Various Incidents

           Foreightdaystheboatdrifted,carriedbythecurrentundertheconditionsalreadydescribed.Noincidentofanyimportanceoccurred.Foraspaceofmanymilestheriverbathedthebordersofsuperbforests;thenthecountry,shornofthesefinetrees,spreadinjunglestothelimitsofthehorizon.

           Iftherewerenonativesinthiscountry—afactwhichDickSanddidnotdreamofregretting—theanimalsatleastaboundedthere.Zebrassportedonthebanks,elks,and"caamas,"aspeciesofantelopewhichwereextremelygraceful,andtheydisappearedatnighttogiveplacetotheleopards,whosegrowlscouldbeheard,andeventothelionswhichboundedinthetallgrasses.Thusfarthefugitiveshadnotsufferedfromtheseferociouscreatures,whetherintheforestsorintheriver.

           Meanwhile,eachday,generallyintheafternoon,DickSandnearedonebankortheother,mooredtheboat,disembarked,andexploredtheshoreforashortdistance.

           Infact,itwasnecessarytorenewtheirdailyfood.Now,inthiscountry,barrenofallcultivation,theycouldnotdependuponthetapioca,thesorgho,themaize,andthefruits,whichformedthevegetablefoodofthenativetribes.Theseplantsonlygrewinawildstate,andwerenoteatable.DickSandwasthusforcedtohunt,althoughthefiringofhisgunmightbringaboutanunpleasantmeeting.

           Theymadeafirebyrubbingalittlestickagainstapieceofthewildfig-tree,nativefashion,orevensimiesquestyle,foritisaffirmedthatcertainofthegorillasprocureafirebythismeans.