NIGHT-SHOOTING. 
347 
epochs of my life, for in the course of it I was three 
several times in the very jaws of death, and only 
escaped destruction as by a miracle. 
For a short time previous I had been encamped 
at Kobis, a watering-station only a few days journey 
from Lake Ngami, where I had been very successful 
with the larger animals, especially rhinoceroses, of 
which one night, I, in the course of five hours, shot 
no fewer than eight,^ of three different species, and, 
had I persevered, I might have doubled the number; 
but game, owing to the persecution to which it was 
subjected, having at length become scarce and wary, 
and elephants having, as I had heard, resorted to 
Abeghan, a station still nearer the lake just named, 
I proceeded to that place. 
Somewhat incautiously I, on the night in ques¬ 
tion, took up my position, quite alone as usual, 
on a narrow neck of land dividing two small pools, 
the space on either side of my 66 screen” (which, as 
elsewhere said, was a small circular enclosure, six to 
eight feet in diameter, and the walls of it—usually 
consisting of loose stones—some two feet in height) 
being only sufficient for a large animal to stand on 
between myself and the water. I was provided 
with a blanket, and two or three spare guns. 
It was one of those magnificent tropical moon- 
* To the reader, the great “ bag ” made by me on this occasion 
may appear to have been useless slaughter, but I can assure him 
that neither on this, nor on any other occasion, when I have killed a 
number of wild animals, has a single pound of flesh been wasted, 
for what was not consumed by myseif and people, was greedily 
devoured by the natives, who usually followed on my track in 
crowds. 
