A Thousand Miles in a Machilla 



steini) we saw along the Shire. To the south of 

 Lilongwe and in the Bua country as far as the 

 mountains they are not very numerous, nor do they 

 run in large herds as hartebeest do in East Africa 

 and elsewhere. 



Zebra we saw on the Shire, and again in the 

 Bua country, in fair numbers. 



Puku {Cobus vardoni) are only to be found 

 on the Bua, and we were much looking forward to 

 seeing them. Unfortunately the heads proved to be 

 very poor, not worth shooting ; but this did not 

 matter, as we subsequently saw great numbers in 

 North- East Rhodesia. They are now very properly 

 protected in Nyasaland, and only two are allowed 

 on the licence. A few years ago the heads had a 

 certain commercial value, and report has it that a 

 professional hunter came from over the border and 

 shot every sizeable head in the herd. Even now 

 the Governor can with difficulty restrain his very 

 righteous indignation. 



Lions are pretty well exterminated in the country 

 we passed through, and we neither saw nor heard 

 them. One was reported on the line of march the 

 first day out from Lilongwe, but though quickly out 

 of the machilla I failed to see it, and very possibly 

 it was only a hyena. 



io8 



