4P - HUNTING TRIPS IN NORTHERN RHODESIA. 



Next day I tramped a long way and came on some tolerably fresh elephant 

 spoor, which I followed until 3 p.m., but with no result. Passing through a village, I 

 was rather amused at the salute the headman gave me. He ran up to me, cocked 

 his head to one side, and then smacked the part of his body that is used for sitting 

 on. I never had greater difficulty in keeping back a smile, but managed to restrain 

 myself for the time being. Asking him if there were any elephants about, he replied 

 that he never saw elephants. I then asked him if he were short-sighted, but he did 

 not see the joke. Natives invariably deny all knowledge of game, for what reason is 

 best known to themselves. Finding the country I was in was no good for the present, 

 I changed camp to Mponda's village, about fifteen miles from Kamvvendo's. On the 

 way I saw a considerable amount of elephants' and other spoor. 



After having lunch I went out to have a look round, and again noticed that there 

 were abundant signs of game. 



As I was keen to have a longer walk, I was up early the following morning, and 

 the natives from the village took me to some very likely country, but we could not hit 

 on any night's spoor of elephant. I shot a fine bull sable antelope, however, the best 

 head I had got up to that time. It measured 41 in. on the curve. 



After this we came on fairly fresh spoor of elephants, and, although it was rather 

 late (11 a.m.) to start after elephants, I followed the tracks for some hours, but, 

 as I expected, failed to come up with them. However, it gave me hopes that I would 

 soon be successful, for there were plentiful signs of the huge pachyderms about. 



In camp one usually goes to bed early, as there is nothing to do, and with the 

 hard exercise one wants a lot of sleep. That night I was in bed before 9 p.m , and had 

 gone off to sleep, when I was awakened by the natives calling me. On asking what 

 was wrong, they said that elephants had come to the village and were breaking down 

 a hut. I may mention that elephants often come to villages and break open the 

 ncokwes (grain bins). The natives here, having been troubled in this way, had 

 removed their remaining grain into their huts, and the elephants must have become 

 aware of the fact, doubtless by their keen sense of smell. I took my rifle and went 

 out and found it was a bright starry night, but there was no moon. 



A few of the pluckier natives and myself made for the sound, and I told them to 

 bring stones. On getting round a hut near the elephants' scene of operations, I could 

 make out a few dusky forms, so we began to throw stones. I did not wish to fire my 

 rifle, for I had hopes of getting one of them next day. When the stones fell about 

 them the elephants made a grumbling sound, so I told men to get some dry grass 

 and bring fire. In a minute or two they arrived with bunches of lighted grass which 

 they had torn from huts, and this and some extra shouting scared the elephants of?. 



