she-第12章

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observe　that　we　are　drifting　across　a　sand　bank　into　
the　mouth　of　the　river。　Get　hold　of　your　oar；　Job；　and　
we　will　row　in　and　see　if　we　can　find　a　place　to　
land。〃

The　river…mouth　which　we　were　entering　did　not　appear　
to　be　a　very　wide　one；　though　as　yet　the　long　banks　of　
steaming　mist　that　clung　about　its　shores　had　not　
lifted　sufficiently　to　enable　us　to　see　its　exact　
width。　There　was；　as　is　the　case　with　nearly　every　
East　African　river；　a　considerable　bar　at　the　mouth；　
which；　no　doubt；　when　the　wind　was　on　shore　and　the　
tide　running　out；　was　absolutely　impassable　even　for　a　
beat　drawing　only　a　few　inches。　But　as　things　were　it　
was　manageable　enough；　and　we　did　not　ship　a　cupful　of　
water。　In　twenty　minutes　we　were　well　across　it；　with　
but　slight　assistance　from　ourselves；　and　being　
carried　by　a　strong　though　somewhat　variable　breeze　
well　up　the　harbor。　By　this　time　the　mist　was　being　
sucked　up　by　the　sun；　which　was　getting　uncomfortably　
hot；　and　we　saw　that　the　mouth　of　the　little　estuary　
was　here　about　half　a　mile　across；　and　that　the　banks　
were　very　marshy；　and　crowded　with　crocodiles　lying　
about　on　the　mud　like　logs。　About　a　mile　ahead　of　us；　
however；　was　what　appeared　to　be　a　strip　of　firm　land；　
and　for　this　we　steered。　In　another　quarter　of　an　hour　
we　were　there；　and；　making　the　boat　fast　to　a　
beautiful　tree　with　broad；　shining　leaves；　and　flowers　
of　the　magnolia　species；　only　they　were　rose…colored　
and　not　white；　which　hung　over　the　water；　we　
disembarked。　This　done；　we　undressed；　washed　
ourselves；　and　spread　our　clothes　and　the　contents　of　
the　boat　in　the　sun　to　dry；　which　they　very　quickly　
did。　Then；　taking　shelter　from　the　sun　under　some　
trees；　we　made　a　hearty　breakfast　off　a　〃Paysandu〃　
potted　tongue；　of　which　we　had　brought　a　good　quantity　
with　us　from　the　Army　and　Navy　Stores；　congratulating　
ourselves　loudly　on　our　good　fortune　in　having　loaded　
and　provisioned　the　boat　on　the　previous　day；　before　
the　hurricane　destroyed　the　dhow。　By　the　time　that　we　
had　finished　our　meal　our　clothes　were　quite　dry；　and　
we　hastened　to　get　into　them；　feeling　not　a　little　
refreshed。　Indeed；　with　the　exception　of　weariness　and　
a　few　bruises；　none　of　us　were　the　worse　for　the　
terrifying　adventure　which　had　been　fatal　to　all　our　
companions。　Leo；　it　is　true；　had　been　half　drowned；　
but　that　is　no　great　matter　to　a　vigorous　young　
athlete　of　five…and…twenty。

After　breakfast　we　started　to　look　about　us。　We　were　
on　a　strip　of　dry　land　about　two　hundred　yards　broad　
by　five　hundred　long；　bordered　on　one　side　by　the　
river；　and　on　the　other　three　by　endless　desolate　
swamps；　that　stretched　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach。　
This　strip　of　land　was　raised　about　twenty…five　feet　
above　the　plain　of　the　surrounding　swamps　and　the　
river　level；　indeed；　it　had　every　appearance　of　having　
been　made　by　the　hand　of　man。

〃This　place　has　been　a　wharf；〃　said　Leo；　dogmatically。

〃Nonsense；〃　I　answered。　〃Who　would　be　stupid　enough　to　
build　a　wharf　in　the　middle　of　these　dreadful　marshes　
in　a　country　inhabited　by　savages；　that　is　if　it　is　
inhabited　at　all？〃

〃Perhaps　it　was　not　always　marsh；　and　perhaps　the　
people　were　not　always　savage；〃　he　said；　dryly；　
looking　down　the　steep　bank　for　we　were　standing　by　
the　river。　〃Look　there；〃　he　went　on；　pointing　to　a　
spot　where　the　hurricane　of　the　previous　night　had　
torn　up　one　of　the　magnolia…trees；　which　had　grown　on　
the　extreme　edge　of　the　bank　just　where　it　sloped　down　
to　the　water；　by　the　roots；　and　lifted　a　large　cake　of　
earth　with　them。　〃Is　not　that　stonework？　If　not；　it　is　
very　like　it。〃

〃Nonsense；〃　I　said；　again；　and　we　clambered　down　to　
the　spot；　and　got　between　the　upturned　roots　and　the　
bank。

〃Well？〃　he　said。

But　I　did　not　answer　this　time。　I　only　whistled。　For　
there；　laid　bare　by　the　removal　of　the　earth；　was　an　
undoubted　facing　of　solid　stone　laid　in　large　blocks　
and　bound　together　with　brown　cement；　so　hard　that　I　
could　make　no　impression　on　it　with　the　file　in　my　
shooting…knife。　Nor　was　this　all；　seeing　something　
projecting　through　the　soil　at　the　bottom　of　the　bared　
patch　of　walling；　I　removed　the　loose　earth　with　my　
hands；　and　revealed　a　huge　stone　ring；　a　foot　or　more　
in　diameter；　and　about　three　inches　thick。　This　fairly　
staggered　me。

