8 4 



MATABELE LAND. 



moving their position, they again encamped a few 

 miles farther to the westward, where they remained 

 till the middle of November, hunting the district, 

 and at times leaving the waggon for some days 

 together. Elephant and giraffe were met with on 

 this occasion, the rest of the game being mostly the 

 same as that found near the previous encampment. 

 The chief trophy of the chase here obtained was 

 a fine bull -elephant, its tusks weighing together 

 1 08 lbs. 



THE FIRST ELEPHANT. 



An eclipse of the moon occurring during this 

 period, an opportunity was afforded of observing the 

 effect of this phenomenon on the minds of some of 

 the party. " Soon after sunset," writes Frank Oates 

 on November 3d, "the moon rising, I think, a little 

 before, I noticed the upper part of the moon, indeed 



