LIBRARY OF THE University of California. Class ON SAFARI c c f {y'Z/€yi/<7i?^e'J,i_ "> t , 3 > 3 3 5 -i 1 3 5 3 3 3 o 3 HUNTING IN THE RIFT VALLEY 13 rely on a mistaken confidence tliat mere altitude in the crag-faces lent security against a rifle-ball. It was, nevertheless, difficult enough to distinguish precisely their, small grey forms, 300 ft. above, from the broken rocks that surrounded them. Next morning, while watching a group of reedbucks on the crags, in hopes of securing an opportunity to stalk, suddenly three impala (one good buck) appeared on the hill above. Then, to our disgust, six Masai walked right across our front, taking not the slightest notice till we hailed them with a request that they would be good enough to go somewhere else. Each of these savages carried the usual double-edged spear and customary ornaments (such as quarter-pound 'baccy tins) stuck in their ears, being otherwise stark naked. Later on we discovered that these were the advance- guard of a migrating tribe, a body of which had sj^ent the night in one of the huge volcanic chasms, where they might have enjoyed warm baths free. It is doubtful, however, whether nomad Masai apj^reciate such luxuries. This intrusion was most unwelcome when we needed a whole country to ourselves. Nairobi, moreover, when we left it a week before (July 1904) had been seething with rumours of native unrest, Masai risings, and the like. These, we knew, were quite unfounded, resting on a reported decision of the authorities to move the aborigines back from the railway so as to make room for settlers. Then, as it were lending grounds for such fears, a detachment of 400 " Yaos " (King's African Rifles), arriving in three train-loads — the troopship Clive from Berbera had entered Mombasa with us — created quite a small panic. But these good black troops were, after all, only returning from chasing the Mad Mullah ! Those who select savage lands for a home should not give way to fears of " excursions and alarms." The removal of the Masai into the Laikipia "Reserve" was eventually carried out without the shghtest disturbance of the peace. 14 ON SAFARI Owing, however, to tins untimely Masai intrusion, we shifted our camp a dozen miles from Eburu into the valley of the Enderit River, enjoying during that march some memorable spectacles of wild animal-life. SKETCH-MAP OF COITNTEY FROM EBURU TO NAKURU. Beyond the rugged foothills of Eburu stretches a region of open forest which, at this date, literally teemed with game. Herd upon herd of zebras, Neu- mann's hartebeest, impala and the large Grant's gazelle HUNTING IN THE RIFT VALLEY 15 filled the view. Further ou, where forest gave place to open grassy prairie, all these were literally in thousands, thoiigh the impala always frequent the fringe of the covert. We saw no elands at this date, but the plains were alive with herds of the smaller gazelle (Thomsoni) darting about and chasing each other in sprightly exuberance. Besides these were wart-hogs, ostriches and SPOTTKn HYEXA. great kori bustards, while crowned cranes in threes and fours stalked sedately through the throng. Jackals loped hither and thither, and, further away, a gaunt hyena, looking big as a lioness, shambled across the plain, its long neck held stiffly forward at an upward angle and tail carried low between the legs. At one point we counted thirty-one ostriches close together — thirteen in the nearer pack, two of which were big old cocks, and eighteen more a little beyond. Hard by them a herd of zebra were feeding, and in the foreground a group of marabou storks held an inquest over some bones. Strikingly handsome objects were the crowned cranes just mentioned, big birds of boldly-marked plumage — velvety-black, with rich chestnut wings and 16 ON SAFAEI snow-wliite undersides that showed up in strong contrast as they rose in flight. The curious wood-ibis (Pseudo- tantalus ibis) was also conspicuous among the trees that fringe the Enderit — a big stork-Hke species wdth heavy curved beak, naked head and neck of bright orange hue, and of Uack-and-white pkmiage, Init displaying rosy glints, somewhat like a flamingo, when flying. By a shallow water-splash sat Egyptian geese, some preen- ing, others asleep — strangely unsuspicious for that w^atchful tribe. Hard by, however, w-ere a dozen of the noisy spur-wdnged plovers {Hoplopterus) , and these, as their habit is, speedily set the rest on the alert. From each patch of covert sprang — or ran — great packs of helmeted guinea-fowl, francolins, quail, and " jumping hares," the latter bouncing a yard in air at intervals as they sped away. There were C[uaint hornbills [Lophoceros), bee-eaters and bush-cuckoos, while gorgeous little sunbirds fluttered over each flowering shrub. A fantastic bird-form, of which we saw a pair to-day, is the mop-headed touraco (Turacus), with a ringing voice that sounds almost human. On the thorny mimosas by the riverside sat white-headed eagles [Haliaetus vocifer) that rose as we passed, startling the echoes with strident cries. All day long the spy-glass was kept employed, examining some new thing. We ^vere here, zoologically speaking, in a new world — the " Ethiopian Region " — and its wealth of wild-life was bewildering. Intense interest kept us going without desire to kill ; indeed, for several marches w^e shot little beyond w^hat w^as actually necessary to feed our caravan. HEAD OF HELMETED GUINEA-FOWL. HUNTING IN THE RIFT VALLEY 17 The sun was nearly dipping when, after a twelve- hours' march, we reached our camp, ah-eady pitched in a lovely grove by the Enderit — here merely a muddy creek dawdling in the depths of a bush-clad donga. While we dined that happy evening under a spreading mimosa, the evening's peace was broken by our friends the crowned cranes filing overhead in noisy skeins to roost in the tall fever- trees beyond. Ducks were flighting in the gloom up the river, and, ere we turned in, lions commenced to " call " in the woods below\ CROWNED HOENBiLL — LophoccTos mela7ioleucus. CHAPTER III THE EQUATORIAL TFvEHf OR— {Continued) ON THE ENDERIT RIVER AND LAKE NAKURU Our camp on tlie Enderit River was surrounded by park-like country, alternating between bush and broad, open prairie, with part forest and glades of infinite beauty, while everywhere the landscape was bounded by the peaks and scaurs of distant mountains. Lovely as was our prospect, yet scarce a sign of its tropical site obtruded on the view, or proclaimed the fact that we sat practically astride the equator. In these up- lands, the absence of such evidence is con- spicuous. Neither groves of graceful palms, with their troops of monkeys and flights of shriekiug parrots, nor tree-ferns with feathery frondage, or other fantastic forms of foliage and plant-life - such as one associates with the torrid zone, here arrest one's gaze. On the contrary, the landscape of Enderit, as viewed afar, might well-nigh pass for a British scene — not, it is true, in the crowded south or the tame cultivation of the midlands, but rather amid those wilder regions of my own northern home, where Nature yet reigns unsubdued, unfenced, " unimproved." There, as here, a shaggy fringe of self-sown scrub or bush marks the course of winding burns ; natural woods 18 DRONGU. ENDEPJT RIVER AND LAKE NAKURU 19 cling to the steeps above or straggle irregular across the plain, while crag and mountain-ridge fill in the back- ground. Species differ, but form remains not dissimilar. This morning, ere yet the dawn was fully established, a weird melody caught my ear, and, looking from the tent, I saw its author on the topmost bough of an acacia — a glossy starling-like bird A\ith deeply-forked tail. This was a drongo [Dicrurus musicus), one of the shrike family, and a warrior to boot, albeit a songster ; for never a kite or crow, not even an eagle, venturing near our camp, was immune from its furious onslaught.^ While sipping the matutinal coffee I could actually see herds of wild animals peacefully grazing within view from my camp-bed ! On putting the glass on to these, I found they included zebras and Thomson's gazelles ; while further away the ruddy pelts of hartebeests were distino'uisliable. The latter, in this district, are the rather scarce Neumann's hartebeest {Bubalis neumanni), and to secure specimens of these formed our first and main objective on the Enderit. The first animal actually shot on the Enderit, how- ever, was a zebra, and, while skinning proceeded, 1 enjoyed watching that ever- wondrous spectacle of wild African life, the assembling of the carnivora. Life was hardly extinct ere dark shadows passed and repassed on the sere grass hard by. Looking upwards, the heavens were flecked with circling hordes. Soon the smaller vultures (dark-brown neophrons with livid pink faces) descended with collapsed wings, alighting with resonant rush all around us, many within thirty yards. Then the huge carrion-vultures (the African griffon, Pseudo- gyps africanus, deep brown with conspicuous white patches on lower body, and the still blacker Eared vulture, Lophogyps auricularis, with red ear-lobes) ^ A drongo will remain perched by the hour on a bough, ■watching for passing insects. Presently he darts down, catches one, sometimes two or three in rapid succession, then returns to his post, exactly as our flycatchers do at home. 20 ON SAFARI settled in groups further away, forming an outer circle, and amidst these I saw over the grass the sharp cocked ears of jackals. Some crowned cranes also stalked through the group, but these were merely locust- catching, and had no interest in our procedure. The case was different with their congeners, the adjutants or marabou, several of which, dropping from the sky, fell into line with the outer circle of vultures, while others continued sailing overhead. The policy of these latter seemed to be to make sure that the feast would "go round." They wanted to see how much zebra we intended to leave behind. Sailing aloft is no trouble to them, and they did not mean to descend till sure of at least a few mouthfuls apiece. Within half-an-hour the nearer vultures had disappeared. The}" had not gone, but, being tired of waiting, had squatted down to sleep in the grass. Some jackals had done the same, but others stood sentry. Elmi Hassan (my Somali hunter) now pointed out a new arrival — three hyenas. These, however, kept at safe distance. On other occasions, vultures have continued circling overhead during the entire process of off-skinning. But ere one has retired fifty yards down sweeps the whole crowd with mighty rush of wing, assembling around the carcase in a surging, seething, tearing mass. This zebra {Equus hurchelli-granti) was a stallion in his prime, apparently eight to ten years old, and ex- hibited (what is unusual in East Africa) the paler, shadow-like stripes interposed between the main black bands. The striping, broad and boldly contrasted, as in all East- African examples, extended completely over the whole body, including the tail, and down the entire leg- to the fetlocks. This is the form once differentiated as E. chapmani} The further south it is found the less complete becomes the striping of the zebra. In the typical Equus hurcheUi of Cape Colony (now probably extinct) this striping was confined to the body only, the ^ I notice that Mr. F. C. Selous refers to this East-African form (in lit.) as E. granti. 5 J 3 3 3','' 11 3 13 11 3 3 1 1 11111 1 ' ' ''" 1 ','•,', 1 1 1 " ' ' ' 1 1 , ' 1 ' , ' ' 1 1 1 1 'l' ' ' ' 1 1 "l ' l' ' 1,' 11 llllll 'I'l', l^lll'. -5-"^'^ • • .• • » . ." • . ENDERIT PJVER AND LAKE NAKURU 21 legs being plain white ; and of the legs of two pairs of zebra that 1 shot in the Transvaal and happened to keep, one is almost pure white from the knee downwards, the second pair being striped to the pasterns. In A Breath from the Veld Mr. J. G. Millais shows all his zebra, shot in Mashonaland, with plain white legs. Again, in the true quagga [E. quagga — long since exterminated) the striping, half obsolete at best, was confined to the head, neck and shoulders only. This was the southernmost form of all. It seems obvious that in this case systematists have had the bad luck to begin at the wrong end of the rano'e. since it is from the north that the true aboriginal type of zebra has come, dispersing thence southwards. The laro-est and handsomest zebra of all — a trulv dis- tiuct species — E. grevi/i, is still restricted to the north of the equator ; while the southernmost form, typified as true Burchell's, is really a mere degenerate variation of the original, heavily-striped type, E. chapmani. Personally I am no advocate for splitting species merely on such oTounds as colour-variation, and am not even prejudiced by the claims of a namesake ! During our first week's shooting at this charming- spot we obtained good specimens of most of the local game, and the pile of horned heads and pegged-out skins behind our tents made an imposing show. The harte- beests, however, had so far defied our efi"orts ; they were in fair numbers, but excessively wild, and the open plain lent no assistance. Rarely do these large and handsome antelopes trust themselves wifhin forest or bush, and, even if found therein, keep constantly on the move, as though ever conscious of the dangers lurking within covert. One evening (July 27), when my brother and I had o-one out too-ether, we descried a dozen kongoni feeding by the rushy foreshores of Lake Xakuru, between the water and the forest-belt that fringes it. While engaged on this stalk, I espied beneath the trees on my right an animal that com- pletely puzzled me. It was a great shaggy beast, very 22 ON SAFARI dark, and with horns of a span which, in the gloom of the forest and waning horht, ahnost suggested buflalo. To this I transferred my attention ; but the first shot, at about 300 yards, missed, and it looked any odds on a total loss when the unknown beast disappeared, gallop- ing among the timber. We followed fast, and luckily "gazing in the wkong direction" (wateebuck). picked up view as he left the woods, and, changing his course, came cantering back across an open prairie towards our rear. Then, by fortunate chance, he spied my brother, who, with the " boys," had remained behind. The game pulled up sharp, his magnificent car- riage and contour recalling a colossal red stag in Land- seer's bravest type. The intervening plain was dotted with isolated forest-trees, each springing from a bushy ENDERIT RIVER AND LAKE NAKURU 23 base, and while this splendid animal stood fixedly gazing in the wrong direction, I succeeded, by creeping and running from tree to tree, in gaining a range of just under 300 yards. Then, in happy moment, I dropped him clean with a '303 bullet in the base of the neck. My prize proved to be a Sing-sing waterbuck bull WOUNDED WATEEBUCK. (defassa), carrying horns of 28 j ins. What had deceived me was the abnormal breadth of horn. These, not being set regularly, reached the extraordinary span of 30 ins. between tips — a measurement exceeding any given in Rowland Ward's Records. I killed another sing-sing bull a few days later, but in that animal, though the horns reached 27|- ins., the span between tips was under a foot. In his dark, shaggy coat, with which the white collar and facial markings so strongly contrast, the sino-sino- is an altoo'ether handsomer animal than the common waterbuck. Both species 24 ON SAFARI are irou-grey in colour, the sing-sing perhaps sHghtly browner than Cohtis ellipsijDrymnus ; but the colour shown in the plate of C. defassa in the Booh of Antelopes (vol. ii, plate xxxvi) is wrong, unless the seasonal range of colour is very great. A w^hite band surrounds each fetlock immediately above the hoof, and is conspicuous at a considerable distance. The dead- weight of this animal would be about 500 lbs. Waterbuck do not show up by clay in anything like the same degree as the other large game mentioned, their habit being to lie hidden in thick covert till tow^ards evening, when they emerge upon the lovely parks and open pastures that fringe the river. One of these spots in particular, adjoining the confluence of the two Enderit Elvers with Lake Nakuru, was indeed a charming picture — perhaps 500 acres in extent, dotted wdth forest-trees siugiy or in clumps, and entirely inset among woodland and thick jungle, which friuged the banks of either river. It literally teemed wdth herds of varied game, and forms the subject of Mr. Caldwell's draw'ing opposite. My first sing-sing gave me a lesson of caution iu handling these heavy horned beasts. Elmi, finding himself unable alone to administer the coup de grace, asked me to " stand on the horn." This I did, grasj^ing the upper horn Avith both hands, while Elmi stood on the tip, outside me. Such, how^ever, was the tremendous power develojDcd by the big bull in a final struggle that both of us were throw^n yards through the air. I also received a blow in the ribs from the other horn, and, as Elmi then fell on top of me, I got a shaking that I did not forget for a day or two. The incident, however, ap- parently caused merriment to my brother and the "boys," who came up at that moment. Leaving the latter to bring in the meat, we two walked campwards, and on the way ran into a prowling tiger-cat, w^hich managed to bounce through bush without oflering a shot. During the subsequent hunt we lost our bearings, and, as it w^as now dark, passed a bad half-hour ere we descried 1 1 1 J > 1 t ENDEEIT RIVER AND LAKE NAKURU 25 the camp-fires, wliat time lions were Ijeginning to call. Next morning I secured my first pair of Grant's gazelle, the buck by a shot in base of neck at over 250 yards. He formed one of a group of thirty or forty '•<> 1 GRANT S GAZELLES. animals widely scattered among sparse bush, but his was the only good head. He carried massive annulated horns of 23 ins., by seven in basal circumference, and*u^ith the wide sj^an of 1 6 ins. between tips. The doe I got by a little impromptu drive, killing her with a Paradox ball as she flew past at eighty yards — a lovely creature with horns of 15f ins. My brother also brought in a Grant buck, the horns being identical in length with mine, but narrower, the span being only 11 ins. Next day I got a good impala ram after a nerve-trying stalk through open rush-clad straths. These were, however, traversed 26 ON SAFAEI in all directions by the curious double spoor of hippo- potami— regular roads, by which these huge amphibians came out to graze at night, and along which we could creep unseen. This impala was lord of a harem of no less than thirty-two does, and I thought him the best in our valley ; but my brother later on got a solitary ram that beat him by half-an-inch. These two antelopes, the impala and Grant's gazelle, carry as fine trophies as any game on earth, having regard to their proportionate size. Both species average from 10 to 12 stones in weiolit — sav the size of a red deer hind — yet their horns, massive and beautiful in sweeping curves, run to 26 and 28 ins. in length ; " record " specimens reaching nearly 30 ins. That afternoon, during the midday rest in camp, we were visited by a deputation of Masai. These stalwart savages — absolutely naked save for some ornaments suspended from their ears (I took these things to be ornaments) — each carried a murderous double-bladed spear, long enough to impale three enemies at once. (The blades of some I brought home exceed 3 ft. in length.) After much palaver, we understood our friends' message to be as follows : — That morning a lion had attacked their herds. They had driven him off, and he had taken shelter in some bush, where they had left men to watch till we could arrive to shoot the depredator. We set off at once, and on reaching the place (an hour's walk) found the country quite open, with some thin bush. There was much running hither and thither, and much gesticulation by crowds of excited Masai. This at length resolved itself into general concentration upon one patch of low brushwood barely an acre in extent. Towards this scores of spears now eagerly pointed, but both the Masai and our own "boys" hung severely back. Consequently AV and I reached the bush alone, each attended only by his gun-bearer. For a moment, I must admit, I hesitated to walk into that bush with a live lion inside it ; but, as our whole line stood halted dead to windward, and within ENDERIT RIVER AND LAKE NAKURU 27 forty yards of the patch, and nothing moved, I signalled to W and we went in. Hardly had we advanced ten steps when I saw a long cat-like form cronching off through the thin tail of the bush some seventy yards ahead. It seemed small for a lion, but I put in both barrels of the Paradox, Elmi, with my second gun, dashing right past me. This was utterly wrong on his ^' 0^^_^ ^\^^ '■WHILE I HELD AN EMl'TY GUX " (LEOI'ARU). part, and a breach of all rules. At that moment, while I held an empty gun, a truly magnificent leopard leaped from the bush within tliu'ty yards, and I was left absolutely helpless, to admire her infinite grace as she silently bounded jDast my front. What an unending catastrophe was that business of Babel ! Had we only understood at the beginning, amid the polyglot jumble of tongues, that it was two leopards we were after, instead of one lion, as we had gathered, then surely both would not have escaped — 28 ON SAFARI possibly neither. Elmi's impetuosity in any case lost me the second. Both shots at the first had missed. I was unlucky with leopards this trip. A few days later I lost another good chance through the same linguistic curse. There were some waterbuck on a rocky ridge. Whilst stalking these, Elmi spied a leopard and explained something which I did not understand, but he was keen, and I followed. We reached a bare grass-opening. A single thorn-tree stood in its centre, and beneath that one tree lay the leopard, in shortish grass, scarce fifty yards away. '•' Shoot," whispered Elmi ; adding, " In the hushes, lying down." Still imagining we were after the waterbuck, which I presumed had moved, I scanned every bush on that ko^^pie beyond — thrice as far away as lay the leopard. At last I saw, but too late. Ere I got my sights the leopard jumped. I waited in hopes he might stand ; and stand he did, but not till close on the ridge of the koppie, 200 yards off". My ball splintered the rock a hand's-breadth over his shoulder — a near thing, but a miss. Had Elmi only said, " Under the tree," that beast could hardly have escaped ; what he did say was misleading in the last degree. Althouoh describino; this last animal as a leopard, I have since satisfied myself that it "uas in reality a cheetah, which habitually lies out thus in the open, whereas the leopard never does so. It is a noteworthy circumstance that the cheetah, though in general appearance closely resembling a leopard, and certainly allied to the Felidce, yet possesses a dog-foot — that is, its claws are blunt and hardly, if at all, retractile. MASAI CATTLE-BELL ^ chamiing fcaturc of the shooting PICKED DP ON EXDEPJT. in East Afrlca is the bush-stalking. jNow, stalking in bush may appear a simple problem, and so, no doubt, with a single animal, when stationary, it sometimes is. Such chances, however. ENDERIT RIVER AND LAKE NAKURU 29 seldom occur, for the game here, such as zebra, ehmd, harteheest, impahi, waterbuck, gazelles, wart-hog and grass-antelopes of sorts, are nearly always m herds, and those herds, while among bush, are moving about on the feed. Hence the problem is not simple. Firstly, the stalker must get forward at a fair speed or he will lose touch. Then in a herd, say, of a dozen, there will probably be only one really good head. The other eleven are only so many nuisances and sources of danger. All the eleven must, nevertheless, be held under accurate observation, or else some insignificant little beastie, appearing at an unexpected spot, will ruin the whole operation. Bush-stalking, in short, is an art in itself, affording difficult, but withal very pretty, manoeuvrino\ The hunter who has sin2;led out the master-buck, held him in all his vagaries, avoided the keen view of the other eleven, and finally secured the prize, has done good work. More often, instead of eleven, there will be forty, fifty or sixty undesired individuals whose gaze it is necessary to shun. Two difficulties deserve mention. First, the ever- shifting wind, which changes, both in force and direction, with the changing hours of the day. This trouble is common to all tropical Africa, but is specially pronounced in this great Rift Valley, which, though its fioor averages 6,000 ft. elevation, is yet shut in by loftier mountain- ranges of 10,000 to 14,000 ft. in altitude, and distant some thirty to fifty miles apart. Hence the light airs move in puffs and eddies, wafting scent one knows not whither. When, after infinite care, one has gained the deadly range, and is scrutinising each horn in the herd to make sure of killing the best, suddenly, with- out a moment's warning, up goes every head. Some treacherous back-set breeze has betrayed us, and in an instant the game is gone, swift and silent as a thought. The second danger lies in the presence of so many creatures that lie hidden. I pass over the francolins and guinea-fowl, since they are no worse than the cockling 30 ON SAFARI grouse that scares a Highland stag. Here more serious obstacles confront the stalker, in particular the " grass- antelopes," duikers and steinbucks, dik-diks and such-like, that often start from underfoot precisely at the critical moment, and, by bouncing away, leaping over bush and branch, disturb everything else within sight. Then a great wart-hog, twenty stone in weight, may spring from his lair, grunting and snorting, with all bristles WART-HOO. erect and tail upright as a flagstaff, as he crashes through brushwood and thorn. In each case the stalker's labour is lost. But at least in East Africa I have never been thwarted by birds — that is, by the honey-guides (Indicator), the louries and social shrikes, that in the Transvaal so often gave a note of warnino' to otherwise unsuspecting game. Charming examples of animal-instinct — approximat- ing to reason — constantly occur to the silent stalker. Thus the savage wart-hog aforesaid may dash, snorting and tail erect, through herds of grazing gazelles. Up 3 1 ',3 1 31 ENDERIT KIVER AND LAI^E .NAIvURU. §1 O,, >,' ■' ' »' \ ,' 3.,' o •, Their united gaze is con- in a moment goes every head ; but never a glance is vouchsafed at the immediate disturber of their peace, nor in his ultimate direction. "" ' '' "■ centrated towards the point whence he had come, and precisely where there now lies a mind-tormented hun- ter. Again, in advancing on one group of