84 HUNTING TRIPS IN NORTHERN RHODESIA. 



them before they ran off. Even then they only went a short distance and stood 

 looking back at us. 



When one wants meat, a chance like this does not often occur. Not wishing to 

 disturb the country, I left them alone. Soon after this we got into a large, rough 

 dambo, and saw a, fine ram puku and a herd of waterbuck with a good bull in it. 

 We came on fresh elephant spoor, one being a good bull, judging from his footprints. 



The spoor first led through fairly open country, but it soon got into the beastly 

 matete (spear grass). This is the worst cover that can be found in this country, 

 excepting, perhaps, chitaisi (buffalo bean). The elephants had made a broad path 

 through the matete, but when they pass a lot of the stalks fall across the spoor, and, 

 as they are too strong to break, one has to step above or go under them. 



This is most dangerous ground to hunt elephants in, for it would be almost 

 impossible to escape a charge. 



After working away, we at last heard elephants ahead, and as it was quite 

 impossible to see more than a few yards in front from where we were, I went up a 

 rise to the left. When I got there the wind seemed all right, but I soon felt a puff at 

 the back of my neck. Just at this moment I spotted the elephants crossing a fairly 

 open patch, about fifty yards off. There were three, one a bull with tusks about 

 3olb. each, from the glimpse I got of them. As they were walking quickly, I did not 

 risk the chance of only wounding him, so I ran parallel with them along the top of the 

 bank. However, when I first saw them they were evidently suspicious, and I soon 

 heard them crash off. 



As they went in the direction of the Luangwa, I thought it worth while following 

 them, so I took the spoor. 



We got pretty close, when they ran again, and I saw a herd appear on the 

 sandbanks of the river. The three had apparently joined them, or this was a 

 new herd. 



They were about half-a-mile away, but, instead of turning into the reeds to the 

 right, they began to ford the river. The water was about 6ft. deep, and some of the 

 calves had to swim. On getting to the other side, they tried to climb the bank 

 straight ahead, but it broke away ; so they went along until they found a suitable 

 place. The villagers knew of a fordable place, so I was carried across, and we 

 took the spoor, but the wind kept shifting so much that it was impossible to get near 

 them. They would only run a mile or so, and then stand. While crossing the river 

 I had seen a herd of hippo, and, as the men begged me to shoot them some meat, I 

 went back, and found the herd in the same place. The natives were all starving in 

 this part, so I had no compunction in shooting six, which I got with eight cartridges. 



