2 4 o AFRICAN NATURE NOTES CHAP. 



headman named Gugawi, who, I was told, lived 

 a few miles up the Usutu river, on the very edge 

 of the jungle where inyalas were said to be plentiful. 

 I noticed, however, that my informants were not 

 over confident about my being likely to shoot any 

 of these animals. When I asked if 1 should be sure 

 to see some, they replied, " The imbala-intendi 

 (the local name in this part of Amatongaland for 

 the inyala) is very cunning ; he lives in the very 

 densest jungle, and never comes into the open 

 except at nights; he is very cunning; he is a 

 witch is the imbala-intendi." They all agreed, 

 however, in declaring that there were plenty of 

 them, although they were difficult to get a sight 

 of. Well, there was nothing for it but to do 

 my best, and deserve success even if I could not 

 attain it. 



That night we had a most tremendous thunder- 

 storm, the rain falling in torrents ; and as the 

 place in which I was sleeping was not water-tight, 

 I had rather a bad time of it, and was very glad 

 when clay broke. 



The thunderstorm had cleared the air, and 

 Sunday, September 27, dawned bright and clear, 

 with every prospect of its being a fine day. I had 

 all my things packed up pretty early, and with four 

 new women carriers, and accompanied by two men 

 who knew the way to Gugawi's kraal, managed to 

 get off about an hour after sunrise, and reached my 

 destination before ten o'clock. On our way we crossed 

 the Usutu river here a clear, swift-flowing stream, 

 about two hundred yards in breadth, running over 

 a bed of sand. We waded across it, and found the 

 water quite shallow for the most part, and never 

 more than three feet deep. 



On reaching the kraal we were making for, I 

 told Longman to cook me some breakfast ; and 



o 



whilst he was frying me some reedbuck steaks, I 



