104 Great and Small Game of Africa 



along the central course of that river and on all its northern tributaries to 

 the eastward of the Macloutsie. 



In 1876 I came across a large herd of from 200 to 300 buffaloes on 

 the Ramokwebani River, close to the waggon-track leading from Tati to 

 Bulawayo, and at that time there were probably several other considerable 

 herds in South- Western Matabeleland. These, however, were rapidly shot 

 down— chiefly by native hunters armed with good guns and rifles— till in 

 1 895 only one small herd was left in all this part of the country. This poor 

 remnant of many a great herd seemed to be maintaining itself fairly well 

 amongst the thickets of wait-a-bit thorn and redbush, which clothe so much 

 of the country between the Shashani and Shashi Rivers, and if it could have 

 been afforded a small measure of protection, would soon have increased in 

 numbers, but it is to be feared that, as the rinderpest passed through this 

 district, there are now no buffaloes left there to protect. 



In the latter months of 1872 I was hunting in the country to the 

 north-east of Bulawayo, and as soon as I got beyond the Matabele kraals 

 and cattle-posts I found buffaloes numerous wherever I went. In 1873 I 

 hunted in the direction of the Zambesi to the north-west of Bulawayo, and 

 travelled over a large area of country to the west of the River Gwai. 

 Everywhere the country was covered with forest and bush, and everywhere, 

 wherever there was water, I found buffaloes, often in very large herds. 

 The following year (1874) I visited the Victoria Falls, and followed the 

 bank of the Zambesi westwards to the mouth of the Chobi, and then 

 hunted for several months along the course of the latter river. At that 

 time buffaloes were still very plentiful along the Zambesi in the neighbour- 

 hood of the Falls, and I remember seeing a large herd grazing on a small 

 grassy island to which they must have swum from the mainland ; but when 

 we reached the Chobi we found these animals in prodigious numbers all 

 along the river, but never, I think, more than a mile or so away from the 

 water. In 1877 I again visited the Chobi, and although the buffaloes had 



