122 Occasional JVotes. 



guides from a native chiet' and set out, although they were 

 warned as to the danger of their expedition. The ensuing 

 tramp proved to be one of the wettest and hardest they had 

 ever done, or ever wished to do. They were soon in water 

 and mud up to their knees, and the Doctor at one spot got 

 so fixed in the mud that it took the united efforts of two men 

 to extract him. When they were not wading through cane- 

 brakes, they were following buflfalo paths in reeds higher 

 than their heads. They were lured on by fresh spoor and 

 dung, and also by the fact that the guides were evidently 

 very much afraid and could not be got away from the guns. 

 After five hours' tramping they camped on high ground, all 

 being in a soaked condition. They were all immediately 

 covered with mosquitoes, which drew blood, but in spite of 

 the tormentors they camped on the spot for the night in the 

 lee of a smoky fire. In the words of the Doctor, ' It was 

 evident that biifiPalo were in the neighbourhood, probably in 

 large numbers. It was possible that we might stumble 

 across one at any moment ; it was also just as possible, 

 owing to the density of the reeds, that we might spend a 

 fortnight there without meeting a single bull.' They there- 

 fore determined to go back, and reached the boats an hour 

 after sundown the next day. Resuming their journey, during 

 the next few days they got plenty of Duck and Dikkop, and 

 all sorts of Heron and wild Waterfowl abounded. 



" On the 25th August the party reached Manhica, where 

 Dr. Turner had been in 1899, and the Portuguese Com- 

 mandant welcomed the party and invited them to his table. 

 For the next few days they were entertained most hospitably. 

 Here the party disposed of their boats to a trader, and then 

 started down the river in a schooner for Marcauenne. On the 

 way down they bagged a lot of Duck, and also saw five hippo 

 in the river, but refrained from shooting as time was running 

 short, and there would have been too much delay in w^aiting 

 for the carcase to rise and in drying the skin, even if they 

 had bagged one of the animals. At Marcauenne an amusing 

 incident occurred. When they arrived in the evening 

 Dr. Turner wanted to send in his card to the Commandant 