game, the stalker may elect to take what ap23ears a safe risk by exposing himself — maybe but for a few yards — to the view of other game far more dis- tant, possibly half - a - mile away. But should these latter detect his movement, they will at once — by stand- ing at gaze — signal to all within view the presence of dano-er. The nearer o;ame — the objects of pursuit — ■ though absolutely out of sight of the stalker lying prone in the grass, at once cease grazing or resting, and assume the alert. Their gaze is directed — not to- w^ards an invisible foe, but tow^ards the watching sentinels beyond, which had given the alarm, and on whose acute senses they are content to rely for their own protection. Should, however, that distant group, relying partly on their own remoteness, but more largely on the fact that since that one alarming glimpse they have seen nothing more — for during the subsequent half-hour the detected stalker has lain motionless, careless alike of biting ants, spiky thorns and sunstroke — should they either recom- mence feeding or begin slowly to move away, then the nearer game will also forget their fears and the stalk is resumed. Following are notes copied from diary — August 1. — Far away on the verge of distant bush, GREY LOL'RY. 32, ON SAFARI my eye caught on some reddisli object that might, I thought, be an impala. This, on bringing the ghiss to bear, proved to be correct; but that impala was then seen to be standing in the midst of a troop of zebras, completely surrounded by them ! Yet these latter had entirely escaped notice by the unaided eye. The apparently conspicuous zebra is, in practice, often very difficult to distinguish at any considerable distance among bush. Beyond, say, 500 yards (more . -'/Var' IMPALA. or less, according to the light) the broad black-and- white stripes blend into a grey monotone almost invisible. In the open, of course, they are visible enough. Naturally, when viewed against the sun zebras appear dark, while in sunlight they look white. I recollect a single zebra at sunrise resembling a figure of fretted silver as he stood among green bushes in the early horizontal rays. Giraffes also, seen in ordinary light, assume a monotone when beyond some 700 or 800 yards' distance. That quality of colour-protection has, however, a strictly limited value, otherwise the red impala would stand in bad case. ENDERIT RIVER AND LAKE NAKURU 33 August 3. — While stalking a group of three harte- beests, in creeping across a belt of tall grass I detected, through interlacing stalks, a small antelope close in front. Its head was held ^Dressed flat on the ground, its full dark eyes fixed on mine, not six feet apart. By the short upright horns and dark blaze on the face I judged it to be an oribi ; but being all anxiety to secure the coveted Neumann bull in front, I declined the chance to add what would also have been a new and interesting species to our game-list, and eventually got neither. Lions were numerous on the Enderit. We came to regard their opening notes, usually heard at our various camps about 10 p.m., as the signal for turning-in. There is heavy bush alono; the riverside, and we never saw a lion here by day, though we twice fell in with tiger-cats, and once w^ith a brownish lynx that was pro- bably a caracal. A dark-looking beast that I had thought was also 'of the felines Elmi assured me was a "Yea," a name which in the Somali tono-ue sio-nifies a huntino-- dog [Lycaon pictus). It was alone, slowly pottering alono', and presently lav down in lono- oTass where I sot near enouoh, but made a bad miss, runnino- with the carbine. Another animal identified throuoh its Somali name of '' Shook-shook " w^as of the Herpestes genus, a big brown mongoose. When first observed it was lying under a thick laurel-like shrub bv the riverside, devour- ing a francolin ; but a bullet from the Paradox caused it to emit so overpowering an odour that further interest in the specimen was impossible. It w^as as large as an otter, with a conspicuous bushy tuft projecting above and beyond the tail. We frequently saw smaller mongoose, especially in the early mornings, inquisitive little beasties, though never observed to run in a string as they do in Spain. Other pretty creatures are the ground-squirrels, ruddy-brown in colour, that remind one of marmots as they sit upright for a moment, watching, before dis- appearing down their holes. Besides all these, other beautiful antelopes abounded in our happy hunting-grounds — amidst profusion it is D 34 ON SAFARI difficult to do justice to all. Buslibuck inhabited the dense "lion-scrub" that fringed the east river. These, like the waterbuck,. are nocturnal. We saw them at dawn ; and, shortly before sundown, they again showed up outside the jungle, feeding among the scattered trees. One special buck attracted my attention — coal-black he appeared in his glossy pile. Next evening, punctual to a minute, he appeared with his three does. The river here, to our great vexation, we found impassable owing to the thorny jungle that fringed it. Presently Elmi discovered a sort of tunnel about 3 ft. high — pre- sumably the property of a hippo — and down this we had crawled nearly to the water's edge, when, from our side, something (we could not see what) plunged with sounding splash into the pool. " Big croc," whispered Elmi. It was very tantalising, but the result was that, after ascertaining the depth to exceed a yard, our coveted bushbuck ram was left to feed in peace on the other bank. An intense aversion to reptiles — especially great subaquatic reptiles — possesses most of us, and a recol- lection of that picture in Arthur Neumann's Elephant Hunting, p. 309, does not allay it. Then there were the " grass-antelopes." Every day as we traversed the bush in search of bigger things, the ubiquitous duiker and steinbuck kept bouncing out from long grass or thin scrub at thirty or forty yards' distance Both these little antelopes move very high by the stern, and being fat to boot, convey an idea of exaggerated footballs as they dive away through the Inish. Smaller still are the dikdiks, also numerous, and all hereabouts of the " Cavendish " species {Madoqua cavendishi). A male shot here weiohed onlv 11 lbs., yet was a thorouoh- bred little antelope at that, with annulated horns a trilie over 3 ins. in length, and tiny hoofs on the end of long legs no thicker than a pencil — a perfect miniature. One morning on the Enderit, coming round a bend, I "jumped" close by a heavy, thick-set beast that, with horns laid back flat along the withers, crashed away through the brushwood. Not knowing what it was, I ENDERIT RIVER AND LAKE NAKURU 35 did not fire. Elmi asserted positively that this was an oryx ; but now (after seeing both species) I am satisfied that it was a young eland. A fortnight's hunting had yielded thirty-four selected specimens, comprising eleven difterent species of big game. But hitherto the intense wildness of our most coveted object, the Neumann's hartebeest, had defied our utmost cftorts. Stalking on the open prairie frequented by these ante- lopes had proved impossible. A carefully-organised "drive" had failed — I will not say through the stupidity of the drivers, but simply because savages could not comprehend the scope of the operation. On our last day but one we adopted a modified scheme of simply "moving" a herd, and this so far succeeded that we each secured a specimen at extreme ranges. Both, unluckily, proved to be females, mine being a fine adult, carrying a head of 15f ins., and my brother's a smaller cow. The latter, having only a broken shoulder, led us a long chase, and eventually, after receiving two more bullets (one in the head), entered a patch of thick wood. Happening to be the nearest, I followed in and finished her with the Paradox ; but the shot was instantly echoed by a succession of such roars as caused me to regain the open with quite unseemly haste— so, at least, it appeared to W , who was some distance away. On reconnoitring from a safer point, we found that the cause of alarm was a herd of hippopotami. HUNTING-KNIFE SHEATHED IN SKIN FROM AN IMPALA's PASTERN, 36 ON SAFARI This little wood, unknown to me, bordered a creek of Lake Nakiiru, and a score of these pachyderms had been lying asleep within a few yards of where I had fired that final shot. Thus the bull of Neumann's hartebeest, for the present, remained wanting. I had, however, secured an immature example, and the annexed drawing shows the earlier, upright growth in the horns of this species. They belonged to a nearly full-grown calf (female), and HEADS OF NEUMAXX S HARTEBEEST. Bull, 1S| ins. (shot later) ; cow, log ius. ; immature, lOf ins. measured lOf ins. in length along the front curve. How I came to kill this small beast I never quite knew. Possibly the bullet, missing its mark, had struck another ; more probably (the distance being great and the grass long) the luckless youngster had been standing in front of a larger animal, which masked the separate outline. Anyway, it lay there dead ; and, after all, its horns exhibit an interesting phase of growth. That evening, close to camp, I saw another leopard. He retreated into heavy bush overhanging the banks of a stream — a favourable place to hustle him out. I had fifteen " boys " with me, Swahilis, but to my surprise not one of them would face the job, and the leopard ENDERIT RIVER AND LAKE NAKURU 37 escaped tliroiigh an irrational care for their precious black skins. For a mob of noisy beaters there was no danger whatever. The nomad Masai were moving towards the lake, and this evening (August 5) we saw in many directions the ii:, %,^i i/./ GOLIATH HERON — Biggest of his tribe. smoke of grass-fires where they were burning-off the dead herbao;e. We next mornino- walked down toojether to examine the marvellous bird-life that swarms around the shores of Lake Nakuru. Never have I seen greater aggregations or such variety of water-fowl. These be- longed to forms and genera all familiar, yet specifically almost everv bird was an entire strano'er to me. The 38 ON SAFAEI special character that arrested attention was the immense size of many species. There were colossal cranes, storks and herons, perfect giants of the bird-world. There were pelicans in droves ; these, of course, are always big. Geese, ducks and flamingoes in thousands filled air and water. Darters (Plotiis) with snake-like necks and small cormorants perched on half-submerged trees. There were herons and egrets in their many varieties ; ibises of both kinds, with plovers and sandpipers, gulls great and small, grebes, and many more. Though I have been an ornithologist all my life, I hardly dare further attempt to describe or define those exotic multitudes. The assemblage, however, certainly included the Goliath heron, tall and grey, standing bolt upright as a Guards- man ; another conspicuous monster being the huge jabiru or saddle-bill, with its heavy, uj)-tilted, murderous beak, red, with a broad black band in centre, both of which birds I have endeavoured to portray. Besides these, there are entered in my notebook — though with due doubtfulness, both on this and other occasions around Nakuru's shore — the whale-billed stork [Baloeniceps) and the great wattled crane {Grus ccirunculata) , a sjDccies I had met with in South Africa; but neither bird has yet been proved to occur here in Ecjuatoria. Two flamingoes that I killed with the rifle were of the European species {Fhcerdcojyterus roseus), but we saw others that were red all over [Ph. minor). Many hippo lay in the shallows off'-shore ; one, an immense bull with pink cheeks and neck, showed splendid curved ivory as he opened a cavernous mouth to yawn. He ofl'ered a good target, and W put in a bullet that told well. The hippo disappeared, and we saw him no more, though we waited all day (watching the birds also) and sent down "boys" next morning. Neither of us fired at hippo again. That evening we marched into Nakuru and encamped alongside the railway. There is a Dak bungalow at the station, and, without being Sybarites, we enjoyed an excellent dinner and a bottle of "Pontet Canet — a grateful change from the rough fare of the veld. AFRICAN JABIRU, OR SADDLE-BILL. CHAPTER IV A LION-DRIVE ON LAKE NAKURU Lions were not specially included in our programme or our ambitions when we first landed in British East Africa ; for much time expended in vain and many uncomfortable hours endured during my previous expe- dition (in South Africa) in the efi'ort to bag a lion had driven home the conclusion that to secure the king of beasts was beyond my powers. But dis aliter visum. Lions, it may here be remarked, are still sufficiently numerous in British East Africa, especially in those regions where antelopes, zebra and other game so greatly abound, such as the Athi Plains and parts of the great Rift Valley. During our three months' sojourn in East Africa in 1904 we had several camps at which we heard lions calling almost every night, yet never, that year, did we personally see one alive, except on the single occasion which I here propose to relate. In South Africa I enjoyed one glimpse of a lion, and the rough sketch made in my note-book of that sight, which, cursory as it was, must always remain a notable memory, is here translated by Mr. Caldwell. It is, perhaps, needless to remark that lions do not roar when hunting at night. It would be a very foolish beast that did so. Their note at night is better de- scribed as a call — a sort of deep, crescendo, resonant cough — and one hears a second, often a third, cough, each further away than the other, showing that the beasts are hunting in concert in a wide wing, and thus they maintain touch with each other. When lions do roar is on returning homewards full, towards daylight, at 40 A LION-DRIVE 41 which hour hunters are generally too fast asleep to hear it. The only occasions when I have heard a real roar were when waiting-out at night over a kill. On these ventures one has to spend the long, dark hours on a cartel, or framework, fixed up in the branches of a tree ; and, under such conditions, is never so sound asleep but that the magnificent reverberatinsj roar of a lion w^ill speedily restore one to full consciousness. The herdsman-prophet of Tekoa understood the FIRST GLIMPSE OF A LION. habits of lions in this respect thousands of years ago, when he wrote (Amos iii. 4) : — " Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey ? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothiuo- ? " Well, on August 7, 1904, we were encamped along- side the railway at Nakuru, intending to start at dawn next mornino- on the long; march to Lake Barino'o, distant some seventy-five miles due north. A message, how^ever, was conveved to us durino- the eveninsj that H.M.'s Commissioner (the late Sir Donald Stewart) was expected by train during the night, and it was proposed to oro-anise a lion-drive on the morrow. We had with 42 ON SAFARI lis a fair-sized crowd of natives — between forty and fifty human beings, Swahili porters, askaris armed with Sniders, hunters, tent-boys, and the usual components of what is called a " safari," or caravan. These we thought would make a useful troop of beaters ; but they hardly viewed the undertaking with the same enthu- siasm. A Swahili has his good points, but he is not a born sportsman, nor is he any longer a true savage. He wears clothes of sorts, drinks when he has a chance, and can reckon up how many rupees go to a sovereign. The true savage, such as the Masai, does none of these things. Any reluctance to act as beaters was, however, soon dispelled by the forceful suasion of our " headman," Maguiar, the huge Soudanese, whose word, backed by the obvious power to enforce it, was law beyond debate ; and after breakfast we set forth amidst deafening din. The regular musical instruments indigenous to Central Africa, such as drums and tom-toms, were supplemented by empty biscuit-tins, gourds filled with pebbles, and other ear-splitting devices quite calculated to alarm even a lion. The scene of our proposed operations, less than an hour's walk aw^ay, was a series of forest-patches which lay nestling along the northern shores of Lake Nakuru, a sheet of water some fifteen miles in length. These woods were of no great width, merely belts of a few hundred yards across, and conveniently divided from each other by natural opens at intervals of a mile or two. Inland from the forest-belt was open, grassy land, sloping upwards to low, rocky koppies, clad with what looked like bracken and brambles. The first two beats proved blank, nothing bigger than " grass-antelopes " or dikdiks being seen. In the third beat I was the penultimate gun on the left of the line, facing the lake, the last gun being posted to command the extreme end of that patch of forest on the lake- shore. I had selected for this work my 12-bore Paradox and an old '450 Express, to which I was long accustomed, as being better adapted for quick-moving shots at moderate A LION-DRIVE 43 distance tlican the far-ranging cordite "SOS. I was lying- hidden in long grass about one hundred yards from the covert, and the noisy line of beaters had already approached within half-a-mile, when my Somali gun- bearer, Elmi Hassan, who was lying beside me, pointed into the wood, saying, " See ! two lions I You no see ? " I certainly did not see. For some time I could distinguish nothing moving whatever ; but at length, as the lions came exactly opposite my position, where the wood was rapidly thinning out, I saw them. They were not easy to detect, so low and stealthy was their advance, crouch- ino; alons^ under covert of brushwood and rushes. As the lions were completely enclosed, I would not risk the uncertain shot they now offered ; in fact, it seemed to me clear that, short of breaking-back, the lions had hardly any choice but to pass out between me and my one left-hand neighbour. They did neither. At a point exactly on my front the two beasts lay down in two green bushes that grew within a dozen yards of each other beneath the last straggling trees. Hardly had this incident occurred than we became aware, by a chorus of discordant yells from the beaters (some of whom we could see rushing out of the wood), that they had come across something inside that was not C[uite to their taste. Amidst the din, the word " simba" (lion) predominated, and at once the three guns on ray right, including my brother W , dashed oft* towards the point indicated. Having my two marked lions in front of me, I remained quietly where I was, and so soon as the coast was clear, beckoned to my left- hand neighbour, told him what I had seen, and arranged that he should advance from the left, while I went straight in to the lions in front. Naturally, under such circumstances one went in with every sense on full stretch, anticipating and prepared for any contingency ; but on drawing nearer and nearer to those two bushes without seeing a sign of movement within, the tension began to slacken. At twenty yards' distance it seemed impossible that so large a beast as a 44 ON SAFARI lion could still be lying in so small a bush without my seeing it. They must, I thought, have slipped away unobserved, and I was walking on almost carelessly until within ten yards of the right-hand bush, when Elmi suddenly seized my arm, pointing the rifle he carried into the base of the bush, and hissed, " See ! see ! the lion ! Shoot — him spring ! " Once more I must admit that I could see nothing. Strain my eyes as I would, I could distino'uish nothinsr like a lion in that bush — nothing beyond a very small patch of monotone in the further corner. Yet Elmi was so positive, and the bush so small and so near, that I decided, rather recklessly — and perhaps from some sense of shame that a black man should be so superior in eyesight — to fire. There was no mistaking the response — a growl more savage than ever I had heard in my life before. I also saw, through the thick smoke from the Paradox, the electric con- vulsion with which the beast pulled itself together for a sj^ring. That movement disclosed the position of the head and shoulder, and before there was any time for mischief I got the second Inillet well in behind the shoulder. That knocked out any idea of fight, and the beast, still growling but mortally sick, crawled out beyond. I now saw it was a lioness. Elmi handed me the '450, and a third bullet, raking forward from the stern, stretched her among the grass. My first ball was in the ribs amidships, the second high on shoulder. AYliile rushing; forward to examine the beast, and in the excitement of the moment utterly forgetting the second lion in the other bush, now behind us, 1 was promptly reminded by shouts and two rapidly-fired shots in that direction. Turning round, I was just in time to see this second beast, also a lioness, bound out, a yellow streak, from the thick covert, growlino; as the first had done. On seeing me she stopped dead, standing with head erect among the green rushes by the lake-shore, and looking over her shoulder towards us. I remember seeing her white teeth as she commenced another growl — she was only twenty yards away — but that movement A LION-DRIVE 45 was lier last. A Paradox ball on the shoulder dropped her from our sight. When this second lioness first bounced within sight I had thrown up the Paradox for a snapshot, thinking she was comino; straio-ht on : but on her hesitatino- as described, by an inspiration I glanced along the sights to assure myself that the aim was correct. The gun was then pointing a clear inch above her shoulder 1 ')^t ^ LIONESSES EIGHT AND LEFT. {By artistic licence grouped nearer than they actually fell.) Both animals lay quite dead within thirty yards of each other; yet my companion, Elmi, who, while they were yet living, had been as bold and collected as though we had merely been engaged with antelopes, now de- veloped a curious degree of caution. Probably he was right and acting on experience, but he would not allow me to approach till he had collected sundry sticks and stones and thrown several at either carcase. While Elmi and I w^re thus occupied, we had heard several rifle-shots away on our right. It now tran- spired that a third lioness had also been secured by the 46 ON SAFAEI auns who (as above mentioned) had gone off in that direction. The first shot was put in by the Sub- Commissioner, Mr. C. W. Hobley. All three lionesses were dragged out of the covert by our " boys," and laid in a row on the grass outside, where a scene of inde- scribable excitement ensued, the niggers dancing and jumping around the dead beasts to an accompaniment of shrieks, beating of tom-toms and other fearsome instruments, including biscuit-tins. I measured the two lionesses with which I was personally concerned. The first and larger of the two .4 < SAVAGES DANCING AKOUXD DEAD LIONESSES. taped 8 ft. all but an inch ; the second was a trifle under 7 ft. All three had fed the night before on zebra, readily distinguishable by the masses of yellow fat. After skinning the lions, we tried two or three more beats of similar woods along the lake-shore, but with- out further success so far as lions were concerned. One incident, however, is deserving of mention. My position was in a small open surrounded by dense jungle — a sort of green-room, twenty yards square, wallecl-in by masses of viewless shrubs, lianas and creepers. One could see literally nothing beyond these narrow limits. There was one gun outside me, by the lake, and to him I had indicated my position. Where precisely the rest were A LION-DRIYE 47 placed I knew not, nor could they tell where we two were. While the beat progressed I heard some large animal approaching, heard it arrive in the thicket immediately on my front, and stop there. In vain I looked around for a convenient tree to ascend, not so much from fear of a lion as from the risk of promiscuous bullets. Trees there were in plenty, but not one could be climbed by reason of the pendent masses of parasitic plants and prehensile thorny creepers w^ith which each trunk was clad. As the beaters came in the beast broke. It was only a bushbuck ; no one fired. But with careless guns there would have been more danger from stray bullets than from the most savage beast that roams the African forest. The evening ended in backsheesh. The "boys "asked for twopence each. I served out thrice that sum, and posed as a benefactor. Next morning we started on the long march to Lake Baringo. A curious incident deserves record. At the station at Nakuru was posted a written notice that (presumably by reason of some small trouble with the natives) sportsmen were forbidden to proceed " north of the equator," wdiich, the notice added, " might be taken as passing over Molo bridge." Now to me the equator had always been a sort of abstraction — not a concrete thing capable of passing over a bridge, like a donkey or a telegraph-wire. Hence I had mistaken the notice for some tropical joke ! Fortunately for us, being that night in the august company of the Government, the error was discovered in time and the necessary permit issued. CHAPTER V A TWELFTH ON THE EQUATOR NAKURU TO BARINGO The four clays j^receding the Twelfth of August we had been steadily marching through grassy uplands, skirting the vast crater of Meningai. "There was but little game here in August; but, in those days, many Masai with their flocks and herds. Eighteen months later (February 1906) the Masai had been "removed" into their Reserve on Laikipia, and game abounded. This is not the regular route to Baringo, whither we were bound, but we had selected the longer way round in order to avoid the heavy march of twenty-three waterless miles between Nakuru and the Molo River. The deviation involved a lot of " path-finding," picking up landmarks and bearings, coupled with no slight anxiety as to whether we were really holding the right course. AVe had the company on the first day of Mr. F. R. N. Finlay, the South-iVfrican hunter, who kindly undertook to set us our course. The first evening w^e had encamped on a tiny rivulet, name unknown ; the second on the Ungusori River. On the eve of the Twelfth we had reached the Alabanyata, a rapid muddy stream six yards in width and a yard deep. At midday, hardly had we " outspanned " on its banks, after six hours' marching under an unspeakable sun, when shouts of " Simba " (lion) aroused us from a hard-earned rest. Our men, scattering to collect firewood, had come on the beast close by ; but though we turned out at once, hunted a mile down-stream, and then "drove" all the thickets and likely "holts" on 48 A TWELFTH ON THE EQUATOR 49 our way, nothing more was seen. The grilling we