198 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



ashore, and set to work to form a camp under some 

 fine forest trees, about twenty yards from the water's 

 edge. Towards evening I took my ten-bore rifle, and, 

 accompanied by some natives, went for a stroll, hoping 

 to fall in with a pig, or perhaps get a shot at a lechwe 

 near the water. 



The soil of this island, which must have been 

 several miles in circumference, consisted of fine white 

 sand, into which one sank ankle-deep at every step. 

 It was for the most part quite open, with patches 

 of palm (growing principally round ant-heaps) and 

 clumps of large forest trees scattered here and there. 

 We had gone about a mile from camp without seeing 

 anything, when we suddenly came upon a small troop 

 of tsessebe antelopes, accompanied by one old blue 

 wildebeest bull, feeding out in the middle of a large 

 opening. Wishing to secure the tail of the wildebeest 

 with which to keep off the tsetse flies, etc., I fired, but 

 missed him. After reloading, I was again running on 

 to try for another shot, when, looking to my right, I 

 saw a black rhinoceros cow with a half-grown calf 

 coming towards me. On this I relinquished the 

 pursuit of the wildebeest, and resolved to try and bag 

 the larger animal, regretting that I had not brought my 

 big-bore elephant gun with me. The rhinoceros had 

 evidently been disturbed by the shot, but did not 

 know quite what to make of it. She was about 

 200 yards off, and coming straight on towards me 

 at a quick walk, and turning uneasily from side to side 

 at every few steps ; so 1 stood behind a little cluster of 

 palm bushes and waited for her. She came steadily on, 

 followed by her calf, until within about fifty yards, 

 when she must have got a whifF of my wind ; for, 

 wheeling suddenly, she started off at right angles at a 

 quick trot. Taking her just behind the shoulder, I 



