broken people, otherwise known as | into the river, where he stood, evidently Bakalahari, who exist in a semi-slavery very sick, up to his neck in water. throughout the desert. The granaries The Bakurutse ran in to finish him, and of these people are worthy of note. were just in the act of thrusting their They consist of huge, urn-shaped re-assegais into him, when with a mighty ceptacles made of strong and beauti- swirl of the water a crocodile snapped fully plaited grass, standing about four away the buck from under their very feet high, and are perfectly weather-noses, and dragged him below the surproof. When filled with grain the top face. As Dove said, the two hunters is fastened up with clay, and collections came flying from the water in a very of several of these curious granaries are panic of fright, and their danger had inclosed in thorn fences close to the no doubt been very great. They saw village. A springbok wounded by one neither crocodile nor lechwé again. of us yesterday was brought in this day While this scene was enacting, I was by our Bushmen. following the other wounded buck, which, however, swam a lagoon and escaped into the reed beds.

As usual we were awake at early dawn on the morning of July 19, and, hearing the "honk, honk" of geese among the trees close by, we soon bundled into our clothes and sallied out. Close to this outspan, lying among a grove of giraffe acacia trees, was a fine vley or lagoon, fed by the river, and now rapidly rising. From this some Egyptian geese had paid us a visit. We had no trouble in securing a brace between us, and then Dove, having also shot a couple of duck, we breakfasted. These geese rather astonished us by settling in trees, a fact in natural history we were not prepared for.

We rode down to the river- about a mile away-after breakfast, to try for a lechwé. We had a day of exciting sport, but of rather unlucky incident. The result was one ram as a matter of right we should have had two at least, the crocodiles robbing us of another.

We hit off a troop of fine rams a little later near a chain of lagoons, and, driving them in front of us towards the mainland, forced them across some shallows, through which they plunged amid showers of spray, diamond-tinted by the strong sunlight. After much manoeuvring and several shots, by one of which a buck was hit, we forced two old rams on to a tongue of open flat, and tried our hardest to drive them right away from the river towards our camp, and run them down. We raced them for two miles on end and found them possessed of extraordinary speed and bottom. They ran and carried themselves much like red-deer, occasionally bounding into the air in gallant fashion. We did our best to prevent them gaining their point-another patch of reedy marsh-but just failed. One of We had with us two Bakurutse, who the two rams left wounded this mornled us straight down to an angle of the ing was secured later on, and the head river, where we could see a small troop brought into camp by the Bakurutse. of lechwé feeding not far from the The lechwé (Cobus leché) is a stout, reeds. Spreading out a little, we grad-handsome antelope, as big and heavy ually closed up, and galloping on hard, again as a good fallow buck, carrying a flat, alluvial ground, got right among handsome, well-rounded head, and havthem. Jumping off we fired at about ing a very thick coat of bright, yellowfifty yards, and each hit a buck hard. ish-brown hair. All the water-bucks Dove's, a fine ram, fell to the shot, but are distinguished by this thickness of was quickly up and tearing away for the coat, but the lechwé and its first cousin, river about two hundred yards distant. the still rarer situtunga (Speke's anteFollowing up quickly with the hunters, lope), are further distinguished by the they saw the ram stagger and fall again | elongated feet and the bare patch of at the water's edge, and felt 'sure of dark, smooth skin (uncovered with hair their quarry. The lechwé, however, as in other antelopes), lying between struggled to his feet again and plunged the hoof and the dew-claws. The horns,

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borne only by the male, are stout, metallic voice. It seems that they do strongly annulated almost to the tips, this out of pure spite and annoyance, and incline first backward then forward and with the direct object of spoiling to the points. When first surprised, sport. Occasionally I have become so they will trot slowly, carrying the head enraged that I have shot a peculiarly very low down in a most uncouth man- gross offender, for peace and quiet's ner, but when in full gallop, the horns sake. The sharp, horny spur upon the are laid back and the head carried very point of the wing is a curious survival, gallantly. At present, I believe, no shared also by the great spur-winged specimen of the lechwé has been brought goose (Plectropterus gambensis). The alive to Europe. They are the most Bechuanas have a very appropriate tenacious of life of all the antelopes; name for this plover—setula tsipi, or they carry away wounds that would in- " iron hammer" from the peculiar sure collapse to much larger game, and resemblance its cry bears to the clink when seized bellow like a lusty calf. of the blacksmith's hammer. Although they always betake themselves. to water and reeds when pursued, they rarely face the open river, and the ram first wounded by Dove in the morning, must have been sore put to it to have tempted fate and the crocodiles.

