HUNTING THE OKAPI 261 



silence by the screams of the sloth, that grow loud and louder 

 to break in a perfect frenzy of passion. Sometimes one is 

 awakened by a sound like rain pattering on the roof to find 

 that it is made by myriads of ants crawling over the dry 

 leaves. 



My first day's journey brought me to a village of the 

 Mobatti, called Lobi. This was my headquarters from 

 which I made excursions morning and evening into the 

 forest to collect birds and mammals. The Mobatti, who 

 are good hunters, kept me busy skinning the animals that 

 they brought in every day. In return for what they gave me 

 they received gun-powder and beads which pleased them 

 mightily, and they entered thoroughly into the spirit of the 

 thing. By this time Quasso had become an experienced 

 skinner, and with his help I generally managed to skin and 

 make up a good dozen birds and mammals in the day. 



The Mobatti hunters make use of nets and gins for trapping 

 the smaller animals, and pits for the larger gamie. Often in 

 the glades and small tracks that branch away from the 

 village path two or three hunters, armed with spears, may 

 be seen in the early morning prowling round for whatever 

 they can find in the thickets. Behind the hunters walks 

 a slave carrying their pipes, tobacco, and other necessaries, 

 and a bit of smouldering wood to light a fire at night, 

 for they often stay out for days when on the track of 

 some particular animal. A small dog follows at their heels, 

 wearing round its neck a wooden bell, shaped like a cow-bell, 

 with two bits of wood inside to make it rattle when the dog 

 begins to hunt ; sometimes the bell is stuffed with leaves to 

 prevent its making a noise. Towards nightfall these men 



