noon
The _ Giraffe _ , as before , took the lead . We paddled more leisurely than on the previous day , as we should soon have worn ourselves out had we continued the exertion we had then gone through . Thus , in spite of the heat , we were able to continue on for some hours . We landed at noon on the western bank , where a group of trees afforded us shade , which we greatly needed ; indeed , the heat of the sun had become so great that we could scarcely have continued longer exposed to its rays . We as before beat the bushes in the neighbourhood to ascertain that no animal lurked among them , and then lighted a fire to cook our dinner . As may be supposed , the birds that had been killed on the previous morning were no longer fit for English palates ; but our black friends , without ceremony , consumed them . We had therefore to wait until we had killed some fresh game .