1 84 SPORT IN ABYSSINIA. 



as I find written in the journal that " I am decidedly 

 better, the symptoms of dysentery having partly gone 

 away." To-day I had great fun shooting a fine bull 

 hartebeest. This animal is about the size of an 

 Alderney cow. I was going out of my tent very early 

 in the morning when I saw the herd grazing not far 

 off" on the plain. I tried to stalk a bull which was 

 feeding behind the herd and on the nearest side to me, 

 but I failed. I then tried to stalk another, which was 

 more on the left of the herd, and which looked a very 

 big gentleman, and, I think, an old friend of mine, as I 

 had fired at him before. As I was creeping along, the 

 herd had closed up and passed not far off" on my 

 right. The bull that I had first tried to stalk was fol- 

 lowing. I missed him with both barrels of my 

 Express, and then I ran to the top of an ant-hill 

 and took aim at him with my heavy i2-bore rifle. 

 It was a very long shot ; the left barrel broke his hind- 

 leg just at the hock ; and now the hunt began. 



I had come out of my tent with only my slippers on, 

 and in walking through the burnt grass of the plain 

 the short hard stubs were rather trying to my feet 

 with nothing but stockings on. The bull hartebeest 

 managed to go very nearly two miles ; he stopped on 

 several occasions and let me come close up to him. I 

 fired at him with my Express, and, as I thought, 

 missed him ; he then limped away again, but went 



