tries to look across, to strain his eyes and to see
beyond that white mist which obscures everything; but
it is an impossible task, and he can but guess the
width of the Falls, slightly horseshoe in shape, from
the green trees which seem so far away on the opposite
bank, and are only caught sight of now and then as
the wind causes the spray to lift. At the same
time his attention is fixed by a new wonder, the much-talked-of
rainbow. Never varying, never changing, that
perfect-shaped arc is surely more typical of eternity
there than anywhere else. Its perfection of colours
seems to be reflected again and yet again in the roaring
torrent, and to be also an emblem of peace where all
is turmoil. We were hurried away to remove our
wet rainproof coats and to dry our hats and faces in
the brilliant sunshine. It seemed as if the Falls
guard their beauties jealously, and do not allow the
spectator to gaze on them without paying the price
of being saturated by their spray. For the next
two hours we were taken from one point of vantage
to the other, and yet felt we had not seen half of
even what is known as the north side. We were
shown the barely commenced path leading right away
down to the edge of the foaming, boiling gorge, which
is to be known as “The Lovers’ Walk,”
and from its steepness it occurred to me that these
same lovers will require to possess some amount of
endurance. We examined from afar the precipitous
Neck jutting right out opposite the main cataract,
its sides running sheer down to unfathomable depths
of water, which has caused this rocky formation to
be called “The Knife’s Edge,” and
along which, up to the date of our visit, only two
men had ventured. We saw the actual site for
the existing railway-bridge, which site had only been
finally selected a few days before by two of the party
who were with us.[46] The travellers over this great
work now see all we saw on that long morning, and
a great deal more besides, while the carriage windows
are soused by the all-pervading spray, thus carrying
out one of Mr. Rhodes’s cherished sentiments.
Finally—musing at the marvellous and confusing
twists and turns of the river, changing in character
and appearance so as to be wellnigh unrecognizable—we
walked on a hundred yards, and came upon a deep, deep
gorge, rocky, barren, and repelling, at the bottom
of which, sluggish and dirty in colour, a grey stream
was winding its way, not a hundred yards wide, but
of unfathomable depths; and this represented the Zambesi
after it has taken its great leap, when, bereft
of all life and beauty, it verily looks tired out.
This gorge continues for forty miles, and so desolate
is the surrounding country, that not only is it uninhabited
by man, but even game cannot live there. The shadows
were lengthening and the day was approaching its close.
Early on the morrow we were to leave for the northern
hunting grounds. We regained our canoe, and paddled
away to our temporary camp.