〃Looks　rather　like　a　wharf　where　good…sized　vessels　
have　been　moored；　does　it　not；　Uncle　Horace？〃　said　
Leo；　with　an　excited　grin。

I　tried　to　say　〃Nonsense〃　again；　but　the　word　stuck　in　
my　throatthe　ring　spoke　for　itself。　In　some　past　age　
vessels　_i_　had　_i_　been　moored　there；　and　this　stone　
wall　was　undoubtedly　the　remnant　of　a　solidly　
constructed　wharf。　Probably　the　city　to　which　it　had　
belonged　lay　buried　beneath　the　swamp　behind　it。

〃Begins　to　look　as　though　there　were　something　in　the　
story　after　all；　Uncle　Horace；〃　said　the　exultant　Leo；　
and；　reflecting　on　the　mysterious　negro's　head　and　the　
equally　mysterious　stonework；　I　made　no　direct　reply。

〃A　country　like　Africa；〃　I　said；　〃is　sure　to　be　full　
of　the　relics　of　long　dead　and　forgotten　
civilizations。　Nobody　knows　the　age　of　the　Egyptian　
civilization；　and　very　likely　it　had　offshoots。　Then　
there　were　the　Babylonians　and　the　Phoenicians；　and　
the　Persians；　and　all　manner　of　people；　all　more　or　
less　civilized；　to　say　nothing　of　the　Jews；　whom　
everybody　'wants'　nowadays。　It　is　possible　that　they；　
or　any　one　of　them；　may　have　had　colonies　or　trading…
stations　about　here。　Remember　those　buried　Persian　
cities　that　the　consul　showed　us　at　Kilwa。〃

〃Quite　so；〃　said　Leo；　〃but　that　is　not　what　you　said　
before。〃

〃Well；　what　is　to　be　done　now？〃　I　asked；　turning　the　
conversation。

As　no　answer　was　forthcoming　we　proceeded　to　the　edge　
of　the　swamp；　and　looked　over　it。　It　was　apparently　
boundless；　and　vast　flocks　of　every　sort　of　waterfowl　
came　flying　from　its　recesses；　till　it　was　sometimes　
difficult　to　see　the　sky。　Now　that　the　sun　was　getting　
high　it　drew　thin；　sickly　looking　clouds　of　poisonous　
vapor　from　the　surface　of　the　marsh　and　from　the　
scummy　pools　of　stagnant　water。

〃Two　things　are　clear　to　me；〃　I　said；　addressing　my　
three　companions；　who　stared　at　this　spectacle　in　
dismay：　〃first；　that　we　can't　go　across　there〃　（I　
pointed　to　the　swamp）；　〃and；　secondly；　that　if　we　stop　
here　we　shall　certainly　die　of　fever。〃

〃That's　as　clear　as　a　haystack；　sir；〃　said　Job。

〃Very　well；　then；　there　are　two　alternatives　before　
us。　One　is　to　'bout　ship；　and　try　and　run　for　some　
port　in　the　whale…boat；　which　would　be　a　sufficiently　
risky　proceeding；　and　the　other　to　sail　or　row　on　up　
the　river；　and　see　where　we　come　to。〃

〃I　don't　know　what　you　are　going　to　do；〃　said　Leo；　
setting　his　mouth；　〃but　I　am　going　up　that　river。〃

Job　turned　up　the　whites　of　his　eyes　and　groaned；　and　
the　Arab　murmured　〃Allah；〃　and　groaned　also。　As　for　
me；　I　remarked　sweetly　that　as　we　seemed　to　be　between　
the　devil　and　the　deep　sea；　it　did　not　much　matter　
where　we　went。　But　in　reality　I　was　as　anxious　to　
proceed　as　Leo。　The　colossal　negro's　head　and　the　
stone　wharf　had　excited　my　curiosity　to　an　extent　of　
which　I　was　secretly　ashamed；　and　I　was　prepared　to　
gratify　it　at　any　cost。　Accordingly；　having　carefully　
fitted　the　mast；　restowed　the　boat；　and　got　out　our　
rifles；　we　embarked。　Fortunately　the　wind　was　blowing　
on　shore　from　the　ocean；　so　we　were　able　to　hoist　the　
sail。　Indeed；　we　afterwards　found　out　that　as　a　
general　rule　the　wind　set　on　shore　from　daybreak　for　
some　hours；　and　off　shore　again　at　sunset；　and　the　
explanation　that　I　offer　of　this　is；　that　when　the　
earth　is　cooled　by　the　dew　and　the　night　the　hot　air　
rises；　and　the　draught　rushes　in　from　the　sea　till　the　
sun　has　once　more　heated　it　through。　At　least　that　
appeared　to　be　the　rule　here。

Taking　advantage　of　this　favoring　wind；　we　sailed　
merrily　up　the　river　for　three　or　four　hours。　Once　we　
came　across　a　school　of　hippopotami；　which　rose；　and　
bellowed　dreadfully　at　us　within　ten　or　a　dozen　
fathoms　of　the　boat；　much　to　Job's　alarm；　and；　I　will　
confess；　to　my　own。　These　were　the　first　hippopotami