With Flashlight and Rifle -* 



hut one sometimes finds ;i few isolated bucks among the 

 large herds of hinds. The waterbuck dearly loves an 

 island in a river, to which he can make his way by shallow 

 channels, untroubled by the fear of crocodiles. The water- 

 buck has a very peculiar smell, which is overpoweringly 

 strong near its especial habitat, and can even be perceived 

 at a great distance. This odour, which is something like 

 that of tar, pervades the flesh of the animal, so that it is 

 not much relished as food by Europeans. 



The females are particularly timid and watchful, and 

 always give the first signal for flight. The buck or bucks 

 which happen to be with them always, on such occasions, 

 form the rear-guard of the fugitive troop. The vitality 

 and tenacity of these antelopes are as remarkable as in 

 most African horn-bearing animals. 



In the March of 1897 I went alone with a small 

 caravan from Kilimanjaro to the coast, following the 

 left bank of the Rufu. Amongst my tame cattle there 

 was a black-and-white cow. Suddenly I noticed something 

 black and white about two hundred paces in Iront of me, 

 and supposed it was my cow which was being driven in 

 front with the goats. But immediately afterwards I saw 

 that it was a male ostrich, which had been taking a 

 midday sand-bath, and was now running away from us. 

 Scarcely an hour atterwarcls I saw, to my intense surprise 

 (I was marching at this time in front of the caravan), 

 something white glimmering again through the bushes. 

 Amazed, I took the glasses to ascertain what it really 

 was, when, to my delighted astonishment, the white 

 " something " defined itself as a snow-white female water- 



50-1 



