicious symptoms disappeared.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note 1. The Secretary Bird (_Serpentarius reptilivorus_) called
_Slangvreter_ (snake-eater) by the Boers. It is held in high esteem by
the South African colonists, on account of its services as a destroyer
of reptiles; and there is even a heavy fine, imposed by law, for killing
one of these birds.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.
HIPPOPOTAMUS HUNTING.
While the battle with the bees was progressing upon the raft, the same
enemy was being fought on the bank by the towers who had stayed there;
seven or eight of whom could not swim. Some of these had leaped into
the river, where they saw it was not of a depth to drown them, the rest
running off over the veldt. Equally ludicrous was the behaviour of both
parties. They in the water having waded in, deep as was safe, there
stopped. But as the bees followed, and were still buzzing about their
heads, they had to keep ducking under water, bobbing up and down, as
boys in their first essays at diving. Those who remained on land rushed
wildly hither and thither, at intervals bounding up like springboks, all
the while sawing the air with their arms to an accompaniment of dolorous
cries. It was some time before the towing could be resumed, every one
busy doing his best to allay the pain from stings received. But as the
raft had now nigh come to a stop, the voice of the head baas was once
more raised in command; the hawser fished up out of the water, and again
taken ashore; then a detail of fresh hands following to man it, the
towage was continued as before.
But the rope was no longer allowed to trail. Heavy though it was, and
still hot the sun, care was taken to keep it clear of the ground, with a
sharp look-out for bees' nests; several others that were encountered
being given a wide berth.
Fortunately for all, this toilsome trek did not need to be of long
duration. At the lower end of the straight reach there was a bend in
the river, rounding which they once more caught the current in strength
sufficient to carry the raft briskly along. So the towers were called
back on board; the hawser drawn on deck, and stowed away in a coil for
future service of a similar kind, should it be required.
The rafters were just beginning to congratulate themselves on the
smooth, easy gliding again, with a satisfactory rate of speed, when they
observed that this last was gradually increasing. But not slowly;
instead, with a rapidity to give them cause for apprehension. It was a
change from one extreme to the other, a revulsion of feeling sudden as
complete. But an hour before they had been chafing at still water; now
did they as little like it running--their minds filled with a fear of
rapids below.
Just such there proved to be; a chain of them, one succeeding another,
for the next twenty leagues of the river's course. It was where the
land surface sloped down from the high plateau of the interior to the
low-lying belt of the coast. But luckily by a gentle incline; had there
been any abrupt escarpment, a cataract in the stream would have been the
consequence, and possibly the raft gone over it, so bringing the
adventures of our Vee-Boers, with their lives, to a termination, there
and then.
As it was, they encountered no waterfall, only rapids; which, by a
dextrous use of the poles, with one or other of the Macobas all the time
at the steering oar, they succeeded in safely running. It was often a
close shave though, with wreckage imminent more than once. Once,
indeed, the raft grounded upon a subaqueous reef, and threatened going
to pieces. But what with the buoyant koker-booms, the reliable lashings
of Baavian-touw, and the skill of the Lake Figam boatmen, it was got off
again without serious damage.
Rejoiced were all when at length assured that the last of the turbulent
rushes had been run, and they were once more in a tranquil current, with
the assurance of its extending to a far distance beyond them. They had
this confidence from the changed character of the stream, and the
scenery on its banks. It now coursed through flat, alluvial land, on
both sides wooded to the water's edge; the trees of great height, and
broad leaved, with that lush luxuriance of underwood only found in
tropical forests.
Thenceforward it was all plain sailing, and easy; though the steerers
had a hard enough task, and required to be continuously at it. For the
stream was now winding, often nigh back upon itself like the letter S,
and at times near to being as the figure 8. Here, again, it was too
deep for polling, but neither were the oars resorted to. Without them
the raft made way averaging a league to the hour, and with this all were
contented. The Boers of South Africa, as their ancestors by the Zuyder
Zee, take things easily. Besides, the rainy season would not set in for
another month, and in less than half that time, barring accidents, they
should reach the reported Portuguese settlement by the river's mouth.
