Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 1.djvu/264

 "Allow me to borrow a little heat from my blow-pipe; there is plenty of it. In this way we shall have no fear of fire."

"That would be terrible," said Kennedy. "It is like sitting under a magazine."

"Not at all," said Ferguson; "if the gas did happen to take light it would burn by degrees, but we should come down to the ground, which would be inconvenient. But never fear, our balloon is hermetically sealed."

"Well, let us have something to eat," said Kennedy.

"Here you are, gentlemen," said Joe; "and while I follow your example in eating I will go and prepare a coffee of which you shall tell me the origin."

"The fact is," said the doctor, "that Joe, amongst a thousand virtues, has an extraordinary talent for preparing this delicious beverage. He makes it of all kinds of things which he never wishes me to know anything about."

"Well, sir, since we are in the open air, I can confide my recipe to you. It is, in fact, a mixture of equal parts of Mocha, Bourbon, and Rio Nunez."

Shortly afterwards three steaming cups were served, which brought a substantial breakfast to a termination, and each one resumed his post of observation.

The country was distinguished by its extreme fertility. Winding and narrow pathways were hidden by arches of verdure. They passed over fields of tobacco, maize and barley in full growth. Here and there immense rice-fields with their straight stalks and ruddy flowers. Sheep and goats were enclosed in raised pens, to preserve them from the attacks of leopards. A luxurious vegetation displayed itself upon this prodigal soil. In the numerous villages the cries and the astonishment were renewed at the sight of the "Victoria," and Doctor Ferguson kept prudently out of reach of arrows; the inhabitants, assembling around their thickly-grouped huts, pursued the travelers for long distances with vain yells and imprecations.

At noon, the doctor, referring to the map, was of opinion that they were above the town of Uzaramo. The country bristled with cocoa-nut, papaw, and cotton trees, over which the "Victoria" idly disported itself. Joe took all this as a matter of course, ever since he had made up his mind to come to Africa. Kennedy descried hares and quails, which desired no better fate than to be killed by his gun, but it