thin bow-shot. They presented me with three fine water-turtles,*
one of which, when cooked, had upward of forty eggs in its body. The
shell of the egg is flexible, and it is of the same size at both ends,
like those of the alligator. The flesh, and especially the liver, is
excellent. The hunters informed us that, when the message inculcating
peace among the tribes came to Masiko, the common people were so glad at
the prospect of "binding up the spears", that they ran to the river, and
bathed and plunged in it for joy. This party had been sent by Masiko to
the Makololo for aid to repel their enemy, but, afraid to go thither,
had spent the time in hunting. They have a dread of the Makololo, and
hence the joy they expressed when peace was proclaimed. The Mambowe
hunters were much alarmed until my name was mentioned. They then joined
our party, and on the following day discovered a hippopotamus dead,
which they had previously wounded. This was the first feast of flesh my
men had enjoyed, for, though the game was wonderfully abundant, I had
quite got out of the way of shooting, and missed perpetually. Once I
went with the determination of getting so close that I should not miss a
zebra. We went along one of the branches that stretch out from the
river in a small canoe, and two men, stooping down as low as they could,
paddled it slowly along to an open space near to a herd of zebras and
pokus. Peering over the edge of the canoe, the open space seemed like a
patch of wet ground, such as is often seen on the banks of a river, made
smooth as the resting-place of alligators. When we came within a few
yards of it, we found by the precipitate plunging of the reptile that
this was a large alligator itself. Although I had been most careful
to approach near enough, I unfortunately only broke the hind leg of
a zebra. My two men pursued it, but the loss of a hind leg does not
prevent this animal from a gallop. As I walked slowly after the men on
an extensive plain covered with a great crop of grass, which was 'laid'
by its own weight, I observed that a solitary buffalo, disturbed by
others of my own party, was coming to me at a gallop. I glanced around,
but the only tree on the plain was a hundred yards off, and there was
no escape elsewhere. I therefore cocked my rifle, with the intention
of giving him a steady shot in the forehead when he should come within
three or four yards of me. The thought flashed across my mind, "What if
your gun