216 ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER CH. 



case, my natives always jokingly remind me of the 

 fact by saying, ' Bwana, you don't believe in our 

 superstitions, yet you see there is something in 

 them after all.' 



Once, near the Myaeah Mountains and in the 

 vicinity of the Lumasuli River, I came across the 

 tracks of three elephants and after an arduous 

 chase shot one of the herd, the other two effecting 

 their escape. As we were dog-tired, I called a halt 

 and pitched camp, and soon a cheery kettle was 

 singing, over glowing embers, a paean in praise of 

 that most refreshing of beverages tea. After 

 a brief rest and before settling down for the evening, 

 I set out with my trackers to reconnoitre the 

 surrounding country, never dreaming that we should 

 encounter elephants on the way. As we trudged 

 easily along, we suddenly came across a beautiful 

 pool of water, fringed with rustling bamboos and 

 starred with waterlilies ; and entwined among the 

 reeds overhanging the margin of the mere, lurked 

 the deadly coils of a snake known to the natives as 

 the jokomahamba (or green namba), one of the 

 largest and most venomous snakes in Africa. The 

 reptile was evidently lying in wait for any small 

 game that might come to drink at the pool, so 

 raising my 1075 rifle. I took aim and fired, 

 the bullet cutting its body in two. Both sections 

 fell to the ground, the forepart containing the 



