. The Balobale, however,
are getting well supplied with guns, and will soon thin out the large
game. At one of the villages we were entreated to attack some buffaloes
which grazed in the gardens every night and destroyed the manioc. As
we had had no success in shooting at the game we had seen, and we all
longed to have a meal of meat, we followed the footprints of a number
of old bulls. They showed a great amount of cunning by selecting the
densest parts of very closely-planted forests to stand or recline in
during the day. We came within six yards of them several times before
we knew that they were so near. We only heard them rush away among the
crashing branches, catching only a glimpse of them. It was somewhat
exciting to feel, as we trod on the dry leaves with stealthy steps,
that, for any thing we knew, we might next moment be charged by one of
the most dangerous beasts of the forest. We threaded out their doublings
for hours, drawn on by a keen craving for animal food, as we had been
entirely without salt for upward of two months, but never could get a
shot.

In passing along the side of the water every where except in Londa,
green frogs spring out at your feet, and light in the water as if taking
a "header"; and on the Leeambye and Chobe we have great numbers of small
green frogs ('Rana fasciata', Boie), which light on blades of grass with
remarkable precision; but on coming along the Leeba I was struck by the
sight of a light green toad about an inch long. The leaf might be nearly
perpendicular, but it stuck to it like a fly. It was of the same size
as the 'Brachymerus bi-fasciatus' (Smith),* which I saw only once in the
Bakwain country. Though small, it was hideous, being colored jet black,
with vermilion spots.

* The discovery of this last species is thus mentioned by that
accomplished naturalist, Dr. Smith: "On the banks of the
Limpopo River, close to the tropic of Capricorn, a massive
tree was cut down to obtain wood to repair a wagon. The
workman, while sawing the trunk longitudinally nearly along
its centre, remarked, on reaching a certain point, 'It is
hollow, and will not answer the purpose for which it is
wanted.' He persevered, however, and when a division into
equal halves was effected, it was discovered that the saw in
its course had crossed a large hole, in which were five
specimens of the species just described, each about an inch in
length. Every exertion