| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Land of Footprints by Stewart Edward White: were of course such affairs as hyenas and jackals, and great
numbers of small game: hares, ducks, three kinds of grouse,
guinea fowl, pigeons, quail, and jack snipe, not to speak of a
variety of plover.
In the drier extents of dry grass atop the bluffs the dance birds
were especially numerous; each with his dance ring nicely trodden
out, each leaping and falling rhythmically for hours at a time.
Toward sunset great flights of sand grouse swarmed across the
yellowing sky from some distant feeding ground.
Near Juja I had one of the three experiences that especially
impressed on my mind the abundance of African big game. I had
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Youth by Joseph Conrad: back three times.' On holidays the small boys pulling
about in boats would hail, 'Judea, ahoy!' and if a head
showed above the rail shouted, 'Where you bound to?--
Bankok?' and jeered. We were only three on board.
The poor old skipper mooned in the cabin. Mahon un-
dertook the cooking, and unexpectedly developed all a
Frenchman's genius for preparing nice little messes. I
looked languidly after the rigging. We became citizens
of Falmouth. Every shopkeeper knew us. At the bar-
ber's or tobacconist's they asked familiarly, 'Do you
think you will ever get to Bankok?' Meantime the
Youth |
