An Elephant Hunt

           NowIdonotproposetonarrateatfulllengthalltheincidentsofourlongtraveluptoSitanda’sKraal,nearthejunctionoftheLukangaandKalukweRivers. ItwasajourneyofmorethanathousandmilesfromDurban,thelastthreehundredorsoofwhichwehadtomakeonfoot,owingtothefrequentpresenceofthedreadful"tsetse"fly,whosebiteisfataltoallanimalsexceptdonkeysandmen. 

           WeleftDurbanattheendofJanuary,anditwasinthesecondweekofMaythatwecampednearSitanda’sKraal. Ouradventuresonthewayweremanyandvarious,butastheyareofthesortwhichbefalleveryAfricanhunter—withoneexceptiontobepresentlydetailed—Ishallnotsetthemdownhere,lestIshouldrenderthishistorytoowearisome. 

           AtInyati,theoutlyingtradingstationintheMatabelecountry,ofwhichLobengula(agreatandcruelscoundrel)isking,withmanyregretswepartedfromourcomfortablewagon. OnlytwelveoxenremainedtousoutofthebeautifulspanoftwentywhichIhadboughtatDurban. Onewelostfromthebiteofacobra,threehadperishedfrom"poverty"andthewantofwater,onestrayed,andtheotherthreediedfromeatingthepoisonousherbcalled"tulip." Fivemoresickenedfromthiscause,butwemanagedtocurethemwithdosesofaninfusionmadebyboilingdownthetulipleaves. Ifadministeredintimethisisaveryeffectiveantidote.