We were greeted with immense delight on our arrival, for those natives,
we soon discovered, had already heard of our exploits in the lands of
the gorilla, and regarded us as the greatest hunters that had ever been
born. After a short conversation with the chief, through the medium of
Makarooroo, we arranged to rest there a day, and accompany them on their
hunting expedition; and the better to secure their good will, we
presented some of the head men with a few of the beads which we still
possessed. Then hauling our canoe out of the water, we prepared
ourselves for the chase.

After a long and tedious march through somewhat dense jungle, we came
upon the ground, which was partly open, partly clothed with trees and
shrubs. Here the natives, who numbered several hundreds, spread
themselves out in a long semicircular line, in order to drive the game
into the trap.

As we followed them, or rather formed part of the line, I overheard the
following conversation between Peterkin and Makarooroo, who chanced to
be together.

"Now, Mak," said the former, examining the caps of his rifle, "explain
to me what sort of trap this is that we're coming to, and what sort of
brutes we may expect to find in it."

"De trap, massa," replied our faithful follower, drawing the back of his
hand across his mouth--"de trap am be call _hopo_--"

"Called what-o?" inquired Peterkin.

"_Hopo_."

"Oh! go on."

"An' hims be made ob great number oh sticks tumble down--an' hole at de
end ob dat; an' de beasties dat goes in be zebros, elosphants, eelands,
buff'los, gaffs, nocrices, noos, an' great more noders ob which me
forgit de names."

"Oh! you forgit de names, do you?"

"Yis, massa."

"Ah! it wouldn't be a great loss, Mak, if you were to forget the names
of those you remember."

The conversation was interrupted at this point by the appearance of a
buffalo, which showed that we were drawing near to the scene of action.
But as Makarooroo's description is not remarkable for lucidity, I may
explain here that the hopo, or trap, consists of two parts; one part may
be termed the conducting hedges, the other the pit at their termination,
and into which the game is driven. The conducting hedges are formed in
the shape of the letter V. At the narrow extremity there is a narrow
lane, at the end of which is the terminating pit. This pit is about
eight feet deep and fifteen feet broad, and its edges are made to
overlap in such a way that once