74 GAME ON THE CHOBE RIVER. 



there could not have been less than from three to four 

 hundred." "They were advancing rapidly towards the river, 

 and soon their foremost ranks stepped knee-deep into the 

 water, and after drinking their fill gradually gave place to 

 those in the rear. Until twilight had given place to a clear 

 starlight night I watched this interesting scene, standing just 

 on the edge of the jungle and not twenty yards from the 

 nearest of them." "About an hour later, a troop of lions 

 commenced to roar not far down the river. They seemed 

 to be advancing towards our camp, roaring grandly at inter- 

 vals, and at length reached the place where the buffaloes 

 had drunk." * 



The whole of the country in this locality along the 

 banks of the Chobe Mr. Selous describes as being full 

 of game. Before sunrise next morning he says: 



"I started into the jungle in search of elephants and had 

 not proceeded 300 yards, before crossing the fresh spoor of 

 two bulls that had drunk during the night close to our camp, 

 but so noiselessly as not to have awakened myself or any 

 of my Kaffirs." And again, "The number of buffaloes 

 about this part of the Chobe is really astonishing, and in no 

 other part of the country have I found them so numerous. 

 They are quite a nuisance to the elephant hunter." f 



Some flat open plains, near by, were also covered with 

 porkoo, antelopes, and other game : " The number of 

 porkoos on this flat quite surprised me. Owing to the 

 great numbers I christened this place the Porkoo 

 Flats. " 



As regards the herds of game seen on the Mababe 

 and Chobe Rivers, October 26, 1879, Mr. Selous observes, 



* A Hunter's Wanderings in Africa, a Narrative of Nine Years 

 among the Game of the Far Interior of South Africa (1871 1880), 

 by Frederick C. Selous, 1881, pp. 126 127. 



f Ibid., pp. 127 8. 



Ibid., p. 128. 



