amusement to the natives, for to witness anything brought
down while on the wing afforded them the greatest gratification,
while it also gave them grand opportunities of showing
to advantage their aquatic daring and powers of swimming.
Heedless of the constant proximity of enormous crocodiles,
frequently floating on the surface of the water, they would
swim out a long distance to fetch a wounded bird that I
had shot. One of the young lakists could do the hand-overhand
stroke with extraordinary dexterity, making wonderfully
rapid progress through the water, worthy of a Johnstone
or a Webb.
But now, from a sportsman’s point of view, I had come to
a very demoralised stage. Having only, five cartridges left,
necessity compelled that every bullet should have its billet,
and bring to the ground a substantial meal. Fearful lest I
should miss, I would crawl slowly along the ground, holding
my breath, while I anxiously took deliberate aim at a dove
sitting. The gap which separates the savage from the civil
quickly disappears when an appeal is made by a starving
stomach ; that sensitive governor of the world:—
“ For, says the anatomic art,
The stomach’s very near the heart.”
How naturally I would be impelled to lapse into the state
of the barbarians with long hair, and kill all prey with
tooth and nail. One touch of panic-—shall I say nature ?—
and savagery dominates every human breast.
Bang! Down comes the unfortunate feathered emblem
of love, which when plucked is no bigger than a duck’s egg.
With the food the finer feelings come back. All depends
on the manner in which necessity is supplied Surroundings
only make a man what he is. From accident comes
every good.
By this time it was about as much as I could do to reach
the “ look-out ” high amidst the rocks, from whence could
be seen the tops of the houses that formed the village streets
peeping up above a maze of faded and sun-parched leaves,
and looking like the tops of hayricks.
On every visit to the “ look-out ” I earnestly scanned
with the telescope the north-eastern horizon for the long
hoped for sign of smoke. Upon a day that shall not easily
be forgotten, I gazed longingly at the far-off stretch of the
jfilent inland sea lying undisturbed by wind-tossed waves.
All at once a distant speck attracted my wakeful attention.
I t was long ere I could distinguish the form of the object,
but in time something white struck out from the distant
blue. I t was a sail! I watched its appearance eagerly as
it grew larger and larger, making my heart thump with the
thoughts of rescue. For a long time the vessel remained
in view, drawing close down upon Elephant Island. Was
she making for the bay ? No, the breeze soon strikes the
white expanded wings: they fill, and she scudded along,
borne by the-western winds, until she faded into the distant
veiling mists and utterly disappeared.
A h ! afar off, 'on Nyassa’s waters, I had seen such sights
before, awakening all the bitter grief of falsest hopes; for
the vessel proved to be a slave dhow, of which not a few
sometimes hove into sight and disappeared.
Monkeys, a numerous family, were my only Companions
during these long watches in the “ look-out.” Nimbly they
climbed the trees,' chattering ceaselessly amongst the leafy
branches, and sometimes peeping inquisitively over the
tilted slabs of rock to have a glance at the pale intruder.
Great fish-eagles, appearing first like minute specks in the
distance, would draw nearer and nearer, piping the wild
sounds of their strangely weird cries, which found a sad