Kopas to Mlembo River 



head, with its twisted horns, weighed perhaps a 

 hundredweight. 



In the evening a large dambo was visited, but 

 was drawn blank, not a beast being visible. Our 

 camp, which, though not far from the river, was well 

 in the forest, was an extremely pretty one, with wild 

 flowers growing all around us. I noticed a charming 

 pink clematis clothing the shrubs, also numberless 

 bulbs of a large sort of crocus in full flower. I had 

 some dug up and brought them home, where I 

 hope they may do well. The soil was light and 

 sandy. 



That evening the camp fires were very animated, 

 and much eland meat was consumed. The following 



morning, the I3th, A was called at 3 A.M., and 



went to the village gardens in the hope that the 

 herd might visit them, but they failed to do so, and 

 he returned at dawn without having seen a beast. 

 We were soon on the road again, the track running 

 somewhat downhill through rather nice country; 

 but, as usual, there was no game to be seen. 

 Malamas was reached sooner than we had expected, 

 and the camp pitched in forest just outside the 

 village gardens, not far from the high bank of the 

 Lumbatwa river, which at this season of the year 

 was nothing but a swamp, about three-quarters of a 

 mile broad, and not too easy to cross. Our aneroid 

 gave the altitude as four thousand feet. We had 

 been told to expect sassaby in the neighbourhood, 

 and were much pleased to hear from the village 

 chief that a herd was at no great distance on the 

 opposite side of the river. By 4 r.M. A was 



185 



