280 UNSUCCESSFUL ZEBRA-HUNT. Chap. XV. 



hualata or tahetsi (Aigoceros equina), karaa (Bubalus caama), 

 buffaloes, and the small antelope hakitenwe (Philantomba). 



The animals can be seen here only by following on their trail 

 for many miles. Urged on by hunger, we followed that of some 

 zebras during the greater part of the day : when within fifty yards 

 of them, in a dense thicket, I made sure of one, but, to my in- 

 finite disgust, the gun missed fire, and off they bounded. The 

 climate is so very damp, from daily heavy rains, that everything 

 becomes loaded with moisture, and the powder in the gun- 

 nipples cannot be kept dry. It is curious to mark the intelli- 

 gence of the game ; in districts where they are much annoyed 

 by fire-arms, they keep out on the most open spots of country 

 they can find, in order to have a widely-extended range of vision, 

 and a man armed is carefully shunned. From the frequency 

 with which I have been allowed to approach nearer without than 

 with a gun, I believe they know the difference between safety and 

 danger in the two cases. But here, where they are killed by the 

 arrows of the Balonda, they select for safety the densest forest, 

 where the arrow cannot be easily shot. The variation in the 

 selection of standing spots during the day may, however, be 

 owing partly to the greater heat of the sun, for here it is parti- 

 cularly sharp and penetrating. However accounted for, the wild 

 animals here do select the forests by day, while those farther 

 south generally shun these covers, and, on several occasions, I 

 have observed there was no sunshine to cause them to seek for 

 shade. 



