78 MATABELE LAND. 



creatures had got the end of the trunk and what 

 they could without breaking the skin. Fires were 

 lighted and meat cooked and devoured, whilst large 

 pieces were put aside for removal. When the filth was 

 extracted from one of the tusks, 'Sessebi' 1 threw 

 back his head and held it up first to one then to the 

 other nostril. This is supposed to be a good thing 

 for any one troubled with nose-bleeding on hot days. 

 Sessebi likewise scraped some stuff like cobbler's 

 wax from where the tusk is inserted in the skin. He 

 said it was to be used as a charm. . . . As we travel 

 through the bush Indian file, returning to the waggon, 

 Ectli (the chief hunter I have with me), meeting a 

 small tortoise, picks it up, spits on it, and puts it to 

 his forehead. He says this is lucky when yo\i want 

 to get elephants, and he says, however large the 

 tortoise is, this is done. He is then allowed to 

 walk off. 



" October 16th. — Shots heard near the waggon 

 early, and Nelson arrives, having shot a fine bull- 

 eland quite near to my waggon. He says he was 

 looking for elephant-spoor when he found the eland, 

 and drove him seven miles. He is a mighty brute, 

 bigger than an average bullock. The hide is very 

 thick. We had breakfast on eland-steak fried in fat, 

 and enjoyed it very much. Nelson says, when in 

 Damaraland, he got a young elephant, but it died 

 from neglect coming through seventy miles of the 

 ' thirst land.' He says they are easy to keep, and so 

 are young ostriches. The latter can be driven with 



1 One of the boys. 



