ABUNDANT SPOOR OF GAME. 257 



with courteous rivalry who should do the honours of 

 hosts with greatest liberality. 



Through the assistance of Sunday I informed 

 these people that I was desirous of obtaining 

 supplies of grain or vegetables, for which I would 

 pay a liberal price ; after imparting this information, 

 as time was no great object, I shouldered my rifle, 

 and with the same companions as on the previous 

 day turned my face to the lowlands in the hope of 

 killing something of sufficient size to furnish my 

 augmented party with an abundance of food for at 

 at least one " good square meal." The breeze was 

 from the south-east, and therefore suitable for my 

 approaching wild animals without their winding me, 

 a precaution quite as necessary to take here as in 

 Scotland, when deer-stalking. To let yourself be 

 seen is not half as antagonistic to your success in 

 approaching game, as it is permitting them to wind 

 you ; I suppose they argue thus, better the devil 

 they see, than the devil we are conscious of being 

 near, but don't see. 



We were some time in reaching the savannah 

 lands, but the air was fresh and the walking com- 

 paratively good ; what struck me with astonishment 

 was the number of game paths, all running from 

 east to west or vice versa. These were old, and 

 from the depth of many of the foot impressions 

 must have been made in the rainy season. Still the 

 action of the atmosphere had not destroyed the 



