July 21 – One year at the Rusangu Mission there was a famine, caused by a drought that killed off most of the local crops. The mission was responsible for providing food for the students, for it had been paid for by the parents when they paid the school fees for the year. Rather than send the students home, it was decided to provide food that probably wouldn’t be provided in these times.

[ Bag of locusts ]
But this was not nutritionally sufficient, so the missionary men took their rifles and the mission vehicle and some male students, and went out hunting for Cape buffalo. The Cape buffalo is one of Africa’s most dangerous animals when wounded. A wounded one will hide in the underbrush and just wait for the hunter to come searching for it. Then it will charge out and pulverize the hunter with hoof and horn. Cape buffalo have great horns with heavy bosses that protect the brain, and can be hard to kill.

[ Drying the biltong ]
Cape buffalo are not always threatening. I remember once when we were visiting Wankie Game Reserve in Southern Rhodesia, it was getting late in the afternoon when the road was blocked by a herd of buffalo. We needed to get back to the visitor area before too late or guards would come out looking for us. So I got out of the car and went forth shouting and waving, and away fled the buffalo and left the road clear!
After hearing all this exciting stuff, I suppose some of you adventurous people may consider heading off to Africa some day. Things are a lot less dangerous these days, so don’t expect too many life-threatening events. But do keep us posted! – DALE