26 DESCRIPTIVE 



grass, the morning feeding place of eland and 

 wildebeeste, sable and reedbuck. These expanses 

 may be of any size, from 20 to 200 acres or more. 

 Usually, towards the centre, you will find a slight 

 tendency to marshiness, with probably a spring 

 of cool, clear water, much resorted to by all kinds 

 of wild animals. A big brown bustard rises close 

 by as we pass along, and a brace of fussy franco- 

 lins wing their rapid way to the sheltering gloom 

 beyond the edge of the dambo. We cross the 

 open space, noting with appreciative self-con- 

 gratulation the large quantity of fresh spoor of 

 all kinds of Zambezian game, then the path rises, 

 so we make our way to the shoulder of one of 

 the many suave undulations which occur in these 

 forested regions, and finally select a site for the 

 camping ground under the shelter of a vast 

 Mwangele tree, as the sun nears the horizon, and 

 the crooning of the ring-doves betokens the ap- 

 proach of the time for their evening drink. 



So the tent party proceeds to clear a space for 

 our stout Edgington tents. The carriers, having 

 been shown how to arrange their loads in a neat 

 line facing the doors, have gone off to cut wood 

 and draw water, and preparations commence for 

 the formation of the camp in good earnest. The 

 fires now show bright flickering tongues of con- 

 spicuous, rosy flame. A deep luminous orange 

 glow throws the belt of forest into dark purple 

 relief where the sun has just disappeared with 

 tropical suddenness below the horizon. In the 

 overhead bluish grey a star begins to twinkle. 

 The deep voices of the carriers, with their cheery 