endured in that noontide-hour's hunt ! Vertical rocks reflected an accumulated heat in that deep gorge that was well-nigh sufi"ocating. Thermometers are useless. The point reached that night we named Equator Camp, believing that that geographical symbol passed between our two tents. Perhaps it did — certainly it ran within a few yards. These four days we had shot no game, and a gazelle [granti, doe) killed this evening came as a perfect godsend to the commissariat. Note that a certain jDroportion of tinned meat should always be carried for occasions such as these. Strict supervision, moreover, must be exercised over the black cook, otherwise he will recklessly use ujd these emergency reserves on days when there is plenty of fresh meat at hand. In most camps game is superabundant ; but there are long marches and gameless stretches for which a reserve of tinned stuff, such as " army rations," should always be provided. To-night, the diary records, we "' dined sumptuously." The local Masai, friendly yet finely independent, had refused to trade us a single sheep, or to hire out some of their sturdy donkeys, that would have served us well for transport. Their reasons are intelligible enough. The habits of these naked savages, living solely on meat, milk and blood, needing neither cloth, beads, wire nor anvthiuo- we could oive them, left no medium of exchano-e. True, they came daily into our camps for medicine and medical advice, but that they expected for nothing — which, it is jDrobable, was about the par value of any such advice we could give. We visited one of their kraals, strongly stockaded, to inc[uire the way to the Molo. A score of Masai came out to meet us, each carrying his spear. The chief, an old man, grizzled, reserved and self-possessed, was a splendid savage, standing some seven feet high. In reply to our questions he knelt down, and, by patting the ground with his hand, indicated the direction we should follow. In August flights of Egyptian geese and pelicans are E 50 ON SAFARI here constantly winging their way south w^ard — no doubt from Lakes Baringo and Rudolph to those of Naivasha and Nakuru. The curious " Kaffir-finch," or King whydah-bird {Chera delamerei), with its ridiculously- exaggerated tail, is also characteristic of this veld, as w^ell as the Florican, or Wato bustard (Trachelotis ccmicollis), numberless larks, pipits, doves and ravens. The distant horizon on this, as on most grassy dow^n- lands, was frequently ornamented by the gaunt, upright KIXG WHYDAHS. Males entirely black except the baud of crimson and buft' on fore-wing. figures of ostriches feeding about, usually in pairs. On one occasion we witnessed a struthian love-scene. So far as one could distinguish at the distance, the cock ostrich, running in circles in spasmodic, jerky style, with neck dilated and extended in front, executed a sort of wild dance. The beautiful white plumes of wings and tail, expanded like a fan, showed up conspicuously against his jet-black bod}^ The scene reminded one of the performance of an old blackcock in x4pril, or (more appropriate, though less accurately) of the great bustard in Spain. The hen ostrich appeared to be busy feeding all the time. I also remember seeing once a triangular fight betw^eeu A TWELFTH ON THE EQUATOR 51 three cock ostriches. Despite much brave show and widespread plumes, not one of the three would close. The fiQ;bt deo-enerated into a mere demonstration in three acts — defiance, charge (not carried home), flight — ■ and this was repeated again and again. Here, on the Alabanyata, we decided to spend our Twelfth, and made an early start. Down the riverside at dawn were numerous wart-hogs in troops of five to a dozen, besides ostriches, gazelles, small antelope and jackal. Three miles below, the Alabanyata utterly dis- appears— lost in a great green vlei, or marsh, of a league in extent, all choked with tall flags. On the grassy fore- shore lay a herd of large animals that, in the distance and early sunlight, certainly looked like eland. On approach they proved to be waterbuck (defassa), but all apparently females, lying down. " No horn," was Elmi's verdict ; but being confident that such a herd would hold at least one fair male, I crept back and presently gained another point of view. From here we were rewarded by discovering a grand bull lying between two groups of cows and half hidden thereby. His horns, laid back along the withers, were also inconspicuous. The utmost point of cover was still distant just 270 yards from the game — the intervening foreshore being bare short grass, flat as a cricket-pitch, and dotted with enormous wild geese of the sj^ur-winged species (P. gamhensis). Buff'-backed herons also marched about among the sing-sing, relieving the animals of parasites. The cows and calves kept up a low chorus of bleating cries. 1 half thought of " whistling-up " the bull, but the obvious risk of his form being then covered by the atten- dant cows was too great, and nothing remained but to take the long, lying shot. A sloping ant-hill afl'orded a perfect " rest," and the shot was followed by an answer- ing thud. Hither and thither ran cows in confusion, but beyond them lay one big prostrate form. The bullet had struck the neck. The horns of this bull taped 28 ins., by 8|- ins. around the base. One was slightly splintered at the point, and 52 ON SAFARI one ear was bitten through — the result, no doubt, of the fights that had gained him his numerous harem. Dead- weight, as he lay, estimated at near 500 lbs. While ofF-skinning proceeded I strolled to some low ridges beyond to survey the country. At first only zebras and ostriches were in sight; but presently the glasses rested on an animal that was quite new to me — a great dark-red hartebeest standing beneath a shady mimosa a mile away. He was a lone bull, bigger, redder and with finer horn than any of his kind hitherto seen. This was my first view of Bubalis jacJcsoni. Him we at once proceeded to stalk. Again the range was long — sighted for 300 yards ; yet so severe was the hit that for a full half-hour we never doubted that this also was " our meat." Slowly he moved, with frequent halts, but on, on . . . into the low hills that closed the plain, taking ridge after ridge, apparently recovering strength as time went on. Then, on topping a crest, we "jumped" a second lone bull of the same species, and by a bit of sujDerb field- craft gained an advantage that within twenty minutes proved fatal to the game. This hartebeest had dashed away, circling round the rim of a saucer-shaped depression. Elmi, inspired, plunged into this dip, directing our four " boys " to remain standing in full view on the ridge behind. Presently, as anticipated, our horned friend pulled up and stood fixedly regarding those four harmless Swahili, A TWELFTH ON THE EQUATOR 53 while we, being in the liollow below his sight, were free to continue our advance. At little over 100 yards the tips of those thick-set back-bent horns showed up above intervening bush, and, firing low through the foliage, judging where the chest would be, a dull echoing response told that another grand beast lay dead. Jackson's hartebeest is the finest of the genus found in East Africa, and closely related to the red hartebeest {Biihalis caama) of the Cape. It is probably the northern form of one species, for in some specimens a trace of the black facial " blaze " characteristic of B. caama is found retained in B.jachsoni — in this example it extended from above the nostrils half-way to the base of the horn-pedicles. Other specimens obtained later showed no sign of this, and even the dark-red pelt is not an invariable distinction, for one bull shot later was quite pale in body-colour — lighter, indeed, than B. cohei. The dead-weight of this animal we estimated at full 400 lbs., against little over 300 lbs. in B. cokei; and the horns taped 22 ins., by 10|^ ins. in basal circumference, with a span of 7|- ins. between tips. Irides yellow. Meanwhile, our previously-wounded bull had dis- appeared. We made every possible efi"ort to recover him, following for miles and sending out scouts to watch the vultures, but never again was he seen. Camp was now five miles distant, the white tents mere specks across a shimmering plain, and it was two o'clock ere we reached them. Numerous ostriches on this plain seemed to challenge an attempt to stalk ; but this is an undertaking of no small difficulty. The immense height of these giant birds — they stand about 8 ft. — enables them to see over any ordinary covert. They walk, moreover, when feeding along, faster than one can run — run, that is, all doubled up and obstructed by strong grass and intercept- ing creepers. My brother, nevertheless, secured here a cock ostrich under the following circumstances. Afar on the plain two ostriches were rolling on a bare patch among the grass — taking a dust-bath. Neither W 54 ON SAFARI nor his gun-bearer were able to distinguisli what that dark rollmg object was, and had half concluded it must be a rhino.' On their arrival within 200 yards the cock ostrich stood up, and promptly received a bullet through his body. He provided plumes and feathers enough to supply an average family, but, as regards meat, was a complete fraud. There is little or nothing eatable on OSTRICHES. an ostrich. Needins; no wino;- muscles, the sternum has not even the rudiment of a keel, nor is there any nesh whatever on his breast, while the leos are all sinews. As we had both during the morning "jumped several small antelope or dikdik of kinds unknown to us, we took Paradox guns that evening wdth the idea of forming line to walk-up these small buck, or whatever might befall. A very hot day, however, was now suc- ceeded by rain, and, probal)ly owing to the grass being wet, several small animals were seen to break away wild before our advancing line. With a view to cut these A TWELFTH ON THE EQUATOR 55. out, I pushed forward on the right, but only succeeded in heading some jackals and small pig, besides seeing a tawny-brown cat or lynx ; and, the country becoming wooded, we got separated. Holding on alone, I presently found myself on the same marsh where we had shot the sing-sing that morning. Old spoor of three elephants led alono' the edo-e of the vlei — it was the first I had seen, and I was horrified by its size I — and several waterbuck cows still awaited their lost lord. The hour being late, I resolved to remain awhile on the chance of some stranoe animal emers-ing from the great reedy fastness at sunset. The idea was vague, but it had a concrete reward. Presently something did appear, and the glass showed this to be a tawny-hued antelope with strong recurved horns — a neio beast for the second time this day I At 200 yards he stood, nothing more than a yellow head and neck showing amidst contrasting green fiags. I fired three shots with the "303 carbine, each aimed at an unseen shoulder somewhere, I knew not precisely wdiere, Ijeneath. All this time the buck stood statuescjue — as it were, hypnotised. The fourth shot, directed at the head itself, went true, striking below the eye with instantly fatal result. Ehiii carried our prize ashore from a foot of water — a lovely creature, the East-African reedbuck [Cervicapra tvardi), quite new to me, and the only specimen we obtained that year.^ This is a smaller animal than the common reedbuck (which is not found in East Africa), its live-weight probably not exceeding 80 or 90 lbs. ; the pelt is rougher and more tawny than that of the larger species, and the horns more abruj)tly hooked forwards. They measured in this specimen 9j ins., by 6 ins. around the base. This antelope has the broad, fan-like, fiirting tail with ^ We have since found them quite numerously in suitable localities, as is mentioned latei' in this book. The valley of the Alabanyata, indeed — down which we had just travelled without seeing a single reedbuck — abounded with these antelopes on our next visit, eighteen months later. 56 ON SAFARI white edge, and the bare sjDot beneath the ear, that are characteristic of its genus. Irides dark. Darkness was gathering ere we started campwards with our burden, and we suffered a bad half-hour or two, path-finding in the dark through heavy scrub, till we met two askaris with lanterns, whom AV had HEAD OF EAST-AFraCAX KEEDBUCK. sent to pilot us in. He had shot a Grant's gazelle, and both of us had struck fresh rhino spoor. Thus ended our Twelfth on the equator. We had brought in five head of as many difterent species, and three of them new to us. Plenty reigned once more — we had half-a-ton of meat, on which our men fed like wolves. Presently weird music — chant and song ac- A TWELFTH ON THE EQUATOR bl companied by reed-pipe and rude guitar, not wanting in its own appropriate melody — startled the stillness of the tropical night. The final pipe was enjoyed amid wondrous serenade of nightjars and cicadas, ground- crickets and bull-froo's, with a backins; of laus^hino- hyenas beyond. From Ecjuator Camp we resumed our march north- wards towards Baringo. One day's travel across low rocky ridges, clad with scattered mimosas, brought us to the Molo River at Ya-Nabanda — a spot where later on we enjoyed some memorable sport. Thence following the river till it diverged to the west at a point known as Maguiohni, we struck due north, three days' hard travelling, entangled all the time in intricate passes through rocky mountains — cruel volcanic lava, hidden boulders overgrown with wiry grass and trailers, horrid with bush and thorn — bad going for the heavily-laden safari, especially when rhinos filled their breasts with frequent alarm. It was our object to explore Lake Hannington, lying among the rocky hills to the eastward, and w^ith that idea we had left the track ; but the deviation, with loaded men, proved impracticable. We struck one corner of the lake, nestling amid forest-clad heights, all reflected on the still surface, that recalled the scenery of Norway. The shallows and mud-flats at the head of the lake were brilliant with innumerable herds of rosy flamingoes that hid the water from view. We were the less disappointed by this failure as the rugged volcanic hills and thorny jungle that surround Lake Hannington did not appear at all likely ground for eland, which we had been told frequented the shores of that lake, and to secure which had been our object in trying to reach it. That rocky country appeared more suitable for koodoo than for eland. At all these camps, being in the Masai cattle-country, plagues of flies {like ordinary house-flies) tormented beyond bearing. In the morning, luckily, we were away before the demons awoke. At that hour they 58 ON SAFARI formed a solid black mass, inches deep, along the ridge- poles of our tents and in the angles of the roof. But at midday there was no escape. They crawled over hands, face and food alike ; swam in shoals in milk or coffee ; buzzed in one's ears and down one's neck — one long buzz, buzz, buzz, bite and sting from dawn till dark. Thence another day's travel took us on to the Baringo Plain. In four marches we had descended from 8,000 ft. at the Ungusori camp to 3,500 ft. here ; and : If . /^■^^Cr SOCIAL ■WEAVER-FINCH, Avitli its 100-roomed nest. the reduced elevation was marked by corresj^onding changes in the heat, the vegetation and the bird-life, all three here assuming a tropical character. We had descended from regions of bracken and bramble to palm and tree-fern. Birds there were that we had never seen before — birds strange of form, of plumage and of flight ; all then utterly unknown to me. There were gorgeous tropical types, as sunbirds and barbets, bulbuls with glorious fiute-like note, heard both by day and last thing at night, and weaver-finches that filled whole trees with nests — some containing eggs, others young, in A TWELFTH ON THE EQUATOR 59 August. Bee-eaters, of vivid greens and red, flashed in the sunlight ; but a yet more briUiant hue was disphayed by an azure kingfisher. There were quaint hornbills, rollers and bubbling bush-cuckoos — the latter not heard since leaving Mombasa — eagle-owls, buzzards and hawks of many kinds. A conspicuous genus was that of doves, thousands in numbers, and in every size down to the tiny G^na capensis. Insects here became a burden — moscjuitoes in particular. At our last camp, ^^ COUCAL, OR BUSH-CUCKOO. Known as " Water-bottle bird" at Mombasa. by a pestilent swamp on the Molo, we were doubting whether death itself might not be welcome when a merciful squall blew up and dispersed them. Another march across a torrid plain where great red ant-hills towered w^ in hundreds, tall and thin, looking at a distance like factory chimneys, and amidst which we discovered traces of the mysterious aard-vaark, brought us back to the Molo. There yet remained a mountain- spur to cross, and here troops of baboons, some looking as big as human beings, watched and barked from the crags above. (An "old-man" baboon, by the 60 ON SAFARI way, when actually measured, taj^ecl 5 ft. Gj ius. from nose to outstretched hind-feet — or 5 ft. 2 ins. to the tip AAllD-YAAUK of his tail.^) A pair of Bateleur eagles soared overhead, ^ Since writing the above, T find that the baboons of British East Africa are of diiferent species from the common dog-faced Chacma baboon (Papio chacma) of South Afiica. This Equatorial form has received the title of /-'. iheanus. The measurements above given were taken from a Chacma baboon. A TWELFTH ON THE EQUATOR 61 and we observed in this gorge birds of tlie rock- sparrow kind [Petronia), as well as numberless guinea-fowl of a new species, with a tuft of curious horny bristles set around the gape. These were the Abyssinian helmeted guinea-fowl {Numida iJtUovliyncha), which swarmed in the thorn}' scrub, some packs apparently running to fifty or a hundred and upwards. Beyond that spur we at length descried the fort of Baringo — furthest outpost, in this direction, of British Empire. At midday on August 17 we encamped on the little plain below the Boma, having spent nine days on the march from Nakuru. Here we presently received a most hospitable welcome from the District-Commissioner (and sole white inhabitant), ]\Ir. Geoffrey Archer. NAMAQUA DOVE [(Ena capensis). A pigeon no bigger than a AVagtail. CHAPTER YI AFTER ELEPHANT AT BAEINGO Two bull-elepliants having been reported in the neighbourhood, we rested a couple of days at Baringo awaiting further news ; but the native trackers sent out to locate the elephants having failed to do so, we resumed our march northwards. On the night of August 20 we were encamped beneath the conical mass of Njoro-llimalo (or Koodoo-Kop, as we called it, owing to the stony mountains around being frequented by these superb antelopes), when at 9 p.m. three " askaris," or native soldiers, came into camp ^nth a letter from Mr. Archer at Baringo, saying that an Njemusi hunter had brought in news of a huge old solitary bull-elephant which had taken up his quarters near Njemps, on the further side of the lake. Archer added that, as he was then proceeding on duty to Njemps, he would be glad to accompany me thither, provided I returned to Baringo at once.^ This necessitated an entire recasting of plans, but arrangements were soon made, and an hour before daylight on the morrow, under a waning moon, I left my brother to continue his solitary journey northwards to the Mugitani River, while I set out on return for Baringo. Arriving there (four hours' march) in time for breakfast. Archer and I at once started for Njemps, re-crossing first the^mountain-spur, and then the liat plains towards the Molo River. This river, we were told, was only waist-deep, so we proceeded to walk through, sending some natives in advance to shift ^ See sketch-map at p. 75, infra. 62 AFTER ELEPHANT AT BARINGO 63 possible crocodiles. AVitli some dismay, however, we found, on reaching what had appeared to be the opposite bank, that we had merely crossed a shallow by-stream, that the apparent bank was an island, and that the main river still ran, broad and deep, before us. There was nothing for it but to swim, and this we proceeded to do, ao'ain sendino- an advance-Q-uard of blacks as a precautionary measure. Our rifles and ammunition came through all right ; but, in spite of every care, our clothes (carried aloft in one hand) got hopelessly wet. Even on the equator one does not care to dress in soaking garments, and we therefore both marched into Njemps, three miles beyond, arrayed each in a wet shirt, a sun-helmet and a pair of boots. Here we found the local chiefs all assembled to meet H.M.'s representa- tive, but since no one of them wore anything at all, our scanty attire created no scandal. Njemps is a strongly- stockaded village, with many rows of grass-built huts inside its rampart of growing thorns and surrounding moat, and we encamped beneath the historic sycamores where, less than twenty years previous, Joseph Thomson, the first explorer of Masailand, had rested after his adventurous journey. Here, again, the resonant flute-like song of the bulbul struck me as certainly the most eff"ective bird-melody I ever heard. Specially noticeable was it just before sundown. That afternoon, while Archer held " shauri " with the chiefs and collected revenue, I went to look for the elephant under the guidance of the local hunters, and soon found his mighty spoor of the night before. This we followed for miles, in and out, always through comparatively open ground and loose forest, highly favourable for our attack had the elephant been there, but he was not. It became evident that, althouo-h he might come hither every night to feed, he had some other stronghold to which he retired by day. We saw many waterbuck in these forests, though no really good heads, and a superb pair of white-headed fish-eagles {Haliaetus vocifer) kept screaming and circling overhead. 64 ON SAFARI Both the woods of Njemps and the marshes of the Molo that adjoined them swarmed with strange birds and unknown w^ater-fowh Gladly would I have spent more time in investigating these, but the major quest forbade. There were squawking bronze -green parrots — I took these to be parrots — an elusive cuckoo with ruddy breast that betrayed his genus by a muffled note, but avoided all save a fugitive glance. There were wood- peckers great and small — some no bigger than creepers ; EAEBET. Colours gold, lemon and crimson, black and white, barbets — thick-set, " dumpy " birds, in coloration akin to the last, thouo;h so different in habit : bush-shrikes and babblers; tiny warbler-like "white-eyes" {Zosterops), cousins of the sun-biids ; colies in little jDarties, and glossy starlings {Lamprocolius), the latter nesting in hollow trees as starlings do at home. In the marshes we noticed various herons and egrets, spur-wing plovers, common and other sandpipers, kingfishers azure and pied, rails and chestnut-red jacanas. Next morning our scouts were away before dawn, but I was glad to be told that an early start was not necessary, since, having tramped over thirty miles the previous day, I wanted an " easy." At ten o'clock a little wizened savage (the same who had brought the first news to Baringo) came in and reported he had actually seen the elephant at dawn, that he was an AFTER ELEPHANT AT BARINGO 65 enormous old tusker with heavy ivory, and that he had marked him into his resting-place for the day. Enthusiasm rose to fever pitch, and in five minutes we were off, Archer, having now completed his " shauris " (palaver) with the Njemusi chiefs, being able to accompany me. I was glad of this, for I was totally unequipped as regards weapons for such heavy and dangerous game, my most powerful rifle being a double *303. That the '303 is quite capable of kilHng the African elephant I am well aware ; Mr. F. C. Selous has A MOrSE-GEEY COLY [CoUus) AT XJEMPS. proved that, and for many years my late friend Arthur Neumann " used no other." But these are exceptionally practised hunters, of lifelong experience, and in choosing this small bore they relied also upon choosing their shots. It is a very diff'erent matter for an amateur for the first (and perhaps the only) time in his life to withstand the onset of an enraged elephant with so tiny a tool. I speak from knowledge, for I did it, and owe it merely (under Providence) to a flaw in a fickle, shifty wdnd that I am here to write the experience. Archer, however, had a single '400, a far more powerful weapon. 