48 THROUGH GASA LAND. 



the hunter or sportsman hates it more than all others 

 combined, for it is certain to carry offhis dogs sooner 

 or later. The alligator of the Mississippi has the 

 same penchant. To both dog flesh is the bonne bouche 

 which tickles most their far from fastidious palates. 



I have forgotten to say that near camp was a 

 tributary stream of the main river, about twenty-five 

 yards across ; in it were several fine pools, so I 

 determined to bait one for a few days, and then try 

 what fish it yielded. To accomplish this I procured 

 some offal, and suspended it over the water at a deep 

 and apparently currentless pari, with the hope that 

 it would get fly-blown, and, if so, that the larvae 

 would drop into the water and attract the giants of 

 the finny race to the locality. Having sent Jim to 

 camp for the necessary flesh, I soon constructed an 

 outrigger, propped up by a forked stick, and when 

 this labour was finished the darkie returned with the 

 carrion, which was soon swung into its place, about 

 four feet above the sullen pool. I mention this 

 trifling matter, as a few days after it was the means 

 of getting me into a scrape, which would have been 

 intensely amusing to lookers\on, but was exactly 

 the reverse to myself. 



The fifth night in our camp was one of the most 

 extraordinary manifestations of the quantity of game 

 this neighbourhood afforded that possibly could be 

 conceived. As soon as the sun went down troops of 

 different species of antelope, mingled with zebras and 



