amafraidthenorthwindhasdesertedusfortheseason。”Havingenteredthelake，Iwentaboutamileandahalfaheadinmydiahbeeah，andanchoredforthenightinabroadandshallowportionofthewater，aforestbeingaboutamiledistantontheeastbank：thiswasagoodsignofterrafirma，buttherewasnodryspotuponwhichwecouldland。”TheriverwindstotheS。E。，andapparentlythenturnstothewest。Theeffluentthroughwhichwejoinedthislakeorrivermeetsitatrightangles，andtherivercontinuesitscoursetotheN。N。W。，asthoughitwerethemainchannelofafarmoreimportantstreamthanthehorribleditchbywhichwearrived。Theguide，however，assuresmethatitisblockedup，andlosesitselfinboundlessgrassandreeds。”IntheeveningIspiedahippopotamuswhichhadjustcomeoutofthehighgrassintotheopenriver。Itsnortedloudlyatthestrangesightofthehandsomely-painteddiahbeeah。Itooktheboat，anduponmynearapproachitwasfoolishenoughtoswimtowardsusangrily。AshotfromtheReillyNo。8，withoneofmyexplosiveshells，createdalivelydance，asthehippopotamusreceivedthemessageundertheeye。Rollingoverandover，withthelegsfrequentlyintheair，itraisedwavesthatrockedmylittleboatandmadeshootingdifficult；butuponacloseapproach，takinggoodcaretokeepoutofthereachofitsstruggles，I
gaveitaquietuswithahardenedsphericalballfromthesamerifle，whichpassedrightthroughthehead。Bysoundingwiththelongboat-hook，Ifoundthebodyatthebottominabouttenfeetofwater。Myexcellentcaptainofthediahbeeah，Faddul-Moolah，divedtothebottom，andsecuredthelegofthehippopotamusbyarope。Wetowedittothediahbeeah，fromthedeckofwhichmywifehadhadacapitalviewofthesport。Thisisafinefeastforthepeople。Myexplosiveshellisfrightfulinitseffects。”March29——Windstrongfromthesouth；thesteamerisnotyetoutofdifficulty。Mymenarebusycuttingupthehippopotamus。Isentofftheironboatwiththreequartersoftheanimaltothetroopsastern。Duringthenightacrocodiletookawayalltheoffalfromthesternofthediahbeeah。Theweatherismuchcooler，owingtothesouthwindandtheclearspaceinwhichwearenowanchored。”March30-Theriverisnowclearandunmistakable。Wetravelledabouttenmilesbypoling；thisisthebestday’sworkthatwehavemadesinceweenteredthischaoticregion。LieutenantBakercameonboardmydiahbeeah，havingbroughtupthesteamers。”Thecountrybegantolookmorehopeful。Aforestatafewmiles’
distanceonboththerightandleftbankoftheriverbetokeneddryland。Theriverflowedbetweenactualhonestbanks，whichalthoughonlyafewinchesabovethewaterwerepositiveboundaries。Theflatplainwascoveredwithlargewhiteant-hills，andthegroundwasevidentlyfirminthedistance，aswecoulddistinguishaherdofantelopes。”Aswewerequietlypolingthediahbeeahagainstthesluggishstream，weobservedwildbuffaloesthat，atadistanceofabout400yards，appearedtobeclosetothebankoftheriver。Iaccordinglystoppedthediahbeeah，and，accompaniedbyLieutenantBaker，Iapproachedtheminthesmallboat，rowedbytwomen。Afortunatebendoftheriver，andseveralclumpsofhighrushes，concealedtheboatuntilbyasuddenturnwecamewithinsixtyyardsoftwobullbuffaloes。HavingtoldMr。Bakertotakethefirstshot，hesentasphericalNo。8throughtheshoulderofthenearestbull，which，afterafewplunges，felldead。Theother，startledattheshot，dashedoff；atthesametimehereceivedashellfrommyrifleintheflank，andashotfromtheleft-handbarrelintherear。Withtheseshotshewentoffaboutthreehundredpaces，andlaydown，aswethought，todie。Iintendedtostalkhimfrombehindthewhiteant-hills，butmysailors，inintenseexcitement，rushedforward，supposingthathisbeefwastheirown，andalthoughbadlyhit，heagainroseandcanteredofftilllostinhighrushes。”March31-Asweproceeded，thebanksbecamedrier。Thetwosteamershadarrivedduringthenight，andthewholefleetiscomingupastern。Theriverisnowaboutfiftyyardswide，butIamgettingnervousaboutthedepth；thewaterisveryshallowinsomeofthebends，andIfeartherewillbegreatdifficultyingettingthroughwiththesteamersandheavyvessels。Mydiahbeeah，whichisofiron，althoughroomy，isexceedinglylight，andonlyrequirestwofeetthreeinchesofwater。Wehavebeenfifty-onedaysfromKhartoum。NeverhaveIknownsomiserableavoyage。
Windfreshfromthesouth。”
CHAPTERIII