HIPPO IN THE SHIRE RIVER. '■- 31 



morning of the loth found me after hippos again, for three had been reported close 

 to the tent ; so I went out and shot one. This animal took four hours to rise, 

 which is longer than is usually the case. It all depends on whether the animals are 

 fat, and the weather hot or cold. In hot weather a fat hippo will sometimes rise in 

 less than an hour. I regretted not having a camera, although I determined to get 

 one at the earliest opportunity, for it seemed a pity to miss getting pictures of 

 animals and scenery. 



I left the Murchison Falls on the iith, and had to go back to Matope to get 

 across the river. On the night of the loth two hyaenas visited my camp and 

 dragged a large slab of hippo skin, measuring 6ft. long by 5ft. broad, for nearly a 

 mile. As this piece of skin took two men all their time to bring in to camp, and 

 must have weighed about 2oolb., it shows the strength of the hyaena's jaws. In 

 following the track I noticed that they had dragged the skin backwards, for the 

 pad-marks were reversed and the skin had covered them in places. 



Getting to Matope I found the African Lakes Corporation's agent there, and he 

 kindly put me across the river in the big steel boat belonging to his firm, 



After going a few miles I got out of the Shire valley and camped at a village, 

 the headman's name being Kaninga. 



In the evening I went out to try and shoot a kudu, for the villagers told me 

 there were some about. However, I had my walk for nothing, for all I saw was 

 some fairly recent spoor. I saw a herd of impala, but having shot enough of them 

 on the Shire, and wanting a shot at a kudu, I did not fire at them. 



This evening I made a good dinner on a fowl and a little rice, and as I was busy 

 over my humble meal I heard a lion grunting a long way off. 



The next day I reached a place the natives call Mpezi (others called it Antonio) _ 

 This was a good march, for the men were heavily loaded, but the following day we 

 did a longer tramp, of quite thirty miles, and reached Fort Mlangeni. About 

 fourteen miles from the Fort I passed Ncheu, a Government station, but the 

 collector was out, and I found him with W., an old friend, who was in command at 

 the fort. 



I stayed here for a few days with W. and a few friends who were also staying 

 with him. The climate here was very cold and chilly compared to the low country, 

 and a fire at night was a comfort. 



At Fort Mlangeni one is in the heart of Central Angoniland. There are some 

 good sable antelope to be found near here, and W. shot a head of about 42in. while 

 I was here. I had a try for one, too, but they had been frightened, and I could not 

 find any. 



