Eland and Sable Antelope 



I killed a very nice eland bull at this place, 

 and some of the meat we made into biltong. 

 This was done by cutting the meat into long 

 strips, salting in a heap for a few hours, then 

 hanging it up to dry in the sun. This antelope 

 is the only one of the various kinds I shot that 

 had any fat on it this bull was full of it. My 

 boys would have annexed the whole lot if a 

 watchful eye had not been kept upon them. As 

 it was, I saw three or four pots full that they had 

 stolen, and which they had melted down for 

 future consumption. 



Whilst on the hills looking for game with 

 three or four boys, a Matabele boy, who was 

 a favourite of mine, whom I had nicknamed 

 44 Cooe," and made my gun -bearer, touched 

 me on the shoulder and pointed to a small 

 brownish-coloured bird that chattered on a small 

 tree close to the path we were on. This chatter- 

 ing I can only liken to the repeated shutting of 

 the lid of a small wooden box, but so rapidly 

 executed that the sound seemed to be almost 

 continuous. I did not understand what my boy 

 meant to convey to me. He pointed to the 

 bird and then to his mouth, so I told him to 

 " Hamba," which I thought meant " Go on." 

 He at once went towards the bird, which there- 

 upon flew on to another small bush a little 

 farther away. We all followed, having left the 

 path, and this follow-my-leader went on for 



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