Departure in the Night-time.--All Three.--Kennedy's Instincts.--Precautions.-- The Course of the Shari River.--Lake Tchad.--The Water of the Lake.--The Hippopotamus¹.--One Bullet thrown away.

About three o'clock in the morning, Joe, who was then on watch, at length saw the city move away from beneath his feet. The Victoria was once again in motion, and both the doctor and Kennedy awoke.

The former consulted his compass, and saw, with satisfaction, that the wind was carrying them toward the north-northeast.

"We are in luck!" said he; "every thing works in our favor: we shall discover Lake Tchad this very day."

"Is it a broad sheet of water?" asked Kennedy.

"Somewhat, Dick. At its greatest length and breadth, it measures about one hundred and twenty miles."

"It will spice our trip with a little variety to sail over a spacious² sheet of water."

"After all, though, I don't see that we have much to complain of on that score. Our trip has been very much varied³, indeed; and, moreover, we are getting on under the best possible conditions."

"Unquestionably so; excepting those privations on the desert, we have encountered no serious danger."

"It is not to be denied that our noble balloon has behaved wonderfully well. To-day is May 12th, and we started on the 18th of April. That makes twenty-five days of journeying. In ten days more we shall have reached our destination."

"Where is that?"

"I do not know. But what does that signify?"

"You are right again, Samuel! Let us intrust to Providence⁴ the care of guiding us and of keeping us in good health as we are now. We don't look much as though we had been crossing the most pestilential country in the world!"

"We had an opportunity of getting up in life, and that's what we have done!"

"Hurrah⁵ for trips in the air!" cried Joe. "Here we are at the end of twenty-five days in good condition, well fed, and well rested. We've had too much rest in fact, for my legs begin to feel rusty

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1 hippopotamus
n.河马
参考例句：
The children enjoyed watching the hippopotamus wallowing in the mud.孩子们真喜观看河马在泥中打滚。 A hippopotamus surfs the waves off the coast of Gabon.一头河马在加蓬的海岸附近冲浪。

2 spacious
adj.广阔的，宽敞的
参考例句：
Our yard is spacious enough for a swimming pool.我们的院子很宽敞，足够建一座游泳池。 The room is bright and spacious.这房间很豁亮。

3 varied
adj.多样的，多变化的
参考例句：
The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。 The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

4 providence
n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝
参考例句：
It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。 To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

5 hurrah
int.好哇，万岁，乌拉
参考例句：
We hurrah when we see the soldiers go by.我们看到士兵经过时向他们欢呼。 The assistants raised a formidable hurrah.助手们发出了一片震天的欢呼声。

6 rusty
adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的
参考例句：
The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。 I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。

7 vexed
adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论
参考例句：
The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 会议花了几天的时间讨论边境关卡这个难题。 He was vexed at his failure. 他因失败而懊恼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 predecessors
n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身
参考例句：
The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 ascend
vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上
参考例句：
We watched the airplane ascend higher and higher.我们看着飞机逐渐升高。 We ascend in the order of time and of development.我们按时间和发展顺序向上溯。

10 frankly
adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说
参考例句：
To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。 Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

11 prospect
n.前景，前途；景色，视野
参考例句：
This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。 The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

12 modesty
n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素
参考例句：
Industry and modesty are the chief factors of his success.勤奋和谦虚是他成功的主要因素。 As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后，谦虚使人进步。

13 antelope
n.羚羊；羚羊皮
参考例句：
Choosing the antelope shows that China wants a Green Olympics.选择藏羚羊表示中国需要绿色奥运。 The tiger was dragging the antelope across the field.老虎拖着羚羊穿过原野。

14 strutting
加固，支撑物
参考例句：
He, too, was exceedingly arrogant, strutting about the castle. 他也是非常自大，在城堡里大摇大摆地走。 The pompous lecturer is strutting and forth across the stage. 这个演讲者在台上趾高气扬地来回走着。

15 muzzle
n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默
参考例句：
He placed the muzzle of the pistol between his teeth.他把手枪的枪口放在牙齿中间。 The President wanted to muzzle the press.总统企图遏制新闻自由。

16 herd
n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起
参考例句：
She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。 He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

17 ostriches
n.鸵鸟( ostrich的名词复数 )；逃避现实的人，不愿正视现实者
参考例句：
They are the silliest lot of old ostriches I ever heard of. 他们真是我闻所未闻的一群最傻的老鸵鸟。 来自辞典例句 How ostriches could bear to run so hard in this heat I never succeed in understanding. 驼鸟在这样干燥炎热的地带为什么能疾速长跑，我永远也理解不了。 来自辞典例句

18 remonstrated
v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫
参考例句：
They remonstrated with the official about the decision. 他们就这一决定向这位官员提出了抗议。 We remonstrated against the ill-treatment of prisoners of war. 我们对虐待战俘之事提出抗议。 来自辞典例句

19 hyena
n.土狼，鬣狗
参考例句：
African hyena noted for its distinctive howl.非洲鬣狗，以其特别的嚎叫而闻名。 The hyena's public image is not aided by its ridiculous appearance.鬣狗滑稽的外表无助于改善它在公众心中的形象。

