Lilongwe to Fort Jameson 



well as the gun-bearers, were needed to get us 

 over dry, and even then it was touch-and-go, and 

 at one place we were practically passed from hand 

 to hand. Going through the reeds I was badly 

 stung by " fly." 



That afternoon a violent storm came on, which 

 lasted several hours, greatly cooling the air. 



The 8th we marched to the Karusi river, seeing 

 game, the first for some days. The river valley is 

 broad and perfectly open, except for patches of reeds 

 here and there; but by moving through the edge of 

 the forest which skirts it we were able to see without 



being seen. A shot a reedbuck and a couple 



of oribi, and just before reaching our journey's end 

 he shot his first puku (cobus vardont), a beautiful 

 little antelope of a bright chestnut colour. Soon 

 after we saw a number of these pretty beasts, who 

 stood and looked at us as we passed, and then 

 scampered off out of range. As we had got our 

 specimen, they were left in peace. 



The river channel was dry except for the large 

 marshy waterholes which still remained here and 

 there. Wild fowl were flying about, and we got two 

 ducks, one of which I skinned, and later on a goose. 



We pitched our tents under the shade of a mimosa 

 tree growing out of the middle of a great ant-heap, 

 a frequent sight in the jungle. I often wondered 

 which came first the ants or the tree. That night 

 there was heavy rain. Most of the men had made 

 shelters for themselves; but the servants, poor 

 fellows, had to share a small spare tent with our 

 dried skins. 



91 



