3-021-718 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Travelling in Africa: the rain-pool by the way, 1869. 'A common and sometimes rather annoying incident of African travel is shown in one of Mr. T. Baines's sketches. It frequently happens, even when there is no absolute scarcity of water, that the weather is sufficiently hot, and the road dusky enough to make a glimpse of a clear fresh pool of cool rain-water particularly welcome. But while the thirsty traveller is anticipating a luxuriant draught the eager dogs catch sight of it, and, rushing forward, plunge all together into the pool, and lap the waters as they bathe, while the native followers kneel among them and secure their share. The European, if he be really thirsty, must then check his feelings of disappointment, and drink the liquid in the foul condition in which he finds it. "I once saw," says Mr. Baines, "after an almost waterless journey of nearly forty miles, a broad and placid rain-pool surrounded by grassy borders in an opening in the forest...the loose cattle and the horses broke into a trot, the waggon oxen forgot their weariness, and then the place of the rain-pool was occupied by a crowd of men, of animals, and vehicles trampling the clear waters into a semi-fluid of the colour and almost consistency of mud".' From "Illustrated London News", 1869.