briskly off, curvetting and capering as they ran. After moving a few hundred yards the troop suddenly wheeled round in line to have a good look at us again. With their showy action, beautiful

On the afternoon of this day - July 20-we rode across the flats, slept in our karosses, and tried the bush next morning for giraffe. In this we were unsuccessful, although we found spoor, and so rode back again across the hot, Next morning we strolled about the weary plain for camp. We had not long vlei near camp, shooting ducks and quitted the forest before we sighted a geese, and admiring the many beautiful good troop of Burchell's zebra, feeding forms of bird life. Close to our outspan quietly. We spread out in line and were to be found, among the trees or by rode up to them. The troop, which the water, rollers of two kinds (Coracias consisted mostly of mares, with a yearnævia and Coracias caudata), hornbills, ling foal or two, was guarded by an old Rüppell's parrots, woodpeckers, shrikes, stallion, who stood sentinel nearest to kingfishers, francolins, many kinds of us with his head up. Presently, turnfinches, and innumerable water fowl. ing half round, he gave some sort of There are many black and white king-signal, and the rest of the band galloped fishers (Ceryle rudis) about our lagoon. This neatly plumaged bird, with its black and white body, silvery breast and stomach (the breast marked by two jetty collars) and crested head, is, I think, quite the boldest fisherman I forms, and rich coloring, they presented have seen. He will hover hawk-like a good height in air, and then fall like a stone into the water, raising quite a splash about him. This dive he will repeat time after time. I note that when two of these birds meet they have a sweet interchange of voice, not unlike the chippering of a small songster. Another interesting but extremely tiresome bird, also black and white as to These tactics of the zebras were disits plumage, is the spur-winged plover played in a retreat of some miles, the (Hoplopterus albiceps). Very fre- old stallion always covering the rear, quently, as one shoots by the water- until the troop, outflanked by Dove, side, this bird will follow; sometimes shot off to the right, and my chance there are three or four at a time, wheel- came. I galloped hard to intercept ing above one's head, and pestering one them; and, as they stood for a minute with the most worrying, unpleasant, on seeing me in the line of flight, got a

a very noble appearance. Indeed, of the four species of zebra now found in Africa, the zebra of the plains is by far the handsomest. Its perfect form, short ears, shapely head, and full black and white mane (hogged just as are hogged the manes of horses in the old Greek bas-reliefs) distinctly entitle it to this position.

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steady shot at two hundred yards. The | plovers, jackals, and hyenas begin their
bullet clapped as if on a barn door, and cries. At this outspan, where we re-
as the troop continued their flight, I mained some time, we often heard the
saw one zebra turn away alone. Pres- cry of zebras as they trekked to the
ently she stood again. I was soon river under cover of night. A good
within sixty yards, and with another many wildebeest also came past not far
bullet finished her. She proved to be from the wagons.
a fine mare in beautiful coat, and her
head and skin now decorate a room at
home.

I quickly lighted a grass fire to attract the Bushmen, and, Joseph having cantered up, we set to work to skin the prize. Dove, who was thrown out, made for camp alone, securing on his way a springbok.

On the 22nd we were down at the Lagoons after duck and geese, and after wading about for half the day nearly up to our armpits, came home with a huge bag.

On the 24th, having crossed to the forest again, Dove shot an enormous old bull giraffe, the biggest of our trip, measuring all but nineteen feet in height. Having had good sport with springbok, lechwé, etc., till July 28, we left Masinya's Kraal, and trekked for Sebituane's Drift higher up the river.

We were up very early on the morning of the 29th, preparing for another campaign against giraffe. After breakfast, just as the sun rose, Dove, standing on my wagon-box, looked out to the south-east for game, using a very powerful stalking-glass, which he rested on the wagon tilt. Half a mile away he saw, stringing across the veldt, a dark line of blue wildebeest (brindled gnu), evidently trekking from the river back to the flats. It was a most inspiring sight. There were about thirty-five of them, mostly full-grown bulls, many of them very heavy ones, as their massive shaggy fronts plainly indicated. Having enjoyed a prolonged inspection, we saddled-up hastily, buckled on spurs, got out our rifles, and went after them, the Bushmen following.