66 ON SAFARI After proceeding some miles in a northerly direction, I began to perceive a change in the character of the country, forest and scrub giving place to " elephant- grass." Grass ? Well, when stuff grows to a height of ten or twelve feet in masses so solid and strong that one cannot force a way through it, such plants should have another name than that of the humble greenery of a lawn. For a time I did not realise the full import of the change, but imagined that these giant clumps through which we were seeking a path were merely a casual local phenomenon, and that we should presently get past them. I soon was undeceived. This was "elephant-grass"; it extended for untold leagues, encircling the southern shores of Lake Baringo, and it was rigrht in the midst of such a fastness that our friend the elephant had selected his stronghold. This grass- forest, full ten feet in height, with tassellecl flowering tops towering above that, was absolutely impenetrable to human-kind, save only by following the old tracks of elephant or buffalo, and these in places were almost obliterated. One's progress, moreover, was constantly intercepted by broken-down thorn-trees. How they got there 1 could not surmise, but one had to climb over or squeeze under them, and not a yard could one see in any direction, save only a narrow crevice of sky above, with the broiling sun right overhead. Naturally the naked, affile savages o-ot throusfh this awful stuff far quicker than we could follow ; yet it was absolutely necessary to keep in touch with them — or be lost. At length the elephant was reported to be within sight, and by climbing a dead tree (infested by biting ants) I indistinctly descried portions of a vast grey bulk beneath some flat- topped thorns, distant 400 yards. Even that last short space gave trouble, for in the depths of that grass-forest we suddenly came on the river Tigerish, a deep, muddy stream, with perpendicular banks like a canal. This, though barely ten yards broad, we had to swim. In the over- hanging bushes colonies of weaver-finches had nests, some AFTER ELEPHANT AT BARINGO a of which contained eggs resembling those of our sparrow, but speckled with a violet tinge ; in others the young were hatched. The next view of our elephant was from a thorn- tree at seventy yards. He stood quiescent, his enormous ears flapping to keep ofi" the flies. Omitting details of detours necessitated or suggested by varying airs, at last I found m3'self watching this giant beast (from a tree) within thirty yards. Only the ridge of his back and huge ears were visible above the tall grass, all in deep shade, and I was debating w^ithin myself what was WEAVER-FINCHES NESTS< the right course to pursue, enjoying the novel sight and trying to recollect all that the great elephant-hunters had advised. Already Archer, very rightly, had raised a question of the wisdom of " taking on " a solitary old bull under such conditions ; but I only reflected on the forty miles we had come, the rivers swum, the game in view, and had not realised the full import of his remark nor the danger of this venture. The perception was not long de- layed. A distinct and continued pufi' of wind on the back of my neck brought it home. One moment later that ere- whiles somnolent elephant was all alert. Up in air full twenty feet towered the great trunk, its point deflected hither and thither to pick up those grains of scent in the 68 ON SAFAEI traitor breeze. The next moment he was gone as by magic, vanishing from sight as silently as a rabbit. I feared he had gone for ever, but instinctively climbed down a branch or two, remaining in a position whence I could still see over the grass, yet could jump to the ground at once. What really passed through the elephant's mind during the succeeding moments I would dearly like to know. If at first (as certainly seemed to me) he had, for a second, resorted to precipitate flight, that plan was almost instantly rejected, for immediately thereafter the crashing of the jungle told us he was coming, and then the great square forehead appeared, towering above the jungle, as he rushed directly upon us. I had jumped down from the tree ; Archer was five yards to my left, with the elephant almost straight above him, when the charge stopped. We presumed the great beast had lost the wind. What now confronted us, some ten yards away, resembled the hoary grey tower of a village church. Under a midday, equatorial sun {almost vertical) there is no shade to define angles and thus indicate the vital spots, nor was there any time to consider. I placed my tiny "303 bullet on the temple as near as I could judge at the point given in the " rules," i.e. " half-way between eye and orifice of ear " (though I could neither see eye nor orifice, and the ear was as big as a barn-door). Archer, being directly in front, tried the forehead shot, aiming at base of trunk. These stunning blows at least turned him off" us, for the elephant swerved to the left and disappeared. In a w^ay, this was a relief, but it was also disappointing. Hardly, however, had I got the empty cartridge replaced than the beast was on us again. This time he crashed across us from left to right; luckily he had (very slightly) misjudged his point, and thus passed us a few paces in front of our actual positions. We each put our bullets into the side of his head, almost at the inuzzle of our rifles. Archer his single '400 ball, and I my two 'SOS's, followed up by two " solids" from the NEARLY CAUGHT. AFTER ELEPHANT AT BARINGO 69 "450 (an old black-powder rifle) before losing sight. T had thus placed one ball in the left, four in the right side of his head, Archer one in the latter part and one in the forehead — seven in all. No effect whatever was produced, so far as we saw. But our men, who now climbed into trees, at once reported that the beast w^as going very sick, and, a minute later, that he had stopped altogether. This we soon verified for ourselves, seeing him at a standstill among the long grass some 300 yards distant. What should we do now? Never again, after this experience, would I follow him up in that fearful grass, where he has one as in a trap, for a man cannot move a yard to right or left, whereas an elephant goes through it as if walking in a meadow. We decided on a policy of " masterly inactivity," leaving the wounded elephant to die quietly (as we hoped) where he stood, our scouts being posted in trees to watch him, while we proceeded to have our lunch. Presently our elephant slowly moved into some very heavy thorn -jungle beyond. How he crossed the deep donga of the Tigerish River (which we had to swim a second time) we could not see. Here we had a bit of bad luck. Probably our trackers pressed on too fast ; anyway the beast retreated on his heel-tracks, and we lost an hour before recovering the spoor behind us. He now left the grass-forest and entered a stretch of thick, low thorn-scrub, most laborious and painful to traverse. The day was far spent, and of intense heat and hard going I had had enough, and returned to camp at four o'clock. Archer followed on, first into the swampy ground adjoining Lake Baringo, thence wheel- ing to the left as the spoor turned due west, as if the wounded beast meant to seek refuge in the Kamasea Mountains, which closed the horizon some six miles away. In that case we knew he was lost to us. Next; day, however, the tracks showed that he had not dared to face the mountains, but had held to the south some twenty miles down the valley, where he had entered a 70 ON SAFARI huge morass, a league in diameter, choked with reeds and flags, and with water three to four feet deep — possibly far more — and swarming with leeches. To explore this Archer sent men back to the lake to carry canoes hither, twenty miles, and we offered a reward of two cows for the recovery of the ivory. There ends, so far as our knowledge goes, the storj^ of our elephant. It seemed certain that the sick beast would die wherever he took final refuge, and this con- viction was confirmed by a letter sent me a few days later : " The latest news of your elephant is that he was seen, very sick, making for Magi-Moto or the swamp beyond. The natives are still on his spoor, so I trust you will have the satisfaction of receiving the ivory on 5^our return here." Yet no monster tusks were ever sent in to the fort at Baringo. Whether the Njemusi really failed to find the beast, or whether they recovered him and said nothing, we could not be certain. But, sad to tell, these primitive savages are already beginning to understand differences in value, and to distino-uish between a pair of tusks worth, perhaps, £80 to £100 sterling, and a couple of cows only worth as many rupees. The sensation of failure, after the prolonged excite- ment, risk and labour was sickening enough ; twice we had been within less than ten yards of one of the grand- est beasts in all Africa, and had failed to secure him ; 5^et we could not but feel thankful that we had come out of it unharmed. Both those terrible charges had been full of mischief and malice, and we had only escaped, in either case, through a mere lucky flaw or slant in the wind. My impression was that the danger is more real with elephant (and, in minor degree, with rhino) than with lion. For the big carnivora in- variably give one the first chance, and that ought, in their case, with modern weapons and short range, to be decisive ; whereas this elephant charged at once, with full intent to kill, before we had molested him in the smallest degree, beyond getting in his wind. Moreover, AFTER ELEPHANT AT BARINGO 71 though he had just received two cordite-driven bullets in his head, he instantly, within fifteen seconds, repeated his charo-e a second time, and after all, with some seven balls in his head, travelled upwards of twenty miles almost without stopping. Subsequently Archer wrote me that, a fortnight later, during his absence on duty, an immense bull- elephant, carrying tusks of 90 -lbs. apiece, had come down to the water at Magi-Moto and had died there ! It was not, of course, proved that this was our elephant, though the probability amounted to no less than a moral certainty. Unluckily, owing to Archer's absence, the ivory disappeared, falling into the hands of some Swahili traders. The foregoing serves incidentally to show how easy it is for an elephant — or for a herd of elephants, enormous as is their bulk — to exist unseen ; as easy as for a rabbit at home, so dense and far-spreading is the tropical jungle ! Another illustration of this fell within my own knowledge. Two Englishmen had gone snipe- shooting on a marsh bordered by comparatively narrow belts of heavy reed. For some hours they had been shooting away merrily, when from these reeds hard by there emerged a whole herd of elephants quietly moving off in search of a less noisy siesta. A point that struck me during our sojourn at Njemps was the inveterate laziness of the native savages. Each morning, shortly after dawn, groups of them assembled at certain spots, each man bringing a " cracket," or low three-legged stool, whereon he squatted, his spear stuck in the ground within arm's- length ; there they sat the livelong day, neither talking, working nor even, apparently, thinking — simply idling away the hours and the days. Those groups which squatted thus around our tents might perhaps be presumed to be in consultation with H.M.'s representa- tive ; but all over the village sat other groups similarly " employed. ' The Njemusi are stated to be a degenerate offshoot of the Masai — " degenerate " because they affect 72 ON SAFARI agricultiire, work with wliicli the noble Masai never demeans himself. Here, outside the stockades, there tvas a patch of cultivation whereon I observed a few women and boys working in listless fashion. The out- ward and visible sion of "work" consisted in their having rude hoes and spades ; but two-thirds of the labourers lay sleeping in the sun. Here amidst African wilds one does find in real life that race which Socialist tub-thumpers, with customary inexactitude, delight in denouncing at home as the "idle rich." CHAPTER VII BEYOND BAEINGO (l) AFTER ORYX AND ELAXD Now that Barino-o is becomino* a favourite resort of big-game liimters, it is interesting to recall that but a score of years ago the region was unknown. The first white explorer to reach its shores was Joseph Thomson, who, writing in 1885, thus described it: "The mys- terious lake of Bariuo'o, thouo;h lono- heard of, has been a delightful bone of contention between geographers at home, who have drawn it in various phases with the large and liberal hand characteristic of those who are guided by their inner consciousness and a theoretic eye. {Sometimes it was comparable to the Nyanza in size ; at other times it had no existence. Then it knocked around the map a bit, being now tacked on to Victoria Nyanza, anon separated therefrom, or only connected by a thin watery line. After all this shuttlecock work. Lake Baringo proves to be an isolated basin, sunnily smiling up at its great parents, the shaggy, overhanging ranges of Kamasea and Laikipia. In extreme length the lake is eiohteen miles, and in breadth ten miles." ^ Baringo has now acquired not only a fixed position in geography, but even a niche in history. A British station was first established on the Ribo Hills to the north of the lake ; and this led to bloodv fio-htino-. Two- thnxls of the native garrison, having been treacherously decoyed away, were surrounded and speared to a man by overwhelming swarms of the Jabtulail and Turkana ^ Through Masailaml, p. 533. 73 74 ON SAFARI tribes. These, flushed with victory, dashed on the British post ; but its solitary white occupant, Mr. Hyde Baker, aided by a handful of Nubian askaris, held the savages at bay for five days, till assistance arrived. Such incidents — merely the grinding of the mill of progress — are, T presume, printed in Blue-books, but seldom reach the average British reader. Baringo now enjoys the reputation of being one of the most favoured regions in the British Protectorate in O respect of its big game. There remains, nevertheless, room for disappointment. For so extensive, and as yet so little understood, are the migratory movements of the antelope-tribe, as also of giraff"e, rhino and other game-animals, that a district which swarms with them one month may be found deserted the next. The materials at present available are too scanty either to determine the extent and dates of these migrations, or to correlate them with seasonal or other causes. It is one object of these chapters to contribute thereto such gleams of light as were furnished by our experiences at Baringo and elsewhere in East Africa. Shortly before leaving England, I had received a letter from Major C. S. Cumberland, who was then at Baringo, that he was disappointed with that district. He wrote as follows :—" Baringo, March 29 [1904]. This is sujDposed to be a good game-country, but I have seen very little, and what there is, having been much hunted, is very wild. It will give you an idea of what this country is like this year to say that I have not halted in any one of my camps for more than one day. In my opinion the beasts have shifted owing to the drouo'ht." Under the impression that if March were unfavour- able, August might prove to be the reverse, we reached Baringo in the latter month. On arrival, Mr. Archer told us that five or six weeks earlier, at the end of the rains, game had been extremely abundant a few marches to the northward. Thus an entry in his diary on July 11 mentions seeino- during- the mornino-, while ridino; AFTER ORYX AND ELAND— BARINGO 75 soutliwards towards the Miigitani River, two herds of 50 and 80 oryx respectively, 11 giraffes and 2 elands; SKETCH-MAr OF BAIIINGO. while the same evenino- he rode within sio-ht of some 300 elands, 100 oryx, 32 girafi'es and 3 rhino, besides 7Q ON SAFAEI the ordinary game. Our own experiences, five weeks later, were as follows. To begin with, I fell in with one of those unpleasant adventures that are incidental to African travel. As related in the last chapter, I had left my brother to continue his march northwards towards the Mugitani Piiver while 1 made a back-cast of thirty miles to Njemps after elephant. Returning thence, on the evening of the fourth day I had reached the neighbourhood of the sj^ot where, by arrangement, I expected to find W encamped, when one of those violent thunderstorms characteristic of the equator suddenly burst. Being unable, in elemental cataclysm, amidst roaring winds, thunder and hissing rain, either to find the river or to get response to our signal-shots, I ordered camp to be pitched exactly where I stood. Then a new difiiculty arose. The heavily-laden safari, struggling against the storm, had got separated and half lost among the bush, the confusion being accentuated by running into a herd of half-wild Suk cattle, the longest-horned and most trucu- lent beasts I ever saw^. One by one, or in scattered groups, the safari straggled in, but, of course, the " boy " with the tent-poles was last to arrive. Thus it was two hours after dark ere I got shelter under canvas, and turned in supperless — bar a tin of sardines and a pint of " emergency " champagne ! The storm moderatino- at midnioht, we got in touch with my brother's camp, which proved to be little more than an hour's march away ; and in the morning, to our mutual relief, W walked across in time for breakfast. The Mugitani at this point, as we discovered by daylight, is little more than a series of mud-holes connected by subterranean channels. No w^onder we had failed to find it in the darkness and stress of the night before. My brother reported having seen a herd of eland and some oryx, but the latter were scarce and very wild. The only game he had killed were impala. Grant's gazelle (the local race, G. g. hrighti), a kori bustard, and a zebra for meat. But a notable occurrence had ' J 1 , ' > 5 1 ■> > J ' ) ) ij 1 > 1 > O ■) 1 ) » 55^i>0 ,5,33 33 , 3,33 3,3 J 3 3 3 3 ' > o o <; 1^ AFTER ORYX AND ELAND— BARINGO 11 befallen. He had come across a gigantic pig which dwarfed the big wart-hogs (animals we saw daily) into comparative insignificance. Wo had neither of us at that time heard of the existence of the giant forest- hog {Hylochoerus) recently discovered in these regions, and described, from some fragments of skin and bone, in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, 1904, KOKI BrSTAIU). Male : weight ■251bs., span 8 ft., has head like a bittern. p. 193, though I now remembered having hastily glanced throu2;h these a nioiit or two before sailing;. Whether the animal seen here was Hylochoerus, or otherwise, remains unproven ; but the following is my brother's narrative — " It was on the Mugitani River that I had my first sight of elands. Leaving camp at daybreak, we had traversed the scattered forest that covers the bush- tangled, boulder-strewn hills above that river, and come upon a level plain, a mile across, stretching to the foot- hills of Laikipia beyond. Upon this plain was a herd of 78 ON SAFARI elands about fifty strong, mostly females and young beasts, but including a single large bull whose brisket appeared to sweejD the ground. They had not noticed us, and their onward direction indicated that they would feed past quite near. What slight wind there was blew in our favour, so we lay down in the deep grass and waited. Presently the whole herd filed past from left to right within easy shot. The big bull was, as usual, last of all, and came on ver}'- slowly, often stopping. AVhether some breath of suspicion were aroused or not, it is impossible to say; but it certainly did happen that before the great bull had arrived opposite our position, first one small beast, then another, quietly dropped astern of the herd and so surrounded his majesty that there remained absolutely no point of his person on which we could get a sight. His massive stubby horns and the line of his back were the only indications of his being there at all. We could do nothing to avert a catastrophe, so lay still, and the elands passed out of the picture in the same slow, dignified order in which they had appeared. They simply faded away within the fastnesses of the Laikipia, and our efforts all that day failed to brino; us ao;ain within touch of them. " Next morning, skirting this plain towards the north, we first spotted a bull giraffe, very black, but as he was travelling faster than we could follow, we took no further interest in him. We then entered a glade which traversed the forest, and were approaching its outlet, when my eye caught something moving in the open beyond. Immediately thereafter the glade was occupied by the form of a pig, which for a moment of time stood gazing towards us — long enough for me to see that this was something quite out of the common in the pig line. Reddish-brown as to colour, with head shaped like that of a bush-pig, its dimensions were what arrested atten- tion. Whether by some optical delusion or not I could not say, but this pig certainly appeared to me to stand well- nigh as big as a zebra, say near four feet at the shoulder. It was gone in a moment. AVe rushed forward to get AFTEK ORYX AND ELAND— BARINGO 79 another view ; but though one other fairly big one and three or four small bright-red pigs dashed across the glade, we never again set eyes on the first monster. " At that time I had heard nothing of Hylochoerus, the unknown species that is said to inhabit the forests of Man and Laikipia, the first intimation of the existence of such a creature only reaching me when my brother rejoined camp a few days later. The natives assert that these huge pigs are not seen beyond the mountain forests. Possibly the prevailing lack of water — which proved our main difficulty in exploring this region — explained their being driven to lower ground in search thereof." The drawing; of a forest-hos; overleaf has been prepared by Mr. Caldwell from a female specimen recently received from the Man Plateau at the British Museum. Features that strike one are the unusual size of the nasal disc ; the splayed-out, warthog-like tusks ; the open tear-duct ; and the curious tufts of white hairs on the upper-lip. The body is covered with long black bristles, but the ears are not tufted as in the bush-pigs. On the following morning I enjoyed my first sight of an oryx, a lone bull moving along the lower slopes ; but though I followed him for hours, far into the stony hills, never got within half-a-mile. In case the fact may possess scientific interest, I should record meeting with a hedgehog during this stalk. I would not have noticed it among long grass had it not loudly resented my proximity. In size it resembled our British species, and its spines were of a uniform brown. Well I knew that my duty to zoology involved taking that beast along ; but, in the midst of a laborious stalk, it was impossible to carry that spiky specimen. Cactus and barbed thorn are torment enough, without having a hedgehog in one's pocket. The bushy prairies here- abouts swarmed with a species of short- eared owl, very dark in colour, probably Asio capensis ; from a patch 80 ON SAFARI of lieatli-like scrub, a couj)le of acres in extent, I put up over twenty. Quails also abounded ; walking alono- the GIANT roi:EST-HOG {Eyloclicerus meinertzhageni). A female from the Mau Plateau. rushy glades, half-a-dozen would spring at every step. These were Coturnix delegorguii, the "harlequin (juail, also the Kurrichaiue button-quail. Francolins (Franco- linus granti) and guinea-fowl of the helmeted Abyssinian AFTER ORYX AND ELAND— BARINGO 81 species (Numida j^f^^orhyncha) were as numerous as grouse on a Northumbrian moor. Our main objective here was to secure the oryx and the eland. The latter, it is true, may be found at less inaccessible points ; but nowhere in East Africa can the stately, straight-horned Oryx heisa be found within 100 miles of the railway. Its main home is in Somali - land and Abyssinia, and rarely does it range southward of Baringo. We had done that long march expressly to secure a pair of oryx apiece — that being the limit allowed by law. Yet the total number of oryx on the Mugitani at this date (August) was certainly under a dozen. A single giraffe lingered there, while of elands I personally saw none. We therefore held on to the Tangulwee, a day's march northwards. This river, which forms the bound- ary of the Sugota Game-reserve (in other words, all beyond it is "sanctuary"), has, for the equator, a fair- sized bed, yet was stone-dry. We were therefore com- pelled to fall back on another stream, a tiny trickling burn, hardly recognisable save by the croaking of frogs, that issues from the Laikipia Range, and was called, we understood, the Masai — a most unlikely name, as w^e were now in the Suk country, far beyond Masailand.^ It, however, provided our prime necessary — water ; and from its banks, though game was far from abundant, we enjoyed many memorable, days. We were, at this point, the northernmost white men in the British Protectorate, excepting Arthur Neumann, who was still many marches to the northward — away in the unknown by Lake Rudolph, too far distant for an afternoon call. On reaching camp that evening, our men told us that while on the march they had seen a lion in the act of stalking some zebras feeding near the edge of the bush. 1 For the beautiful photos in the Suk and Turkana countries here reproduced, my readers and I are indebted to Mr. G. F. Archer, who, as District-Commissioner, controls those wild regions beyond Baringo. G 82 ON SAFARI We encamped under a grove of huge umbrella- topped acacias that, at a little distance, remind one of Scotch firs at home. ♦V^t..,; GIRAFFE BULL AT BARINGO. The country around our camp was thin forest of thorn and juniper, opening out into low loose mimosa- scrub, easy to traverse ; and beyond this, towards the lake, stretched leagues of level grassy plain. It was upon this last that we now got really in touch with Oryx AFTER ORYX AND ELAND— BARINGO 83 heisa. There were not many — only nine or ten ; and on the open prairie the task of approach appeared well- nigh hopeless. For days our best efforts failed. Then (on August 27) I had the luck to find a pair, bull and cow, well within the fringe of mimosa-scrub aforesaid. After a stalk of about average difficulty I fired at the bull, but missed. This shot was taken through the horizontal branches of a thin thorn-bush, and as it was not much "beyond the low aloes" (oryx). over 100 yards, the ball had perhaps been deflected. Not having seen us, the oryx, after one long burst, gradually settled down, and an hour later I came up wdth them again. They now stood on a perfectly open flat of hard, bare, sun-baked mud. Islanded in the midst of this was one patch of spiky aloes, twenty yards wide and three feet high. Getting this in line, I essayed that terrible crawl, 200 yards of cruel going, over brazen clay studded with flints and dwarf cacti, as bad as broken bottles. Yet the stalk succeeded. I have always attributed that success to a remarkable instance of mis- taken animal-instinct. Far out on the flat were g-uazino- 84 ON SAFARI (presumably on flints) a group of Grant's gazelles {Gazella granti hrighti — to give them their correct title). These, perceiving us, and perhaps mistaking our khaki-clacl forms, prone on the earth, for crouching lions, advanced to mob their deadly enemy as small birds mob a hawk. Their short, petulant " wuff, wuff," attracted my attention, and, looking round through eyes near blinded with perspiration, I saw a score of these graceful antelopes within fifty yards, angrily barking and stamping their slender feet. This demonstration was being carried out in full view of our oryx, and I have no doubt monopolised their rapt attention during the fateful minutes while we gained the shelter of the aloes. Thence, aiming between intervals of the spiky aloe tops, I fired the shot that gave me my first oryx. It was the female that fell, with a bullet high on tlie shoulder. The bull bounced off, but shortly pulled up, awaiting his consort. The distance was still under 200 yards, and I might at once have secured my pair without further trouble, but for the freak of my gun- bearer, Elmi Hassan. He, being a Somali and good Mohammedan, must needs get his knife into any animal before it was actually dead. Consequently, with all eyes on "meat" and the still struo-orlino- cow, but none for the grand bull standing beyond, he was already racing in, thus ruining my chance of a second shot. It was not the first time he had offended thus, but I put the matter in such clear terms that it was the last. This oryx (female) carried horns of 31 ins. in length, span 11 ins. between tips. As the bull continued to hover about on the horizon, I followed on ; but after two hours' pursuit he suddenly changed his mind and went off at speed, disappearing in the