72 Wild Life in Central Africa. 



went through some very likely country, but was not lucky 

 enough to find any spoor fresh enough to follow. 



In a dambo I found the carcass of a young eland which 

 had been killed by a lion two nights before, and, strange to 

 say, the lion had only eaten a small part of it, and had not 

 returned the next night. If the moon had been good I 

 would have made a machan near ; but, as it was a long way 

 from camp and the kill was old, I did not think it worth 

 while. 



When I got back to camp I had some food and a smoke, 

 and then decided to return to my home on the Bua River, 

 so I packed up and got home by sundown, having covered 

 fifteen miles, which made a total of a good thirty-five miles 

 for the day's walk. 



From the path I saw a fine black bull sable a long 

 way off, and he evidently saw me or the porters almost 

 at the same instant, as he started off for safer quarters 

 at once. 



For the next few weeks I did not do much hunting, as I 

 wished to give the game a rest, and the weather was 

 terrifically hot and sultry, and I was not feeling too fit. 



The heat was not so bad as the Luangwa or Zambesi 

 valleys are in September, October, and November ; but it 

 was bad enough, and I have gone through so much heat that 

 I find I cannot stand it as well as I used to do. 



However, as my boys kept asking me for some fresh 

 meat, and I also wanted some for myself, I went out on 

 November i and came on a large herd of hartebeest, out 

 of which I shot three animals. 



At this time of year many dust devils (whirlwinds) 

 are seen, and sometimes these are so strong that leaves and 

 grass are taken high up into the air. Once, when coming 

 from Tete to Fort Jameson, I was lying on my camp-bed at 

 midday, with a pocket handkerchief lying on my body. A 

 dust devil came along and picked up the handkerchief and 

 took it out of sight. I fancy that many small birds are 

 killed in these whirlwinds ; especially cheepers that have not 

 become strong and well feathered. 



