100 1 
half blind with thirst, running heedlessly down to the water's edge, one of them was unexpectedly arrested by the gaping 
jaws of a basking alligator. The other instantly returned with his tail betwixt his legs in dreadful consternation, Then a splash 
was heard, and bubbles of blood rising a moment arvenrrarts to the rippling surface of the stream, too truly told what had 
been the fate of his less fortunate companion, The sun was now setting, and whilst we were bewailing in no very amiable 
humour the loss’ of our valued four footed ally, an unwieldy white Rhinoceros, 
"  @-Gheathed ia bis iron. panoply2! 
came sauntering towards the waggons, evidently bent upon no friendly designs. It being considered necessary that prompt 
counter measures should be adopted, and neither bush nor hollow favouring my advance, I crawled towards the conspirator 
under cover of the long grass, and arriving within forty yards, discharged a brace of balls into his brawny shoulder.* He 
started, sought wildly around for some object on which to wreak his vengeance, ae mouth streaming with blood — 
actually charged to within a few arms length of my concealment; 
“ Gis eye-ball glared, deep breath with hollow tone 
Heaved his long flanks and burst with frequent groan,’ 
but by crouching low, I was so fortunate as to elude his observation and his fury; and after he had trotted some hundred 
yards beyond my ambuscade, I had the satisfaction of seeing him drop suddenly down dead of his wounds, _ 
During the time that we halted on the Tolaan, our little camp was one dark night thrown into sbeebs confusion 
by the visit of an inquisitive fellow that actually stood some time betwixt the waggons ere their sleeping inmates were aroused 
by the bellowing and tumult among the cattle. On this occasion, the obscurity befriending him, he had it all his own way, 
‘and got clear of the scrape without the smallest personal injury; but the following evening, as the sun was sinking below the 
. 
horizon, rendered bolder by escape, he again imprudently appeared on the opposite bank of the river, within pistol shot of 
our position, and five bullets being immediately lodged under his short ribs, he retreated in the greatest disorder, and was 
picked up at no great distance the following morning. “_ 
Being one day on the hot trail of a wounded bull Elephant, whose warm life-blood was welling from fifty gaping wounds, 
we were tracking through a heavy forest, in momentary expectation of closmg with the game, when an ill-tempered brute’ 
dashed with an astounding grunt ont of a bush into the middle of our party, divers of whom were overthrown in their efforts 
to afford him a wide berth, although fortunately not one was injured. On another occasion, the lme of march along the base 
of the Cashan mountains, leading through a field of tall reed grass, that waved high above the horns of the oxen, a vicious 
rascal, starting from his slumbers therein, at once made furiously at the leading team, crushing the dry flags before him, and 
terrifying the cattle by his loud snorting and hostile demonstrations. A well-directed volley cooling his courage, he retired to 
a suitable bush, and was there finally gathered unto his fathers. Not half an hour afterwards, whilst sitting at breakfast on 
the river brink, an old lady, accompanied by her calf, three quarters’ grown, was perceived to be in undisputed . possession 
of a deserted stone kraal, some two hundred yards distance from our bivouac; ard these, as well as another that opposed 
our PUOS TESS towards that night’ s halting ground, were duly added to the list of casualties, With this last, our friend Claas, 
—at best but a bungling sportsman — had a very unpleasant rencountre, and withal, a most hair-breadth escape —his little 
handy legs engltea in a pair of unyielding leathern trowsers, only barely contriving to carry his diminutive person out of 
reach of divers most vigorous thrusts and lunges. 
A buge monster having one morning come down to drink at a pool hard by our encampment, I advanced behind the 
sereen of a tree at the edge of the bank, and whilst his snout was still immersed in the water, wounded him severely from 
a distance not exceeding fifty yards, Feeling confident that the ball had pierced the tucks of his elbow, and that his minutes 
were consequently ntimbered, I followed the retreating shamrock-shaped spoor, in the fall expectation of finding him dead.— 
Certain dark objects attracting observation im a thick bush, Piet and myself peeped in, and beheld no fewer than three 
snoring giants huddled together like s0 many pigs in a stye, we could not resist the temptation (who could indeed?) of treating 
‘them to a salvo, which produced one of the most alarming rushes that I have ever witnessed. Galloping heavily to a little 
distance, the insulted trio wheeled about with an air of consummate defiance, and perceiving their despicable assailants standing 
near the bush, charged impetuously back in concert, compelling us to seek refuge in the den whence they had themselves so 
recently been expelled, and which in their turn they now closely invested. Piet saimbly ascended a tree which arose through 
the middle of it, and I, making myself as small as I could, stowed away into the snnggest corner of the lair, the besiegers 
standing round about, grunting and charging with a vigour that I shall not easily forget, in their repeated efforts to carry our 
strong-hold at the point of the bayonet. Onr artillery being however at length reloaded, we proceeded to batter the most 
forward and audacious, when his uncouth capers had the desired effect of drawing off his associates—ane of them nevertheless 
* This little adventure reminds me of an anecdote recounted at Litakoo by our friend Mr. Moffat, which is not more strongly.characteristic of the sport 
than of himself. ‘For three several days,” said that worthy missionary, “ had 1 been vainly endeavouring, in a country almost destitute of game, to obtain food for 
my starving followers, when a mountain ofa Rhinoceros was at last discovered, idly sunning his huge back in the very middle of a wide plain, on which stood 
neither tree, nor bush, nor in fact any object saving himself, Obtain possession of his carcase we must, or die outright of hunger; so, creeping onward upon 
my hands and knees, I contrived to steal « march upon the enemy from the rear, and to arrive within certain aim, when, levelling my two ounce Elephant 
rifle, and drawing the brute’s attention by a low whistle, [ fired the instant his broad shoulder was presented fairly towards me. Had not this shot fortunately 
killed my colossal adversary on the spot, as it did, he would unquestionably have slain me; but, on the other hand, we must all have starved had I left him lord 
of, that naked plain; s0 there was no other course to be pursued!” 