We rode quietly until within three hundred yards, when the herd became disturbed, and tossing their heads and whisking their long tails they lumbered off at a heavy gallop, which, however, is much faster than it looks. The heavy, roman-nosed, buffalo-like head, and the quantity of mane and hair about the neck, throat, and face, all tend to create the wild, cumbrous aspect which the bulls of this singular antelope wear.

After crossing the usual heated, yellow plains, looking for all the world like an expanse of over-parched hayfields, and dotted here and there with droves of springbok, we outspanned two miles off the river at some water-pits in the middle of open veldt. There were springbok grazing quietly around us as the sun set, and a big belt of tall leafy motjeerie - trees, with their oak-like growth, standing on the farther side of Dove and I were mounted to-day on the river, gave welcome relief to the our best nags, he on his favorite Duneye in that direction. The sunsets on boy - - a mouse-colored pony with black the plains were very gorgeous. A vast points, a little wonder after game. I amber vault of sky after the sun dipped; on a capital chestnut, surnamed Giltthen a wonderful after-glow of still boy; and the ponies presently catching more brilliant yet translucent yellow. sight of the game, we touched them Below the light stretched the sea of lightly with the spur and raced our grassy plain, now toned to a greyish- hardest, hoping to get within hail of the yellow, with the cattle, horses, and gnu in one sharp spurt. As we ran side springboks standing in sharp relief. by side at full gallop my comrade's nag Anon the yellow glow changes to a nar- unexpectedly put his foot in a hole, an:1, row arc of ruddy orange below a pale with his rider, came down a most imblue-green sky, and then darkness falls perial crowner. I pulled up for a secupon the solemn veldt, and the night | ond, but Dove, although half-stunned,

motioned me to go on, and, as the Bushmen were running behind, I set my horse going again. After a long and most exciting chase, in which I only prevented the wildebeest from entering the bush by sending a bullet or two in front of them, thus turning them, I got within two hundred and fifty yards as they stood, and hit a good bull, which, after myself getting a heavy fall, I secured at short range. I found him a fine full-grown bull, with a good head. Meanwhile, Dove and the Bushmen had come up, and, having cut off the head for preservation, I left the boys to bring in the meat. Dove was in great pain from an injury to his side, and although we rode on and I picked up the troop again with the idea of turning the wildebeest to my comrade, we had no more sport that day.

good old days when game swarmed in countless thousands.

Gnu or gnoo is merely the old Hottentot name of the white-tailed species, which subsequently clung to both animals. The Hottentot designation for the brindled gnu was kaop, signifying baas or master. The blue wildebeest has plenty of pace and great staying power, and it takes a good horse indeed to run into a troop.

From this point in the trek Dove was confined by his injuries (a broken rib) to the wagon for some days, and could not bear to sit a horse for a fortnight. Our journey to Lake N'Gami (some days further on) was therefore abandoned, and I contented myself with making expeditions with Joseph and the Bushmen in various directions, in which we had excellent sport with giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, and springbok. My companion recovered sufficiently to enjoy one good hunt on the return journey, when we killed four elands out of a big troop found in the middle of the Kalahari, and afterwards lost ourselves in dense bush for eighteen hours without water- a most unpleasant experience.

The brindled gnu is assuredly one of the most eccentric of nature's creations, even in Africa. Some naturalists have catalogued its points in this wise the head of a buffalo, body and tail of a horse, with the legs of an antelope. This is not accurate, for the blue wildebeest and its grotesque cousin, the white-tailed gnu, although standing alone in the animal kingdom, are true I walked from this outspan to the antelopes. The brindled gnu (Catoble- river on the day following Dove's inpas gorgon, kokoon of the Bechuanas) jury, and striking it not far from Seis in color of a bluish-drab, having bituane's Drift, came to a high bank, brindles or stripes of a darker shade below which a broad and stately stream, upon the neck and fore-quarters. It three hundred yards in breadth (a can hardly be classed as dangerous stream surpassing every other watergame; yet a wounded bull is not to be way south of the Zambesi), flowed in approached carelessly on foot, his sharp deep, majestic volume slowly to the hook-like horns rendering him an awk- south-east. Here and there a crocodile ward customer, as many a slain dog has might be discerned floating log-like on testified. The range of this antelope the surface. Some Makoba fishermen extends widely over Central South put across in a dug-out canoe from the Africa, but is, curiously enough, not reeds on the farther side, and, having prolonged north of the Equator. The my camera with me, I seized the opporwhite-tailed gnu (Catoblepas gnu, black tunity to take some photographs of wildebeest of the Dutch), now approach- these singular people, and of this beauing extinction, was much more circum-tiful reach on the Botletli, hitherto virscribed in its habitat. It was formerly gin to the camera. These Makobas, inordinately plentiful on the karroos of tributary to Khama and Moremi, are Cape Colony and the plains of the essentially a race of fishermen and of Orange Free State, but seldom ranged boatmen. They live in small reed vilnorth of the Vaal River. On the other hand, the brindled gnu was rarely found south of the Orange River, even in the

