Sport in east central Africa : being an account of hunting trips in Portuguese and other districts of east central Africa

Front matter

SPORT

EAST CENTRAL AFRICA

SPORT

Preface

THE following pages are mainly devoted to the narration of incidents of elephant, rhinoceros, and other big game shooting ; the author's travels in Northern Portuguese Zambesia and throughout the Mozambique Province having supplied the material to work upon in the shape of carefully recorded entries in a diary, as well as the pages of a " hunting diary," wherein the most striking incidents were written out at length within a few days at most of their occurrence. Some of these are transcribed almost word for word into the pages of the present work. Once again, then, the author makes his bow while offering this — his second literary venture — to the public and to his critics. He trusts that the latter, who treated him so kindly when his last work was before them, will have no reason to think that fair, impartial criticism has been thrown away upon him, and that neither they nor the public will consider that he has trespassed upon their goodwill in thus presenting another volume for their perusal, and their subsequent praise or condemnation.

In his first work " diffuseness of style," many of his critics pointed out, was the rock upon which his literary craft threatened to split, and he admits that the objection presents a very real difficulty to one who, like himself, invariably goes into details when "telling a hunting yarn," and who scarcely thinks such a " yarn " well told by another if these are omitted. However, he hopes that he may not be adjudged unsuccessful in his endeavours throughout the following pages to be clear without being diffuse, succinct without sacrificing necessary detail. He makes no apologies for the introduction of the ubiquitous personal pronoun, believing that this is now admitted to be a necessary evil in all sportsmen's narratives.

He desires to record faithfully and in an interesting manner some of his hunting reminiscences of the pursuit of big game, to relate facts, and to avoid as much as possible entering into the realms of conjectural natural history and dry scientific study.

Vlll

PREFACE

At the same time he offers in an Appendix a series of carefully selected " field notes " upon the various animals he has met with — the result of personal observation — which he trusts may be of service to both naturalists and sportsmen.

He has avoided the diary form of continuous narrative, feeling that he unfortunately lacks the literary skill required to present such in a sufficiently interesting manner ; and has merely endeavoured to bring together a series of sporting incidents in the simplest form, and with the thinnest possible thread of sequence running through them.

There has been so much controversy upon the subject of " dangerous game " charging that the author hopes the relation of his personal experiences on such occasions and the attendant circumstances may be of interest, and he has therefore laid some stress upon those incidents in which himself or his people have been charged. And though the opinions to be deduced therefrom may be at variance with the generally accepted ideas on the subject, he feels justified, if for this reason alone, in relating them.

He fully anticipates that the blood which runs in some of the pages will rouse the ire and direct the pens of a certain section of critics, who, under such headlines as " Va; Victis," " The Cry of the Vanquished," etc., will write spicily-worded paragraphs upon a subject of which they know little or nothing, cloaking their want of knowledge under the most sweeping charges of cruelty and love of slaughter, instead of confining themselves to the range of their possible abilities, and dealing with the book from a literary point of view. These good people are presumably above suspicion of harbouring envious feelings, and probably they never shoot hand-reared pheasants or partridges, nor enjoy those meals any portion of which has been catered for by the shambles or by the Transatlantic " cattle-boats " and their attendant horrors. Still the spirit of justice should prompt them to judge leniently such acts on the part of others, as they themselves have not the opportunity, the disposition, or the temptation to engage in. They will, no doubt, declare that it is the waste, abuse, not use, which they decry ; and in reply much might be urged in the undesirable form of a tu quoque argument in regard to the destruction of the common and fur-seals, the whale, the marten, sable, beaver, and other animals, and the birds slaughtered for the sake of personal adornment— all creatures whose lives are not a whit more innocent or less beautiful than those of the larger wild game.

