Impressions of North-East Rhodesia 



numerous if the natives did not kill them. Zebra 

 were to be seen at intervals, but be it noted zebra are 

 protected. A large herd of sassaby near Malamas, 

 where we had been told to expect them, were a 

 new variety to us. Though waterbuck were not in 

 great abundance, we saw them with fair frequency 

 along the rivers, and procured a good specimen of 

 the Sing Sing Crawshayi on the Luambwa, another 

 new kind. Duiker we did not see, and though we 

 saw oribi, they were by no means abundant. 



We have reliable evidence for believing that 

 eland, roan, and hartebeest are sufficiently numerous 

 in the proper season to provide a traveller with sport 

 for himself and meat for his caravan, but doubt 

 whether either of these three varieties exist in large 

 herds, or at any rate in numbers commensurate with 

 the size of the forests in which they roam. Why 

 they should prefer the young forest grass to that 

 which grows on the banks of the rivers where 

 they drink I cannot say ; possibly the latter is too 

 rank for their taste. 



Eland we did not see at all whilst travelling. We 

 crossed the fairly recent spoor of these animals two 

 or three times, but always in mid-forest, at such a 

 distance from water as to render pursuit impractic- 

 able. Anyone who has tried it knows that following 

 a feeding herd of eland through forest is at all times 

 a lengthy and troublesome operation. To have 

 attempted it in our case would have necessitated a 

 subdivision of the caravan and the carriao-e of 

 sufficient water and food to meet the possibility of 

 a night or so away from head-quarters. The 



257 



