354 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



but he was too wary, and managed to make his 

 escape in the long grass without offering a chance of 

 a shot. Early the same day, too. Cross had severely 

 wounded a fine Jeopard, which he first saw walking 

 over the prostrate carcase of one of the elephants ; 

 but it too crept away in the grass, and, as the dogs 

 would not take the spoor, he lost it. 



We then walked back to the waggons, taking a 

 look at the huge, and now swollen and stinking 

 carcases of the elephants. They were all fine bulls, 

 and their sixteen tusks weighed from 30 to 55 lbs. 

 each. 



That evening, over the camp fire, the forty odd 

 elephants shot by my friends, since I had last seen 

 them in the Matabele country, were killed over 

 again. They had had nearly all their sport to the 

 east of the river Umfule, near some Mashuna kraals, 

 called " Matja-ung-ombe " (the hill of cattle). The 

 chief of these kraals, Situngvveesa, is considered a 

 very powerful " Umlimo," or god, by the Amande- 

 bele ; and, unlike most other Mashuna chiefs, who 

 are the victims of continual depredation, he is not 

 only left in the quiet enjoyment of his own, but often 

 receives presents of cattle, young girls, etc., trom 

 Lobengula. It is very probable, however, that his 

 majesty— to use one of his own phrases — is only 

 fattening this false priest, and that one day he will 

 pounce down upon and massacre him and all his 

 people, and take his cattle and the ivory, of which, 

 it is said, he has a considerable store. This is only 

 surmise ; but even thus did Umziligazi, his father, 

 put to death, at one fell swoop, a whole bevy of 

 Makalaka gods, to whom, up till that day, he had 

 always shown great favour. 



However, whatever may be the private thoughts 