PREFACE ix

But the author has no wish to beg the question, nor to deny the fact. He admits that waste sometimes does occur in a big game hunter's camp, for the exigencies of wild sport are such that it is at times unavoidable. He secures his ivory, trophies, or zoological specimens, but unless he has a gigantic caravan, or, as usually happens, is in the vicinity of native villages, he cannot always dispose of every pound of meat. The reckless slaughter of wild game (such as he has seen in the early eighties in the North-east Transvaal), where no use can be made of it, is criminal in the highest degree ; but those who are guilty of it are not sportsmen, and the author does not write a word in their defence. On the other hand, he does not argue that sportsmen are never guilty of waste : " We are not gods, but men, and being men, are fallible." He has seen attempts made, most unjustly, he considers, to draw invidious comparisons between this sportsman and that — this one is less wasteful than that, and more humane. Not only is this unjust, but it is absurd, for either men are reckless gunners, loving to slaughter anything they see, regardless of age or sex, or of whether it is of any use to them, and caring little how much is wasted, or they are true sportsmen, taking an intelligent interest in the habits of the animals they encounter. These are humane, and their methods are not wasteful, and comparisons therefore are particularly odious.

" Qui s'excuse, s'accuse," the French say, but the author has no idea of doing either. He writes in defence of brother-sportsmen and of himself, against whom these charges of waste and cruelty are levelled. Looked at in the abstract, all killing is cruel, because it deprives of life that cannot be restored, even though it is one of nature's fundamental laws that the strongest shall prey upon the weakest ; but there is much of the leaven of savagery in all of us — at least, the author will speak for himself — which only requires the opportunity to display itself. But if The Imperial Dictionary definition of the word cruel be accepted — " disposed to give pain to others " — then he unhesitatingly denies its applicability to the true sportsman. He is not so disposed ; in his own interest and that of humanity, he will kill with discretion, and as quickly, and therefore as painlessly, as possible ; and to accuse such a one of wanton cruelty is to utter a gross calumny.

The author writes with feeling, because he knows that first in the ranks of good and keen sportsmen the world over are many honourable gentlemen whose feelings of humanity none can

X

PREFACE question — men who only value their trophies by the labour expended, the difficulties overcome, and the dangers faced in obtaining them ; men who recognise in the pursuit of wild sport a school for the training of mind and body, wherein the manly attributes of strength, pluck, perseverance, and endurance are acquired. Such are always cheerfully willing to stake their lives against those of the savage beasts they may encounter, and to brave fever and great privations uncomplainingly. Such sportsmen have at least added to our knowledge of wild countries, have provided food for the minds and material for the pens of many stay-at-home scientists, and have done equally as much as they in making us acquainted with the habits of wild game.

At the same time sportsmen must not close their eyes to the fact that the destruction of all forms of wild life is proceeding apace ; and while the author does not consider it just that Gordon Cumming, Oswell, and Sir Samuel Baker — amongst the older sportsmen — should be lauded to the skies, while more modern ones are branded as cruel slaughterers, yet he thinks it the duty of every sportsman to do his utmost to forward a comprehensive and far-reaching scheme of preservation that shall save to another generation as many forms and individuals of Africa's wild fauna as possible.

As has been already stated, a portion of these pages treats of travel and sport in the northern and southern divisions of the Mozambique Province, where the author was accompanied during great part of the time by his friend Mr. J. J. Harrison (to whom he has the honour of dedicating this work), and where as hunters they were primi in terris. Unfortunately the northern districts proved by no means a hunter's paradise, though the author was enabled to establish many interesting facts in regard to the distribution of game in that region.

