In Descending The Leeba We Saw Many Herds Of Wild Animals,
Especially The Tahetsi (`Aigoceros Equina'), One Magnificent Antelope,
The Putokuane (`Antilope Niger'), And Two Fine Lions.
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 was made to discover
a means of communication between the external air and the cavity,
but without success. Every part of the latter was probed with
the utmost care, and water was kept in each half for a considerable time,
without any passing into the wood.
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