A Thousand Miles in a Machilla 



in Roberti's charge, thereby earning the gratitude 

 of our tired porters. 



In the afternoon the village chief, an important 

 looking old man in a long black calico robe, called 

 on us, and brought flour and eggs, receiving in ex- 

 change a present of meat and calico. Elephants are 

 often to be met in the neighbourhood of Kazembe, 

 but the chief reported that they were now on the 

 Nyamadzi River, and advised us to go after them ; 

 want of time, not to speak of the heat, prevented 

 this. He also told us that there was game across 

 the river a few miles off. Unfortunately, it was 



too late to go any distance, therefore A had 



to content himself with a walk along the river 

 bank. The altitude of the place was about two 

 thousand one hundred and fifty feet, and it was 

 very hot — quite ioo° F. in the shade. 



That evening, as the meat was being prepared 

 for distribution, it appeared to us that a great deal of 

 talk was going on, and that Roberti was specially 

 eloquent. We called up John to inquire what it 

 was all about. John reported that Roberti, while 

 waiting for the porters, had left the dead roan 

 and gone to the river to get a drink, and that 

 while he was down by the water he had seen both 

 eland and kudu. Now kudu in that neighbour- 

 hood were extremely improbable, and Roberti was 

 reminded of the monkey story ; at the same time, 



eland were quite possible, and A was anxious to 



get an eland ; but being well aware of Roberti's 

 lively imagination, he hesitated to believe his report. 

 The possibility of getting eland, however, tempted 



150 



