130 MB. MACDONALD BAEKLET ON THE [Feb. 6, 



5. Notes upon the Antelopes of the Pungue Valley. 

 By MacDonald Barkley. 1 



[Eeceived January 4, 1894.] 



On the 27th of July, 1893, accompanied by an English friend 

 and two gentlemen from Cape Colony, I sailed from Beira in a 

 small lighter on a hunting-expedition up the Pungue Kiver, taking 

 with us a few natives as guides, or as rowers in case of the wind 

 failing. At Fontesvilla, a small town some 50 miles up the river, 

 the terminus of the Beira Railway, then under construction, we 

 increased the number of our Kafirs and proceeded about 18 miles 

 further, passing the native village of Nevisferara on our way, to a 

 point some 6 miles beyond that branch of the river upon which is 

 the village of Mpanda's. There, our boat running aground con- 

 tinually owing to the numberless shallows and saudbanks in the 

 stream, we pitched a permanent camp and sent some of our 

 followers back to Mpanda's to hire native dug-outs and men to 

 manage them. Leaving a few boys to look after the boat and 

 those trophies which we had already secured, we proceeded to the 

 junction of the Ulemna and Dingadingue, a point about 82 miles 

 from Beira. Our plan of campaign was to pitch a camp on one 

 bank or the other, and to shoot the country round for several days, 

 and then by means of our canoes to move on another day's journey 

 to fresh ground. To a little beyond the Mpanda's branch the 

 banks of the river are well wooded with thorn-brakes, dwarf 

 palms, fever-trees, and some very fine timber ; but the only 

 Antelopes we saw on this part of our journey were Waterbuck, a few 

 Blue Wildebeest, and one herd of Lichtenstein's Hartebeest, the two 

 former species being exceedingly plentiful throughout the whole 

 of the country we covered. On the higher reaches of the river 

 the valley broadens out into a level plain, covered with long dry 

 grass at this season of the year, and bounded by hills of some size, 

 densely clothed with fine forest timber, amongst which we were 

 lucky enough to come upon a large herd of Elephants, although these 

 animals are said to be very rare nowadays in this district. The 

 plains are but sparsely sprinkled with shrubs and dwarf palms, and 

 dotted over with huge ant-heaps, and with every here and there 

 vleys. At this time of year the vleys are for the most part dry, 

 but the grass on them remains short and green, and forms pasture 

 for the vast herds of Buffalo, Antelopes, and Zebras which roam 

 over the country. 



The district is infested by the Tetse fly, making it impossible 

 to use cattle, and the climate is exceedingly unhealthy for 

 Europeans except from June to October, when with moderate 

 care it is possible to keep a clean bill of health. 



The following are the different species of Antelope of which we 

 succeeded in shooting specimens during this trip. 



' Communicated by the Secretary. 



