The Albert N'Yanza, Great Basin of the Nile, And Explorations of the Nile SourcesBaker, Samuel White, Sir
History
The Albert N'Yanza, Great Basin of the Nile, And Explorations of the Nile Sources
Baker, Samuel White, Sir
Albert, Lake (Congo and Uganda); Nile River; Sudan
We marched at 5.25 on the following morning. For several hours the path
led through thick jungle in which we occasionally caught glimpses of
antelopes. At length quitting the jungle we arrived at an open marshy
plain, upon which I discerned at a great distance a number of antelopes.
Having nothing to eat I determined to stalk them, as I heard from the
people that we were not far from our halting-place for the day.
Accordingly I left Mrs. Baker with my horse and a spare rifle to wait,
while the party marched straight on; I intended to make a circuit
through the jungle and to wait for the entrance of the herd, which she
was to drive, by simply riding through the plain and leading my horse;
she was to bring the horse to me should I fire a shot. After walking for
about a mile in the jungle parallel with the plain, I saw the herd of
about two hundred Tetel going at full gallop from the open ground into
the jungle, having been alarmed by the red bags and the Turks, who had
crossed over the marsh. So shy were these antelopes that there was no
possibility of stalking them. I noticed however that there were several
waterbucks in the very centre of the marsh, and that two or three trees
afforded the possibility of a stalk. Having the wind all right, I
succeeded in getting to a tree within about two hundred and fifty yards
of the largest buck, and lying down in a dry trench that in the wet
season formed a brook, I crept along the bottom until I reached a tall
tuft of grass that was to be my last point of cover. Just as I raised
myself slowly from the trench I found the buck watching me most
attentively. A steady shot with my little No. 24 rifle took no effect-it
was too high:-the buck did not even notice the shot, which was, I
suppose, the first he had ever heard;-he was standing exactly facing me;
this is at all tines an unpleasant position for a shot. Seeing that he
did not seem disposed to move, I reloaded without firing my left-hand
barrel. I now allowed for the high range of the last shot; a moment
after the report he sprang into the air, then fell upon his knees and
galloped off on three legs; one of the fore-legs being broken. I had
heard the sharp sound of the bullet, but the shot was not very
satisfactory. Turning to look for my horse, I saw Mrs. Baker galloping
over the plain towards me, leading Filfil, while Richard ran behind at
his best speed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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