time talking to him, through the medium of the interpreter,
a thick-lipped fellow, with an “ all-over-the-place ” sort of
countenance, who sat on his haunches when speaking; his
eyes being half closed, as though there was no slight mental
strain in the effort of reproducing the speeches.
The king’s house, inside, presented the appearance of a
place that at one time, in long forgotten years, had been
fairly furnished with all modern comforts, but now showed
signs of desolation in its hopeless disorder, increased through
want of glue and wall-paper.
The old man produced a number of rifles, which he
seemed anxious to trade off for other commodities. A sideboard
in the place wore a very dilapidated appearance, and
was covered with a conglomeration of stuff that reminded
one of the window of a three-balls’ establishment. Most
conspicuous of all were a brass basin and jug, in a condition
that was calculated to give a supply of verdigris sufficient
to poison the whole tribe. There were also a soda-water
fountain out of gear, an ostrich feather or two stuck into
a broken-down lamp, and a variety of other ill-assorted
articles.
Leaving Sechele’s, we trekked through the heavy beds
of sand which are so marked a characteristic of northern
Bechuana-land. Although game was far from being
plentiful, we managed to keep the waggons supplied with
meat.
This was a very happy part of the journey. From
morning till night we were in the saddle hunting. The
evenings were spent before blazing camp fires, whose light
and warmth gave a glow to good fellowship, easing the run
of pleasant converse, so as to soothe the sadness of lifeless
solitude. .Many a thrilling tale of adventure did Selous relate
on these occasions, and many a funny joke and story
from Kirton made our laughter ring high above the crackling
of the blazing fire.
Water, which had been scarce, was plentifully found at
Boatlanama in wells. Antelopes of several varieties
abounded. I t was here that I shot my first antelope—a fine
impala (Mpyceros Melampus), with a good head.
The mode of hunting was quite new to me. I t was full
of excitement, and success was the reward only of the active
and agile. The game is followed at full speed on horseback,
and when the pursuer gets within seventy or eighty yards
range—perhaps nearer—he dismounts, fires, and mounts
again, reloading as he advances. The holes burrowed by
the ground squirrels sometimes occasion heavy falls during
the heat of the chase.
A number of Masarwa bushmen followed our waggons,
waiting for odds and ends of meat. They are a very ugly
type of mankind, and exceedingly short in stature, but
they cannot be spoken of as being dwarfs. They proved to
be. extraordinary carriers; for although literally staggering
.under their loads of meat, they would walk for miles without
a moment’s rest. The hut the bushman lives in is
hardly worthy of the name of hovel.
All of them carry small bows, and bark pouches with
poisoned arrows, the points of which are of bone or iron.
The poison is the milk of the herb euphorbia arborescens.
Fire-making by rubbing together a couple of sticks—
everybody has described the process—is general in this and
other parts of this wonderful land.
One morning Selous, Kirton, and myself started off in
search of blue wildebeeste (Catoblepas Qorgon). We rode
for about an hour and saw nothing. Suddenly Selous
shouted, “ Camels, by Jove! ”
This is the name they give to giraffes in South Africa.