Page:Lake Ngami.djvu/469

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VEGETATION—ANIMAL LIFE.
461

ASCENDING THE TEOGE.

than six or seven kinds of fruit-trees indigenous to the east coast of Africa and the adjacent countries. The arboreal scenery, indeed, in some places exceeded in beauty any thing that I had ever seen. I could have spent days under the shade of some of these ornamental trees, resounding at times with the wild notes of birds, while in the distance might be seen herds of the finest of the antelope tribe. Yet common prudence forbids the traveler to tarry. When the stream, after the annual overflow, begins to subside, noxious effluvia are emitted, carrying death along with them. Such is the climate of Africa!

Animal life was almost on a par with the exuberant vegetation. Rhinoceroses, hippopotami, buffaloes, sassabys, hartebeests, pallahs, reed-bucks, lechés, &c., were constantly seen, and every day some game animal or other was shot. Thus I was able to support and satisfy our large and hungry party, now consisting of fifty or sixty individuals.

One fine afternoon we came to a place where the tracks