2^.2 After Big Game in Central Africa 



The country in this part of the Barotse l may be 

 summed up in three words plains, forests, swamps. 

 The plains are covered with stunted trees and short 

 grass ; the forests are very dense, but not great in 

 extent ; the swamps are large patches of soft mud 

 covered with an apparently solid crust, sparsely 

 grown over with grass, which has formed since the 

 end of the rainy season, and gives way under your 

 weight. 



One day we are in the middle of one of these 

 marshy plains examining fresh elephant - tracks. 

 Twenty yards in front of us is the edge of the 

 forest, similar to a black impenetrable wall. A few 

 shafts of light enable us to distinguish gigantic 

 gnarled tree-trunks and fantastic lianas. Invisible 

 birds utter shrill cries, and vulturines 2 sing. We are 

 preparing to follow the tracks into the forest when 

 suddenly the birds become silent, as though out of 

 respect, and a great rustling of leaves mingled with 

 the noise of broken branches, at first at a distance 

 and then drawing nearer, makes us stop short. We 

 remain motionless as statues, our ears on the stretch. 

 What can it be ? If the noise had been dying away 

 we should have thought of some elephant or other in 

 flight ; but, since it comes towards us, we are struck 

 with the idea that it must be caused by a herd 

 of buffaloes, extraordinary though it would be to see 

 them in such a spot. . . . We have not quite got over 



1 North-west of the Aroangwa river. 



2 A kind of guinea-fowl (Numida Edouardi). Its native name is 

 Kauga-tole. 



