Babies accompanied their mothers, strapped upon their
backs with leathern bands, and protected from the weather by the usual
tortoise-like coverings of gourd-shells. Thus it may be imagined that
the Shooli tribe were born hunters, as they had accompanied the public
hunts from their earliest infancy.
My two boys, Saat and Bellaal, carried spare guns. These fine strong
lads always attended me, and they had become useful gun-bearers. They
were both plucky fellows. Little Amarn had been suffering for more than
twelve months from an ulcerated leg; therefore he was spared from
unnecessary fatigue, and was the pet boy at home.
As we proceeded, the number of natives increased, but there was no noise
or loud talking. Every one appeared thoroughly to understand his duties.
Having crossed the beautiful Un-y-Ame river, we entered the game
country. Extensive prairies, devoid of forest, now stretched before us
in graceful undulations to the base of distant mountains. The country
was watered by numerous clear streams, all of which drained into the
main channel of the Un-y-Ame river, that became a roaring torrent
during the wet season.
We now left the Fabbo path and struck off to our left for several miles,
over ground that had been cleared by burning, which showed in many
directions the crimson fruit of the wild ginger, growing half-exposed
from the earth. This is a leathery, hard pod, about the size of a
goose-egg, filled with a semi-transparent pulp of a subacid flavour,
with a delicious perfume between pine-apple and lemon-peel. It is very
juicy and refreshing, and is decidedly the best wild fruit of Central
Africa.
The natives immediately collected a quantity, and we quickly pushed
forward to the rendezvous, where, upon arrival, we found a great number
of people were collected.
A line of about a mile and a half was quickly protected by netting, and
the natives were already in position.
Each man had lashed his net to that of his neighbour and supported it
with bamboos, which were secured with ropes fastened to twisted grass.
Thus the entire net resembled a fence, that would be invisible to the
game in the high grass, until, when driven, they should burst suddenly
upon it.
The grass was as dry as straw, and several thousand acres would be fired
up to windward, which would compel the animals to run before the flames,
until they reached the netting placed a few paces in front; where the
high grass had been purposely cleared to resist the advance of the fire.
Before each section of net, a man was concealed both within and without,
behind a screen, simply formed of the long, grass tied together at the
top.
