A Thousand Miles in a Machilla 



only successful occasion met with was due to the 

 fact that we were able to pitch our camp almost 

 immediately after seeing the spoor, and that I 

 followed it so soon as the necessary arrangements 

 had been made. 



It is doubtful whether roan antelope are ever 

 very numerous in this district. We saw more roan 

 in a day on the Bua, and shot more in the Luangwa 

 valley than on the whole way from Mpika to 

 Broken Hill. Two young roan bulls running about 

 near the sassaby at Malamas, and a fine looking 

 bull which crossed the path, but unfortunately got 

 our wind before a shot could be fired, were the only 

 roan recorded in my diary. 



Even though we had had previous experience 

 of the wildness of that irritating brute, the forest 

 hartebeest, a total absence of this, the commonest 

 form of the antelope tribe, was most curious. With 

 the exception of three standing on the far side of 

 the Lumbatwa river early one morning, we did not 

 see a single hartebeest between Fort Jameson and 

 Mkushi; but here we saw a small herd placidly 

 grazing near the river as late as lo a.m. This was 

 of course about ten days after the rains had broken. 



We saw neither elephant nor buffalo, nor did we 

 hear of them in our neighbourhood, nor see their 

 spoor, although we had been told to expect both 

 on the Lumbatwa. The natives at Malamas, 

 where we crossed the river, knew nothing of 

 them ; therefore it would have necessitated a search 

 to the westward, which, unfortunately, our time did 

 not permit. 



258 



