1 82 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



deep enough to punt. In most parts of this marsh 

 the tops of the grass growing on the bottom rise 

 above the surface of the water, so that it often 

 presents the appearance of a huge grass -field, 

 through which it is difficult to believe it possible 

 to paddle a canoe, for miles and miles in every 

 direction. Scattered all about are clumps of palm 

 bushes, growing on what must once have been 

 ant-heaps. 



We soon caught sight of several herds of lechwe 

 bucks feeding out in the open marsh, and standing 

 as they usually do, up to their bellies in water ; but 

 they were excessively wild, and would not let us 

 approach within 300 or 400 yards. 



At last we sighted a large herd feeding close to 

 the edge of a long strip of dry land that rose slightly 

 above the level of the water, and, by keeping the 

 canoes in a line behind a large clump of palm bushes, 

 managed to approach unperceived to within about 

 200 yards of it. Telling the natives to remain 

 perfectly still, I pulled off my veltschoons and took 

 my gun, and by the aid of the long grass managed 

 to reach the edge of the dry ground, without exciting 

 any suspicion amongst the lechwe. The grass being 

 here very scanty, I had to lie quite flat, and crawl 

 along Hke a snake, pushing my rifle in front of me. 

 In this way I had advanced about fifty yards, when, 

 on slightly raising my head to reconnoitre, I saw a 

 fine old buck, with a beautiful pair of horns, staring 

 steadily in my direction, and, as the wind was all 

 right, I knew that he had made me out. I was 

 within 1 50 yards of him ; so, rising quickly to a 

 kneeling position, I took rather a full sight on his 

 chest as he stood facing me with his head up, and 

 fired. The bullet told loudly on him, and, as the 



