In Search of an Unknown Race — page 89: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

No wonder that involuntarily suspending his paddle, he sat for one brief moment almost holding his breath with delight. Spreading far and wide on either hand, the smooth surface had the dull luster of gold in the sunbeams. It was flecked here and there by little patches of mist, that drifting asunder disclosed small islands thickly covered with foliage. Herons and ibis, curlews and kingtishers skimmed across the crystal expanse in every direction, while the air around was resonant with the chatter of parakeets and the twittering of smaller birds of gorgeous plumage. On every side grew clusters of strange aquatic plants, and wonderful pinkish white water-lilies, with a leaf six and even eight feet in diameter, which, floating on the surface, afforded a resting-place to innumerable small water-fowl. As the mists rose and dispersed Van saw, a little distance ahead, an island of considerable size, rising to some height from the water’s edge. Its top was crowned by the white walls of what seemed to be aruined temple, and all at once Van’s heart gavea great throb of expec- tancy ! For, clustered on the summit of the ruin, as though it were a watch tower, he made out a group of men. He intuitively felt that these were they whoshould guide him to the province and city of Itambez. EOmMmiIiGcdoo Ss (G(0)