274 Great and Small Game of Africa 



encounter with this animal in October 1846, he says: — "On the 1 8th I 

 rode up the banks of the river with my dogs to seek for waterbuck, and 

 arriving where another considerable river's bed joins the Ngotwani, 1 I 

 came upon one, the first I had ever seen. He was standing among some 

 young thorn-trees, within sixty yards, and had his eye full upon me. 

 Before I could pull up my horse he was off at a rapid pace, and crossed the 

 river's bed above me ; I shouted to the dogs and fired a shot to encourage 

 them, but in half a minute the buck disappeared over a rocky ridge, with 

 three or four of my best hounds within thirty yards of his stern. I knew 

 that he would make for the nearest water, and accordingly kept my eye 

 down the river, listening with an attentive ear for the baying of the dogs. 

 Presently the noble buck appeared ascending a rocky pyramidal hill down 

 the river-side with the agility of a chamois, and only one dog, Boxer, my 

 best, at his heels. I galloped down at top speed to meet him, but was too 

 late ; however I fired a long shot to encourage the dog, and next moment, in 

 ascending the opposite bank, my horse fell and rolled down it very nearly 

 on the top of me ; on regaining his legs Jock declined being caught, and 

 made off for camp, followed by my after-rider. Alert at this moment 

 came up, having eight or ten inches of the skin of his breast and forearm 

 ripped clean up by the waterbuck. I now fancied that I had lost the 

 quarry, but a little after I heard Boxer's voice as he came down the river- 

 side with the buck, having once more turned him. I ran up the bank at 

 my best pace to meet them, and found the buck at bay in a deep pool, 

 surrounded by high banks of granite rock ; he would not, however, stand, 

 but swam through the deep water and broke bay on the opposite side. 

 Boxer held on, and following him up the river, once more turned him to 

 this pool ; I met them coming down the water-course, and sent a ball into 

 the buck's throat, which made blood flow freely from his mouth ; but he 

 held stoutly on and plunged into the deep pool, standing at bay under a 



1 The Notwani, a tributary of the Limpopo, in Middle Bechuanaland. 



