Elephants 



Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia, where I was then, these 

 animals reach an astonishing size compared to other parts 

 of Africa, the usual height of old bulls is from ten feet four 

 inches to ten feet nine inches. Elephants taping above 

 the latter figure are exceedingly rare, and I may add, there- 

 fore, making it very difficult for me to believe the report 

 of a twelve- foot elephant. 



However, having undertaken the task, I set out from 

 Fort Jameson in North-eastern Rhodesia with the usual 

 followers, taking with me, besides my usual camp equipment, 

 a quantity of butcher knives and emery stones to sharpen 

 them, with four loads of salt, saltpetre and alum. 



In the course of the first two months I had shot several 

 large elephants both in Portuguese and- Rhodesian territory, 

 none of which, however, came up to the required standard. 

 In consequence I began to feel a little disappointed, and 

 decided to shift camp into the Bua Valley of western Nyasa- 

 land. 



This I accordingly did and presently found myself encamped 

 at a small village situated on the edge of one of those sloping 

 flower-strewn meadows (or dambo in the native tongue) for 

 which the district is remarkable, bordering a western tributary 

 of the Bua River. It being August, the nights and mornings 

 were extremely cold and, by the edge of the stream, where 

 the elephants came to drink, positively freezing ! 



I was in the habit each morning of following down this 

 stream in the hope of picking up over-night spoor and very 

 early one morning was thus engaged, accompanied by a native 

 tracker called Kamwendo. Now, this man had proved his 

 worth on many previous occasions but had a failing, like 

 so many good men, that he frequently became " bottled " 



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