126 BIG GAME SHOOTING 
and I was chaffed. The Lake was still 200 miles distant. 
These choois are remarkable features in South African lands. 
This one was fifteen miles long by, say, about four broad ; one 
to the immediate north was much larger. The wild animals 
visit them as ‘ licks,’ and the Kafirs get their salt from them. 
In 1850-I hoped to bring a boat, but found it impos- 
sible to carry it through the drought and heat, and launch 
_it in serviceable condition on the inland waters. The Doctor 
and I had arranged to start together, but he had already left 
Kolobeng a month when I arrived, Mrs. Livingstone with him. 
There was no chance of overtaking him this time, so I decided 
upon getting on to the Zouga, the river running out of Lake 
’Ngami, and having a quiet shoot by myself. This was our 
second journey across the Bakalahari, and knowing the waters, 
we made our arrangements accordingly, crossed without much 
trouble, and reached our destination. 
Let me here record my gratitude for the nearly absolute 
perfection of the copper caps I used-—Joyce’s. I might very - 
ungratefully have forgotten my debt but for a rather narrow 
escape on this journey from ¢he only miss-fire I ever had in 
thousands of shots. In mid-desert, attracted perhaps by the 
water we had opened, a fine bull elephant came close to the 
waggons. I rode to meet him, and fired, but failed to do 
any serious damage, though he pulled up. I reloaded and 
manceuvred for his shoulder ; but before I could get a shot 
he charged, and the cap of the right barrel snicked—fortu- 
nately the left stopped him with the front shot, and he fell 
dead. I dismounted and then looked on the ground. I was 
amongst a nest of pitfalls—how the horse and the elephant 
had avoided them I don’t know. On the Zouga the game 
was abundant, and the shooting, as it nearly always was, 
peerless. 
Eight or ten days from Lake Kamadou the camp had been 
made, 150 yards from the river, just outside the thick fringe 
of trees, and all was quiet for the night ; even the dogs were 
sleeping, I believe, for once, for I had not been roused since 