lages upon the banks of the river, and are most expert fishers, whether with net or with hook and line. I found

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them baiting their hooks with mice and
a kind of small rat a novel kind of
lure to me. Here they catch principally
the barbel I have mentioned, and a
kind of bream.

From The Spectator.

THE CHILDREN AT THE GUILDHALL. THE end of last week saw a new departure in the famous hospitality of the City. The feasting of ministers and Near Sebituane's Drift where Liv-judges was only a prelude to the more ingstone's favorite chief, Sebituane, anxious work which was to follow. crossed the river in his conquering ca- The lord mayor had been pleased to reer northward—Khama's country ends, invite two thousand little boys and girls and the territory of the lake chief, Mo- from the ancient schools of the City remi, begins. Moremi died soon after wards to spend the evening at the our sojourn on the Botletli, and Sek- Guildhall. homi, his young son, now reigns in his stead.

For there are children in the City, many of them the sons and daughters of the permanent garrison, the housekeepers and watchmen, who keep ward over the City by night, born in the rules of the City, taught in its schools, christened in its churches. It

As to the mysterious overflow of the Botletli in mid-winter- the dry season in Africa-the capabilities and prospects of its immense and undoubtedly rich alluvial lands, and the various was a fresh and kindly thought; but tribes upon its course, they are vast there was risk in its novelty. The hossubjects, and require space whereon to pitality of the Guildhall has a reputation enlarge. It is certain that the Botletli to lose. It might fête a monarch to and N'Gami country have a great future the skies, yet fail to satisfy a child. in the production of grain, tobacco, cot-But a battle well planned is half-won, ton, rice, coffee, sugar, and many other and when a master of the revels was crops. The people are friendly, peace- found in the same kindly lieutenant of able, and fairly industrious after their the City who had ordered each detail lights. Sooner or later it must fall to for the reception of the German emthe lot of N'Gamiland to be exploited peror, it was felt that the reputation of by Europeans; but in this exploitation the Guildhall was in safe hands. It the hard fact has to be faced that, for was understood that the Guildhall was at least four months in the year, fever to be placed at the disposal of the chilof a nature very deadly to the white dren, and not the children at the disman prevails. It is true that malaria posal of the Guildhall; and, conscious yields to the advances of civilization; of this great surrender, the entertainers but the fever-stricken districts of N'Ga-awaited the coming of their guests. It miland and the Zambesi Valley are was an anxious moment. The boys hardly likely, I fear, to become portions marched up in battalions, with their of a habitable South Africa within the band playing, to the gates, stern and lifetime of living people. resolute as if to the breach of some fallen city. They were in no mood for trifling. The lord mayor had asked them; they had come. Had Gog and Magog blocked the road, they would have sounded the trumpet and won their way by battle. But the lord mayor's magic had already gained the day. The gates flew open unchallenged, and through long lines of smiling giants

We had, on the whole, fair sport (thirty-eight head of game in a month's shooting, besides a great variety of feathered game), but it must be remembered that the nobler animals, even in these remote regions, are fast disappearing, and can only now be obtained by long days of severe toil under a burning sun, and by downright hard work. South Africa is no longer the undisturbed playground of a superabundant fauna, and each year sees the gallant game more and more difficult of access.

H. A. BRYDEN.

the City police to wit-the children marched in silent and expectant bands into the enchanted castle. In five minutes the set faces relaxed, in five more they had found out that every one was their friend, and from that moment the