270 UNDER THE AFRICAN SUN 



water out of the pail or basin. But when it began to consider 

 that my tent-ropes were meant for the purpose that some one 

 is said to have blessed the Duke of Argyle for in the case of 

 the new milestones, namely, to scratch the back against, I began 

 to consider the water-buck's affection for my tent as rather a 

 nuisance. 



The head of the Jacksoni is anythhig but handsome. It is 

 elongated, and narrows to almost a blunt point at the muzzle. 

 From the forehead rises a bony protuberance, covered for two or 

 three inches by the skin. Upon this bony elevation are perched 

 the two horns. Their direction is at first outward and backward, 

 then comes a rather sharp bend, and they proceed forward and 

 almost parallel with each other ; then occurs another sharp bend, 

 and the horns point backwards and slightly outwards. The first 

 portion of the horn is stumpy, thick, and somewhat rugose ; the 

 middle portion, between the two bends, is " ringed " ; the ter- 

 minal backward portion is smooth for the last six or seven inches, 

 and ends in a sharp point. 



My first specimen of Jacksoni I shot at the Eldoma Ravine 

 on the first journey. I saw a small herd of about four or 

 five, and 1 fired at 150 to 200 yards. 1 was using my Martini- 

 Henri rifle, and there was such a cloud of smoke that it was 

 impossible at the moment to see what had happened. As 

 the smoke cleared, I noticed that the herd had not disappeared 

 as I had expected, but were in evident hesitation. I fired hur- 

 riedly a couple more shots, which missed. Walking leisurely 

 up to the spot, 1 was pleasantly surprised to find that my first 

 bullet had hit, for a kongoni, as hartebeest are called by the 

 Swahili, lay expiring. I sent the horns to the coast to be for- 

 warded to England, but, like many of my other shooting speci- 

 mens, they never reached home. It does happen, that specimens 

 arrive at the coast without any vestige of address remaining, and 

 after some time such are sold as unclaimed goods ; but it is 

 annoying, when they miscarry after every precaution has been 

 taken to ensure their reaching safely their destination. After a 

 while the traveller ceases to look upon these mishaps as annoy- 

 ances, and he rather congratulates him.self when things he has 

 sent do reach safely his home or his friends. 



My second Jacksoni gave me a deal of trouble. It was in the 

 uninhabited region between the Ravine and the Kavirondo. My 

 first shot wounded the animal badly, but when we went to look 



