CHAPTER VIII.

TRIP TO THE VICTORIA FALLS.

Return to Panda ma Tenka--Theunissen’s desertion--Departure for the falls--Orbeki-gazelles--Animal and vegetable life in the fresh-water pools--Difficult travelling--First sight of the falls--Our skerms--Characteristics of the falls--Their size and splendour--Islands in the river-bed--Columns of vapour--Roar of the water--The Zambesi below the falls--The formation of the rocks--_Rencontre_ with baboons--A lion-hunt--The Manansas--Their history and character--Their manners and customs--Disposal of the dead--Ornaments and costume--The Albert country--Back again 180