44 SPOET IN THE EASTERN SUDAN 



which ends at Shammam. However, there are still 

 large herds upon the Binder above Beda, and the 

 Blue Nile above Suleil ; and in my opinion the track- 

 ing down and subsequent stalking of these formidable 

 animals affords the finest sport that the hunter can 

 hope to enjoy. The buffalo in the Sudan drinks at 

 night, and afterwards does not usually travel more 

 than five miles away. Indeed, he frequently travels 

 far less, especially if there has been recent rain, when 

 his heavy body and short legs are a severe handicap 

 in travelling. He is, I think, fonder of water than the 

 African elephant, and his tracks frequently cross and 

 recross pools in the river bed, which sometimes 

 necessitate large detours in following him. It ap- 

 peared to me by no means certain that a small 

 herd of buffalo should contain a bull, and I was never 

 absolutely certain from the tracks whether I was 

 following a bull or not, though I believe it to be 

 practically certain that a solitary specimen will be a 

 bull. Nor is it very easy to distinguish the bulls from 

 the cows, even when one is within sight of the herd, 

 as there did not appear to me to be any obvious 

 difference in size. If, however, the buffalo is directly 

 facing one, the difference between an old bull and a 

 cow will be at once apparent, as there is none of 

 the helmet-like formation of the horns over the fore- 

 head in the cows which is so characteristic of old 

 bulls, and the curve of the horns in old bulls is very 



