1 62 After Big Game in Central Africa 



places where they are obliged to drink. I do not 

 include the elephant. For it I am always waiting ; 

 but it has come only once in eight years. 



When the year has been very dry that is, when 

 rain stopped early in October, drinking-places are 

 reduced, as I have said already, to a few small, muddy 

 pools of water scattered over the country. By work- 

 ing systematically it is then you can know the fauna 

 of a district accurately. 



I had organised my nocturnal hunts in the follow- 

 ing regular manner : 



I began my watch at nightfall at one point or 

 another in company with two of my men, each in 

 turn. For example, one night it was Rodzani and 

 Msiambiri, the next Tambarika and Kambombe, then 

 Tchigallo and a man selected from the most intelligent 

 in our entourage. In the morning I returned to 

 the camp (that is, when no animal was pursued), 

 took my bath, breakfasted, and, selecting a quiet, 

 shady place on one side, put down my mat, and went 

 to sleep under guard of two men, who relieved each 

 other alternately until I awoke, generally about three 

 o'clock. When my toilet was performed I occupied 

 myself with one thing or another until four o'clock, 

 which was the fixed hour for dinner, so as to give 

 me time to get to the place where I was to watch, 

 and to be ready before darkness set in. Certain 

 \ years I have done this for forty to fifty days in 

 succession. 



I had one body of men, or several bodies, according 

 to the number of drinking-places, to collect informa- 



