When two days out from Mazendla, the Steam Man came to a vast morass between high mountains, and surrounded by tall reeds.
The Steam Man on the way out had found little difficulty in skirting this to the eastward.
But rains had since fallen and the morass was a lake.
Any attempt to go over the return route now must result in sinking the Steam Man in great depths of mire.
So a halt was called and a consultation held.
There seemed to be no other way of surmounting this obstacle but to camp and wait patiently for the water to subside.
This meant a delay of several days, but it was a virtuous necessity, as it was clearly impossible for the Steam Man to climb the rough mountain sides.
Accordingly camp was made.
A good clump of palms was found and the fires in the furnace were banked.
It was entirely out of the question for four men to remain cooped up three or four days in the cage of the Steam Man, inactive and dull.