38 
In the Heart of Africa 
So we agreed to start away for Mohasi. Schubotz, who was 
making a systematic investigation of the swamp fauna, separated 
from us to strike a bee-line for the lake. Thus I remained alone 
with Wintgens and Weidemann. The latter fell in, unarmed, 
with a fine bull buffalo whilst returning from dismounting our 
magnesium light apparatus. As his rifle bearer was some dis¬ 
tance away, the much-coveted prize was again lost. 
Everything seemed to have conspired against us whilst in this 
neighbourhood. Wintgens also had good reason to complain of 
his luck. He tried the buffalo swamp, and had the good fortune 
at early dawn to encounter a group of buffaloes in one of the 
clearings. Getting within gunshot, he aimed at the head of one 
of them, a fine bull who was gazing straight towards him, and the 
shot told, for he fell to the ground. 
As the herd broke frantically away he sent a second shot after 
a cow buffalo. For some minutes he listened to the crackling 
of the papyrus stalks made by the fugitives. Then all was still. 
Wintgens rushed up joyfully to the spot where the creature had 
fallen, but his face grew abnormally long when he found— 
nothing! The bullet had doubtless struck against the tough 
horns of the buffalo and stunned it momentarily. Voila tout! 
The search for the wounded female also proved fruitless. 
The country grew more inhabited the farther we pushed on to 
the south. Isolated, fine lithe figures of the Watussi, belonging 
to the Ruanda potentate, were encountered. On the bare, parched 
hill summits and on the long ridges we could see small hamlets 
surrounded by milk-weed palisades. The inhabitants were of an 
affable disposition, and if approached in a kindly manner were 
very willing to render us any assistance we stood in need of. 
Corresponding with the altitude we often found the temperature 
very cold, and in the evening, when in the open, were only too 
glad to don European overcoats. 
Early on the 27th, at five in the morning, we started from Lake 
Russenje. At first the road winds through inhabited districts 
till it merges into the broad grass steppe, which is only sparsely 
covered with umbrella acacia. A great many herds of lyre- 
