African Buffalo Shooting. 175 



I carried, somewhat revived me. The surface seemed 

 composed of laterite, and in it were depressions where 

 water had existed, but which were now perfectly dry. 

 In the earth which lay over the laterite, there were 

 numerous marks of buffalo and deer hoofs ; but the 

 animals, owing to the want of water, were not there. 

 Guinea-fowl were in thousands, but there was no 

 getting them, for they flew into trees which grew on 

 a projection, like the berm of a road, about fifty feet 

 below the hill top, which was scarped similar to 

 those on the Godavery. I could have potted many 

 there, but it would have been useless slaughter, for 

 they could not be retrieved, as there was no getting 

 down to where they would have fallen. Once in the 

 trees, these birds showed no signs of fear, and would 

 let me get within easy shot, but on terra Jirma they 

 maintained a distance of fully one hundred yards be- 

 tween us. We walked about the level surface, peering 

 into patches of long grass, but beyond a small ante- 

 lope or two, not worth firing at, we saw nothing. 

 Looking to the west and north-west, the country 

 was lovely ; beautifully wooded and undulating, with 

 a stream meandering through it. Buddrodeen said, 

 " Later on, it would be full of elephants and deer/' 

 and that he had shot many there. Ultimately we 

 made towards the south. There was a sloping 

 shoulder in that direction which led us inland to a 

 very marshy tract, but to get to it we had to cross 

 a river, which I did on my comrade's back. After 

 this escapade, we entered a savannah, and soon hit off 

 the track of a large herd of wild cattle, for they more 

 resembled them than buffaloes. The game had fed as 

 they walked along, leaving a very distinct spoor, and 



