We are indebted to Mr. A. L. Anderson for the following graphic count of a shooting trip in the hinterland of Sierra Leone Journeying northwards I have shot my way through the Mendi and Konno countries and crossing the Baffi a struck into the Korono's land to within 'a few miles of the source of the Niger. Thence I turned west for three days' marching, crossing the Bagwe River, the country plentifully provided with buffalo and water-buck, and have now turned south to a point fifteen miles from the Bagwe River in the centre of large forest.
Yesterday morning I went out with my gun-bearer to look for hippo' ioo river about four miles from camp, and although we found tracks in plenty, saw nothing. At1 p.m. however, one of my boys overtook me with the news that s search party, dispatched early in the day, had overtaken a herd of thirty elephants. Returning to camp to snatch a hurried breakfast I pushed off on the trail at 2.30 p.m. and after crossing seven swamps and tone river, reached my party at 5.30. Only those who have followed elephant through an African jungle can appreciate the difficulties of that walk, and the crossing of tle swiftly flowing river with the chance of being entertained by @ crocodile or an alligator (for there are alligators in this country despite what the naturalists say) was no joke. After following the trail for another two miles, I decided, as it was now nearly pitch dark to camp for the night, and so my native hunter and I lay down at the edge swamp in the ceaseless rain to wait for dawn. There was nothing to est, at plenty of swamp-water which is soy to be rank poison to" white man, Wemanaged to keep a small fire alight, however, and it was very welcome in the piercing cold before dawn. 'My puttees had been left' at the river' and the mosquitoes, therefors, bsd 6
The HE. herald and S. C. & C. Gazette, glorious time. My coat I lent to the native who had only a loin cloth and I feared he might be coughing jon the trail. Starting put I luckily had in my knickers, we tracked the herd through most terrible jungle swamp, overtaking it soon after noon. Standing still for a minate we heard the loudest noise imaginable and were confronted by an eno ball, As the country was too rough for us to move right or left I had be content with " frontal shot. Before: the report of my -450 had finished, Bille, as the Mendi call hive, was Iviog on his stomach, his legs stretched oat sideways, bat I now learnt my mistake in bringing soft-nosed ballets, for the hit, at the root of the trank, was not serious and he was soon on his feet again, showing that even at forty yards the bullet had failed to penetrate is shall. Instead of charging, a" I expected the beast would, he whipped round and started at a gallop down the hill to my left giving me the opportunity of a snap-shot at his ribs, which, however, took effect too far aft, Amid' the sound of scattering stones, snapping vines and falling trees could hear a shriek in the Mendi tongue, "Don't come here elephant, don't come here"; and while following the blood-stained trail I was able to snatch two bananas and a small calabash of palm wine which one of my carriers had brought from the main camp. Con suming these as I ran, and being the first food for twenty-four hours they were welcome, the hunter and 1 followed down the hill, through " swamp, and over anoth Then th steep e sounds of crashing reeds to the right led us. down to a water-bottom. In passing through the swamp the bull had his wounds daubed with mad so that infrenent gouts of blood were visible.
he track was well marked by fallen elephant-grass waist-deep. In a small scrub our friend had ambushed, but the rumble of his intestines gave him a and when he came out to charge he showed his vital spot, the hollow between eye and ear. Either the soft nose played me false again or my aim was low, for though only fifty yards away he did not drop, but screaming with pain, made a semi: circle on the track behind us. This foretold an earnest desire to charge, but a bullet, through his "little Mary," the only part of him I could see, made him change intention. After following his trail long enough to assure ourselves that he was booked we tarned homewards at 5 p.m. and after nego-fiating some ten miles of swamp and jungle, crossing a river three times in the dark, reached camp about 9 p.w. In two days' time my boys will go out and cat the ivory. At present I am working south to a town called Panguma here I shall sea two faces st my Xmas dinner table, welcome sight atter all this time alone, Before closing I should like to say that this forest, in which no white man has ever shot before, seems to team with gate, for; on retracing my steps after eight hours, I found tracks of hippo', buffalo end deer Jan 94-1908 over my boot-prints, This goes forward to the nearest post town, about 4 week away, by one of my messengers who is sick and wants to go for medicine, Thad written as faras the above this morning when news came of another just ynt back (9.30 p.m.) after having walked since ten this morning. The going was pretty bad bat the result paid for that, for profiting from yesterday's experience, I gave a young bull a dose of lead just behind the shoulder and as it passed through his heart on its way out into the jangle, he sat down and never smiled again. The trank and tail are in camp but the tusks cannot be cut out for two days.
am thinking of taking a holiday morrow as I have walked thirty-two hours through swamp bush in ti three days. My only literature " The White Company" I have read and reread until I know many parte of it by heart; the eof my tobacen la mildewed; the sugar, salt, flour, biscuits and milk are finished, and there is only one quart of kerosene left i nevertheless and notwith tired; but oh 80 happy B. The naturalists are wrong again—there are three different kinds of elephants in this forest alone.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.