218 YOUNG AND INTELLIGENT GUIDE. 



was done. Indeed we had come a long way, and 

 some of the porters had heavy loads to carry. The 

 chief, whose name I did not take down at the time, 

 and have since forgotten, told me the boat had passed 

 his village two days ago, that he had asked "the 

 English " to stop and visit him, in order that he might 

 give them a present, but no notice was taken of 

 his invitation, and they passed on. He brought me 

 some pombe and a few fresh eggs, as well as a large 

 basket of flour and two fowls. In return I gave him 

 two yards of calico, value ninepence, and he was de- 

 lighted. He offered me a hut, and another for my 

 men, but telling him I always slept out at night, like 

 the elephants and buffaloes, I declined his kindness. 



As there was still an hour's light, and we were in 

 want of meat fit to eat, I asked a young and intelli- 

 gent-looking lad if there were any n'goma (koodoo) 

 or other antelopes near. He replied that if I would 

 start at once he would show me plenty before dark. 

 In a few minutes he and I were off, the young one 

 leading the way at a rattling pace, proud as Lucifer, 

 with a spare gun of mine on his shoulder. Having 

 walked about a mile straight in from the river, we en- 

 tered a patch of scrub jungle, which proved a narrow 

 belt running parallel to the Shire. On reaching the 

 outskirts of it on the far side, an open plain appeared, 

 and this was literally overstocked with game, all 

 apparently feeding towards the river. There were 

 koodoo, pallahs, hartebeest, gemsbock, and reedbock ; 

 wherever the eye turned antelopes of some kind 

 were to be seen. I never saw such quantities of 

 game. The nearest of all to me was a herd of eleven 



