In the Luapula Valley 255 



About the middle of 1897 I tried to reach the 

 Congo, before taking the Manyema route, by way of 

 Urua. The worry and great anxiety which my fate 

 and that of my men gave me at the time left me 

 little leisure for following my favourite sport. How- 

 ever, as the country was full of game, I had a few 

 elephant-hunts during my stay in the Luapula valley. 



One morning, upon going out in search of carriers, 

 we were then camped not far from the sources of 

 the Luizi I found the spoor of about ten elephants 

 which had passed that way not more than a quarter 

 of an hour before. At that time Msiambiri and 

 Kambombe were the only two of my hunters re- 

 maining with me, Tambarika and his companions 

 having returned home. As assistants I had engaged 

 two Baluba natives; very fine fellows, although 

 cannibals. As my many carriers were asking me 

 for meat, I began to follow the ten elephants with the 

 intention of killing the first I saw, but without going 

 too far out of my way. But a hunter's promises are 

 of small value ! Hardly have I looked at the tracks 

 when I discover that a male of large size is among the 

 herd ; in fact, the spoor are so large that I do not 

 remember ever having seen similar. So I decide to 

 possess it even if I have to go fifty miles to do so. 

 Pursuing the herd, we enter a comparatively easy 

 country, consisting of dense woods, small in area, 

 , surrounded by bare and hard ground, veritable islets 

 of vegetation in the midst of a plain as smooth as 

 a lake. We overtake the elephants after three hours' 

 travelling. Fourteen in number, they advance at a 



