A Thousand Miles in a Machilla 



called for from the kitchen. The men hated water- 

 carrying, which is women's work in the villages, 

 but it had to be done ; and as we required a good 

 deal one way and another, poor John was sometimes 

 in difficulties. 



However tiring the march had proved, the men 

 very soon got over their fatigue, and representatives 

 of the different messes would often go long distances 



to buy food. A 's machilla team, having to go 



out with him a second time, was spared camp duties 

 as much as possible. 



We always closed up the caravan at the break- 

 fast halt, and A endeavoured to see the porters 



pass him at least once a- day, and on two or three 

 occasions, when all was not quite well with the 

 caravan, travelled himself for a time in rear. 



We remained two days in our second camp, 

 which was pleasantly situated under some trees not 

 far from the foothills, and a quarter of a mile or so 

 from a village. 



There was plenty of game about. Eland were 



all round the village, and A saw them daily, 



but refrained from shooting, much to the dis- 

 appointment of the villagers ; he, however, shot 

 three pigs. Kudu were reported but not seen. 

 Sable were seen twice, but not a shootable head 

 among them, and a glimpse also was obtained of 

 some hartebeest. 



When comparing the amount of game we saw at 

 this camp by the light of after events, I think 

 perhaps we made a mistake in not moving further 

 eastward along the Shire, as one of our advisers 



38 



