Great Numbers Of
Antelopes Were Upon The River's Bed, Having Descended To Drink;
By Making A Circuit, I Cut Off One Party Upon Their Retreat, And
Made Two Good Shots With The Fletcher No.
24, bagging two tetel
(Antelopus Bubalis), at considerable ranges.
I also shot an ariel
(G. Dama), and, upon arriving at a deep pool in the river, I shot
a bull hippopotamus, as a present for Taher Sheriff and his
brothers. We decided upon encamping at a spot known to the Arabs
as Delladilla; this was the forest upon the margin of the river
where I had first shot the bull elephant, when the aggageers
fought with him upon foot. The trees were larger in this locality
than elsewhere, as a great portion of the country was flooded by
the river dnring the rainy season, and much rich soil had been
deposited; this, with excessive moisture, had produced a forest
of fine timber, with an undergrowth of thick nabbuk. We fixed
upon a charming spot for a camp, beneath a large tree that bore
a peculiar fruit, suspended from the branches by a strong but
single fibre, like a cord; each fruit was about eighteen inches
in length, by six in diameter; it was perfectly worthless, but
extremely ornamental. We had arrived beneath this tree, and were
still on horseback; my wife had just suggested that it would be
unpleasant should one of the large fruit fall upon our heads if
we camped under the branches, when suddenly a lioness glided by
us, within three yards of the horses, and almost immediately
disappeared in the thick thorns; unfortunately, I had the moment
before given my rifle to a servant, prior to dismounting.
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