38 LARGE GAME. chap. i. 



tinuously followed them, sometimes in view, though unable 

 to force them into cover. We had not a drop of water, and 

 my tongue and mouth were so dry that I could hardly speak, 

 and the blood kept surging up into my head in such a way 

 that I momentarily expected sunstroke. "Within an hour 

 or two of sunset we forced them into the Daka (a large 

 jungle), and Mainga wounded a bull, which we succeeded 

 in killing almost by starlight. We had then to break it 

 up to get at the meat, and did not reach camp (about 

 twelve miles off) till past ten o'clock — all this time with- 

 out water. I drank gallons when I got in, but was too 

 tired to eat, and went to sleep." 



The next entry is shorter, but still to the point : — ■ 

 "November 14, 1871. — The weather is fearfully hot. I 

 hunted the whole day, leaving before dawn and getting 

 back after dusk, and never got a shot, though I was ' on 

 spoor' the whole time. Usikoto (my gun-bearer) broke 

 down, and we had to leave him. Makumbi (a hunter), 

 whom we left, quite done up, about five miles off, has not 

 come in yet, and only Umpin'wembazo and myself, out 

 of six men, got home together. On reaching camp I 

 immediately went to sleep on the ground, but awoke 

 hungry half an hour ago (10 o'clock p.m.). " 



The largest number of buffaloes that I ever killed in a 

 single day was only four, and one wounded and got next 

 day, though I have heard of as many as eight or nine ; 

 such days, however, must necessarily be rare, not indeed 

 from want of buffalo, but on account of the average 

 length of time it takes to kill each, which cannot be 

 much less than two hours. On the one in question I was 

 accompanied by a number of natives who had come from 



