AFRICA. lyi 
With its fport, and finding that I could not 
approach it, I fired, though I concluded it tq 
be out of my reach, and had the fatisfadioii 
of feeing it drop. My joy on this occafioa 
was inexpreffible: but the mofl: difficult part 
was not yet accomplifhed ; it was necelTary 
for me to feize my prey; and, as 1 had remark- 
ed the place where it fell, I rufhed through the 
bulhes to take it up, at the expence of having 
my legs and hands torn, and all covered with 
blood. When I reached the fpot, I faw no- 
thing ; and though I carefully fearched every 
where around, going backwards and forwards 
twenty times over the fame places, clofely 
examining the fmallefi: holes and crevices, my 
labour v/as fruitlefs, for I could not find my 
touraco. My refearches and refleftious led 
me to think that I had perhaps broken only 
one of its wings, which had not prevented it 
to get away from the fpot where it had fal« 
len. Full of this idea, I went a little farther, 
and began again to fearch all the environs for 
more than half an hour ; but ftill no touraco. 
This difappointment reduced m.e almoft to a 
ftate of defpair ; and the thick buihes and 
pickly ihrubs, which fcratched even my face, 
4 had 
