The Grass Is Often So Tall
And Dense That One Could Go Close Up To These Animals Quite
Unperceived; But
The guardian bird, sitting on the beast, sees the
approach of danger, flaps its wings and screams, which causes its
Bulky charge to rush off from a foe he has neither seen nor heard;
for his reward the vigilant little watcher has the pick of the
parasites on his fat friend. In other cases a chance of escape must
be given even by the animal itself to its prey; as in the rattle-
snake, which, when excited to strike, cannot avoid using his rattle,
any more than the cat can resist curling its tail when excited in the
chase of a mouse, or the cobra can refrain from inflating the loose
skin of the neck and extending it laterally, before striking its
poison fangs into its victim. There are many snakes in parts of this
pass; they basked in the warm sunshine, but rustled off through the
leaves as we approached. We observed one morning a small one of a
deadly poisonous species, named Kakone, on a bush by the wayside,
quietly resting in a horizontal position, digesting a lizard for
breakfast. Though openly in view, its colours and curves so closely
resembled a small branch that some failed to see it, even after being
asked if they perceived anything on the bush. Here also one of our
number had a glance at another species, rarely seen, and whose swift
lightning-like motion has given rise to the native proverb, that when
a man sees this snake he will forthwith become a rich man.
We slept near the ruined village of the murdered chief, Mpangwe, a
lovely spot, with the Zambesi in front, and extensive gardens behind,
backed by a semicircle of hills receding up to lofty mountains. Our
path kept these mountains on our right, and crossed several
streamlets, which seemed to be perennial, and among others the
Selole, which apparently flows past the prominent peak Chiarapela.
These rivulets have often human dwellings on their banks; but the
land can scarcely be said to be occupied. The number of all sorts of
game increases wonderfully every day. As a specimen of what may be
met with where there are no human habitations, and where no firearms
have been introduced, we may mention what at times has actually been
seen by us. On the morning of July 3rd a herd of elephants passed
within fifty yards of our sleeping-place, going down to the river
along the dry bed of a rivulet. Starting a few minutes before the
main body, we come upon large flocks of guinea-fowl, shoot what may
be wanted for dinner, or next morning's breakfast, and leave them in
the path to be picked up by the cook and his mates behind. As we
proceed, francolins of three varieties run across the path, and
hundreds of turtle-doves rise, with great blatter of wing, and fly
off to the trees.
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