58 Mr. A. Roberts on Bmh 171 



Khamacurra. Leaving Quelimane on the morning of the 

 2Gth, we travelled first by a diminutive railway-line to 

 Maquival, then up the Makuse River by a small paddled 

 house-boat to Maxixine, where we landed at about 4 p.m. 

 "We spent the following day at this place and secured a few 

 specimens, while our outfit was sent on by boat to Nhama- 

 curra. On the 28th we travelled by machilla as far as 

 l^hamacurra, calling a short halt at ]\Ialinguine, a station of 

 the Boror (Company on the Makuse River, and securing a 

 few specimens. Another delay of a day occurred, owing to 

 the non-arrival of our outfit, and we did not reach our desti- 

 nation until the evening of the 30th. On the last stage of 

 our journey the path was so swamped in many places that 

 our machilla-bearers were up to their necks in water and 

 mud, and we had to cling to the pole while they held it at 

 arm's lenoth above their heads. 



We were soon made to realize that May was not by any 

 means the best month for either sport or collecting, and we 

 had to put up with much inconvenience on account of the 

 rains which were still falling. Tangled grass surrounded us 

 on all sides and was always wet, so that to venture off the 

 j)aths always resulted in our being soaked to the skin and a 

 change of clothing was necessary after every excursion : this 

 grass also rendered the stalking of specimens very difficidt 

 and they were often lost, as anj-one who has collected under 

 such conditions will understands Mosquitos sw'armed in 

 countless numbers, even harassing us in the shade during 

 the daytime, and, needless to say, it was not long before both 

 of us were attacked by malaria. These attacks recurred 

 regularly, almost to a day, every fortnight. But apart from 

 these difficulties the bird-life w'as so interesting and varied 

 that we felt amply comj^ensated, liardly a day passing during 

 the first three months in which we did not observe some one 

 or more species new to us. 



Kirby's |)rimary reason for making ihc trip was for the 

 ])urposo of shooting lions, particularly some troublesome 

 man-eaters, which were cai-i-ying off natives in different 

 parts of the jnxtzo at the rate of about twenty ])er mensem. 



