IN QUEST OF LARGE GAME. 283 



and all were soon assembled round the prize, exhibit- 

 ing their feelings of satisfaction on being told that we 

 would camp here till next day, by dancing and sing- 

 ing round the elephant. The size of the tusks, head, 

 and feet of the beast, as well as my praises as a great 

 hunter, being the theme of their discourse. 



Leaving all my goods under charge of Chinsoro, I 

 started with the remainder of the men for the river, 

 which we fortunately found within half a mile of 

 where the elephant lay. There was but a little water 

 here and there, and the whole dry bed of the river 

 was covered with the spoor of elephant, buffalo, and 

 all kinds of antelope. Taking a good supply of water, 

 we soon returned, and set to work to build huts. 

 Moloka sent one of his boys to Chibisa to bring out 

 his wives and pombe to celebrate the event of the 

 death of by far the largest elephant I had yet killed, 

 as well as an order for forty men to come and carry 

 home the meat to the Makololo chief's village. The 

 koodoo meat was allotted to Chippootoola, and I am 

 sure he got the best of it, for I cannot fancy much 

 satisfaction in the mastication of the old bull. 



Late in the evening, going out for a short stroll, 

 and seeing numbers of waterbuck and bushbock, I 

 would not fire at any of them, lest I should disturb 

 the larger game, the footprints of elephants and buffalo 

 being visible almost every hundred yards. I deter- 

 mined to hunt the adjacent jungles well next day, and 

 turned in early. 



Shortly after daylight I started the next morning, 

 with Moloka, Chippootoola, and a couple of men, in 



