84 
MATABELE LAND. 
moving their position, they again encamped a few 
miles further to the westward, where they remained 
till the middle of November, hunting the district, 
and at times leaving the waggon for some days 
together. Elephant and giraffe were met with on 
this occasion, the rest of the game being mostly the 
same as that found near the previous encampment. 
The chief trophy of the chase here obtained was 
a fine bull elephant, its tusks weighing together 
1 08 lbs. 
THE FIRST ELEPHANT. 
An eclipse of the moon occurrino^ durine this 
period, an opportunity was afforded of observing the 
effect of this phenomenon on the minds of some of 
the party. " Soon after sunset," writes Frank Gates 
on November 3d, " the moon rising, I think, a little 
before, I noticed the upper part of the moon, indeed 