Chapter I. From Chinde To The Inkambedsi

PAGE

Land at Chinde — Chinde in 1894 — Portuguese officials — Mangrove swamps — Hippopotami— River scenery — Native villages — Crocodiles — Bird life — Residency, Zomba — British expansion in Central Africa — Mr. Cecil Rhodes — Death of Stuurman and May — Masiya — Messrs. Bowhill and Metcalfe — Charley — Leave Chikwawa — Koodoo — Scarcity of — Amusing adventure — Hunting-dogs — Zambesi hyraces — Abnormal leopard — Buffalo — Sable antelope shot — Eland shot — "461 Metford rifle — "Nkanga," not j" Nkango " — First spoor of elephants — Camp on Inkambedsi — A loafer discharged — Rhino at home — Blue wildebeeste — Lions scarce — Savage rhino — Bull koodoo — Officious gun-bearer — " Chipambiri ! " — Chased by rhino — Lucky escape — Natives' dread of rhino — Old scars — Unsuccessful spooring— Fresh traces of elephants — Recover the cow — Native hunters . . I

Chapter II

Rhino cow and calf — Elephant spoor — Tsetse-fly — Elephants sighted — Temple-shot for elephants — Trouble with the Portuguese — A kindly reception — Thefts by natives — The gang disarmed — Official correspondence — Bluff — A solitary bull — An exciting stalk — A brush with natives — Disarmed — An ultimatum — Break up camp — Camp in the Domwe — Two leopards shot — A plucky charge — Faulty breech-action — Zambesi leopards — Lions heard — Koodoo on the Injobou — Black rhino — "Njobou!" — A hard! day — Resume the spoor — Elephants feeding — The troop splits — A bull shot — A^tough cow — Close quarters — Weight of ivory . . 16

Chapter III

Camp on the Injobou — Scarcity of impala — Night sounds — Eland and buffalo — Rhinoceros birds — Rhino shot — Herd of elephants — Accept the inevitable — Retreat to the Empini — A gloomy forest — Difficult stalking — An old stager — Death of the bull — A charge — A miss-fire — A plucky beast — Measurements — An affectionate mother — A stiff climb — A surprise — A bull falls — Face to face — A lost chance — Shift camp — Another herd of elephants — They wind us — The Lupata Gorge — Arrive at Tete — Porcine scavengers — The Mwatidsi — A bad shot — Great galago — Busimana hill — Dense forest — An unexpected meeting — Unwariness of rhino — Charge with intent— Spooring a wounded rhino — A record bull — Measurements— Remarks ............ 28

Chapter IV

Return to„.*Chikwawa — Kind friends — Black-water fever — Hippo camp — Damage done by hippos — Gruesome slaughter — Thinning them out — A crocodile's scuttle — Hippo shooting — A vicious cow — She charges the canoe — A score for the rook-rifle — Seen, but not bagged — Wonderful vitality — Cannibal crocs — A wonderful feat — Buffalo in the Elephant Marsh— Their habits— Stopping a charge — A narrow escape — Solitary bulls ........... 45

Xll

CHAPTER V. THE ELEPHANT MARSH page

Difficult spooring— A tedious stalk— For sport's sake— An inquisitive cow— Stampede —A secure retreat— Into the reeds— A good head— Lions at night— A vicious cow— Midday in the Marsh— Confusion— A stiff run— Close quarters— Chikumbi's adventure— Three fine bulls— What was it ?— A vast troop— A good day's sport— A dangerous volley— A score for the Metford— My record buffalo— A triumph of patience — Mr. Macdonald's record head 57

Chapter VI

A wonderful sight— Chasing a hippo overland— Hippo-pool in the Shire— The cow recovered— Burchell's zebra— Three hippo bulls— Saurian ferocity— Big tusks— My largest hippo— A hard task— Deliberate cruelty— Deranging her intellect— A foolhardy proceeding— Saved in time— Blood poisoning— An unpleasant voyage— Mr. Hillier's hospitality— Surgeon Price— Recovery— An exciting tale— Lax morals— A rough trip • "9

Chapter VII

Camp near Makwapala— Knifing a wart-hog— Fever— A lions' night— Prepare for a siege— A close shave — An anxious time — Lions on the rampage — Tale of an escape— Follow the lions— Failure— Shift camp— Scarcity of game— Prickly-heat — Elands— Commencement of the rains— Eland shooting— Chikumbi's cowardice —Buffalo and eland— Lions— A right and left— Chikumbi bolts— Follow a wounded lioness — A lion lost 77

