164 SPORT IN THE EASTERN SUDAN 



below the recorded average ; but I could not afford 

 to spend more time looking for these antelopes, which 

 one practically never sees except for a few minutes 

 in the day whilst drinking, their grazing-grounds 

 being miles from the river, and their drinking-times 

 fully three days apart. The caravan turned up in due 

 course and encamped just opposite the carcase, and 

 the rest of the day was spent attending to the latter. 



February 18th. Went down the right bank to 

 look for yesterday's buffalo, but could find no 

 fresh sign. On the road we saw two pairs of doe 

 koodoo, and a female bushbuck and young. We then 

 crossed the stream, and came back along the left 

 bank, which was very precipitous. A herd of water- 

 buck, including a male, were grazing there, but these 

 did not interest me, and we also saw two of the koo- 

 doo and an oribi. We then sat down over the meshra 

 where the buffalo had been. A wart-hog showed 

 first of all, but went off before we could get near 

 enough to see his tusks. Then a party of roan came 

 down to drink at a distant meshra, but in these also 

 I had now no interest. Finally a hartebeest, certified 

 by M. to be a male, came down immediately opposite 

 us, and drank with his back to us at 40 yards. I fired 

 for the root of the tail, a most fatal shot with modern 

 weapons, and he dropped with a broken back, when 

 we crossed and duly halaled him. The horns were just 

 17 inches, but very thin indeed, and I had all along 



