224 ADVENTURES IN SCOJTH AFR/CA. 



a few miles we were joined by Bakalahari, who re« 

 ported having seen elephants on the preceding day. A 

 little after this I shot a watei-buck close to the river, 

 when I outspanned. 



During the day " Matsaca," chief of the Bamalette, 

 visited me with a retinue : he brought a kaross for me, 

 for which I was to cut him on the arm and shoulder, 

 and anoint him with medicine to make him shoot well 

 with the gun which he had bought of me. In the even- 

 ing I walked a short distance down the river's bank, 

 and shot a lovely fawn of the serolomootlooque, and a 

 buck pallah with a very handsome head. 



On the 17th I went in quest of elephants, accompa- 

 nied by the Bamalette men. We continued along the 

 bank of the river for several miles, when we took up the 

 spoor of three or four enormous old bulls. On our way 

 I wounded a white rhinoceros, which I did not follow 

 to secure. The elephants had fed very slowly away 

 from the river, and before we had followed the spoor an 

 hour we were close upon them. The Bechuanas chose 

 to leave the spoor, and, making a cast to windward, 

 they started the elephants. My dogs being much dis- 

 tressed with the sun, and I not being aware that the 

 game were started, we at this very moment unfortu- 

 nately sat down and rested for half an hour, which of 

 course lost me the day. When I discovered that the 

 elephants had moved off, I turned my face for camp, 

 and before proceeding far I started an ostrich off her 

 nest: the nest contained twenty eggs, which I directed 

 the Bechuanas to bring to camp. 



As we held up the side of the river I detected a very 

 fine old black rhinoceros standing: among some wait-a- 

 bit thorn. Directing Piet, my dismounted after-rider 

 (for my stud of fifteen was now reduced to one), to 