CHAPTER VIII. IN THE LION COUNTRY {continued}

The lioness returns — An exciting night — A counterfeit — Vultures — The lion found— A hysena scare — Night adventure with a lion — Boxed up — Shift camp — Inyala antelopes — Lion round the camp — Impala — Out of form — Eland shooting — Troop of hyajnas — A leopard shot— A man-eating lion — Trumpeter hornbills — Inyala hunting— A buffalo bull— Mr. Scott-Elliot— The late Bishop Maples — His work in Africa — Return to England .......... 87

Chapter IX

Return to Africa — Captain Feilding — Up the Tembi — Mutiny— The S.s. Induna — Arrive at Chinde — Improvements — The late Mr. King — Messrs. Sanderson and Sherwell — Arrange for porters — Harrison's arrival — Senhor Alcabia — Senhor M. Machado — Clearing at the customs — Arrange our passage — H.E. the Governor — Obtain permits — A farewell dinner — A cheery good-bye — Our first recruits — African cooks — Game at Marameyo — " Man overboard ! " — On the Zambesi — Morambala mountain — Reach Pinda — Mosquitoes — Good-bye to the Argonaut — Fishing encampments — Pelicans — A day in the marsh — ;Native duplicity — Over-freighted— Pinda mosquitoes .......... 97

Chapter X

Doctoring— Lemonade powders — Arrival of porters — A check on desertion — Local recruits — The start — The "Pelele" — Tattooing — Our camp — A word of advice —An old fossil — Dolambi — Cyril Alexander— His hymns — Rebecca— Antonia — Chipondeni . . . .... . . . . . . . 108 xiii

CHAPTER XI. ON THE MARCH page

Scarcity of game — Bees' nests — Intsendsi — Canoe building — A lion at the Mtiadi — Lions in Portuguese East Africa — Indeuguma — Mistaken impressions — Lion's hill — An ugly specimen — Camp near Nyakongoli — Lichtenstein hartebeeste and wart-hogs — Sable antelope — Jumping a rhino — Dolambi excited — A palpable fraud — The lions' cave — Curious vegetation — Weird spot — Underground — Marabou storks 1 16

Chapter XII

Juwao's appointment — A " jnlandu" — Alexander in good form — Reparation demanded— A consummate liar — Sable antelope and buffalo — He met a lion — Makoto — Pwatamali — Scarcity of koodoo and impala — Camp at Namatimbi — H. shoots a gnu — Distribution in Portuguese East Africa — Rhino plentiful — Adventure with rhinos — A bull lost — Charge of a buffalo cow — An ornithological collection — An eland bull — Shooting a rhino — Photography — Superstition — Square-mouthed rhino — Buffalo-hunting — Kola chocolate — "Hungarian band" — Marimba — Crested guinea-fowl — A surprise — Pinyapinya — Chifungulu — Insolent natives — An Egyptian mummy — Face to face — Ananias' representatives . .127

Chapter XIII

Enter Chirimani's country — Wild flowers — Buffaloes in the tobacco — Deri, Liuli, and Chiperoni — Photography in the field — Buffalo shooting — Elephants — Baboons — A grand bush buck — An eland bull trophy — Native dance — Adventure with buffalo — Eland shooting — H.'s bad luck — Sent sprawling — An unfortunate occurrence— Reorganise our caravan — Start for Chingwara — Uninteresting country — Scarcity of game — The Namuli range — Alomwe natives — Beehive huts — Roan and sable antelopes— Klipspringers — Nwambara hill — Reach the Murari river . 138

