HUNTING ON THE LIMPOPO. 133 



them and took to my left. On examining his spoor, I 

 found it bloody. I then went to meet my wagons, 

 which I heard coming on, and, ordering the men to out- 

 span, took all my dogs to the spoor. They ran it up 

 in fine style, and in a few minutes the silence of the 

 forest was disturbed by a tremendous bay. On running 

 toward the sound, I met the old fellow coming on to- 

 ward the wagons, with all my dogs after him. I saluted 

 him with a second ball in the shoulder ; he held on and 

 took up a position in the thicket within forty yards of 

 the wagons, where I finished him. He carried a most 

 splendid head. 



On the Sth of June we made the long- wished- for fair 

 Limpopo an hour before sunset. I was at once struck 

 with this most interesting river : the trees along its 

 banks were of prodigious size and very great beauty. 

 At the very spot where I made the water, a huge croco- 

 dile lay upon the sand on the opposite side ; on observ- 

 ing me he dashed into the stream. 



The next day I rode ahead of the wagons with Ruy- 

 ter, and hunted along the bank of the river. I imme- 

 diately shot a water-buck. This animal and pallah 

 were very abundant. As I advanced I found large vleys 

 along the river side, a favorite haunt of the water-buck. 

 After breakfast I again rode forth with fresh horses 

 with my Bushman. We still found water-buck and 

 pallah very abundant. I presently gave chase to a herd 

 of the former to try their speed ; but as they led me into 

 the midst of a labyrinth of marshy vleys, I gave it up. 



At that instant the Bushman whispered, " Sir, sir;" 

 and looking to my right, two princely old buffaloes stood 

 in the jungle within forty yards of me. They got my 

 wind, and started before I could get ready to fire. They 

 held along the river bank ahead of me but not requiring 



