lBth and 19th.—Antelopes were numerous, but so wild
I could not get near them. On bending round homewards
however, three buffaloes, feeding in the distance,
on the top of a rod of high ground beyond where we
stood, were observed by thé natives, who had flocked out
in the hopes of getting flesh. To stalk them, I went up
wind to near where I expected to find them ; then biddmg
the natives lie down, I stole along through the grass until
at last I saw three pairs of horns glistening quite close m
front of me. Anxious lest they should take sudden fright,
I gently raised myself, wishing to fire, but I was quite
puzzled; there was no mistake about what they were;
still, look from as high as I would, I could not see their
bodies. The thought never struck me they were lying
down in such open ground in the day-time; so, as I could
not go closer without driving them off, I took a shot
with my single rifle at where I judged the chest of the
nearest one ought to be, and then _ discovered my error
In an instant all three sprang on their legs and scampered
off. I began loading, but before I had half accomplished
my object, those three had mingled with the three previously
seen grazing, and all six together came charging
straight at me. I really thought I should now catch a
toss, if I were not trampled to death ; but suddenly, as
they saw me standing, whether from fear or what else I
cannot say, they changed their ferocious-lookmg design,
swerved round, and galloped off as fast as their legs could
carry them. This was bad luck ; but Grant made up for
it the next day by killing a very fine buck nsamma.
20th. I went again after the herd of six buffaloes, as
I thought one was wounded, and after walking up a long
sloping hill for three miles towards the east, I found myself
at once in view of the Nile on one hand, and the
long-heard-of Asha river on the other, backed by hills
even higher than the Jbl Khkh. The bed of the Asüa
seemed very large, but, being far off, was not very distinct,
nor did I care to go and see it th e n ; for at that
moment, straight in front of me, five buffaloes, five giraffes,
two eland, and sundry other antelopes, were too
strong a temptation.
The place looked like a park, and I began stalking in
it, first at the eland, as I wanted to see if they corresponded
with those I shot in Usagara; but the gawky
giraffes, always in the way, gave the alarm, and drove all
but two of the buffaloes away. At these two I now went
with my only rifle, leaving the servants and savages behind.
They were out in the open grass feeding composedly,
so that I stole up to within forty yards of them,
and then, in a small naked patch of ground, I waited my
opportunity, and put a bafl behind the shoulder of the
larger one. At the sound of the gun, in an instant both
bulls charged, but they pulled up in the same naked
ground as myself, sniffing and tossing their horns, while
looking out for their antagonist, who, as quick as themselves,
had thrown himself flat on the ground.
There we were, like three fools, for twenty minutes or
so; one of the buffaloes bleeding at the mouth and with
a broken hind-leg, for the bullet’ had traversed his body,
and the other turning round and round looking out for
me, while I was anxiously watching him, and by degrees
loading my gun. When ready, I tried a shot at the
sound one, but the cap snapped and nearly betrayed me,
for they both stared at the spot where I lay—the sound
one sniffing the air and tossing his horns, but the other
bleeding considerably. Some minutes more passed in this
manner, when they allowed me to breathe freer by walking
away. I followed, of course, but could not get a good
chance; so, as the night set in, I let them alone for the
time being, to get out the following morning.
21si and 22d.—At the plaee where I left off, I now
sprang a large herd of fifty or more buffaloes, and followed
them for a mile, when the wounded one, quite exhausted