Chapter XIV

Return to Chirimani — Fertile country — Porters dissatisfied — Tobacco at Patapata — Cultivation — Unpleasant memories — Scene with porters — Traces of elephants — In front of the fire — Encounter with a buffalo bull — An interesting specimen — A lost opportunity — A quarrel over the loads — Too dense to understand — Inkanga-mkuru — Beautiful scenery — Deri and Liuli — Denudation of forest tracts — From kraal to kraal — Chiperoni— Unfriendly natives — Rebecca's growl — A rebuft — A desolate region — The Sambalandu — Porters mutiny — The mutiny quelled — A salutary lesson — Camp at Nerumba — Disquieting rumours . . . . .150

Chapter XV. In Camp On The Intambi

A lovely river — Chiperoni from the east — Wildebeeste seen — Bull shot — Disappointment— Red tree ants — Sable antelope — Another bungle — A heavy day's march — Chiperoni from the north — A beautiful valley — Raphia palms — An accessible point — The Intambi — Chikuli watershed — A glorious scene — In the river-bed — Chirombo — More lies — A kraal — Travel and travel — Camp on the Intambi — Strange objects — Right and left at rhino — A long day — A flying camp — Rhino hunting — Death of a bull — A message 160

Chapter XVI. The Chiperoni Elephant Forest

Rhino again — A herd of elephants — PI. in pursuit — Follow a wounded rhino — Not dead yet — Exciting encounter — Death of a big bull — A fine rhino cow — Disappointment — Roan antelope and bush-pigs — High temperature — Rumours confirmed — Mr. Hillier's warning — An officious commandant — The alarm spreads — Porters desert — Shift camp — Forest scenery — Habits of elephants — Camp under Chiperoni — The mountain's charms — Elephants at night — We follow the herd — Out of range — Puff adders — Tackle the troop — H.'s adventure — Cool pluck — Fail to recover the bull — H.'s record bull elephant 172 xiv

Chapter XVII. Page

Two elephant bulls — A rhino cow — A snapshot — A tough beast — Leg-bail— H.'s big buffalo — Insubordination — Wild men and wild beasts — Food supplies unobtainable— Withdraw from our position — Last look at Chiperoni — Engage local porters — The Intambi gorge— A troop of buffalo — Mgombe — Reach Indema's village — Shadowed — Triumphal entry — Adventurous voyage — Reach Chiromo — Paying off — In collision with a hippo — Up the Ruo — Lieutenant-Commander Nicholas — Difficult navigation — Sable antelope — The Zoa falls — Young hippo shot — Permits for the Elephant Marsh — Make it up with the Commandant — A festive evening — He would " learn to shoot elephants " — Hippos at Chiromo — Leave Chiromo . 184

Chapter XVIII. Shupanga To "parting Camp "

French Catholic Fathers— Rivalry between concessionaires — Mr. Cooper, of the Luabo Company — African Game Preservation Society — A tub in a storm — South-easter— Red duiker and Livingstone's antelope — Rufous mungoose — Fever — Gorrano — Taxidermy extraordinary — P. R. performance — A hippo shot — A friendly commandant — Off again — Inyantungo lake — An unexpected recovery — A " dotty " headman — Nasalenti — Kwawa — A new antelope — Porters overtake us — Enter Chiringoma country — Elephant and buffalo — Oribi — A singular canyon — Cross the Madsambi river — Urema plains — Large herds of game — Lucky shot — March over the plain — Lions on the Mwanza — First impala — A waterbuck bull — Wildebeeste — Parting camp — H. leaves for the coast — Our next meeting . 193

Chapter XIX. In Camp On The Urema Marsh

Camp wrecked — Lions at night — Their victims— Another dose of fever — Shift camp — Lichtenstein and wart-hog — Brief entries — How to avoid fever — The helmet a fraud — An experience with lions — Too greedy — Hyaenas — Game plentiful — Fast in a bog — Great herd of buffalo — Two bulls shot — Fresh elephant spoor — Night watch for a lion — I fall asleep— Grand chorus— Outwitted — My reputation suffers ............ 204

