XVIII THE MACHABI HILLS 381 



for the horses sufficient to last ten days, Clarkson 

 and I again left camp, and following the waggon- 

 track, rode towards Zweswe, intending to hunt for a 

 few days amongst the Machabi hills, through which 

 that river runs. That day we only got as far as the 

 Griqua encampment, and on the way Clarkson shot a 

 sable antelope. The Griquas, we found, had shot no 

 elephants during the last month. The following day 

 we rode on again, still keeping the waggon-track, and 

 crossing the Zweswe river, reached Gwazan early in 

 the afternoon. Here we set to work to make a rude 

 sort of hut that would protect us from the weather, 

 as we intended to remain where we were for several 

 days, and a heavy thunderstorm was brewing, which, 

 indeed, burst upon us before our hut was completed. 

 Early the following day we were again in the saddle, 

 and leaving all our baggage at the skerm, in charge 

 of a couple of boys, took a round through the hills 

 to the south of the waggon-road. These hills are 

 clothed for the most part with forests of the machabel 

 tree, the favourite food of the elephant ; but, though 

 several herds of these animals had been about during 

 the last month, we did not find any very fresh spoor. 

 At last we emerged from the hills, and rode out upon 

 the open treeless downs which lie between this range 

 and Intaba Insimbi. Here we came across a black 

 rhinoceros cow, right in the open plain, and, as we 

 wanted meat for ourselves and our boys, shot her, 

 though not without a hard gallop, for these unwieldy- 

 looking beasts run at a pace that, with their short 

 legs and heavy bodies, one would not believe them 

 capable of. She was in excellent condition for a 

 black one, and we got some very good meat from her 

 ribs, which was probably due to the fact that she 

 was within a few days of calving. 