Thence, getting out to sea, they would escape the fever danger.
Thus reliant, they allowed the raft to glide on, giving it no aid of
oars, save the steering one, at which the two Macobas took turn and turn
about, having all the work to do. The rest of the people did little or
nothing, though the young Boers were busy enough. But with sport, not
work; their activity consisting in a display of shooting skill. Large
birds were all the time hovering overhead, or flying past--cranes,
pelicans, flamingoes, vultures, and eagles--and to bring one of these
down with a bullet was the feat on which bets were made.
Many so fell, and doubtless more would have fallen; but before they had
been long thus engaged, an order was issued for them to desist. It came
from Jan Van Dorn, who had just conceived a grand economic scheme,
suggested by something he saw in the river. This was a hippopotamus, or
rather several; for since leaving the foot of the rapids, numbers of
these amphibia had been observed, some waddling about upon the banks,
others swimming to and fro in the water, the cows with calves on their
backs; still others at rest on the surface as if asleep, with white
birds--a species of sea-gull--perched upon their shoulders. Even those
moving about had each its quota of such perchers, now and then affording
an amusing spectacle, as the unwieldy quadrupeds sank under water,
forcing the birds to take wing with an odd air of bewilderment. Not so
different was the behaviour of the quadrupeds themselves, as they saw
the raft bear down upon them, and go drifting by--a sight altogether new
to them. They may have seen canoes, water-horses, and other
contrivances of river navigation in use among the natives, but never a
craft like that--never one of such monstrous dimensions. And a monster
it must have appeared to them, as at intervals it belched forth flame
and smoke, accompanied by the loud reports of the roers.
With heads raised on high, the hippopotami responded to all this in loud
snorts, groans, and bellowing, more in astonishment than alarm. There
was also a tone of defiance in it which gratified the ear of the old
jager, making known to him that he was in a river where these animals
had rarely, if ever, been hunted. This meant money, should the
opportunity be taken advantage of, and he was not the man to let such a
chance slip. Hence his having ordered the young Boers to cease firing
at the birds, the _zeekoes_ [Note 1] offering a mark better worth powder
and ball. So, from that moment, not one was passed within shot-range
but had a bullet lodged in its body, and a second if the first failed to
kill it; sometimes a whole volley, when needed to make death sure.
Rarely was there a call for such wholesale expenditure of ammunition.
Most of them had slain zeekoes before, and knew the exact spot to aim
at; that most vulnerable being midway between eye and ear. With
marksmen skilled as they, misses were rare; and the crack of a gun might
be taken as sounding the death-knell of a hippopotamus.
While engaged in this practice, they became witnesses of an odd
spectacle afforded by an old bull, which had been fired at and hit just
behind the ear, too far back to give him his death wound. It seemed but
to drive him crazy; as he commenced spinning round and round on the
water, as a sheep in a pasture field, attacked by the "turn giddies."
But he was not permitted to make many gyrations, ere a volley from the
raft brought his spin to an abrupt termination, along with his life.
Thus, day after day, was slaughter made among the zeekoes, as the
rafters went on down the river. Not wanton slaughter; but in pursuance
of that scheme of economy the head baas had got into his head, now
known, and approved of by his associates. How could they help approval,
as they looked on a pile of hippopotamus teeth that lay on the raft's
deck, every hour growing bigger, each fresh pair added being as so much
money put into their pockets?
All this was satisfactory enough, but nothing to what awaited them
farther down. As they drew near the coast, they came upon an islet
lying centrally in mid-stream, at a place where the river was more than
a mile in width. They sighted it just before sunset; and, knowing the
night would be moonless and pitch dark, it was determined to bring-to at
the islet, and remain by it till morning. So the raft's head was set
for it, without much change of course, as they had been already bearing
nearly straight down upon it. When near, they saw it was selvedged with
tall reeds, of the kind called palmit, which, standing in the water,
formed a belt all round it, interrupted only at the upper end, where an
open list led into the firm dry land. It was a sort of natural canal,
no doubt due to the water being there too deep for the palmits to get
root. It was just wide enough to admit the raft; and without further
ado this was run into it, and "docked."