ELEPHANT "SIGN." 



175 



length by six inches broad, hung before and behind from 

 a thin strip of leather made fast round their waists. They 

 were not encumbered with more attire, a snuff-box made 

 from a hollow reed, and placed through a hole in their 

 ears, completing their equipment. 



I had given one of these men (Inyovu, my Kaffir 

 servant) my double-barrelled gun, Monyosi having his 

 own old single-barrelled musket, while I was armed with 

 a single rifle, carrying a two-and-a-half-ounce ball. 



On arriving at the holes that had contained the water, 

 we found them a mass of black mud, the surrounding 

 grass being trodden down and daubed over with it. The 

 trunks of the trees were plastered with mud to the height 

 of ten or twelve feet, on account of the elephants having 

 enjoyed a good scrub against them after their wallow. 



Monyosi was called upon to state at what time the 

 elephants had rolled and cleaned themselves at this place. 

 " Uku sasa namhla" is at once decided upon by all of us. 

 There was no doubt about its being "at daybreak on that 

 day." 



The footmarks on the mud had not had a drop of dew 

 on them ; those on the sand under the trees had one or 

 two drops only, that had evidently been shaken from 

 the branches by the troop in passing. The mud that 

 was on the stems of the trees was wet, with the 

 exception of some very thin patches, where the sun had 

 dried it. The leaves that hung on the broken branches 

 had not yet begun to droop, whilst the fractured limb was 

 still quite wet from the sap; the grass that had been 

 trodden down was also fresh and moist ; and by these signs 



