GRAND HUNTING JUNGLES. 307 



being done, I, with Masiko and Massaliar, started to 

 hunt the forests between our position and the Shire, 

 in the hope of coming across more elephants, and re- 

 turned at 1.30, without having seen any game, save 

 some waterbucks, at which I did not fire. After lunch 

 I took an hour's "snooze," and at 3.30 turned out 

 again. We had scarcely left camp a hundred yards be- 

 hind, when we were surprised to find by the fresh spoor 

 that a considerable herd of elephants had crossed the 

 river, and the open space opposite our camp, while I 

 was asleep. This was indeed being " caught napping !" 



Taking up the tracks we followed them till dark, but 

 they never stopped. I am sure that they were fright- 

 ened by our camp, which they must have smelt, if not 

 seen. The night came on dark, and we lost our way. 

 Unfortunately I had left my compass behind, and know- 

 ing that to wander about would most likely be to go 

 farther from home, we lay down under a large tree, 

 and slept till daylight dawned, when steering for the 

 east, we struck the Moanza, and following it up, even- 

 tually reached camp at 9 a.m. 



We remained here two days longer, but killed no 

 more elephants. Each day we saw spoor, but all were 

 travelling towards Mankokwe, and we never came up 

 with a herd. The jungle here is literally trodden down 

 with spoor of all kinds of game. My bag during the 

 last two days consisted of a koodoo, two pigs, and a 

 hartebeest. 



Sorry to leave these grand hunting jungles, I marched 

 at an early hour, on the 27th October, for Mankokwe, 

 where I had ordered Antonio to await my arrival 

 with the boat. During the march I saw no fresh 



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