Diary Page

November 1896

Sunday November 1st 1896

Princess steamer passed at 8 down river. Writing letters all day - Awaiting boys by Moore.

Monday November 2nd 1896

K. down very bad with fever. Cameron came in 6 p.m. Letter from Macdonald- I dined on board with Moore.

Tuesday November 3rd 1896

K. still bad. No boys. I went out at 11.30 to look for hippo - called on Joseph. Bad at 5 o'clock.

Wednesday November 4th 1896

Settled to make a move - busy packing. Purdue and Cooper dined with us.

Thursday November 5th 1896

Left Shupanga at 7.30 in Joseph's boat, with half loads in. Other boys walked. Reached Remow’s at one – sent out for boys.

Friday November 6th 1896

Yens and Frome came over. No boys so wrote to Comidante - wind and dust storms awful.

Saturday November 7th 1896

Went out after hippo - wanted meat. Alexander took letter to Inemgange about boys. I shot one hippo. Attended Kaffir dance.

Sunday November 8th 1896

Found small hippo dead - boys out it up early. Comidante came over in boat - we dined with him. He sent again to hurry up our boys. Dust storms awful - took clouds of locusts.

Monday November 9th 1806

Packed loads and left at 7.30 - did 3 ¼ hours with rests. Reached Indertungu lake at 4 o'clock. Both of us dropped a water-buck - both escaped! !

Tuesday November 10th 1896

I skinned Koran early - rained at night - started at 9.30. Rested for lunch and reached Quarva at 4 o'clock - did 4 ¼ hours. K. went out and shot a new variety of antelope. I shot partridge.

1 new antelope.

Wednesday November 11th 1896

Started out at 7 till 2: Killed a bushbuck. Followed eland spoor - very hot - went out at night to try for small buck in the bush.

1 Bushbuck

Thursday November 12th 1896

Left at 8 o'clock - did 4 hours - reaching a kraal - water all along scarce and bad.

Friday November 13th 1896

Coridate and 15 boys came in with extra loads just before starting. First rain on march. Had shot at zebra. Fearful long march with no water – did 5 hours – slept in a damb.

Saturday November 14th 1896

Got an early start at 7.15; heavy showers. Halted for lunch at shringoma kraal. K. killed a duiker. Had a long walk before getting to water at dark, having done 6 ¾ hours. K. not well. Paid all boys food wages.

1 duiker.

Sunday November 15th 1896

Started away at 8.30 - some showers, with damp heat. Did another hard day, not reaching water till late after 6 ½ hours.

Monday November 16th 1896

Started away at 7.30. Crossed first small stream at Intamba. After leaving I shot a hartbeest which 40 hungry boys soon tore to shreds. 6 ¾ hours brought us to Morokee.

1. Hartbeest

Tuesday November 17th 1896

Got away at 7; broke my umbrella - only did 4 hours as we came across zebra. K. shot 2, I killed one, so we had to stop and camp to cure and skin heads. Drinking water usual pea soup colour. Also killed reed-buck.

3 Zebra. 1 Reed-buck.

Wednesday November 18th 1896

Started at 7 - did 2 ½ hours. Reached a stream – had bathe! Busy with zebra skins. Heat bad.

Thursday November 19th 1896

Left our hot camp at 7.30 - heard lions roaring during the night. Heat terrible - did 2 ½ hours, when I shot water-buck - cut him up after photographing. Found K. killed a vilderbeeste and I shot an oribi. Camped on edge of vast plain on which were countless herds of water-buck and zebra.

1 Zebra. 1 Vilderbeest. 1 Water-buck. 1 Oribi.

Friday November 20th 1896

Started out early. I shot 2 zebra but one got up again while I was away after a vilderbeeste. Heat awful, water worse. Both of us clean off at night. K. shot 2 zebra.

3 Burchells Zebra

Saturday November 21st 1896

I packed up and started away, leaving K. with 25 boys to go back for lion.After an hour in awful head I struck a fine river, the Maresi. Stayed under fine shady tree till 3 o'clock when sky clouded up. Whole country covered with buffalo spoor; came on a troop just as heavy thunderstorms broke; stacked our loads and then followed them. Shot 3 and troop ran back over our loads and boys. After getting head of best and photo pressed on to Makia - quite dark on reaching it - utterly tired out. Drank jelly and went to bed. Country full of game. Did 2 ½ hours during the day.

3 Buffalo.

Sunday November 22nd 1896

Left Makia at 6 o'clock - did 2 hours walk and spent another in following a wounded vilderbeeste, which with a large troop, nearly ran over us on the march. Rested at a kraal called Sackoola on the Eurema. Left at 3 and had a terrible march, boys losing the way, crossing rivers. Landed up at 8.30 at Kubanda. Again lived on jelly all day. Did some 7 hours walk.

1 Vilderbeeste.

Monday November 23rd 1896

Left Kubanda at 7 expecting only a short walk. After numerous goings astray landed up at a deserted kraal, only a palm tree bush to escape the sun. After a feed on jelly we pressed on and got to Mapanda about 5 o'clock. Had a delightful bathe despite crocodiles. Got into a deep morass up to the waist - my only dry clothes and camera having been under water just before while crossing Eurema. Crossed the Pungwe about 4 o'clock. Had a hard hot march of 4 ½ hours in morning and 1 after. Took photos of Alexander and kraal ladies, also self before getting rid of old clothes. K. shot two lion.

2 Lion.

Tuesday November 24th 1896

My last night out; 2½ hours brought us into Fontesvilla where 1 ran across an old friend the Commidante; lunched with him. paid off and got places for all boys. Left with Moore on 8 o'clock train - reached Royal Hotel, Beira, at 12.

Left Beira Dec 1st, 1896.

London - Dec 31st .