36 After Big Game in Central Africa 



covered with a sweet and scented pulp, and of which 

 elephants are very fond. But being unable to shake 

 the fulas, which are gigantic trees, they have to wait 

 patiently until their fruit falls to the ground. They 

 have already visited the district, have made a circuit 

 of the fulas, and as there was no fruit on the ground, 

 have said to themselves in all probability, " We will 

 come back in a week's time." 1 That is what we await. 

 Tambarika sets out towards the north with five or six 

 men ; we leave in a southerly direction in search of 

 tracks, but we return to the camp about three o'clock 

 in the afternoon without having found anything any- 

 where. As we are in need of meat at the camp, and 

 as we have seen buffalo tracks not far away, we decide 

 to risk a rifle shot; if elephants come (and they 

 come generally in the evening or at night) they will 

 not be disturbed. It is always necessary to avoid 

 making a noise in an elephant country ; a noise is 

 often quite sufficient to put them to flight. 



Off we are, then, in pursuit of buffaloes, which we 

 perceive in half an hour's time peaceably browsing on 

 a hillock. We wind round the eminence, and, draw- 

 ing near within a hundred yards, are soon able to see 

 the whole herd, consisting of fifteen animals, of which 

 three only are large males. One of the males, especi- 

 ally, is enormous. He is walking about slowly, and 

 upon his back are a number of insectivorous birds, 



1 Another fruit which elephants eat is the Matondo, the fruit of the 

 Mtondo tree. This fruit somewhat resembles outwardly a lemon ; 

 it is full of a sweet pulp, and contains two nuts. It is found in 

 December and in January. 



