The Eastern Congo 



night, two of whom, judging by the size of their footprints, 

 being old bulls. In this portion of Central Africa the ex- 

 perienced hunter can usually tell by the depth and size of 

 the spoors, also by the impressions made by the corrugations 

 at the bottom of the hoof, if he is following an old bull or 

 not. With a few exceptions a " heavy " spoor means heavy 

 ivory. This does not apply, however, in Equatorial Africa, 

 where elephants grow immense tusks but may have small 

 spoors. Those elephants to be found in Northern Rhodesia 

 are much finer animals, however, than any others I have 

 seen, though with light ivory, compensated to some extent 

 by being of extra fine quality. 



The high land on which Msumpi's village was situated 

 and across which the tracks now took me was of small extent, 

 and whichever way one turned, led into flooded areas for the 

 most part knee-deep in water, so I was not long in coming 

 up with the herd, which the three bulls had soon joined after 

 their night raid on the gardens. This large troop was 

 scattered about in all directions, feeding in the thick scrub, 

 but the bulls were nowhere to be seen. Selecting a big cow 

 with fine long ivories, I brought her down without much 

 difficulty by placing several shots in her shoulder. 



The whole herd, now thoroughly alarmed by the firing, 

 crashed off, and finding the narrowed space of high ground 

 too confined for their fears, took en masse to the water 

 beyond. Knowing that there were several bulls amongst 

 them, I and my two trackers followed. 



Anyone who has walked in water with their boots on, 

 even for a few hundred yards, will realise how fatiguing and 

 what slow progress is possible in such a country. It was 

 therefore well on towards evening before we came up with 



244 



