256 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
pleasures of the ordinary chase in Europe, not so much 
in the quantities of game to be found here, as in the 
excitement and suspense of wandering through endless 
forests haunted by all manner of wild animals, which 
may surprise us at any moment. On this account we 
notice everything, listen to every sound, and carefully 
examine every thicket as we advance, such as buffaloes 
or the dreaded little black rhinoceros love to frequent. 
Another source of enjoyment is the sense of absolute 
freedom ; we know that there are no boundaries any¬ 
where, and that our hunting districts extend as far as 
we can carry our guns. 
We had proceeded for about half an hour without 
uttering a syllable through a forest of rnopane trees, 
growing at pretty wide intervals from each other, and 
alternating here and there with a denser growth of 
jungle, when my companions stopped, and pointed 
with their spears to some perfectly fresh buffaloes’ 
spoors. They then indicated the direction I was to 
take and disappeared, one going to the right, the other 
to the left. In a quarter of an hour they rejoined me, 
having found the buffaloes. I followed them, and after 
a short march we halted ; the Bushmen removed their 
sandals of untanned skin, and made me take off my 
boots. The sharp reed-like grass and the rough ground, 
which seemed to be literally strewn with pointed thorns, 
hurt my feet dreadfully at every step. Presently I 
saw a herd of buffaloes standing beneath the shade of 
some thick trees, and so well covered, that at first I 
could not tell their heads from their tails. On the 
back of one of the animals nearest to me I noticed one 
of those black starling-like weaver-birds, known to 
naturalists as the Textor erythrorliynchus, which live 
upon the larvae and insects infesting the skins of 
buffaloes, and follow them everywhere. The bird was 
the first to perceive us, and flew up with a shrill cry, 
then perched again on the buffalo, stretched out its 
neck, and flapped its wings. 
Our game was alarmed, and raising its fierce head 
with its mighty horns, looked round at the spot where 
