232 WATERBUCK SHOT. Chap. IX. 



hip ; " "but, by Sebituane, it would go down in spite of all 

 that we could do." Instead of a fat hippopotamus we had 

 only a lean fowl for dinner, and were glad enough to get 

 even that. The hippopotamus, however, floated during 

 the night, and was found about a mile below. The Banyai 

 then assembled on the bank, and disputed our right to 

 the beast : "It might have been shot by somebody else." 

 Our men took a little of it and then left it, rather than 

 come into collision with them. 



A fine waterbuck was shot in the Kakolole narrows, 

 at Mount Manyerere; it dropped beside the creek where 

 it was feeding; an enormous crocodile, that had been 

 watching it at the moment, seized and dragged it into 

 the water, which was not very deep. The mortally 

 wounded animal made a desperate plunge, and hauling 

 the crocodile several yards tore itself out of the hideous 

 jaws. To escape the hunter, the waterbuck jumped into 

 the river, and was swimming across, when another croco- 

 dile gave chase, but a ball soon sent it to the bottom. 

 The waterbuck swam a little longer, the fine head dropped, 

 the body turned over, and one of the canoes dragged it 

 ashore. Below Kakolole, and still at the base of Man- 

 yerere mountain, several coal-seams, not noticed on our 

 ascent, were now seen to crop out on the right bank of 

 the Zambesi. 



Chitora, of Chicova, treated us with his former hospi- 

 tality. Our men were all much pleased with his kindness, 

 and certainly did not look upon it as a proof of weakness. 

 They meant to return his friendliness when they came 

 this way on a marauding expedition to eat the sheep of 

 the Banyai, for insulting them in the affair of the hippo- 

 potamus ; they would then send word to Chitora not to 

 run away, for they, being his friends, would do such a 

 good-hearted man no harm. 



We entered Kebrabasa rapids, at the east end of 



