140 Wild Life in Central Africa. 



I saw a herd of twenty roan antelopes, which were as tame 

 as cows, perhaps because I did not wish to shoot any, 

 being after elephants. We soon found elephant spoor, 

 but the guide took me further on, saying he knew where 

 the elephants were going and we could cut the spoor 

 again. 



Saw a fine ram puku with a herd (I got this ram a few 

 days afterwards) and a small herd of four bull waterbuck, 

 one with a good pair of horns. Then we got on the 

 elephant spoor which led us into the troublesome matete 

 reeds, which are as sharp as needles and very difficult to 

 walk in, as the elephants trample it down and it trips one 

 up at every step. 



After going some way in this dangerous country we 

 heard the elephants just ahead. Coming to a slight ridge 

 covered with grass, instead of matete, I got on it, and got 

 the glimpse of the backs of three elephants, one male and 

 two females, which had evidently heard us and were 

 walking fast. Soon they were lost to sight, and we 

 followed as far as the Luangwa, where the tracks showed 

 that they had crossed to the west bank. As we were 

 debating what we should do, we saw a second herd of 

 elephants run towards the river and cross also, one cow 

 helping a small calf which got into difficulties. I got one 

 of the men to carry me across, and in the process I got wet 

 to the middle as the water reached almost to his shoulders. 

 We then took the track again, and several times got to 

 within 400 yards or so of the elephants, but the wind 

 kept shifting every few minutes, as it always does in the 

 Luangwa Valley during the months of September, October, 

 and November. These shifty winds are, I imagine, caused 

 by the heat, which forms vacuums in the air. 



When crossing the river we had seen a big herd of hippo 

 playing themselves in a deep pool, and the villagers begged 

 me to shoot some. At that time six hippos were allowed 

 on the licence, and up to this time I had not shot any that 

 year, although I had killed a number in previous years. 

 When coming back towards the river after the abortive 



