The Eastern Congo 



Gways and I, all pretty hard-up at the time, had joined 

 forces for an ivory-hunting expedition to the Luangwa River, 

 which drains a deep and narrow valley between the western 

 Nyasa highlands on the one hand and the Tanganyika 

 plateau and Muchinga escarpment on the other. From the 

 commencement the trip was unsuccessful and Gways having 

 lost himself for three whole days in the bush, becoming dis- 

 gnmtled in consequence, decided to go off on his own, leaving 

 Lewis and myself together. Having previously bagged one 

 or two small elephants, we presently found ourselves in a 

 village on the banks of the river, and the gardens here were 

 reported to us as having been destroyed by elephants. This 

 we found to be true, so much so in fact that the natives were 

 threatened by starvation in consequence. 



The proverb, " it's an ill wind that blows nobody good," 

 might well be applied here, for we were overjoyed at the 

 prospect of getting on to some good bulls ; the morning 

 therefore after our arrival found us taking opposite directions 

 to pick up overnight spoor. Soon after leaving camp I came on 

 fresh elephant tracks which I followed, and coming up with 

 the animals quickly, wounded two bulls out of the troop of 

 five. After emptying my magazine I raced after them, 

 reloading as I went but to little purpose, as I arrived at the 

 bank of the Luangwa River, which was then in flood, just 

 in time to catch glimpses of the herd as it headed through 

 the thick foUage on the opposite bank. 



Where I now stood the Luangwa was quite one hundred 

 yards broad besides being deep, with a swift current and 

 impassable save with a canoe. There remained nothing for 

 it but to send one of the men back to the village to bring 

 round a dug-out, and to remain where I was with what 



238 



