the day’s journey was over, and we moored the canoes for
the night.
M. Giraud and I both found the inaction of canoeing
more trying to the system than marching. My head felt as
if it would fall to pieces.
The men were all anxious to get some meat, saying that
the poling was hard work ] and as- X was equally anxious to
have a good shaking, during a doubtful two hours of evening
light, I shouldered C.L.K, and calling upon Fred and a
stranger, who said there were elephants hard by, away we
went, sanguine hopes giving lightness to our steps. The
elephants, we anticipated, would be found feeding near the
great palm forests, which only lessened far away at the foot
of the rough grey mountains.
“ Shall we get to the palms at sundown, Fr ed? ” I
enquired.
“ No,” he replied; “ the men say the elephants were on
this side, but I see some people coming, so we will ask
them.”
Soon a number of natives came up, carrying pitchers of
palm wine, off which the frothy foam was falling like soap
lather to the ground. The people had been collecting the
wine in the forest, and they reported a small herd of
elephants, which, however, were at too great a distance to
be reached that evening. A more encouraging piece of
information which they gave was that a large troupe of
water-buck (Cobus Elipsiprymnus) would be found close to
the river.
Experience had given me many lessons regarding the
marvels to be worked with meat, and as we had to start
early, I resolved to put my best foot forward in the effort
to make a big bag.
The grass had been partially burnt off the ground, and
the stiff coarse stalks which spiked upwards gave not a little
pain to bare legs, even worse than wearing a kilt in a thorn
thicket. On such occasions moments of excitement or
anxiety make one indifferent to trivial torments.
We soon discovered the herd we were in search of, and
a splendid lot they were, standing beside some dwarfed
trees. They too had discovered our approach, and begun
to move off at a slow canter. Being well warmed by the
walk I felt myself to be as fleet as a greyhound, and testing
the litheness of my limbs, was soon within range.
The first shot brought down a fine bull with a capital
head, after which the fun was fairly afloat, the herd bounding
off at ever increasing speed, pausing now and then to
have a look at their pursuer. Advancing rapidly, I brought
down a cow with two shots, after which they fell one by one
to my pet rifle, until breathless and dead-beat I was
distanced and gave up the chase.
There could be no cause for dissatisfaction with regard to
the result. Five antelopes had fallen, the last two being
badly wounded. The natives had followed the fourth and
found him at some distance away. The three that I had
killed at first, when fresh in pursuit, were quite close
together.
The woods were obscured by the darkness of night when
we were hurrying back, but in due time we were cheered
by the sight of the camp fires’ gleams. I shall not attempt
to describe the delight of the Manganja people, who had
heard the firing and had started out in the direction from
which the reports had proceeded. As they met us on our
return their joy knew no bounds. Jumping up they shook
my hands with lively energy, all the time looking as though
they had the immediate prospect of an earthly paradise.
Throughout the whole night the people, made trips to