Sporting Trips of a Subaltern 



At the end of February my time in Nigeria 

 had expired, and I was at liberty, provided 

 " exigencies of service " allowed, to return home 

 with six months' leave in my pocket. I was not, 

 however, satisfied with my "bag," and finding 

 Captain Abadie of a like mind, we decided to 

 try what we could do when freed from military 

 duties and responsibilities of all sorts. We 

 decided to go up the river to the Bariba country 

 again, both as having some knowledge of it and 

 it being a reasonably safe part to hunt in. I 

 sent a messenger on to my old friend, his Koyal 

 Highness of Kiama, bearing a present in the shape 

 of a musical-box, which I afterwards heard was a 

 vast success, and asking for the loan of hunters 

 and ponies. We then set off from Jebba in 

 canoes, taking a small escort of four soldiers. 

 We reached Bajibo in three days, camping on the 

 way up on sand-banks, and shooting some few 

 geese, duck, and guinea-fowl. Our Bariba hunters 

 had not yet arrived here to meet us, but the 

 natives of the Nupe tribe in this part told us of 

 a herd of buffalo on a large island some three miles 

 below the town. They seemed mortally afraid of 

 these beasts, and having imparted their informa- 

 tion, each man said his neighbour was much more 

 competent to take us to their vicinity than he 

 himself. They said many men were killed by 

 them. At last, by offering a large reward of 



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