ti. When I saw it, the river formed an extensive delta with as many
as twelve arms, joining again within the basin into one single stream
before throwing itself into the Kuti. Naturally we selected the wider
expanse of water to ford, assuming that it would be shallower than the
narrow ones. Once more that day I took off my lower garments and entered
the cold water. It came direct from the snows, and its temperature was
slightly above freezing-point. The sun had gone down, and there was a
piercing wind. My feet, as I went in and out of the numerous branches of
the stream, became so cold that I could hardly stand for the stinging
pain; moreover, treading on sharp-edged stones under the water and
knocking my frozen toes against them was at first very painful, but after
a time they got so frozen that, though at each step the soles of my feet
and toes were cut and bruised, I suffered no actual pain until after
crossing five or six arms of the delta. Unable to balance myself any
longer, I struggled as best I could out of the water and rubbed my feet
violently, until slowly, and with intense pain, they came back to life.

It is curious how a little sense of humour helps on such occasions. To an
onlooker not suffering as we were, the sight of our party crossing that
dreadful delta would have been curious. The expression of disgust on all
my men's faces, not to speak of my own, could not but have caused
merriment. We carried our footgear on our shoulders; we struggled,
stumbled, and splashed in the greenish water, and now one, then another,
fell helpless through frostbite on some island or other, until we were
all disabled, and still only half-way through. In spite of our condition,
worn out as we were, the soles and sides of our feet badly cut and
bleeding, my men, so sulky at having been firmly baulked in their wishes,
became quite good-natured and amusing when I chaffed them over their
present troubles, and they saw that I was in the same plight. After
endless rubbing, we restored a certain amount of circulation to our lower
limbs, and proceeded to cross the next six arms of the delta. When, after
an hour or longer of suffering, we were at last able to put on our
footgear, we felt the happiness which comes from the knowledge of
difficulties overcome. Never can I forget the great joy arising from what
may seem a small comfort--a warm pair of socks! As I write these lines I
live over again the particular pleasure of gently drawin