Chapter XX. Camping On The Mwanza

Local volunteers — Follow the elephants — My record wildebeeste — Singular incident — Large troops of game— Camp on Mwanza — Wounded buffalo — Msuna's narrow escape — Elephants in the Chiringoma — Follow the herd — They wind us — Tossed by a buffalo— Dolambi to the rescue— Elephants drinking — Come up with the herd — A suspicious cow — Dense bush — Almost discovered— Close quarters — A bull falls — The cow and her defender — An unfortunate shot — Recovers from head-shot — Into the reeds — Dolambi chased by the bull — Rescued — Dolambi's tale — Cow's tusks— Return to the head camp — Lion's spoor — A bull buffalo— "Nkango " ! —Life and death struggle — The buffalo's revenge — A magnificent lion. . .214

Chapter XXI. In Camp On The Mwaredsi

Porters discharged — Game on the Urema — Gorongoza natives — A repulsive object — Disarmed — Discover the thieves — I floor their leader — New camp — Bushbucks — Lost in the forest — Young wildebeeste caught — An impregnable position— A cow buffalo discovers us — Charged by a bull — Following a scent — Singular recovery — Fine country— Ipiri Y'enjefu— Bull elephant killed— Eland and buffalo— A lucky shot — A faithful friend— Pillory eggs — A leonine ventriloquist — A climbing feat — Palm wine— Extract from diary— Msuna's sad fate — A pair of lionesses — Stopping a charge— A ricochet— Plan of attack— A caution— We ring the reeds — Lioness seizes Msuna — She escapes— Dolambi's account — Msuna's epitaph . 226 xv

CHAPTER XXII. "elephant camp" page

Engage more porters — Shifting camp — Gorongoza refugees — We disagree — Adventure with two lionesses — A hyaena's bath — Solitary buffalo bulls — Elephants heard at night — Follow the herd — Two elephants shot — Death of a buffalo bull — From eland to rhino — " Chipambiri is in there" — A very old beast — Elephant bull shot — Visit my lion baits — Marabou stork — Scorpions — Camp by moonlight — An alarm — What is it ? — That 's no lion — An electrifying sound — A magnificent sight — A lifetime in an hour — Another attempt — Elephant shooting at night . . . 239

Chapter XXIII. After Elephants In The Chiringoma

Recover the cow — Wary elands — Not a record — " Run, run, sir ! " — The elephants turned — A bull down — Heavy recoil — Adventure with a cow — Done up — Thirst — Two buffalo bulls shot — Good luck — Elephants in the Piri jungle — Skilful spooring — A right and left — The head-shot fails — Overtake the troop — A cow shot — A mighty beast — First cow goes off — A perfect rifle — Through the forest at night — Buffalo in the camp — A museum shed — Preparations for a trip to the Madsambi — Travelling light — My commissariat — Oribi and buffalo shot — Water scarce — Camp on tributary of Madsambi — Heavy rains — Follow a herd of elephants — An inchenga thicket— A vast troop — Surveying the herd — A chance lost — An awkward hitch — Amongst the elephants — An anxious moment — Suspicious — A big bull — We meet again — A bull down — Stopping a charge — A vicious bull — Not very promising — Another elephant down. . . . . 251

Chapter XXIV. Elephant Hunting On The Madsambi

Overtake the troop — An easy shot — The biggest tusks in the Chiringoma — Want of faith — The bull falls — Wound another — The last I saw of him — How I lost him — On the spoor — Half famished — Elephants as mountaineers— Sansevieria plants — Buffalo bull — Death of a rhino bull and cow — Elephant cows and calves — Elephant shooting on foot — Its penalties and attractions — The grandest beast on earth — A hunter's breakfast — A hard day — A gloomy retreat — The elephants decamp — A fine tusker — Too close to be pleasant — Genuine " funk " — Charged by a tuskless bull — Wonderful escape — Death of the bull — A notorious character — A cow shot — A painful journey ...... ... 264

CHAPTER XXV. ELEPHANT HUNTING ON THE MADSAMBI (co?ltiniied)

