THE SETTIT RIVER 157 



was 28 inches, against 27 inches to date. The poor 

 beast lacked an eye, which may have aided my stalk. 

 In the evening I proceeded to the machan for an 

 all-night sitting. 



February 12th. Spent a fruitless night in the 

 machan. In the morning I prospected down the 

 right bank as far as the big meshra. On the way 

 I could have shot a waterbuck, but decided that it 

 was too small. At the meshra a herd of hartebeest 

 were drinking. I stalked to within 60 yards of them, 

 but could not make out the bull, and as I was con- 

 sulting the shikaris, an Arab came along and 

 frightened the herd away. I made a big circuit, 

 crossing at the ford, and went after them, but they 

 were not to be stalked twice running, and made off. 

 I then sat over the meshra, at the top, and a large 

 herd of roan came down to drink at the bottom 

 end, where I had already sat for two days without 

 success. There was no time for a wide detour, and 

 as I hurried down they detected me and made off. 

 I followed them across the river, and got within 40 

 yards of a couple of them, but was again unable to 

 make out the sex, and they saw me and disappeared. 

 This concluded a most unlucky morning's work. 

 In the afternoon I examined the ground on the right 

 bank behind camp. It was all overgrown with 

 grass and thorn, and quite useless for purposes of 

 sport. I saw a couple of oribi, but could not make out 



