Hunting in Many Lands 



through which I passed, absent from their 

 homes. But at the same time I venture to 

 think that the ferocity of these people has been 

 much overrated, especially in regard to Euro- 

 peans ; for the force at my disposal was not 

 numerous enough to overawe them had they 

 been evilly disposed. 



One morning, after I had been some days at 

 Ngiri, I set out with twenty men to procure 

 meat for the camp. The sun had not yet risen, 

 and I was pursuing my way close to the belt of 

 reeds which surrounds the swamp, when I saw 

 in the dim light a black object standing close 

 to the reeds. My men said it was a hippo, but 

 as I drew nearer I could distinguish the out- 

 lines of a gigantic buffalo, broadside on and 

 facing from the swamp. When I got to with- 

 in what I afterwards found by pacing it off to 

 be 103 paces, I raised my. 5 77 to my shoulder, 

 and, taking careful aim at the brute's shoulder, 

 fired. When the smoke cleared away there 

 was nothing in sight. Knowing the danger of 

 approaching these animals when wounded, I 

 waited until the sun rose, and then cautiously 

 approached the spot. The early rays of the 

 sun witnessed the last breathings of one of the 

 biggest buffaloes ever shot in Africa. Its head 



42 



