After stating pretty nearly what he was told, he had an inveterate tendency to wind up with "The Book says you are to grow cotton, and the English are to come and buy it," or with some joke of his own, which might have been ludicrous, had it not been seriously distressing.
In the first ascent of the Shire our attention was chiefly directed to the river itself.

The delight of threading out the meanderings of upwards of 200 miles of a hitherto unexplored river must be felt to be appreciated.

All the lower part of the river was found to be at least two fathoms in depth.

It became shallower higher up, where many departing and re-entering branches diminished the volume of water, but the absence of sandbanks made it easy of navigation.

We had to exercise the greatest care lest anything we did should be misconstrued by the crowds who watched us.