distance. During all this time the herd of gazelles had kept in close attendance on the larger animal, and as they now remained alone I directed my attention to them. This was, perhaps, rather unhandsome conduct, seeing the assistance they had rendered me in securing AFTER ORYX AND ELAND— BARINGO 85 my oryx ; but the lierd contained several handsome heads, and, moreover, I was then under a totally false impression that all gazelles north of Baringo were G. 2^^tersi — a new species to me — and not G. granti at all. I had been so assured, and, under that belief, proceeded to pick out, one after another, the four finest heads in the herd. These gazelles apparently realised no danger in the report of a rifle, for they merely con- tinued their stately walk, their splendid horns nodding in unison with each step, while by creeping in the long- grass parallel with their file I secured the four best bucks within a space of 200 yards. These four heads taped 23^, 21f, 20 and 20 ins. respectively, span of the biggest lOf ins., and are as good as any to be seen in the Baringo country. NOTE OX GRANT'S GAZELLE Gi*ant's gazelle, it is now recognised, is divisible into several distinct local races, vai'ying both in the form of horn and also in distribution of colour, particularly on the rump-patch and in the depth or absence of dark lateral bands. The typical form, Gazella granti tyjnca, as secured by us on the Athi Plains, at Elmenteita and elsewhere, carried horns up to 25 ins. in length, with an extreme span between tips of 16 ins. Such are average specimens. Further south, on the Seringeti and Rhombo Plains towards Kilimanjaro, much larger examples are recorded, measuring 28 to 30 ins., and even mor-e. These are all typical G. granti. On the western boundary of German East Africa, a race exists which (while the horns do not reach 25 ins. in length) displays quite an extravagant divergence, the span between tips spreading out to 27 and 28 ins. — a breadth which obviously alters the whole type and appearance of the head, as shown in the annexed plate (p. 87). This latter race has been entitled G. g. rohertsl. The Baringo gazelles above mentioned are G. f/. hrighti ; while on the Laikipia Plateau to the eastward yet another form is recog- nised, distinguishable from the typical race not only by its smaller size and shorter, narrower horns, but by a deeper body-colour and more conspicuous lateral bands. These Laikipia gazelles have been separated as G. g. notcda. All those we shot, of either race, possessed the curious tuft of bushy hair below the fore-knees. Peters' gazelle {G. j^^tersi) is quite a different animal, much smaller (intermediate in size between Grant's and Thomson's gazelles), and is not met with inland, being confined to the coast 86 ON SAFARI region. This species can always be distinguished by the fact that the fawn colour of the back continues down to the tail, and is not interrupted by the white of the rump-patch, as is the case in all forms of Grant's gazelle. The horns of Peters' gazelle average from 20 to 22 ins. in length, and ai'e narrow, almost parallel, the usual span being only 6 to 9 ins. between tips, as shown opposite. The growth of the horns in immature examples of G. g. brigliti so closely resembles in form the horns of adult G. petersi (as will be seen in the drawing on p. 87), that it is hardly surprising if we were mistaken in identifying these species at Baringo. Next morning three giraffes were visible from the look-out koppie near our camp, but these great animals possessed no attraction for us, and as a single bull oryx was feeding with two zebras in another direction, 1 made for these. Oryx, however, j^roved intensely watchful and wild, and defied every effort both of my brother and myself on that and many another day. August 30 proved my red-letter day. I began with a fairly good imj^ala buck (24|- ins.) close to camp, and then, after expending a lot of wasted energy in stalking a zebra that both Elmi and I, in the early light, had mistaken for an eland, we esj)ied a lone oryx bull afar on the oj^en prairie. Beyond him was a second. Stalking, strictly speaking, was impossible ; we merely crouched forward, stooping low, and with Elmi's arm around my shoulder. While thus progressing, the two bulls, having closed in, began to fight. I heard their horns crash together repeatedly, but had not much opj^ortunity, while racing ahead, to observe closely their mode of attack. They certainly did not lower their heads to the ground, as they are reported to do in receiving the charge of a lion (and as represented at South Kensington). One such blow, well driven home, must mean death. They rather sparred with their rapier- like horns, each seeking to gain the other's Hank. While the oryx were thus engrossed I got in, and at 400 yards (estimated) fired both barrels, each aimed with the utmost care, yet without the slightest effect or any apparent notice being taken. The beasts continued HORNS OF GAZELLES. A, A, A.— Grant's Gazelle— Three males, typical race. A. 9, — ,, Female ,, B. — ,, Male of variety G. g. roberfsi. C, C. — ,, Two young males, Baringo race. D, D, D 9 . — Peters' Gazelle — Two males and a female. E, E 9 . — Thomson's Gazelle — Male and female. 88 ON SAFARI fighting. and the tosfether position ; Laikipia. quished astern. Presently the bigger bull got an advantage, other fled. The fighting and the pursuit had taken us some miles from our original we were now close under the foothills of Here at last the champion halted, the van- half-a-mile beyond, we double that distance The victor had pulled up just beyond a little IMPALA. "Hardly had we left camp in the dawn than a lovely apparition showed up on the sky-line ahead." (Got him in the neck: horns 24 J ins.) string of gazelles that were feeding across the plain. I felt that if only those gazelles would stand I would get my shot. They did stand, and, firing over their heads at 300 yards, I realised the fierce joy of seeing that noble oryx bull drop stone-dead on the plain. The ball had struck the orifice of the ear, entering the brain — not a shot to boast of, as the shoulder had been my mark ; yet withal no more magnificent trophy had ever fallen to my lot, nor a keener ambition been satisfied. AFTER ORYX AND ELAND— BARINGO 89 Of the many splendid forms that Nature has designed for African antelopes, none surpass that of the oryx. Strength and grace combine in every line. A massive chest and upright neck, deep, yet tapering to the throat, are completed by a beautifully-proportioned barrel and strong though slightly sloping quarters. It is in this latter respect that the hartebeest group fall away, the exaggerated slope giving them — one is loth to apply a disparaging epithet to such fine game — almost an un- ^-;,,^ ORYX. gainly appearance. Of the former type none but the superb sable really compares on equal terms with the oryx, and the roan comes second to this pair. The waterbuck, it is true, idealises massive elegance, but his type is different. His are rather the four-square lines of a red deer on a grander scale. My prize carried horns of 31 j ins., with a basal circumference of just under 7 ins. His hide was scarred with wounds from a score of fights, and from the skin of his neck, which was near 2 ins. thick (thus difi"ering from that of the cow, which was cpite thin-skinned), I cut an imbedded bullet of some previous hunter. The weio-ht of this oryx bull we estimated at 450 lbs., the female about 400 lbs. Returning towards camp — and 90 ON SAFARI a tliree-liours' tramp in the midday heat possessed no terrors that morning — a nightjar rose at my feet from its two eggs, lying on bare ground. This was the small African species {I believe Caprimidgus donaldsoni) whose loud " hoo, hoo," awakens the echoes throughout the livelong night. CHAPTER VIII BEYOND BARINGO (ll) TWO RHINOS That same afternoon when I had secured my oryx bull, after the usual midday rest in camp we went out separately in search of Gazella petersi, being still under the false impression that that species was the gazelle of Baringo. While I was busy " glassing " a small herd, Elmi suddenly turned on me, and I knew by the fire in his eye what was coming. "I see rhino," he said. The huge beast was standing about 400 yards away in a grassy glade — a sort of broad grass street bor- dered on either side by a line of low thorn-bush. I was unprepared, having only five "solid" cartridges with me ; but, as it was too late to send back to camp for more, I decided to take on the rhino at once. On reaching the grass street the rhino had disappeared. I therefore proceeded along the windward side of the open, keeping close under the lee of the low thorns, amidst which I expected to find him. It was, nevertheless, a bit of a shock when I found we had walked within twenty yards before seeing him. He was standing facing us, up a sort of side street, or narrow opening in the scrub. Being almost under the rhino's nose, I dropped in the grass, Elmi behind me. The latter, as we lay still, presently remarked (and the words were not reassuring), " Shoot, he's coming ! " The expression for a moment conveyed the idea of a charge ; but I could see for myself that there was no such clanger, as the beast clearly had not seen us, although so near. What Elmi meant was that the rhino was moving our way. 91 92 ON SAFARI Though not bUnd, yet rhino use their eyesight but little. All I could distinguish among grass and thorn was an amorphous mass, of a red-brown colour (from wallowing in red mud), with a spiky horn like a smoke- stack at the hither end. No possible shot was presented, and the beast was slowly approaching, feeding on mimosa boughs. We therefore crept away through the grass, and, gaining the cover of the thorns, soon reached the broadside position. Even then, though within less than twenty yards, and full broadside on, I was reluctant to fire, for in the bad light (the prelude to a coming thunderstorm) and the shade of the bush, I could not quite distinguish the vital spots. Presently the rhino raised his huge head to pull down a mimosa branch (akin to eating a mouthful of barbed wire), and the whole outline was fully exposed. I placed a '303 solid at the point selected — one foot behind the ear and slightly below — while Elmi, by my direction, put another, from the carbine '303, between eye and ear. The rhino merely moved two steps forward, turned deliberately round and stood still, with his other broadside exposed. We repeated our salute as before, Elmi this time taking the neck shot, while I tried a point below the ear and vslightly forward thereof. The effect this time was unmistakable. The great beast dropped straight to earth, disappearing from view. For some seconds I thought the deed was done, and greatly rejoiced thereat. The joy was premature, for once more that vast red- brown bulk rose above the thorns, and slowly, deliberately walked away. (3nly a single cartridge now remained. I followed the rhino, walking some thirty yards behind him, awaiting a chance. Presently he left the bush, and, with head carried low and a dead-sick gait, entered the open grass street. This time I decided to try the heart, presuming that a rhino carries such an appendage (which I now doubt), or, at any rate, the shoulder. The distance, ere I had perfected a thrice-refined aim, was near eighty yards, and I heard the bullet tell. > J 3' > J 1 , J J J ',> 3 , , > > 5 > 3 i > ' J > ) J3 3 ' 3 ' ' > 1 ' ' O 3 '3 3 3^3 Archer, Photo. TUr.KANA. The wild nomad inhabitants of the region towards Lake Paidolph. Archer, Photo. KEEIO PJVER EUXXING TOWARDS LAKE KUDOLPH. i c- c t *c c TWO EHINOS 93 The effect was remarkable. This hitherto apathetic beast, which had so far treated cordite with shio-oish indifference, suddenly awoke to life and amazing activit}". AVitli a succession of hissing snorts — resound- ing like jets of steam driving through a safety-valve — he reared on end, spun round again and again, and finally, still shrieking and rearing, bolted back to the covert he had just quitted. He left a track like a runaway wagon, which we followed ; but it was now dusk and raining in torrents, with lightning and thunder crackling straight overhead. Nothing more could be done that night. It w^as a rough job to regain camp. At break of day I took up the spoor with fifteen boys, following it for hours through thin scrub and thick. The latter seemed to me highly dangerous work, our radius of vision being limited to a few yards. On open ground the rain had obliterated all tracks, and I divided my force into three parties, two circling on the flanks, to cut the spoor ahead when we lost it ourselves ; but noon arrived without our overhauling the stricken rhino. The midday heat was more than I could withstand, so I returned to camp, directing the trackers to hold the spoor till night. After sundown they too returned empty-handed. Not a sign of the beast had been seen, thoug-h we had followed on for eight or ten miles. Either I or the "303 had failed. After this double disappointment, first with elephant and now with rhino, I decided never again to take on these huge pachyderms with a small bore. It was at this spot — that is, on the first plateau of Laikipia — that, a year before, a terrible accident had befallen an English sportsman, Mr. B. Eastwood of Nairobi, whom I afterwards had the pleasure of meeting, and who kindly allows me to reproduce his description of the event as follows — " On Sunday, the 19th of October, I was under way before six, and made straight for the big hill (Njoro- Ilimalo), nine or ten miles away, where 1 had seen the koodoo tracks. I had gone some distance up the valley, 94 ON SAFAEI shooting a steinbuck on the way, when I saw two rhinos a mile away. The country was fairly open, and before I got up they had disappeared in some dry scrub. There was, just inside this scrub, what I took to be a low hillock, and which I purposed using for stalking. But to this my gun-bearer, Sulimani, objected most strongly. He said it was not a hillock, but rhinoceroses. We crouched behind a little bush and waited, but not for long. Hardly were we down before the group opened, and I saw there were seven rhinos in a cluster.^ Two came rushing in my direction, and at forty yards I fired and dropped one, finding afterwards that the bullet had splintered its nose, and I now have the huge splinter of bone, 1 8 ins. long, with the horns mounted on it. " Leaving Sulimani to skin the beast, I went, with one porter, after an oryx that I could see considerably more than a mile away, but could not get anywhere near it. I followed it nearly five miles, passing on the way another rhino, that I marked in case I lost the oryx. " On the way back I passed an immense herd of eland, fully one hundred, and then returned to the rhino. It was 120 yards away, with its back towards me. I sat down in grass eighteen inches high and waited. After ten minutes the rhino turned round and walked slowly towards me, s;raziuo-. The man I had with me became frightened, and after creeping for some distance through the grass, jumped to his feet and ran. This aroused the beast, for it lifted its head and looked after the man, giving me the chance I wanted. I put a solid bullet in the centre of its chest, about twelve inches up ; it took two or three short quick steps and went down heavily, head-first, its body slewing round as it fell. It made one futile effort to rise, but did not succeed in even lifting its head, and then lay motionless. I put in a second shot to make sure, but might as well have fired at a rock, as it did not move in any way. There seemed to ^ As related in a subsequent chapter, the author on one occasion came across a " hillock " of six rhinos in a cluster. TWO KHINOS 95 be not the slightest breath of Hfe left in it ; so I walked up, wondering what its horns measured, and how I could get it skinned and reach camp liefore dark. " All these conjectures were rudely knocked on the head. When less than twenty yards away the huge beast gave a roll and got on to its feet. My riHe was up at once, and I put a bullet into the shoulder ; but before I could get in a second shot the brute was charging straight. " I commenced to run at a ris^ht ano:le to its course, thinking the rhino would probably go on in a straight line, as they usually do ; but the first step I took I tripped and fell, and before I could regain my feet it was on top of me. " I was nearly on my feet when it struck me. It hit me first with its nose, dropped with both knees on me, then, drawing back for the blow, threw me clean over its back, the horn entering the back of my left thigh, and I saw the animal w^ell underneath me as I was flying through the air. It threw me a second time, but I cannot recollect that throw clearly : and then came on a third time. I was lying on my right side when the great black snout was pushed against me. Then I found myself upon my feet — how, 1 do not know — and staggered off. As I went an inky darkness came upon me. After going perhaps forty or fifty yards, expecting every moment to be charged again, I felt that I might as well lie down and let the beast finish its work without further trouble ; so I lay down."^ The spot where the catastrophe occurred was fifteen miles from his camp, and that camp a twelve-hours' march beyond Baringo. The nearest doctor was distant 136 miles — at Fort Ternan. There, on the desert veld, a shattered wreck, with rioht arm smashed, ribs stove in and broken, and many minor injuries, lay Eastwood all alone, and exposed hour after hour to the fierce ecjuatorial sun and with ghoulish vultures flapping close overhead. Not till late in the afternoon did his men 1 Glohe Trotter, March 1907. 96 ON SAFARI find him, and it was near midnight ere they could carry him into camp. By indomitable pluck he reached Baringo, carried in a litter, on the second morning ; but it was not till the eighth day after the accident that the doctor arrived and the necessary operations could be performed. Poor Eastwood lost his right arm, but otherwise bears no trace of his terrible experience. Another rhino incident. Mr. Long-Innes, whom I met close by Baringo, had just had this curious adven- ture. While passing Lake Hannington on his way up, he suddenly saw the beast lying asleep beneath a dwarf mimosa, and only a few yards from the track. The rhino sprang to its feet in a blind charge. The Kikuyu gun-bearer with the rifle having promptly taken to his heels, Innes had no resource but to bolt the other way, but pitched his white Panama hat behind him as a blind. The rhino momentarily halted at this bait, but, seeing the flying Kikuyu beyond, transferred attention to him, and speedily overtaking him, " chucked " the luckless "boy" over his back, then continuing his course. Curiously, the Kikuyu was not seriously damaged. The blunt horn of the rhino had caught him under the chin — a blow thc.t would surely have broken a wh'te man's neck, but in the savage it merely produced " contusions" ! CHAPTER IX BEYOND BARINGO (in) ORYX, ELAND, IMPALA, JACKSON's HARTEBEEST, DIKDIK, ETC. Hitherto we liad not seen more than fifteen or twenty oryx in the whole district, but on the day after securing the second of my pair (the limit allowed by the game-laws) I fell in with a herd of no less than fifty of these stately antelopes. These presented a magnificent spectacle, their glancing horns resembling a forest of fixed bayonets as they moved in from the north-west in a long file, doubtless an arrival on migration. They were accompanied by zebras and gazelles, while several jackals hung on their flanks. ' It still remained for my brother to secure his pair of oryx, and a day or two later he succeeded in that object, getting two bulls out of this newly-arrived herd, the best carrying an exceptionally fine head of 34^ ins., besides bringing in a young male oryx as large as a goat, which he and the men had captured in the grass. At daybreak, when setting out, he had also bagged a big spotted hyena close to camp. The native boys kept shouting, " Simba, simba " (lion, lion) ; so that after making a good shot, running, at over 100 yards, W was disappointed to find he had killed only, a hyena. While W was busy with his oryx, I devoted myself to impala, wdiich here carry splendid heads ; specimens of 28 ins. are not uncommon, but one I met with appeared to exceed that dimension. Of course it is always the biggest that escape, and that was the case 97 H 98 ON SAFARI with my record impala/ Still, the incident possessed a moral which may be worth relating. I had "jumped" this animal in open forest, and crippled him so severely with a straightaway stern-shot that I walked up within twenty yards of where he stood disabled, with head down and hind-legs straddled apart. My gun-bearer kept urging, " Shoot, shoot," but I thought it unneces- sary, till the buck staggered a few yards into some thicker scrub, when I fired carelessly with the single carbine and missed. Even then the sick beast stood gazing towards us within thirty yards. I covered his shoulder with the double "303, but that rifle was on " safety " (note, that the carbine has no safety), and before I could remedy that bungle, the impala, with a loud cough, disappeared over a ridge. I never saw him again, though I stuck to his spoor all that day and the next, and kept men watching the vultures till we left that camp. Such is the vitality of African antelopes. The moral is, never spare a cartridge while game remains on its legs. While busy puzzling out spoor that night, hearing the same "cough," or sneeze, I approached the spot and got another impala with fine, strong head, but he appeared a bagatelle by comparison. I have seen hundreds of impala, both in South and East Africa, but never a head like the one my folly threw away that day. We had now secured one out of the two main objects of our trip to Baringo — a pair of oryx apiece. But in the other we had been disappointed. Not a single eland had I personally seen, for certain, in all the beautiful park-like plains of Baringo, where, only a few weeks before, these magnificent antelopes had abounded. This we knew from Mr. Archer, at Baringo Fort, and his assurance was amply corroborated by old spoor. But ^ From experience, I deduce this result — that the apparent magnitude of a head seen in the field is dispi-oportionately affected by the span of horns as distinguished from their length. Thus, for example, of two impala, each, say, 25 ins., the one with bi'oad head of 20 ins. span will appear double the size of the other which only spans 1 2 ins. or less. 3 ) 5 > 3 ""j > 3 3 > 3 3 3 1,-) o 333333 3333 3 3 3, ,' !, 3 ^ j' 3 3 3 3 (!) ORYX, ELA.ND, IMPALA, ETC. 99 the elands were no longer there, nor did we see a single buffalo, while of giraile only five or six laggards re- mained behind. We saw but two more rhinos, one of which, though quite unmolested, made a determined charge on my hunter, Elmi, who, being unprepared and only a few yards from the beast, had a narrow escape. The main bodies of all these animals had temporarily retired, probably from lack of water, and presumably northwards, beyond the Tangulwee River (now dry), into the sanctuary of the 8ugota Reserve. August 26. — From midday till dusk a storm of locusts, passing northwards, darkened the sky and covered our camp. Next day, never a locust in sight, but the huge marabous sat gape-full on the trees — actually unable to close their beaks ! I do not know if hartebeests are ever common at Baringo,^ but this family of antelopes is so numerous and so characteristic of British East- African plains that their absence here was remarkable, the few we saw being all Buhalis jachsoni. Members of another group were, however, extremely abundant here, namely, the dikdiks, or grass-antelopes. These small animals, some species of which are no bigger than a hare, lie close in long grass or low bush, and bound away from underfoot in a series of leaps that defy a rifle-ball, even were it convenient to fire one. But on days when we went out expressly with a shot-gun, not a dikdik could we see. One afternoon, while lying half-asleep under a mimosa, resting during the midday heat, I was awakened by a curious whistle close by, and cautiously looking up, observed a small horned animal intently watching me, and secured it with No. 6 shot from the Paradox, which luckily lay within arm's length. This proved to be Madoqua gueritheri, a thoroughbred little antelope, though its tiny annulated horns only measured 2| ins. in length, and the best we have since shot barely exceeded 2|- ins. The nose is remarkably prolonged and prehensile, extending c|uite 1 The Mugitani River practically marks the Dorthern limit of Jackson's hartebeest in the Rift Yalley. 