RAMBLES IN BRITISH BECHUANALAND 51 



however, a poor one — seven or eight brace only; 

 quite one of the poorest I remember in Bechuana- 

 land, if the number of guns be counted. For this I 

 think the intense heat and impending storm had 

 mainly to be thanked. The clouds were rolling up 

 ominously, so that we put together our belongings, 

 and rode for Setlagoli with what haste we could. 



We were too late. The storm of rain broke upon 

 us, with its usual South African accompaniment of 

 tremendous lightnino: and thunder, before we reached 

 Setlagoli, which we gained in a pretty drenched 

 condition. 



It may be well here to point out that a close 

 season for game birds (including, curiously enough, 

 the dikkop plover, as well as sand-grouse, wild duck, 

 wild geese, and snipe — but excluding the black and 

 white bustard, or koorhaan) prevails throughout 

 British Bechuanaland from Sept. 1 to the end of 

 February. Owing to the vast area and scanty 

 population of the territory, however, this law is not 

 obeyed, I fear, as well as it ought to be. 