20 ferocious
adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的
参考例句：
The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.狂风仿佛要把船撕成碎片似的。 The ferocious panther is chasing a rabbit.那只凶猛的豹子正追赶一只兔子。

21 descended
a.为...后裔的，出身于...的
参考例句：
A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。 The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

22 populous
adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的
参考例句：
London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。 China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

23 perils
极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境）
参考例句：
The commander bade his men be undaunted in the face of perils. 指挥员命令他的战士要临危不惧。 With how many more perils and disasters would he load himself? 他还要再冒多少风险和遭受多少灾难？

24 foliage
n.叶子，树叶，簇叶
参考例句：
The path was completely covered by the dense foliage.小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。 Dark foliage clothes the hills.浓密的树叶覆盖着群山。

25 basking
v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的现在分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽
参考例句：
We sat basking in the warm sunshine. 我们坐着享受温暖的阳光。 A colony of seals lay basking in the sun. 一群海豹躺着晒太阳。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 plunging
adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降
参考例句：
War broke out again, plunging the people into misery and suffering. 战祸复发，生灵涂炭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 He is plunging into an abyss of despair. 他陷入了绝望的深渊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 agility
n.敏捷，活泼
参考例句：
The boy came upstairs with agility.那男孩敏捷地走上楼来。 His intellect and mental agility have never been in doubt.他的才智和机敏从未受到怀疑。

28 lizards
n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Nothing lives in Pompeii except crickets and beetles and lizards. 在庞培城里除了蟋蟀、甲壳虫和蜥蜴外，没有别的生物。 来自辞典例句 Can lizards reproduce their tails? 蜥蜴的尾巴断了以后能再生吗？ 来自辞典例句

29 gambols
v.蹦跳，跳跃，嬉戏( gambol的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：

30 intercept
vt.拦截，截住，截击
参考例句：
His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。 Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。

31 verdant
adj.翠绿的，青翠的，生疏的，不老练的
参考例句：
Children are playing on the verdant lawn.孩子们在绿茵茵的草坪上嬉戏玩耍。 The verdant mountain forest turns red gradually in the autumn wind.苍翠的山林在秋风中渐渐变红了。

32 consigned
v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃
参考例句：
I consigned her letter to the waste basket. 我把她的信丢进了废纸篓。 The father consigned the child to his sister's care. 那位父亲把孩子托付给他妹妹照看。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

33 configuration
n.结构，布局，形态，(计算机)配置
参考例句：
Geographers study the configuration of the mountains.地理学家研究山脉的地形轮廓。 Prices range from $119 to $199,depending on the particular configuration.价格因具体配置而异，从119美元至199美元不等。

34 morasses
n.缠作一团( morass的名词复数 )；困境；沼泽；陷阱
参考例句：

35 doomed
命定的
参考例句：
The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。 A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

36 marshes
n.沼泽，湿地( marsh的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Cows were grazing on the marshes. 牛群在湿地上吃草。 We had to cross the marshes. 我们不得不穿过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》

37 papyrus
n.古以纸草制成之纸
参考例句：
The Egyptians wrote on papyrus.埃及人书写用薄草纸。 Since papyrus dries up and crumble,very few documents of ancient Egypt have survived.因草片会干裂成粉末所以古埃及的文件很少保存下来。

38 merged
（使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中
参考例句：
Turf wars are inevitable when two departments are merged. 两个部门合并时总免不了争争权限。 The small shops were merged into a large market. 那些小商店合并成为一个大商场。

39 alligator
n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼)
参考例句：
She wandered off to play with her toy alligator.她开始玩鳄鱼玩具。 Alligator skin is five times more costlier than leather.鳄鱼皮比通常的皮革要贵5倍。

40 dwellings
n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The development will consist of 66 dwellings and a number of offices. 新建楼区将由66栋住房和一些办公用房组成。 The hovels which passed for dwellings are being pulled down. 过去用作住室的陋屋正在被拆除。 来自《简明英汉词典》

41 placid
adj.安静的，平和的
参考例句：
He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。 You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。

42 descending
n. 下行 adj. 下降的
参考例句：
The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。 The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置，然后再下山。

43 plunged
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降
参考例句：
The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。 She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

44 jotting
n.简短的笔记，略记v.匆忙记下( jot的现在分词 )；草草记下，匆匆记下
参考例句：
All the time I was talking he was jotting down. 每次我在讲话时，他就会记录下来。 来自互联网 The student considers jotting down the number of the businessman's American Express card. 这论理学生打算快迅速地记录下来下这位商贾的美国运通卡的金额。 来自互联网

45 harpooned
v.鱼镖，鱼叉( harpoon的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He said he once harpooned a 2, 000-pound shark off the coast of New York. 他称，他曾经在纽约海面上，用鱼叉捕获过一条重达2.000磅的鲨鱼。 来自互联网

46 thighs
n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿
参考例句：
He's gone to London for skin grafts on his thighs. 他去伦敦做大腿植皮手术了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The water came up to the fisherman's thighs. 水没到了渔夫的大腿。 来自《简明英汉词典》