Elephant cows more vicious than bulls — An unprovoked charge — Exciting day's sport — Come up with a herd of elephants — They run — Eight bulls — My boys turn them — In the right place — A grand sight — "Well done, Metford " — A broken foreleg — A cow hit — Another bull down — The cow goes off — A third bull falls — Follow the cow — Sitting tight — Dolambi charged — Exciting tussle — Nearly caught — No more cartridges — A tough beast — Good news — Another bull shot — A big cow — Rejoin the boys — Weight of ivory — Camp at the carcass — Sheltered by an ear — An elephant calf — Bull rhino shot — Wet weather — From eland bull to elephants — Puzzling spoor — A big bull — An easy stalk — Success — A lost chance — Follow the troop — A stiff run — Another bull falls — Diana's Christmas present — Break up camp — Return to the Mwaredsi — Overhaul my trophies . . . 275

Chapter XXVI. Hunting Elephants On The Mupe

A Mlandu — Strenuous opposition — Kolodali discharged — A surprise — Dolambi and Chipondeni faithful — Camp guard appointed — An appeal for assistance — Start for Makombi's country — A vast swamp — Waterbuck and wildebeeste — Cross the Urema — Reach Nanduwi — Steinbuck — More rain — Reach the Sansi river — Elephant spoor — Migration of elephants — Form a camp — Bush-pigs shot — Eland and sable — Follow elephant spoor — A troop of cows — Dainty feeding — Other elephants — An elephantine introduction — Suspicious beast — Sight a good bull — ■ Alarm sounded — A stampede — Two good shots — Dolambi's exploit — A young xvi bull down — Nearly dead beat — " Stop, you old beast ! " — Single-tusked bull — Visitors — I become suspicious — A herd of elephant cows — Roan antelope — A present — A messenger to Makombi — Elephants much hunted — An insignificant cow — A fine bull — Undesirably close — Sticking to him- — A heavy recoil — An unloaded rifle — The bull falls — By a narrow margin — A suspicious occurrence . 286

Chapter XXVII. Return To The Head Camp

Return to the Mwaredsi — Messenger does not return — Dolambi's bull — We lose our way — A startling occurrence — Endeavour to reach camp — A miserable night — Bushbuck shot — A looted camp — Lose photographs and butterflies — Find no clue ■ — Camera and rook-rifle recovered — Study the situation — Flight decided upon — Visit the Injeji kraal — No evidence — A night watch — Flight — Tusks stolen — Another night watch — Shadowed — More elephants' spoor — Return to head camp — Boys desert — Reported dead — Faithful Chipondeni — Kindness of Mr. Ross — A suspicious circumstance — Dolambi's desertion — He thought me "bewitched" — Shuanga paid off — A capitao from Beira — Attack of fever — Alone in camp — My visitor- — Chipondeni returns — News of elephants — Elands shot — A record Lichtenstein — My visitor again — Follow herd of elephants — Wound a cow — Change of position — That cow again — Hit a bull — Very hard luck — Flagging energies — A young bull — Disappointment ........ 298

Chapter XXVIII

A strange sound — A sleepy buffalo — Sharp shooting — A fine trophy — A fitting close — Encounter with two lions — An oribi saves the situation — Wart-hog or log ? — A noble beast — Close quarters with a lioness — A snap-shot — The lion charges — Too risky — A nasty night — A thunderstorm — A dreaded sound — The lioness returns — She attacks the camp — Badly burnt — She escapes — Unsuccessful search for elephants— Portuguese Government and the natives — Barata's concession — Start for Fontesvilla — Sapasu — Accident in the Dingadinga — More ivory lost — Reach Mapanda's — Game on the marsh — Fontesvilla — Good-bye to Chipondeni — Beira — Call on Mr. Ross — Exposure in the swamps — Camera and the Beira Railway Company — Fever — Meet old friends — Mons. Pullein — News from H.'s son — Alexander in his true colours — In the S.S. Herzog to Lorenco Marquez — Loss of my trophies .............