XIX GEMSBUCK SHOT 405 



the finest cow. I could have shot more, but I did 

 not care to gallop my horse any farther through the 

 heavy sand and sharp thorns, for he is the only 

 animal I have to depend upon to keep the waggons 

 in meat. The cow I shot had a very fine pair of 

 horns measuring 3 feet 6^ inches in length. They 

 were not straight, but had a very appreciable curve 

 backwards. The following morning I again rode 

 out with the Makalakas, and came across a giraffe 

 cow with a half-grown calf After giving the cow a 

 shot I headed her, and then drove her right down to 

 the path along the river, a little in front of the 

 waggons. Here I shot her, and in the afternoon 

 trekked on to where she lay, and we slept close 

 alongside of the carcase. 



In the evening of the following day, having been 

 unsuccessful in finding game in the morning, I 

 trekked on to a little Makalaka village, where I 

 bought some Kafir corn. Early the next morning 

 after starting the waggons I took a round under the 

 guidance of some Bushmen and Makalakas, and 

 coming across a single eland cow, drove her right 

 down to the river, through the Makalaka corn-fields, 

 killing her within twenty yards of the village, to the 

 great joy of the inhabitants. This eland was striped 

 like the elands in the Mashuna country, but not so 

 distinctly as some I have seen to the north of the 

 Zambesi. In the evening we trekked on, following 

 the edge of a steep bank which overlooks the river. 

 As we were trekking Miller and I walked on in front 

 of the waggons. We saw a great many hideous 

 crocodiles, and a large herd of at least fifty blue 

 wildebeests drinking in the river. 



On May 20, having passed two or three more 

 small Makalaka villages, we left the river, and 



