THE SETTIT RIVER 127 



January IQth. Spent a somewhat disturbed and 

 unsatisfactory night in the machan. No lions 

 showed, but at 9.15 p.m. an elephant trumpeted a 

 quarter of a mile off, across the stream, and presently 

 the whole herd obviously came down to the stream 

 just above my machan, crossing about 100 yards off. 

 A few members wandered in a desultory fashion 

 down my way, but I am not certain that any elephant 

 came closer than 50 yards from the machan, though 

 I was kept on the qui vive most of the night by sus- 

 picious rustlings, etc. However, the bulk of the herd 

 certainly moved off up-stream, and by midnight, 

 when the moon set, I was able to go off to sleep in some 

 security, as the big elephant-rifle and a couple of 

 port-fires should have kept off any but the most 

 determined of onslaughts. In the morning I pro- 

 spected up the Settit, finding the tracks of the lion on 

 my side, where I had heard him roar twice about 

 daybreak, and of a leopard the other side. I saw a 

 couple of good bushbuck come down to drink, but 

 they kept on the move, and it was too far for a safe 

 shot. A stalk after what turned out to be female 

 koodoo was bungled, and wart-hog were disturbed 

 twice. Gazelle and ariel were also seen; but on 

 the whole I was disappointed not to see males of 

 any of the large antelopes. In the afternoon I read 

 up old files of newspapers, some of which were in 

 arrears since October. Afterwards strolled out with 