100 ON SAFARI an inch beyond the lower lip. I was fortunate in secur- ing a female a day or two later. The male weighed 7 lbs. An even commoner species than this (though I had not an opportunity of shooting one) is of a slaty- grey colour with a white patch on the neck, and this I cmmot identify. These were seen in rather thicker bush, and were sometimes remarkably tame. The configuration of the Baringo Plains, from the summit of Laikipia down to the lake, is a series of giant steps, best illustrated in the following rough diagram — FEET '■,10.000 j-yj:: UIAGllAM SHOWING CONFIGUEAPION OF THE BARINGO PLAINS. One morning when shifting camp from A to B,a low koppie on the horizon had been indicated by our AVando- robo guide as the site of the next camp. This land- mark, however, as we discovered during the march, was not a koppie at all, but a mountain-peak of the Kamasea Range fifty miles away, beyond the lake. Meanwhile the misled safari at one point, my brother and self at two others, all separate, had descended the abrupt escarp- ment beyond B, and it was on this lower level, a region of far denser bush, that I noticed these unknown dik- diks at the point marked C, as well as some superb waterbuck. Having only two gun-bearers with me, and knowing that we were already lost and confronted with the risk of being once more "benighted" (being, besides, again overtaken by a thunderstorm and torrential rains), I did not care to burden ourselves with game. Thus a possible chance of securing a new species was lost ; for before finally reaching camp, after hours of anxiety, we had to reascencl the escarpment, and never again visited the lower level. Of course one's impression of an animal ■> ) O > » » ) J 3 1 i > 1 > 3 1 » 3 J . O 3 ^ , ', 3 O ' 3 •' .' • ^ ,\« :« ' If JM«. \ « — |v ^ *'» Archer, Photo. SOUllCES OF THE SUGOTA rjVER. Hot springs whence issues that strange chalybeate stream that flows down the Northern Kift through biiruing-hot, lava-strewn country to within 20 miles of Lake Rudolph. (Note the Storks and Ibises.) ORYX, ELAND, IMPALA, ETC. 101 merely seen in bush, however near, may be quite erro- neous ; still, I cannot identify this white-collared, slate- blue dikdik with any of the descriptions or figures given in the Booh of Antelopes} It is at least certain that tivo species are found on these Baringo Plains. The Wandorobo guide just mentioned was rather interesting. He had been lent to us by Archer, and when he came to our camp was stark naked, possessing nothing beyond a spear and a wire anklet. We gave him a blanket ; but he never entered a tent, preferring to coil himself up, dog-like, under some bush imme- diately behind our tents. He kept apart from the Swahili, and if they despised the wild savage, certainly the sentiment was mutual. He made his own fire, cooking scraps of meat and the bones he collected from the difterent messes, from which he made marrow-soup. But he was distinctly accpiisitive. Beginning with an empty biscuit-tin, in which he stored rice and bits of biltong, he gradually accumulated property. On our return to Baringo he carried quite a big roll of " Ameri- kani " (cotton canvas) containing we knew not wdiat, but clearly full of something. Here, in Equatorial Africa, one realises that " property " may truly be synonymous with robbery I As a guide he proved a failure, partly owing to his dread of bushy ground, wherein he ever suspected rhino; but he displayed a marvellous instinct for leading us to water in most unlikely spots. We were now in the Suk country, and occasionally able to obtain milk, etc., from these friendly savages in ^ The following gives in tabular form the approximate distribu- tion of East-African dikdiks, and may be useful to sportsmen shooting in that country — Species. Locality. Giinther's dikdik. Madoqua guentheri . Baringo. Unknown ,, ., {?) ,, Cavendish's ,, ,, cavendishi . Elmenteita, Enderit, etc. Hinde's „ ,, hindei . . Simba, Makindu, etc. Kirk's ,, Xeotragus kirki . . Coast region only. 102 ON SAFARI exchange for coloured beads and iron wire. Still, one is always in the main dependent on one's own stores, and the following entry in the diar}^ shows the straits we had reached at this date : " Milk has given out, and coffee also ; soups did so weeks ago. There is only one candle left, and one tin of biscuits — nothing else. We now live on venison and rice, drink raw tea, and go to bed in the dark." Early in September we left the hospitable homa of Baringo, that outlying frontier-post of Empire where a single Britisher, by means of a wattle-and-daub house, a few mud huts, seventy native soldiers, and some coils of barbed wire, maintains control and moral supremacy over swarming savage tribes. Marching southward, on the third evening w^e encamped on the Molo River, beneath the broadest-spreading mimosa I ever saw. The spot, I believe, is called Ya-Nabanda. Here w^e intended to halt a couple of days to secure a few more specimens of the large Jackson's hartebeest. I had succeeded in shooting two bulls, carrying heads of 22 and 20 1 ins. respectively, and on the second evening W brought in even a finer head of 22 j ins., yet withal he was strangely dispirited and despondent. On comjDaring experiences, it turned out that a curious coincidence had befallen. We had both that day at last fallen in with eland, animals we had already abandoned hope of seeing. In my own case it was a single eland in company with zebras and small harte- beests. Even at the distant view I saw at once by the square-built stern and heavily-tufted tail, swishing at the flies on its flanks, that this was a new animal to me. On a nearer approach I recognised it as an eland cow, carrying long but poor horns. I crept within 100 yards of the group, and thoroughly enjoyed the scene. But a cow eland was not available game, and I shot a w^ater- buck bull instead. Meanwhile, to the east of the river W had fallen in with a herd of no less than fifty elands, but only including one big heavy bull. This splendid beast he 5 3 n 5 ' ■» SUE. AVAllKIOKS IN THE FORT AT BAKINGO. "■m^ .^f^ IX THE SUK COUNTIIY, Donkey-transport cut off by river coming down in flood. ORYX, ELAND, IMPALA, ETC. 103 liad wounded, but had unluckily been unable to come up with it ere darkness set in. We therefore decided to remain at this camp till we had secured our one bull eland apiece, that being the limit allowed by law. A grievous disappointment awaited us next morning. We had both at this period been suffering from the severe work entailed by the constant crawling after oryx, hartebeest, etc., over the hard, flinty ground. Cuts and abrasions, skinned knees and scarified forearms are the normal condition of the white-skinned hunter in Africa, but to-day (September 8) my brother was totally disabled from walking, one knee being swollen to the size of a pumpkin. Accordingly, I had to start alone, W shouting after me in the darkness to get him a bull also, should a double chance occur. Nothincj seemed less probable, since after tramping more than two months I had never, up to then, set eyes on a bull eland at all. Ere the sun was well up I had reached some rocky hills we called Leopard's-Kop (owing to my having missed one of these animals here in our northward march a month previously), and which were not far from where my brother had seen the elands the night before. Here we were watching: a concentration of vultures, in the hope that they might lead us to his wounded bull, when Elmi espied three elands afar. Presently the vultures drifted beyond view, and we then turned attention to the fresh game. The elands were feeding in open forest of a kind of dwarf oak, which still carried the tawny leaves of the previous summer, distant two miles, and dead to leeward. This necessitated a long detour — an hour's heavy grind ere we gained the weather-gauge. Then some easy stalking brought me within shot ; but so thick and rank was the bush and grass, and so fatally did its sere hues and the hanging foliage tone with the elands' tawny pelts, that I failed to make them out before they moved. I now saw that the trio included one magnificent old bull, a massive beast of blue-grey hue. The exact character of 104 ON SAFAEI tlie other two I could not distinguisli. A second stalk (in very mucli more open country) also failed, and this time the game, I feared, had seen something, for they went off at speed, and we utterly lost both sight and touch of them. Hours of hard work and constant spy- ing elapsed before at length we once more descried our three friends — again far away to leeward. Another long detour followed ; but luck this time favoured us. In the first place, the elands w^ere now feeding in forest where broad grassy opens intervened amidst the timber ; secondly, after completing our final approach, we found the three feeding towards us across one of the said opens. Moreover, in the long interval that had occurred they had forgotten their suspicions, and grazed towards us in absolute security. First came a big old cow with very long horns ; then a grand bull in his prime ; lastly, the glorious old patriarch aforesaid bringing up the rear. I was greatly struck by his iron-grey pelt and massive proportions, the heavy pendent dewlaps sweeping the herbage. The trio passed our front within 120 yards, but the shot I made was none too brilliant, though it could not have been more successful. Touchino- the spine behind the shoulder (a foot too far back), it dropped the big bull on the spot, yet left sufiicient vitality to enable him to recover his fore-legs and remain standing so — as a dog sits on his haunches, and as shown in the plate opposite. The other two ran at the report of the rifle ; but presently, looking back and seeing their leader still apparently on his legs, they stood awaiting him to rejoin. The distance was not much over 200 yards, giving me a good shot at the second bull. He also was struck too high, but fatally, and hardly moved 100 yards. Both these splendid animals, in fact, stood disabled close by, and within full view. Sending Elmi to finish the second bull, I walked up to the first, which, unable to move, watched my advance with mild, reproachful e3'es, tempering the savage joy of success. He was a veritable patriarch, his front adorned with a mat of dark curly hair, shading ofi" into 'i J J ' J 5 > 3 5 ■'^ 3 3 3 3 " ' ' ' 3 3 3 ' 3 ' S 3 3 > 3 ' > > ' 3 3 "3 ■> '3'33333'333 3' ORYX, ELAND, IMPALA, ETC. 105 chestnut laterally, and set off by a white patch at either tear-duct. Though almost bare of hair, the huge blue- grey body still showed the yellow vertical stripes, though indistinctly. The horns were worn down with age, and compared badly with those of the younger bull, which taped 26 ins. straight. The latter animal was of a bright fawn-colour, with yellow stripes. He lacked the matted forehead and pendent dewlap, but carried a heavy tuft of hair below the neck, which had been almost worn off in the older bull. Estimated weights in the field are necessarily un- certain, but this younger bull eland appeared to my eye about ec[ual in bulk and weight to a big Norwegian bull-elk. The latter animal I have actually ascertained to scale 1,260 lbs. clean. Should this comparison be correct, the patriarch, with his vastly bulkier frame, and carrying far more fat, may have represented hard by a ton dead- weight as he lay. The stalkinoj both of eland and Jackson's hartebeest had been true stalking, by which I mean that the game had not seen or suspected the presence of a hunter till receiving the bullet. The approach to oryx, Coke's and Neumann's hartebeest, wildebeest. Grant's gazelle, zebra and other denizens of perfectly open plains is hardly stalking in the strict sense. It is rather out- ma noeuvrino- • but our ton one is defective in distinctive terms in venery. Bush-stalking, as already mentioned, is yet another art. After off- skin nino- the two eland bulls we were four hours' march from camp, and, curiously, on our way thither I saw four more elands. Ten days later I found these antelopes in some numbers near Lake Elmenteita, where there had been none two months before. Clearly at this date (September) elands were moving into both these districts. I should add that all I saw were com- paratively young animals ; never again, that year, did I see one of those heavy old patriarchs such as that whose head now adorns my walls. Besides the game mentioned, we also met with the 106 OX SAFARI following from this camp on the Molo River : — Waterbuck, duiker and steinbuck, a few of each ; ostriches numerous, as were also the big "paau" or kori bustard, while the thorn -jungle to the west of the river held bush-pig. EAST-AFRICAN BUSH-PIGS. Following are dimensions of a big bush-pig boar : Length, snout to tip of tail, 5 ft. 4 ins., of which the tail measured 13 ins. ; height at shoulder, 30 ins. ; weight as killed, 270 lbs. The East-African bush-pig can be distinguished from wart-hog half-a-mile away by their white " mane " of heavy pendent hair. Twice I saw OEYX, ELAND, IMPALA, ETC. 107 a hunting-dog, a single beast on eacli occasion. Grant's gazelle plentiful, but of Thomson's we met with only two or three. This is the limit of their northward range, which is practically bounded by the equator. None exist beyond Baringo.^ At this point we fell in with two natives, Wandorobo, hunting by means of a donkey. They had fitted the animal with a pair of wooden horns, and by crouching behind, guiding him with a cord to his nose, approached near enough, we were told, to kill hartebeests and even such large game as elands with their poisoned arrows. Their bows were primitive, and appeared very feeble. They used them horizontally, held along the line of the donkey's back. A curious incident befell while shooting from this camp. I was stalking a little group of four Jackson's hartebeests. Previous to starting on the stalk my brother and I had noticed a single zebra standing fast asleep on a grassy decline beyond. My first shot broke the shoulder of the best bull, but before getting quite beyond range the other three pulled up to gaze, a good bull mounting an ant-heap. I tried the second barrel at him, distance some 300 to 350 yards, and distinctly heard the bullet tell. What was my surprise to see, on jumping to my feet, that that bullet had struck, not the hartebeest aimed at, but the unfortunate zebra 100 yards beyond, whose very existence I had forgotten, and which was actually out of my sight at the moment of firing. He must have been trotting away down the slope when the errant ball struck just by the root of his tail. The zebra was still struggling i7i extremis as we rushed by in pursuit of the lamed hartel^eest, but it was hours before we recovered the latter, and on our return the zebra was dead. Our men, in consequence, refused to eat the meat, not having been bled, which would ^ The correctness of this was subsequently confirmed by our experience on Lake Solai, further east and on the same line of latitude. We saw but one Thomson's gazelle during our sojourn on Solai, though they are plentiful a dozen miles southward. 108 ON SAFAEI thus have been wasted but for the hyenas, jackals, vultures and marabous. Forty-eight hours afterwards I repassed the spot, and not a trace, not even a bone, remained, only a circle of down-trodden grass and a few huge feathers. This zebra was an aged stallion, almost toothless, and much clawed by lions — a fine specimen ; but I was annoyed at killing him here, as I meant securing my two specimens close alongside the railway, whereas I was now compelled to carry the heavy skin and head some fifty miles. Septemher 9. — Our young oryx died, despite all we could do. Fresh milk was what it wanted, and this the Masai refused to sell. Yet they came daily into our camp for medicines, the chief wanting his child's chest and his wife's leg cured, and so on. We explained, with some little force, the principles of reciprocity, and they then sent in milk — when too late. However, we gave them Bowe's liniment, Alcock's plasters, fruit-salt, etc., and W doctored them all round. Results unknown. The last march from the Molo Eiver to the railway at Nakuru is twenty-three miles across waterless veld. This long grind we avoided by carrying water from the little Rangai Eiver, which enabled us to camp for the night midway. By placing leafy boughs in each bucket of water the Swahili porters managed to carry them a dozen miles without spilling a drop, and this in addition to their regular burdens. The following day we marched into Nakuru, through a region of very coarse, sour grass, where we saw little or no game. We had been away thirty-four days on this Baringo trip, and had secured forty- four selected heads of large game, including twelve diff*erent species, besides ostrich and kori bustard. Even these figures, imposing as they seem, do not fully represent the faunal wealth of the country, for (as related) some others defied our efibrts. There were, moreover, several species of which I had previously shot specimens in South Africa — such as bushbuck, duiker, steinbuck, etc., and which I did not asjain molest. And a short month's time J 3 1,^535 3 3 3 ',> 3 3 3 3 1 • 3 3 3 3 J 3 33333333 3'j 33033 3 3 3 3 3^3 '33 33 3 3' , ' 3 3 ,3 3 3' 3 33^3 ORYX, ELAND, IMPALA, ETC. 109 forbids that all the magnificent array of wild-life one sees here should each receive its proper share of attention. At Nakiiru we received a sack of mails — the first home-news for eighty days. PUEPLE-CROWXED coucAL (Centropus momichus) A reclusive bird, oftener heard than seen. CHAPTER X ON SAFARI A SKETCH OF CAMP-LIFE IX BRITISH EAST AFRICA The amenities of camp-life vary with the latitude. Africa, the home of tent-dwellers, aftbrds the ideal ; Northern lands, too often, the reverse. Compare the rigom's of life under canvas in subarctic regions — •especially at high altitudes, as on the reindeer fjelds of Norway, or even in the low-lying forests of Sweden or Newfoundland. There each hunter is accompanied by but a single Achates, whose functions combine both those of gun-bearer by day, of cook and attendant by night. As darkness falls, one returns to an empty camp ; fires must be lit — thouQ-h rain descends in sheets — and dinner cooked ere the day's work is complete. Comfort, or the semblance thereof, is rarely expected, still more rarely found. " I doubled the Horn before the mast," writes my brother, " and that was no bed of roses in the old days of wind-jammers ; but it was no whit more unendurable than a fortnight's real bad weather under canvas on the high fjeld." In Africa, on the other hand, tent-life is a normal condition, and the system and custom of camping in the open have been brought to the level of an art. Discomfort and trouble are, or ought to be, unknown. Before one's arrival in Africa the whole safari has already been collected, trained men organised to take the field — these being mostly Swahilis. That word " safari,"' by the way, is quite untranslatable. It has no British equivalent, though in daily use on British territory, the usual rendering of " caravan " being equally 110 J >, 5 J 3 3 1 >' > 3 ■, , c c c c t c IN BPJTISH EAST AFRICA 111 inaccurate and inadequate. A safari comprises a mobilised expedition organised and equipped to take the field and to travel in any direction, whether for purposes of sport, trading or otherwise. Its component parts include : — (1) the native porters, who carry the tents, camp- and cooking-gear, stores, commissariat, and, in short, the whole outfit ; hut whose main burden, after all, is the rice for their own consumption. These men carry 60 lbs. apiece on their heads, and their numbers necessarily depend upon the extent and duration of the expedition. Thirty or forty porters suflice for such purposes as ours. Next come (2) the askaris, or native police, each armed with a Snider rifle for protection of the camp by night and day. Their duties involve the night-watch, maintaining fires, etc., but no burden-bear- ing. Thirdly, come the cook and cook's mates, a " tent- boy," or personal servant for each sportsman — these being usually " mission-boys " who have acquired some slight smattering of English — and syces for ponies, if ponies are used. Lastly, though of first importance, comes the Neapara, or headman, who directs the whole crowd, and upon whose capacity to lead depends largely the comfort, if not the success, of the expedition. There remain to be enumerated the hunters, each with his attendant gun-bearers. Somalis are usually employed, and, if of the right sort, are by far the best shikaris; but the "hunter" question is big, and can only be mentioned here incidentally. Enough, however, of such detail. The purpose of this chapter is to sketch in outline the hunter's daily life when encamped on the open veld. Assuming that he has reached his hunting-ground, the point I would place first, as the most essential to enjoyment, if not also to success, is this — Breakfast by candlelight, and be a mile away from camp when day breaks. In Africa there is no hardship in this. AVhen lights are out by nine o'clock, not even a sluggard can complain, after eight hours in the blankets, of turning out at five ! 112 ON SAFARI A cup of black coffee in bed at the hour named, with breakfast twenty minutes later, enables this essential to be fulfilled. The whole joy and glory of the tropical day are confined to its earlier hours. That is the time when the world of the wilderness is amove, when its beauties and infinite variety of forms can be seen and appreci- ated to the best advantage. Later, when the whole landscape is drenched in a brazen sun-glare that bites like the breath of a furnace, but little, by comparison, will be seen, and exertion becomes well-nigh impossible. WHITE-BROWED coucAL, OR BUSH-CUCKOO {Centropus supcrcUiosus). Crown of head and tail dark ; upper parts chestnut. From the darkness without, as one sips that early coffee, there resound the bubbling notes of bush-cuckoo and nightjar ; the last wail of the laughing hyena, possibly the roar of a distant lion, precede the dawn. Following these, but ere yet a sign of light is apparent, a chorus of infinite doves awakes the day — " Chuck-her- up, chuck-her-up," in endless iteration. " Chock-taw, chock-taw," responds another species. Then the whistling call-notes of francolins and the harsher cackle of guinea-fowl resound from the bush on every side. Already one is out and away, brushing through dew- laden grass that soaks to the waist. What matter that. IN BRITISH EAST AFEICA 113 when ill a few more minutes tlie sun will have drunk up every drop of moisture ? This hour — that of breaking- day — and those which succeed it, say till 10 a.m., are those which we Northerners, we of the thin white skin, can enjoy to the full. Cool, delicious breezes recall a summer's day at home ; but here one may see a hundred There so the creatures sights one cannot see at home of nio-ht, retreatino- before the commo' day— perky AARD-WOLF. jackals trotting along in pairs, or a grim hyena slouch- ing off to his lair. This is the hour when (if ever) you may encounter some of the "unseen world" — the otocyon and aard-wolf, the ratel and mongoose, great and small. Beyond, on the open veld, are antelopes and gazelles, zebras, and perhaps giraffes, scattered, feeding, far and wide. Later on, in the hot hours, these assemble into troops, resting during the noontide heat, and less conspicuous. True, during those hot hours, the game, even the sentries, may be less intensely vigilant — more easy of 114 ON SAFARI access. I cannot of my own experience assert that such is the case. Indeed, I have never been able to recognise that mere heat, however great, had any appreciable effect on these creatures of the torrid zone, or caused the least relaxation of their w^ondrous watchfulness. However that may be, at least to the hunter, the difference between the two periods is enormous. The cool breeze that rejoiced the dawn has given place to the fiery furnace of a vertical sun. The very earth feels molten ; dust chokes the prostrate stalker and per- spiration blinds. The reflected heat from below and direct rays from above combine to render sunstroke (followed by fever) quite a possible item among the day's results. No, be astir wdth the dawn, spend the matutinal hours abroad, but return by eleven to rest in your tent or beneath those shade-giving mimosas that Nature has provided for the purpose. Thus is conserved the North- born vigour ; climatic risks are avoided ; and then, to- wards four o'clock, when rays decline from the perpen- dicular, you can put in two or three hours' good w^ork in comparative comfort. Darkness has settled down. A mile or so ahead 3'ou catch the glint of the camp-fires. Not as in Norway will Lars and Ivar now have to create a blaze from scant material, and that often wet. Here all is ready to hand. Your tent-boys,' Enoch and Shadrack by name, awatch your coming afar, ready with a "long drink" prepared. It is only " sparklets and lime-juice," but delicious to parched throat. Enoch removes your boots and generally acts valet, while his mate has a bath and dry clothes all ready. Another "boy" stands by with sponge and towel. Luxuries, indeed, in the wilderness that one expects not, nor desires, at home ! Half-an- hour's rest and a pipe, the day's experiences compared, diaries entered up, and then dinner is announced. Beneath a spreading acacia stands the table, smart in IN BKITISH EAST AFRICA 115 clean white napery and briglitly-biirning lamps. Marrow- soup, followed by cutlets of gazelle and a spatchcocked guinea-fowl, then curried venison and a marvellous pudding (cornflour from Glasgow, peaches from Australia or pine-apple from Natal) form a sample menu — the whole w^ashed down with tea, while a final " tot " completes the feast. The best potatoes on earth grow in British East Africa ; but these, and flour also, are bulky cargo, so that, after a week or two, bread and the tuber are replaced by camp biscuits. Commotion in the camp presently announces the arrival of the porters carrying in the spoils of the day. Silently, one by one, these emerge from outer darkness, and advancing across the ring of firelight, each deposits his burden of meat. This is placed in charge of the headman, w^hile heads and horns are brought up to us, to add to the ever-increasino^ Golo-otha behind our tents. At once begins the work of preparing specimens, off^- skinning, pegging-out hides, rubbing-in wood-ash, etc. The responsibility for this rests with the Somali hunters, aided by any Swahili recruits they may have enlisted and tausfht this work.^ Meanwhile, the rest of the crowd are busy cooking. Frying-pans and gridirons are balanced on three stones at every fire, the fizzling of broiling meat sounds through the camp, and soon all are oorsfino- on unwonted abundance. & O o , In this superb climate appetites, even white appe- tites scarcely recognisable at home, rapidly rival those of hyenas. The Swahili, it would appear, remain constitutionally at about that standard. Another constitutional feature noticed in the Swahili, 1 Many Swahilis display considerable aptitude in this work, and become quite reliable even in the more delicate operations, such as cleaning the lips and eye-sockets, the claws of felidx, etc. They are keen to be so employed, as not only does the accomplish- ment give them a preference, but it also means receiving two or three rupees a month over and above their regular wage as porters. 