PALLAHS. 175 



duced him to me as his son, and a large leather bag 

 which he carried on his shoulder was speedily open- 

 ed, revealing a dozen more eggs and several heads 

 of Indian corn, which were added to the elaborate 

 present I had already received. The only thing I hap- 

 pened to have with me wherewith to repay his kind- 

 ness was what I felt certain my new friend would 

 value most. So, taking my powder-horn, I measur- 

 ed him a dozen charges, and these were quickly trans- 

 ferred to a neatly-carved cylindrical wooden box, 

 one of two that hung from his neck. I never saw 

 a man so grateful for anything. " Cloth," he said, "is no 

 use to me; but oongar! oongar! (powder! powder!) 

 is hard to get." He asked me to come the follow- 

 ing day and drink pombe with him, when he would 

 give me some more eggs. " Now," said he, "the nyama 

 are feeding, so let us go on. I will show some, and 

 my wives want meat." And having ordered the 

 urchin home, he took the lead, beckoning me to 

 follow. 



We soon entered the thick jungle at the far side of 

 the plain, and passing through it some distance, ar- 

 rived at the edge of an open space. This glade ap- 

 peared to be about half a mile in length, and a little 

 less in breadth. I stood for a minute or two carefully 

 scanning the ground, and as I did so several antelopes 

 walked out of the forest on the opposite side, and 

 commenced feeding quietly towards me. On examin- 

 ing them with the glass, I saw they were pallahs 

 (cepyceros inelanipus), and the herd, led by a fine 

 buck, were evidently feeding across this open ground 

 towards the river. I resolved to lie in wait for 



