SPORT IN MOZAMBIQUE 



lost his direction, and we wandered from six o'clock 

 in the morning till three in the afternoon, when we 

 found an old abandoned miners' camp. We did not 

 see a single head of game, and the guide received for 

 reward an energetic warning. We passed a wet night, 

 as the rain never ceased falling. 



Finally, to avoid the march through the soaking 

 bush, where we could not find any path, I postponed 

 the start till midday. We directed our course 

 towards a kraal 1 indicated by the negroes, where we 

 found, in place of a good road, only a small track, 

 which we followed. On the route, soaked by the 

 showers, I saw a number of fresh footprints. Sud- 

 denly I halt before a print which I did not know, 

 it resembled that of the sable antelope. " Pala- 

 pala (sable antelope) ? " I exclaim to one of my 

 trackers. " Tai (no)," he answers, " bira-ufo." This 

 name is unknown to me. I enquire, and I recognise 

 by the description the roan antelope, Hippotragus 

 equinus. 2 



I cannot thus leave the animal which has just passed. 

 As we are only a short distance from the village, I 

 pass to the relays of machilleurs, the loads of the 

 three trackers, and one porter ; and, leaving the 

 caravan to proceed under the surveillance of my wife, 

 I go after the game. I arrive on an open plateau and 



1 A native village. 



2 The author erroneously gives Hippotragus leucophceus, which is 

 the name of the extinct blaauwbok of the Cape. (Ed.) 



(34) 



