54 THROUGH ANGOLA 



" Kolwah," with its 60 inches of heavy horn, could 

 not by the simple African mind be identified with 

 the similar but smaller East African variety. 



The Sovas told us that the " Kolwah ' was 

 only found south of the Loando, and between that 

 river and its parent stream the Coanza, and no- 

 where else. They said that the game of the sur- 

 rounding country consisted of roan, eland (rare), 

 reed buck, water buck, cob, and sitatunga ; and 

 that the last-named, which I wished to photograph 

 and shoot, was found in several places in the 

 district, the nearest being the Coque River, which 

 we should pass on our way south to the Loan do. 



On 9th August, after a friendly fn rowel 1 from 

 my kindly Portuguese* host, we marched first south- 

 west for seven miles and then south-east for 

 another eight or nine, nnd crossing the small 

 streams called the Hondo, Calumbira, and one or 

 two others, all practically dry at this season, 

 reached in the afternoon the Coque River, a few 

 miles from its junction with the Coanza. Camp 

 was pitched beyond the river, sluggish and over- 

 grown with papyrus, leaving here and there a pool 

 of open water. The flats near the river were 

 carpeted with shoots of grass and reeds that would 

 be several feet high in the rains ; rnd along the 

 edge of sloping banks, which must hold a flood 

 of surging turbid water in the rains, were jungle 

 scrub and a few forest trees. It was such a river 

 as sitatunga love, and that hour of the evening 

 when the animals arc moving down from the forest 

 to the river to graze on the young grass, and drink 

 as is their wont before sunset- 



