. Matabele land and the Victoria Falls; a naturalist's wanderings in the interior of South Africa . s and sur-rounded by tall mopani-trees, a few miles from pond is a favourite halting-place for travellersbetween the Tati and Ramakwebani Rivers, but soonbecomes dry in the winter season. Here the partyremained four days, hunting ; troops of quagga, bluewildebeest, and waterbuck being met with. Theveldt about here, though stony and for the most partvery bare of vegetation, produced some fine whitelilies, now in bloom. Advancing again, on November 7th, to theRamakwebani, they proceeded
. Matabele land and the Victoria Falls; a naturalist's wanderings in the interior of South Africa . s and sur-rounded by tall mopani-trees, a few miles from pond is a favourite halting-place for travellersbetween the Tati and Ramakwebani Rivers, but soonbecomes dry in the winter season. Here the partyremained four days, hunting ; troops of quagga, bluewildebeest, and waterbuck being met with. Theveldt about here, though stony and for the most partvery bare of vegetation, produced some fine whitelilies, now in bloom. Advancing again, on November 7th, to theRamakwebani, they proceeded slowly up that river,and halted for a short time four days afterwards,at the point where Frank Oates had stopped tohunt when here the previous August,—the point at 230 MATABELE LAND. which the road for the Zambesi turns off from theRamakwebani again towards the Tati. The eventsof their last days advance towards this point, andof the two days next succeeding, are described asfollows in the Journal:— November i —Excessively hot day. A lionhad roared round the camp during the night, and. CAMP IN THE VELDT. when I heard it and looked out, I found of coursethe boys fast asleep, and the fires nearly out. Whenaroused to the fact of a lions near presence—for wewere outspanned close to the river where the roadcomes nearly to its bank—they shouted, and one ofthem fired a gun. Next morning the dogs evidentlysmelt where the lion had been in the long grass, andbarked and sprang back, as if a lion were then there. EXCESSIVE HEAT. 231 . . Trekked to where Stoffel and Dorehill werestanding with their waggons. Found Stoffel atwaggons; Dorehill out hunting. Young Smit andanother Boer coming from the hunting-veldt theretoo. Had a hut made of branches by my boys tolie in, as the heat in the waggon was insufferable. November 12th.—Excessively hot again, but inafternoon cloudy and looking like a shower. Wentout to hunt, crossing the Ramakwebani, and shot afine bull-quagga. . Sent th
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectnaturalhistory
