132 
SAVAGE SUDAN 
acquisitive ambitions existed. One old bull, I remember, 
only awoke to the peril of the situation after all his retinue 
had utterly disappeared from sight; although, in his case, 
a faithful—probably a favourite—female with half-grown 
calf had made stupendous efforts to arouse him. His 
blank astonishment as he scanned the vacant horizon 
beyond was amusing to watch ; but presently when he 
turned to survey the other horizon, that astonishment 
was even deeper upon observing me close by! Another 
morning, at dawn, a herd returning from the river, grazed 
towards the woods, where they intended to pass the day. 
We, being between them and their objective, lay quiet till 
almost surrounded, when I sprang a gentle alarm. The 
crowd scattered to right and left except the Sultan. He, 
after looking up in mild surprise at his startled harem, 
continued grazing though within half-gunshot. Many 
similar instances could be recorded. 
Curiously the “demonstrations” described are always 
silent, for the waterbuck of both sexes and of all ages is 
absolutely voiceless. A similar remark applies to all the 
hartebeests ; and also to roan, save that the young 1 of the 
latter habitually emit a loud ringing whistle—almost bird¬ 
like—whereas old bulls are totally silent. Reedbucks 
regularly “ whistle,” as all hunters know; so also do oribi. 
Bushbucks bark, and the herds of lechwi keep up a low 
long-drawn sheep-like note; whereas their neighbours, 
the white-eared cob, are wholly unendowed with vocal 
powers. 
Fond as they are of pure water—where the bottom 
is sound—waterbuck dislike real swamp and detest 
treacherous bog. It amuses to watch a company of them 
poking about the edges of such places, making good each 
footstep, and however thirsty they may be, disdaining to 
drink foul water, and avoiding wet feet as daintily as a 
young lady crossing a muddy street. This applies to the 
region of Sudd. 
At one point of that unspeakable swamp we lay 
