CHAP. VI. ANNOYED WITH TSETSE. 151 



July 3rd a herd of elephants passed within fifty yards of 

 our sleeping-place, going down to the river along the dry 

 bed of a rivulet. Starting a few minutes before the main 

 body, we come upon large flocks of guinea-fowl, shoot 

 what may be wanted for dinner, or next morning's break- 

 fast, and leave them in the path to be picked up by the 

 cook and his mates behind. As we proceed, francolins of 

 three varieties run across the path, and hundreds of turtle- 

 doves rise, with great blatter of wing, and fly off to the 

 trees. Guinea-fowls, francolins, turtle-doves, ducks, and 

 geese are the game birds of this region. At sunrise a 

 herd of pallahs, standing like a flock of sheep, allow the 

 first man of our long Indian file to approach within about 

 fifty yards ; but having meat, we let them trot off leisurely 

 and unmolested. Soon afterwards we come upon a herd of 

 waterbucks, which here are very much darker in colour, 

 and drier in flesh, than the same species near the sea. 

 They look at us and we at them ; and we pass on to see a 

 herd of doe koodoos, with a magnificently horned buck or 

 two, hurrying off to the dry hill-sides. We have ceased 

 shooting antelopes, as our men have been so often gorged 

 with meat that they have become fat and dainty. They 

 say that they do not want more venison, it is so dry and 

 tasteless, and ask why we do not give them shot to shoot 

 the more savoury guinea-fowl. 



About eight o'clock the tsetse commence to buzz about 

 us, and bite our hands and necks sharply. Just as we are 

 thinking of breakfast, we meet some buffaloes grazing by 

 the path ; but they make off in a heavy gallop at the sight 

 of man. We fire, and the foremost, badly wounded, sepa- 

 rates from the herd, and is seen to stop amongst the trees ; 

 but, as it is a matter of great danger to follow a wounded 

 buffalo, we hold on our way. It is this losing of wounded 

 animals which makes firearms so annihilating to these 

 beasts of the field, and will in time sweep them all away. 



