1 50 ABUNDANCE OF GAME. Chap. VI. 



nor heard ; for his reward the vigilant little watcher has 

 the pick of the parasites on his fat friend. In other cases 

 a chance of escape nmst be given even by the animal itself 

 to its prey ; as in the rattle-snake, which, when excited to 

 strike, cannot avoid using his rattle, any more than the 

 cat can resist cnrling its tail when excited in the chase of 

 a mouse, or the cobra can refrain from inflating the loose 

 skin of the neck and extending it laterally, before striking- 

 its poison fangs into its victim. There are many snakes 

 in parts of this pass ; they basked in the warm sunshine, 

 but rustled off through the leaves as we approached. We 

 observed one morning a small one of a deadly poisonous 

 species, named Kakone, on a bush by the wayside, quietly 

 resting in a horizontal position, digesting a lizard for 

 breakfast. Though openly in view, its colours and curves 

 so closely resembled a small branch that some failed to see 

 it, even after being asked if they perceived anything on 

 the bush. Here also one of our number had a glance at 

 another species, rarely seen, and whose swift lightning-like 

 motion has given rise to the native proverb, that when a 

 man sees this snake he will forthwith become a rich man. 

 We slept near the ruined village of the murdered chief, 

 Mpangwe, a lovely spot, with the Zambesi in front, and 

 extensive gardens behind, backed by a semicircle of hills, 

 receding up to lofty mountains. Our path kept these 

 mountains on our right, and crossed several streamlets, 

 which seemed to be perennial, and among others the 

 Selole, which apparently flows past the prominent peak 

 Chiarapela. These rivulets have often human dwellings 

 on their banks ; but the land can scarcely be said to be 

 occupied. The number of all sorts of game increases 

 wonderfully every day. As a specimen of what may be 

 met with where there are no human habitations, and where 

 no firearms have been introduced, we may mention what 

 at times has actually been seen by us. On the morning of 



