I40 MATABELE LAND. 
He leaves to-morrow according to his present plan, 
with Mr. Thomson, they carrying the mail. Then 
there is Klaas's waggon, and Jacobs's waggon ; the 
latter ^ living here with his wife and daughters until 
the regular hunting season. He makes occasional 
short excursions from here, and is now about to set 
off for the Semokwe for a three weeks' hunt after 
elephant. A troop of they say at least 200 elephant 
came close to TatI lately, but, probably hearing the 
engine, turned. One account sets them down at a 
still larger number. In the letter I found awaiting 
me here from Willie, written when he came out of 
the hunting veldt, he tells me he has been to the 
Semokwe, where he has had good sport. Seventeen 
elephants, he tells me, had just been killed on that 
river ; this would be by Fejeune. Captain Garden 
and his brother are accompanying Jacobs on his 
projected hunt, and I am going to join them too. 
Klaas and Henry Wall are also going, and a lot of 
Bushmen. Jacobs shot a fine lion close to Tati 
lately ; brought him to bay with dogs early in the 
morning, and shot him from horseback. They 
trapped another ; the third, a lioness, escaped. 
They had been taking Jacobs's bullocks. ... A 
lot of people came up to my waggon when we out- 
spanned, and Mr. Thomson invited me to supper. 
In the evening we all met at Brown's. Brown has 
given me a piece of bread. I enjoy it without butter 
or anything else with it ; it is a wonderful treat." 
The following day the large party here alluded 
^ Piet Jacobs, the Dutch hunter, referred to in the previous Chapter. 