116 ON SAFARI in common with indigenous native tribes, was their power of subsisting, as vultures do, on putrid flesh that would certainly poison a white man. For days after the carcases of elephants or rhinos had passed into that stage when it was impossible to approach within 100 yards to leeward, these savages continued to feast thereon, and one morning we witnessed the ridiculous scene here depicted. As day broke our " boys " descried some SAVAGES LOOTING "HIGH RHINO. natives (presumably Wandorobo) feloniously helping themselves to a " high " rhino which they had regarded as their peculiar property. Chase was instantly given, and the trespassers, on seeing themselves detected, each collared a stinking rib or other loose titbit, and fled. Most laughable was the pursuit ; but the agile naked natives, bounding away like wild animals, made good their escape in the bush. It may be worth mention that antelope venison is excellent, though varying in quality. Waterbuck is IX BEITISH EAST AFEICA 117 certainly the worst, distinctly coarse and ill-flavoured. This and zebra, however, are fully appreciated by the safari, so need not be wasted. My brother, who tells me he knows, gives the pride of place to the klipspringer ; while I have grateful recollection of the tiny dikdiks (Cavendish's and Giinther's), their flesh being white and of exquisite flavour. Eland will compare with the best of British beef — perhaps a trifle too fat — and may some day possibly be utilised as such. Oryx also stands in quite the front rank, and so do impala and all the gazelles. Hartebeest is hard and rather coarse, excepting the cut alongside the back- bone. Guinea-fowl, francolin and bush-bustard form invaluable adjuncts to the larder. A simple, careless soul is the average Swahili, strong as a bull, willing, easily led and easily amused. He has, besides, a distinctly musical turn, and it surprises, after his feast, to hear the quality of melody he manages to extract from the rudest of instruments. A siuo'le- headed drum does duty as bass, Avhile a wooden "chatty" containing peas or pebbles supplies rhythm and beat. We had two strino- afl"airs, somethino- between a guitar and a banjo, the sound-cases being formed of the gourd-like shell of some tree-fruit, with a strip of wood fixed lengtliAvise across the cavity and furnished with one or two strings. "With these primitive tools," my brother writes, " our ' boys ' succeeded in producing music which undoubtedly possessed not only form, but individuality and character. What struck me most was the absence of any element of brightness or joy. All was cast in minor key. Possibly the imperfect scale and inability to modulate may contribute to this effect ; but the resultant reiteration of melancholy phrase is apt to grow wearisome. The folk-songs of Northern races are, for the most part, in this minor mode ; but that is consonant with environment and character. Why these light-hearted children of the sun should also express in song so much of sadness is not apparent. Possibly 118 ON SAFARI uncounted ages of slavery and savagery have left the impress deep in their breasts." These simple harmonies, not without their charm, grow upon one as evening after evening they soothe the stillness of the tropical night. Droned out with intervals strange to European ear, those savage ditties have oft recalled the couplets and malaguenas we are long accustomed to hear sung by our camp-fires in far- away Spain. Far awaj^ yet there may be a common source. The cross-bred Swahili, half- Arab, half- African, springs in part from a race that has left many another mark on the Spain of to-day. The Swahili language also rings gracefully and euphoniously, while many of their names for places, animals, birds, etc., are certainly prettier than those we use — often borrowed from uncouth Dutch ! Place- names throughout East Africa (though these are not Swahili) also deserve note, such as Elmenteita, Nakiiru, Naivasha, Laikipia, Kamasea. Can any language claim more euphonious form ? Sooner or later, the whole country within reach of any one camp has been traversed in every direction, explored and hunted. Desired specimens have either been secured or proved to be impracticable at this point. It has become necessary to try fresh fields, and the order issues : — " Strike camp at dawn." That next morning you may take " an easy," since much work has to be done before the start, and it is an absolute rule never to attempt hunting while on the march. On turning out towards sun-up (thus seeing the camp by day-dawn for the first time), already the canvas city of yesterday has disappeared. The circle of tents surroundinof a central mountain of stores has vanished. Not one, save your own, remains standing, and every- where black men are bustling about, each knowing his duty and doing it — packing, strapping, mobilising. Hardly had you quitted the blankets than your l)ed is seized, dismantled, folded and stowed in its valise. 5 ) 3 J > j' > J 3 3 J ' > 3 J 3 J '] ) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 > 3 3 3 3 3 3 ' 3 3 3 3 3 a >'= r? ?' 3 3 3 •3' > 33 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 ,3 3 3 . 3 3 3 ' 1 SOMALI HUNTERS IN MIDDAY UNDllESS. (Eluii Hassan ou right.) SAFAPJ AWAITING THE ORDER TO .START — NAIROBI. IN BRITISH EAST AFRICA 119 While you perform a five-minutes' ablution outside the door, the tent behind you has come down as by magic ; and even the canvas wash-basin will be whipped away from beneath your yet dripping person. Breakfast is set out beneath yon shady tree, and ere a hasty meal is finished, the whole camp-outfit is ready to move, packs completed, burdens assorted and assigned, each man knowing his own. The whole operation has been per- formed with a degree of smartness, method and silent efficiency that surprises. Men such as these represent valuable material. Similar scenes will be observed on arrival at the next camping-point. Without a word said, one's own tent will have been erected complete — ground-sheets laid, bed set up, table and chairs arrayed in a grove hard by — all within a few short minutes. The brushwood over half- an-acre has been cleared away with " matchets." Meanwhile, the cook and his mates have their fires alight, and dinner preparing ; while already one sees a fatigue-party returning with burdens of wood and water. One morning, however, occurs a hitch. The head- man desires to see the " Bwana Khubwa " (Great Master). Silently — since we speak not his tongue — he tallies off', with taps of his M'piqui staff, thirty-four burdens, all laid out in one straight row. Then he indicates that there are but twenty-six porters. A problem to wrestle with. Threes into two won't go, and never would ; and rule-of- three helps no more. There are two plans : — (1) To repack the thirty-four burdens into twenty-six. This proposal is received in speechful silence. (2) To leave the surplus stores here in charge of a porter or two, with a couple of askaris, till we can send back relay-gangs from the next camp to fetch them. Long ere the knotty point is solved our chaii^s and breakfast-table have melted into packs, and all its para- phernalia vanished wdthin the spacious "cook-box." " Hurry up," resounds through the camp. " All ready," shouts the swarthy Neapara (the only English words he 120 ON SAFARI . knows). "March ! " we reply ; and, at the order, each man hoists his allotted burden. An askari takes the lead, and, following him, the whole crowd fall in, form line, and file ofi' with serpentine exactitude towards our next destination ; while hordes of expectant vultures sweep down to gorge on the debris of a deserted camp. HEAD OF avhite-];eai;ded gnu. ' 1 ), 5 > ■» ■> J .' 5 , , > 3 J \J 1 1 ) > J > ' N ? 3 ' ' » ' 3 > ' •> 1 a p IZi p 2i « o 3 a z o CHAPTER XI ELMENTEITA (l) IN SEPTEMBER In mid- September 1904 I alighted at Elmenteita, a station in tlie Rift Valley adjoining and overlooking the basin of the Enderit River and our lovely hunting-grounds of six weeks earlier, already described in Chap. III. These latter, in fact, lay within a few hours' march to the southward; but my object in returning was to try the country to the north of the railway — see sketch- map at p. 14. The special object was to obtain specimens of Neumann's hartebeest (Buhalis neumamii), males. As already mentioned, we had each secured a female of this species; but owing either to the extreme wariness of this antelope or, perhaps in greater degree, to defici- encies in hunting- craft, a pair of bulls were still lacking, and these I was determined to obtain at Elmenteita. At the moment, time was an essential element in the enterprise, since homeward-bound steamers in those days were few and often far between, and I had only left myself some eight shooting-days to attain both this object at Elmenteita, and, if possible, a second. The latter, it may be added, was to obtain on the Athi Plains, 100 miles to the eastward, examples of Coke's hartebeest and the white-bearded gnu ; but such a programme seemed altogether too ambitious within those narrow limits of time. It was 3 a.m. when the coast-bound train, carrying away my brother, left me standing alone, in pj^jamas, on the rubble stones that serve for a platform at 121 122 ON SAFARI Elmenteita. Five minutes later, my blankets having meanwhile been transferred from the carriage to the station sleeping-room — a convenience that on the Uganda railway atones for absent hotels — I was in bed again. Starting, as usual, a little before dawn, we found ourselves at daybreak on a rolling grass-prairie literally teeming with game. This, however, is not the case here at all seasons. In February, for example (as will be shown later), the veld of Elmenteita is comparatively deserted owing to seasonal migration. To-day (September 11) in every direction stood troop beyond troop of zebras, outlined dark against the coming sunrise. A herd of thirty-two elands grazed right ahead, mingled with them beino^ several ostriches and hartebeests, while the . . . nearer foreoTound was alive with oazelles in scores, and a few wart-hogs and jackals. Away on our right m the sunlight stretched a string of orange-red kongoni, while the distant horizon was silhouetted with the galloping- ungainly forms of others of their kind. Were these neumianni f Holding forward (since "herd-bulls" are never the best), we descried a group of three ; and beyond, one lone bull. To these we glued attention. The last- named took right away, but after three hours' work we still kept touch of the trio. The ground was perfectly open — not a scrap of "advantage" or cover. Here and there rose low, graduated hillocks formed of volcanic debris, with broad flats between, on the pools of which wild-geese splashed and preened, and noisy plovers bathed. At times we seemed to walk almost through the herds of zebra, which watched keenly yet undis- mayed ; and we frequently passed gazelles and geese — once even elands — within fair shot. Yet hour after hour the coveted trio held us in check till the heat of the day began to be felt. Then our persistent " sticking- in " told, and suspicion slowly relaxed ; but it was high noon before they offered a first chance at a long 300 yards, and a ball in the base of neck sent the best bull staggering to earth. What mattered it then, in those ELMENTEITA IN SEPTEMBER 123 moments of triumph, to have to suflfer four hours of blazing noontide heat beneath a perpendicular sun and not so much as the shade of a bulrush ! Towards 4 p.m. we started afresh, and presently fell in with a herd of ten, two big bulls, one of these a specially grand beast. But every effort to secure him failed. Always first to go, first to stop, yet he ever kept the furthest away. So riveted had my attention been upon the leader, with no eye for his companions during — — / ' ' /' ,/.;///.,/A' /^^"'y/^ Neumann's hartebeests. a two-hour chase, that it was only w^hen Elmi pointed out that the second-best bull was within reasonable range that I realised there was another good head among them at all. At 250 yards full broadside the bullet took him one foot behind the heart ; half-an-hour later I got in a second, one foot above that organ, just missing the spine. These details are given as further illustrating the vitality of the African antelopes. AVith these two terrible wounds (which we could clearly discern with the glass) this hartebeest kept ahead of us for another long hour's hard going, and only 124 ON SAFARI .succumbed to ^ fifth bullet (in the ueck) after the sun had already set. In a siugle day I had thus secured two animals that had previously defied our utmost efi'orts during a fort- night's hunting. The heads of my two first Neumann bulls measured as follows — ^ LENGTH. CIRCUMFEREN'CE. TIP TO TIP, No. 1 , No. 2 , , 171 ins. 16| ins. 81 ins. 91 ins. 6f ins. 81 ins. The irides were light hazel (those of Jackson's hartebeest being pale j^ellow), and they possessed a sort of dew-claw between the cleft of the fore-hoofs. Their dead- weight we estimated at 400 lbs., intermediate between B. jacJcsoni, which we put at 400 to 450 lbs., and B. coJcci at 300 to 350 lbs. An incident which occurred during our pursuit of this wounded bull deserves note. We were attended, all the time, by a hyena which, scenting blood, trotted along under our lee. He never ranged up alongside the game (which held a 500-yard lead), but kept level and not 100 yards away. I was keen to secure him, as Elmi positively asserted that this hyena was difi'erent to the spotted hyenas we had already shot [HycBna crocuta), and I saw myself a distinction. It was probably of the striped species {H. striata) ; but I dare not risk losing our main objective, and before that had been secured Vv'e had already lost sight of the hyena in the gathering gloom of night. Another curious incident : At times, as we passed by troops of grazing gazelles, our attendant hyena trotted through the midst of these without arousing alarm in their timid breasts. So incredible did this appear, that I lay down on an ant-hill, sacrificing precious moments, and brought the glass to bear. There, beyond all doubt, was that great gaunt beast of prey peacefully ^ These are only average specimens ; we subsequently obtained trophies exceeding 19 in.«. ELMENTEITA IN SEPTEMBER 125 traversing herds of gazelles, many of which were close to him, some still grazing, others even playing, but none taking; the slio-htest visible notice. The main object at Elmenteita having thus been achieved in a single day, I might have proceeded at once to my next proposed venture on the Athi River. Unfortunately, however, by a strange mistake, I lost all the advantages of time saved, and put myself to a vast amount of further trouble all unnecessarilv. For, on > ' 1 ' ' ' ' , 5 "5 ' J ' ' ' , > ^it!. ^-^ kftlT' .* 5 -if" ■ >:^:~^: I'l o C3 a n H o q •■J O Q ELMENTEITA IN SEPTEMBER 131 I selected, as gunbearer, a Swaliili "boy" named Hamisi, whom we had noted for his keen eyesight and aptness in hunting. That afternoon (September 14) a tremendous thunder- storm broke with tropical rains. The night, also, was dis- turbed ; first jackals, then hyenas, wailed all around, setting the station dogs barking madly until 11 p.m., when a pair of lions came along and silenced the lot. These last came so near that I loaded the Paradox and went out ; but it was a black-dark nio;ht, rainino- and nothing could be seen. Lions have a great stronghold in the belt of strong bush that lies facing the mountain- range of Eburu. Two Englishmen, we were told, had recently tried for them, tying up a sheep and waiting in prepared shelters on two nights. On both occasions, the lions carried off the bait without beino; seen in the dark. Next morning we resumed our march towards Eburu, the safari proceeding direct, while I tried the lovely stretch of woodland lying along the base of the hills, where in July we had seen so much game. Here again, we found ourselves supplanted by the intrusive Masai, who, with their herds, had occupied the whole beautiful strath. Beyond, however, among the foothills, we fell in wdth hartebeest, and I secured a third Neumann bull, remarkable for his exceptionally massive horns, which measured 11|- ins. in basal circumference. After some manoeuvres with Chanler's reed bucks, fruitless as usual, we finally reached Eburu — since abandoned as a station. Bad as the lions had been last night at Elmenteita, they were as nothing compared with the rats at Eburu to-nio;ht ! No sooner were lio-hts out o O than the brutes were running in droves all over me, gnawing bags, boots, gun-cases, everything. I relit the lamp, but it burnt out, and after the last match had been struck, they were free to eat even the boots that I hurled in a vain effort to keep them at bay. Three-thirty brought relief, for then the early train (running thrice a week) came along and carried us off to Nairobi. 132 ON SAFARI During tlie four days I had secured the following specimens — Three Neumann's hartebeest, bulls. One Sing-sing waterbuck, bull, as helow. Two Grant's gazelle, bucks. Six Thomson's gazelle, bucks. One impala, buck. One wart-hog, boar. One tawny eagle. Sundry guinea-fowl. SING-SING WATERBUCK. CHAPTER XII ELMENTEITA (ll) IN FEBRUARY Early in February 1906, eighteen months after the events described in the last chapter, we returned to Elmenteita, our primary object being to set out thence on an expedition among the Laikipia mountains, distant some seventy or eighty miles to the northward. Before starting, however, we intended to spend a few days at this point, renewing the happy memories of 1904. To all outward appearance, Elmenteita remained precisely as we had left it — the station, a tiny tin shanty standing utterly alone, a speck amidst boundless veld and prairie, across which runs that puny three-foot railway, a mere thread, over hill and dale. Great changes, never- theless, had occurred — changes that, as foreshadowing development in our new colony, one must regard with satisfaction, though in the breast of sportsman and naturalist a pang of regret will not be suppressed. The whole of the lands south of the railway line had meanwhile been sold to private owners, and we could only survey at a distance our erstwhile lovely hunting- grounds stretching away down the Enderit River to Lake Nakuru. True, the new owners were said to be oblio;ino; enouoh in o-rantins; leave to shoot — some even wantino- the oame destroved ; but in Africa we ask no man's leave, and it was to the north side we had come to turn our attention.^ 1 Only a few months later we read in the Nairobi newspaper Tlie Globe Trotter, that all the lands northward from the railway extending to Lake Elmenteita and beyond it to the escarpment, had likewise been sold — so rapid hereaway is the process of colonisation ! 133 134 ON SAFARI The rolling treeless veld that extends northward from Elmenteita, with its game, has already been described (p. 122 et seq.). But there was, in February, no such abounding aggregation of wild-life as we had met with here in July, August and September. That circumstance, however, wrs merely due to the seasonal migrations of the animals, and had no relation to changing ownership. The zebra, for example, leave this region early in December, not reappearing till May or June ; while of the other animals that were so abundant in July and August, perhaps a tenth, or less, remained in February. Not that there was any real lack of animal-life even now. The veld, though no longer crowded, was fairly peopled with beautiful creatures. There were no zebras, but a few hartebeests and ostriches still lingered ; groups of granti moved about wdth stately gait, and herds of " Tommies " chased and gambolled in their sportive style. Wart-hogs, owing to their subterranean habit, are probably less mobile, and our first day here (February 8), being dull and drizzling, we saw great numbers, including some real monsters. One solitary boar, in particular, our hunters at first mistook for a rhino, and we decided to spend the next day in acquiring his mask. That mornins;, however, broke brie^ht and hot, and never a pig could we see ! They were then all underground. I shot that day a superb granti, a solitary buck, with 25-in. horns ; but merely mention the fact to illustrate a phase that is worth note in this African shooting. Though severely wounded by the first shot, the buck held on, on — till it was clear w^e should never overtake him ; never, at least, by following " hot-foot." I there- fore recalled my men, much to their disgust, and lay down to watch. The buck then, being alone, also laid down, a mile ahead, and, growing stifter, at the end of an hour I was able to approach again within 200 yards, when a second bullet (in ribs) further crippled him : but we still had to put in a second thirty minutes, Ij^ing patiently in that sweltering heat, ere he would allow 3 1 >\ 5 » 5 ) 5 > 3 J 1 13 1 ^ >0 ■> 3 5 3 3 3 ■> 3 3 ) 3 3 3 e >»' <: > o D :5: o o o ELMENTEITA IN FEBRUARY 135 another approach near enough to finish him with a third bullet. A prize which I regarded with even greater satisfaction this day was a horned female of the Thomson gazelle. This does at best carry very tiny horns, and even those are most difticult to distinguish owing to their horns (only 4 to 5 ins. in length) being shorter than the mobile ears and usually concealed thereby. Then, after closely scrutinising through the glass a hundred does, when one at length detects the special specimen sought, that particular female may be accompanied by a fawn — w^hose life not only the game-laws, but, far more, a sportsman's instincts render sacred. To-day, however, after many a futile effort, I succeeded not only in finding a horned yeld doe, but in approaching and securing her. Her horns, irregular and of somewhat abnormal appearance, measured 4 and 4j ins., and she weighed 32 lbs. That night in camp we had the usual lion-alarm, and, on turning out, distinctly saw^ two animals moving about phantom-like in the moonlight at 100 to 150 yards. These w^e w^atched for quite half-an-hour, but could never distinguish substance from shadow clearly enough to shoot. In the morning, we found that a gazelle had been killed close by, and the spoor showed that the marauders were leopards. Beyond the prairies eastwards, a league or two away, rise a series of rugged conical koppies which, we found, were another home of Chanler's reedbuck. These most elusive little antelopes, regular rock-jumpers, ever alert and intensely wary, have generally beaten us, partly owing to their highly-protective coloration. Though their heads and necks are tawny, yet the whole body- colour is as grey as the rocks they frequent — indis- tinguishable therefrom, especially at long range. This day (February 10), though both scored hits, we were yet beaten by two of the wounded among the crags and steep slopes. The third, however, being severely crippled, betook itself to some rough scrub-clad rocks below, where, after a laborious chase of two hours, I eventually secured 136 ON SAFARI it with my very last cartridge. What strikes one on examining these antelopes newly-killed, are the immense ears and the big prominent eye, set high up in the broad forehead — no wonder they can see and hear ! The irides are rich dark hazel, and a narrow black blaze runs down centre of face. During this cripple-chase, while passing through some terribly rocky ground, I found myself in the midst of a troop of baboons, some running on all-fours, others perched on rock-pinnacles. I shot one of the latter, a female of the East-African species, Pa/9^o iheanus, which was busy eating a wild fruit like a "devil's tomato," called here by a pretty Swahili name that I forget. The day's bag also included an impala and a pair of Cavendish's dikclik, the male scaling \\\ lbs. {JMadoqua cavendishi), with horns 3^- ins. in length ; the female weighed a good pound more than her lord. I saw them feeding outside some very rocky scrub, stalked the spot, and got both with a right-and-left of buckshot. I also wounded an ostrich, but failed to secure him. Leaving Elmenteita, we marched round the south- eastern end of the lake, seeincr on route several more immense wart-hogs, a few ostriches and other game. The country here is absolutely lovely, park-like, studded with clumps of mimosa, while " fever-trees " like huge beeches, except for their vicious thorns and blood-red inner bark, fringe the lake-shore ; there are rugged koppies in mid- distance, and a mountain background to complete the picture. We encamped on the Karriendoos River, on the north side of the lake, and half-a-mile inland from the river-mouth.^ ^ See sketch map at p. 14. chanler's keedbuck (female). ELMENTEITA IN FEBRUARY 137 A curious example of animal-cunning occurred on this march. Twice I walked on to a sleeping jackal, and on eacli occasion the animal, after running thirty or forty 3'ards, sprang high in air, repeating the leap a few yards beyond, in apparent anticipation of the advent of a bullet ! It was the more remarkable as these beasts are rarely shot at. There are in East Africa two species of jackal — the ordinary fox-hke animal with white-tipped brush {Cants aureus), and the beautiful black-backed jackal (C. mesomelas) with golden-spangled sides, and wdiose brush deepens to black at the end. Both species are equally abundant. I weighed three common jackals, two females 15 and 16|- lbs., one male 17^ lbs. A Night with Pachyderms Our immediate objective on Lake Elmenteita was to obtain specimens of the hippopotami which frequent that salt lake in some numbers. According to our information, these great amphibians, while spending the day in mid-water, approach the sweet-water rivers to drink at dusk, thus affording the chance of a shot. Our river, the Karriendoos, was quite a small stream, not so big as a Northumbrian burn, and towards evening we concealed ourselves on the point of a rush-clad spit that commanded its entrance. Several hippos were in view in the open water outside and a wondrous scene in tropical wild-life unfolded as evening advanced. Skeins of huge spur- winged geese, black and white, flighted in to drink the sweet water ; ducks also of varied kinds — the equatorial representative of our mallard (Anas undulata), together with pintail and shoveler, familiar in Europe. There were teal of two kinds, garganeys and pochard {erythrophthalma) — all these flew or swam within half-gunshot of our hide. Outside, among the rushes, swam groups of the singular Maccoa pochard [Erismatura. maccoa), ducks whose plumage is rather a glossy filament like that of grebes, and with long stifl" cormorant -like tails which the drakes often carry bolt upright. On the foreshores waded sacred and glossy 138 ON SAFARI ibises, greenslianks, and plovers — specially noticeable being the spur- winged species {Hoijlopterus speciosus) in its handsome contrasted colours that recall our grey plover (>S'. helvetica) in its summer dress. At the point of a rush-clad spit stood a Goliath heron, stiffly erect and with the silvery neck-plumes finely offset by the dark maroon breast. On another occasion at this spot we recognised a pair of the great African jabiru or saddle- bill. Far out on the lake sat pelicans, flamingoes and grebes. The hippos, however, though they floated, and splashed hard by, raising vast heads to yawn and HIPPOS IN LAKE ELMENTEITA. exposing great curving ivories, carefully kept beyond range. So intensely interesting was the sight that we lingered on till past dusk ere taking our campward way. The moon being some days past the full, the dark- ness beneath the forest-trees that fring-ed the lake was intense — indeed I could barely keep in touch with my Swahili gunbearer, Mabruki, tliough only a yard ahead. While feeling our way thus through forest, the stillness of night was suddenly shocked by a loud shrill snort on our immediate front and apparently not fifteen yards ahead. Then, contrary to all orders, Mabruki insanely fired my big '450 into that enveloping pall of darkness. No human eye — not even a savage eye — could conceivably have seen anj'thing to aim at. Mabruki had lost his head. ELMEXTEITA IX FEBRUARY 139 After the shot, stillness reigned as before. There was no sio-n of a charo'e, no crash of a fallino- or a flyiuo^ foe — only silence, presently broken by my brother asking from behind. "' What's happened ? " A few yards ahead, we found thick bush, impenetrable ; so, leaving a handkerchief to mark the exact sj)ot, we resumed our course, intendiuo- to return bv davlio^ht. Little recked we that lono; before that dav should break we were destined to hear that terrible snort once more — but crasfiige qiicerere. The hippos, we ascertained, had recently been disturbed at this point, which explained their shyness in approaching the waters of Karriendoos. AVe therefore changed our tactics and decided to attack them by night, when they come ashore to feed far and wide on the grassy veld. The moon being just past the full, favoured this enterprise, and we gave orders for a start at 2.30 a.m. next morning. It was, however, but a little after midnight that we were aroused by the night- watchmen, who excitedly stated that there w^as already a hippo within sight of the camp. This, on turning out in pyjamas, we at once verified for ourselves. There, not 300 yards away on the open prairie, the great pachyderm was plainly visible in the bright moon- rays. Pulling on coats and camp-shoes, we were ready for action and away within thii'ty seconds. The intruder deigned no sign of notice, and soon we had slipped in to what looked well within fifty yards, at which point I whispered " That's near enough ; let's stop to fire," and had already dropped down in order to rest the '450 on my knee, when our huge opponent at last detected us. Again that terrible hissing snort, and in a moment he had turned upon us." I could not rise, so fired both my barrels, my brother (who remained on foot) only one, realising that we were caught and re- servino- his second for contino-encies. On reachino- back o o o for my second gun, I found that the valiant Mabruki had o'one — he was already fifty yards a way camp ward. But no second gun was needed. So far as one could 140 ON SAFARI judge in the fickle moonlight, the great beast still continued his forward onrush, but there was another movement — downward : and in five more yards he had gradually subsided, ploughing a trench with his snout ere he rolled over flat on his broadside not thrice his own length from where I sat. Then the sense of relief and of danger averted struck home together : for in that FACED ROUND IN THE MOONLIGHT. open ground, short of dropping the enemy dead, there could have been but small chance of escape. To make sure, w^e put in two more bullets in the heart and presently the stertorous breathing had ceased. Then cautiously drawing in, we discovered that our prize was not the harmless hippo after all, but a gigantic bull-rhinoceros ! This fact our men had learned earlier — that snort had enlightened them : it explained Mabruki's sudden flight, though Ali Yama, my brother's Somali hunter, had stood firm. This rhino carried mao;nificent horns, the front one over 28 ins. in length, second 13 ins., while further up was a third 13 ' ' 1„ * * J ) J J 3 J 5 •> » '» 3 3 3 3 .°3 ' ' ' 3333,3 33 3 ,, 3 " > >', ''3'3'?? ' 3 3 '3' 3 33'! 1,3' 3'' " '''3^3,333', '3' '\ ? '^ ^ ,^3', RHINO. BULB^AS HE FELL. THE THKEE-HORNED RHIXO S HEAD. Lake Elmenteita in background. ELMENTEITA IN FEBRUARY 141 horn, more or less rudimentary. After a cursory examination, we returned to bed at 1.20. At three o'clock we turned out aQ;ain, but in five hours' walk failed to find a hippo ashore, though several were orruntins: and blowing close outside the rushes. I stalked one of these and at about fifty yards fired at his head — so much, that is to say, as was above water, say three inches. The light was most uncertain for fine shooting, for the moon being in zenith, perpendicu- lar, the nio;ht-sig;hts lent no assistance. Yet the ball seemed to strike fair and square, since no water flew up : but we saw that hippo no more. He disappeared without leaving a ripple or the slightest clue to guide us. What a disturbance that shot created ! From the trees over- head clattered out guinea-fowl in scores, while all the peoples of the wilderness, geese and pelicans, flamingoes, ibis, cranes, and the rest protested in strident cries ao'ainst that outrasre on the decencies of nioiit. As the dawn broke we thouoht we heard a lion close by ; it proved, however, to be an ostrich, the two notes being singularly alike. Then followed another startling cry, an explosive croak coming from the heavens, twice repeated. It was a Goliath heron, sailing overhead from the forests above. Presently, with set wings, the great bird swept dowuAvards and settled on a rush-clad spit a mile away. Ducks in successive packs (chiefly mallard, pintail and shoveler) were stream- ing in towards the lake, where we also observed sacred ibis, stilts, greenshanks, ruifs and green sandpipers. Returning to camp after the adventures of this night, we examined the rhino. All our three bullets, we found, had got well home ; but the shot that had actually done the deed was little short of a miracle — Providential. Missing by a hair's-breadth the two great horns as the beast came on headlong, it had crashed into the massive neck between the ears, smashing the spinal column. Had the ball touched either horn, it must have been deflected. It was my pony, " Goldfinch," we now learned, that 142 ON SAFARI had first called the watchman's attention to the rhino, by whinnying and straining on the picket-ropes. There can be no doubt this was the same rhino we had run into earlier in the evening ; for this is not a " rhino country," and there was no spoor or " sign " of their presence. This beast had been travelling along the lake-shore when Mabruki's shot turned him back at 8 p.m., but by 12.30 p.m., midnight, he was back again — probably in bad humour — and this time almost into our camp ! SACRED IBIS. Here are put down for comparison the measurements of this and of another big rhino bull that I shot subsequently at Simba — Two Rhino Bulls. Length over-all, snout to tip- tail .... Height at shoulder (straight) Girth ,, ,, Circumference head (behind 2nd horn) „ front horn at base . ,, rear horn at base . Length of front horn . (1) Elmenteita. 12 ft. 8 ins. 5 ft. 7 ins. 9 ft. 0 ins. 4 ft. 4 ins. 2 ft. 2i ins. 1 ft. 5h ins. 2 ft. 4| ins. (2) Simba. 12 ft. Tins. 4 ft. 6^ ins. 7 ft. 9I ins. 1 ft. 9 ins. 1 ft. 41 ins. 1 ft. 5| ins. A few days later I heard, for the third time, the ELMENTEITA IN FEBRUARY 143 curious liissing snort of a rliiiio. This time it \yas repeated tlirice in rapid succession and close at hand, my two men at once whispering " Kifaru." We were at the moment after hippo, creeping along the narrow belt of sharp rocks and lava which separates the deep water of the hke from dense impenetrable jungle on the Landward side (impenetrable save by creeping along the low tunnels made by hippos). It was no place to take on a rhino. AVe therefore lay low, passing an anxious quarter of an hour. Afterwards by a detour we picked up the spoor inland ; but that rhino had travelled afar. After Hippo 'Twere tedious to relate in detail all the efibrts we made to secure the coveted hippo. Morning after morn- ing we set forth in the small hours, scoured by moon- light every green meadow and grassy pasture for miles around the lake, yet never once did we succeed in finding the great amphibians ashore. Once, it is true, I surprised, close at hand, a half-grown "toto" among the reeds, but him I let de23art in peace. As they refused to meet us on land, we next tried to tackle them in the water. On seeing a hippo near the shore it is possible to reach the nearest point of land by advancing at the moment he disappears, lying low before his eyes again break the surface. While stalking them thus we noticed the curious fact that their snorts and grunts are dis- tinctly audible from far under water, and that although no signs or air-bubbles reach the surface. The target presented by a hippo when resting at the surface is extremely small. There are his nostrils, repre- sented by the size of a man's hand held flat ; a foot or two behind these, often separated by water, rises the prominent upper portion of the cranium, carrying the eyes and little pig-like ears. The total height of this, as exposed, is perhaps four inches ; but, to be fatal, the bullet must take only the lowest inch. At daybreak on 144 ON SAFARI Februnry 14,1 managed to place a '450 solid ball within some decimals of that spot with manifest and immediate results, the huge bull rolling over and over, wallowing in the water for over half-an-hour, all ends up. Now his four stumpy legs were in sight, anon the vast head and fore-end reared up to fall back with sounding splash, churning the still green surface into crimson foam. After thirty minutes of this flurry, this apparent death agony, the beast subsided, though we could still hear grunts and groans from the depths below. I left men to watch for his reappearance, and at five that afternoon was gratified to receive the report, " Him finish." Next morning we set out at 4 a.m., twenty hands, with ropes and axes and the rest to bring him in. But it jDroved a day of bitter disappointment — the cup dashed from one's lips ! For not a sign of this, or of my other wounded hippo, did we ever see : whether a hippo can recover from such a blow,^ or whether he goes ashore to die, at least the trophies were lost to me, and no better luck had befallen my brother. After this week of labour, up half the nights and most of the days, struggling through the roughest places on earth, canebrakes, thorn-jungle, cruel rocks and lava, under an equatorial sun, or a waning moon — the hippo had beaten us. On Lake Elmenteita we noticed the assemblages of swallows preparing for their northward journey. The earliest of these mobilisations occurred on February 14, when they congregated in thousands on the islets, crowding the low thorns. By February 17 all these swallows had passed on ; but we observed similar assem- blages at various other points up to the end of March. On the afternoon of February 13, during a heavy shower of rain, we enjoyed quite a chorus of song-birds ; but this ceased on the sun coming out an hour or so later. On the 15th a skylark (of sorts) began to sing. Its note was inferior to that of our species ; but its ^ Mr. Jackson widtes me : " They do recover." See also his remarks in Big Game Shooting, Badminton Library, I, p. 273. ELMENTEITA IN FEBRUARY 145 fliglit and actions, witli the fluttering descent, were pre- cisely similar. I also noticed here a tree-pipit descend- ing with the same hovering insect-like flight it uses at home during the nesting-season. Here, however, it was silent. Another of our small British migrants that we noticed on Lake Elmenteita was the wheatear. Impressive as had been the sight of monster pachy- derms still roaming this earth in flesh and blood, and not as extinct mammoths in some geological museum, yet the sight of these tiny British warblers here on the far equator, was scarcely less striking. AN AFiiiCAX LARK, OR " LONG-CLAW " {Macronyx CTOceios). Throat and lower parts, also eyebrow, golden-yellow. Following are my brother's impressions of these days and nights on Lake Elmenteita — " Wlien the hippo had beaten us by daylight and we tried the alternative of a night-attack, some new sensations were experienced — sensations that cannot, perhaps, be entirely expressed in words unless the spirit of poetry be inborn. How intangible and weird is the environment as one sets forth at midnight with only the silver-fretted light of the moon as a guide ! One naturally holds the open ground, avoiding the deep shade of trees or banks, not only to save the risk of falling into pitfall or unseen obstacle, but by an un- conscious dread of the unknown that is hidden in dark- ness. So, too, one imagines that safety is better assured where two or three are gathered together. Few, in fact, would care to face alone the dano-ers of the wild African L, 146 ON SAFARI niglit, since out there the night is very much alive — more so than the clay. The rush of something in the bush, a scuffle and clatter ahead, cause a chill sensation to run uninvited through one's nerves ; it is probably only some antelope or a bush-pig, or a pack of guinea- fowl disturbed at roost ; but it might have been a lion or a rhino. Along the lake-shore, from beyond the fringing reeds, resound the sullen grunts of the hipj^o, and horrid splashes of water recur — one cannot see where. " From away to the left comes a long-drawn growl. •' Lion,' some one whisj)ers. ' No,' mutters a shikari in one's ear ; ' that's a leopard where you killed the waterbuck yesterday.' 'Let's go and see,' we reply, determined to let no sign of ' nerves ' appear, and out across the moonlit veld we move. There, sure enough, are ghostly shadows retreating and reappearing from out the pall. These are scouting jackals and hyenas; and just beyond we see, glistening in the moon-rays, the white vertebrae and ribs of the waterbuck — all minor anatomical items already devoured or carried off. " Slowly pass those long dark hours while we explore mile after mile of the lake-shore, examine with night- glasses bay after bay and infinity of calm moon-lit waters. Now it is time to make for our appointed posts ere the sun discovers us. One of us takes position on a reed-clad promontory, the other on some rocks a mile beyond. " From my covert amidst sedge and flag, a typical African scene unfolds as the sun dispels the mists and mirages of the morn. First, two solitary snipes alight on a rocky islet close in front, stow their long bills along their backs, and go to sleep ; a shoveler-drake, with lustrous green head, prods the shore with ungainly beak ; then a pair of African mallards [Anas undulata) alight alongside the unnoticing snipes, preen for a minute, and themselves go to sleep. The drake's near foot constantly slips over the narrow ledge. This for some time he refuses to notice, but can't stand the 148 ON SAFARI discomfort for ever. Wliy does lie not move an inch inland ? No, that is not his way ; so the pair depart to seek more convenient cjuarters elsewhere. Mean- while, a score of long-legged stilts have arrived. These are not somnolent, but set to work busily in search of breakfast, wading and dabbling among the floating water-weeds. " Far away beyond, on the open water, the mirage has hitherto distorted every o])ject. I have been watching some great white things that I thought were swans, and was wondering how they got here. Now, as the sunlight FLAMINGOES FLIGHTIXG. strengthens, I see they are pelicans asleep on a shallow, and there is a line of flamingoes beyond. Presently a rushing of water sets me alert, and a hippo cow swims rapidly past not twenty yards away, with her toto easily keeping pace. I do not shoot, and they disappear round the point quite unconscious of the danger they have just incurred. A family party of five — one huge bull, with two cows and two totos — lie basking near a low rocky islet 200 yards out. For two hours I watched them, but they came no nearer. Then shots resound from beyond the point, so we arise, stretch, and go on to find A watching a hippo bull apparently in the throes of its death-flurry." While encamped here, on the Karriendoos, one of ELMENTEITA IN FEBRUARY 149 our porters, a N'yuniwezi named Ibrahim, died rather suddenly. The apparent cause was inflammation of the throat, rendering him speechless, nor had we either the knowledge or the means to alleviate it. The first in- timation was brouoiit us durino- the afternoon : we tried such simple remedies as we had, but at seven o'clock, just as we were sitting down to dinner, w^ord was sent in that the poor fellow w-as dead. He was buried at dawn outside the camp, the grave being five feet deep and the body, wa^apt in his blanket, placed sidew^ays in a narrow^er trench dug some eighteen inches deeper. This the men covered with piles of thorns and brushwood before filling in the earth, the wdiole being finally heaped over with stones. That night hyenas and jackals kept up an unearthly concert aU around the camp, but the grave remained intact in the mornmo-. A few days later, having in the meantime been obliged, by an attack of fever, as below mentioned, to abandon our intended expedition to Laikipia, we repassed the spot and found that poor Ibrahim's remains had been dug out by hyenas. An incident in this connection illustrates wdiat w^atchful care the Colonial Government exercises over the rights and interests of our black fellow-subjects. Months after- wards, while paying-oflf our safari at Mombasa, I had entered, on the official discharge form, this man as "dead"; another as "missing — believed to be dead." Objection, however, w^as taken, and further explanation required, especially the precise dates, lest some balance of w^aoes mio'ht remain due to their executors. Now the contingency of African savages possessing such modern refinements as " executors " had certainly not occurred to me, and the suggestion almost provoked a sense of the ludicrous. The grim picture opposite gives, I fear, a more practical view^ of those functionaries. These trustees may truly be said to be " dealing wath the w^hole estate," since on totting up accounts it appeared that poor Ibrahim had not run ofi" his advance- 150 ON SAFARI pay. Hence, presumaLly, some small balance stood to my credit. But I did not apply to the executors. On February 17, we struck camp and set out on the long march to Laikipia, a Masai guide having been sent by the kindness of Mr. Hobley. But that expedition was not destined to be accomplished. We ran into a period of tropical thunderstorms. Intense sun-heat all the morning (temj^erature 98 degrees in our tents) would be followed by a thunder-burst, with diluvial rains and a sudden fall of 20 degrees within an hour. This brought on an attack of my old enemy — fever, followed by dysentery. There was no alternative but to abandon the venture and fall back upon the railway. STERNUM OF OSTRICH. Sliowing eutire absence of a keel. CHAPTER XIII ELEPHANTS Passing over tedious days spent fighting with fever at Nakuru — days while tropical thunderstorms raged every afternoon and i was held up a prisoner in my tent — an incident occurred that altered all our plans. There arrived direct news of elephants — news on which we could rely ; the elephants, moreover, were close at hand. Within five-and-twenty miles a big herd had been seen on the Molo River to the westward, and were reported to be moving across us towards the north- east. Now throughout that season of 1905-6 herds of elephants had been rambling here and there within our British territories, and their presence at various points had already been reported to us. Hitherto, however, all such reports had been more or less indefinite, and in every case the distance considerable. Elephants, we knew, move fifty miles in a night — our own extreme mobility being twenty ; hence all seductions had hither- to been dechned. But here the case was wholly altered. If the herd now reported — said to number forty — held the line of march stated, we lay almost on their flank, and, by a smart move, might cut them out. It was a clear chance — the chance, maybe, of a lifetime — and we seized it. Though personally ill and weak, we were into the saddle and away by daybreak. Our plan of campaign was to march direct on Lake Solai, a marshy vlei lying some twenty-five miles to the north-east among the outliers of the Laikipia Range, and which was known to be an occasional resort of elephants — in the hope either 151 152 ON SAFARI to cut tlieir spoor on route, or, alternatively, to find the herd at Solai itself. After rounding the crater of Meningai, our course lay up that broad upland valley we had already traversed in 1904 (p. 48), and leaving the safari to pursue the direct path, we deflected with our gun-bearers into the wooded foothills of the northern slopes. There- in, during that morning, we encountered evidence of elephants on a scale the like of which we have not seen before or since. For miles this forest was absolutely devastated — wrecked : huge trees overthrown, one upon another, their limbs rent asunder ; cedars and cypress, mimosas and acacias torn to shreds, the tall grass trampled flat ; while, amidst the ruin, chewed branches and disgorged masses of bark and fibre everywhere littered the ground. We could plainly distinguish places where several elephants had worked collectively to over- throw some extra strong tree. This destruction had no relation to the herd of elejDhants we were now in search of ; our men reckoned it dated a week previously, and our own judgment confirmed that view ; yet we enjoyed the excitement of pushing forward through the wreck, picturing to ourselves a vast pachyderm at every forest- opening ! We also struck quite fresh spoor of bufl"alo, though we saw nothing except waterbuck. In the belt of brushwood borderino; the veld below East-African Bohor reedbuck were now numerous, though none were seen here in 1904, and W shot a couple. We also killed to-day a puff"-adder. This country, eighteen months previously, had been full of Masai with their cattle, sheep and donkeys. Now these savages had been "removed" into the Laikipia Eeserve ; their kraals were burnt and deserted, while elephant, buffalo and other game had reappeared. At midday we halted on the Alabanyata River, intending to push on at 4 p.m. ; but to our unspeakable vexation, the usual thunderstorm burst, torrential rains obliged us to encamp, and forbade all hope of further advance that night. A second shock followed. As ELEPHANTS 153 dusk fell, we observed tlirough the pouring rain another safari approaching up our valley. They presently encamped a mile or so below us. This signifiecl nothing less than a serious crisis. After deep consultation held, we decided that, being ahead, we would maintain that position at all costs, and accordingly gave orders to mask tents, extinguish all fires, and to strike camp at 3 a.m. next mornino-. PUFF-ADDER. Length 4 ft. ; thickset and shiggish, with flat head like a toad ; but its bite is deadly. February 23. — This eventful day began with a two- hours' scramble in black darkness through pathless forest and jungle, and shortly after dawn we struck the spoor of a solitary buffalo bull. This being quite fresh, W followed it towards the right, taking my tracker, Kenana (who alone knew the route to Solai), with him. The safari being on lower ground to the left, I rode on alone with my two gun-bearers, Mabruki and Salim, and a syce. Suddenly there recommenced that terrible tropical down^DOur, driving in our faces on the bleakest and most bitter gale I ever remember in Africa. It was worthy of the Hardanger Vidden at its worst, and in half-an-hour I was seized with a fresh attack of fever. 154 ON SAFARI Being all separate, without means of communication, aggravated the miseries of the moment ; spirits fell below zero, and the whole venture, in my then state, now appeared sheer madness — suicidal. Hope was all but dead within my breast when Farra, the syce, stopped and, pointing through the viewless torrent along the hillside, whispered, " Kifaru ! " (rhinoceros). The excitement of that word effected wonders, renewing life and hope and pulling me together. After a short stalk I descried a vast bulky form, half hidden amid thorn- scrub on the slope above. The head was not in sight ; but indeed through that driving mist and deluge all details were invisible — one could scarce see to distinguish the foresight, and the ball struck very low, behind the fore-leg. The rhino whipped round and vanished as a rabbit might, giving no chance for a second shot, but after galloping 100 yards up-hill fell over, squealing, and was dying ere we reached the spot. This was a female, with only poor horns, though those details could not before be seen. Both lungs were penetrated. These organs, in a rhino, extend low down. An hour later, while trudging along in flood-water that surged ankle-deep down the valley-floor, we descried three men approaching from the opposite direction. They proved to be my brother, with Ali and Kenana, on their way to Solai. But we also thought we were proceeding thither ! Obviously one party or the other was hopelessly astray. But for that purely fortuitous tumble-together I should inevitably have con- tinued walking on in the wrong direction, till finally " benighted " — soaked, ill, without food or shelter ; it was a narrow escape. Such are the risks one must take in wild lands. It was nearly noon when the rocky valley we were traversing opened out into a broad basin, with a shallow reed-embowered lake in its midst, the whole encircled by stony mountains ; and we saw, sheltered by a cleft in the western escarpment, our white tents established at Solai. ELEPHANTS 155 Thankfully we ordered lunch to be ready in half-an- hour, each meanwhile retiring to his tent for a warm bath and change. But during that half-hour the crisis arrived. Within ten minutes, an excited black head had pushed itself through the flap of my tent, exclaiming those magic words — " Tembo ! tembo ! ! " (elephants). Then from our tent-doors we saw a memorable spectacle — across that hill-girt plain beyond, hard by the gleaming marsh, and not 800 yards away, marched a column of forty elephants. Hastily we pulled on again the soaking raiment, and within a few minutes were away. The elephants slowly filed across the mouth of our valley ; then, wheeling towards us, advanced straight up its centre. AVithin ten minutes we were only separated from them by the width of a marsh, 200 yards across, which, overgrown with rank green flags, ran down the centre of the strath. Both my men proved so excitable that I pulled them down and placed Ali Yama in sole charge. He was cool- ness itself, and made a masterly approach. We presently took cover behind a single low bush from the middle of which grew a mimosa-thorn, and some fifty yards from the green flags. A steady breeze blew from the vlei straight up the valley, and remained unchanged through- out the entire operation. Upon arriving exactly opposite this point where we lay watching them, the column of elephants came to a halt, and for several minutes stood there, evidently in consultation — it hardly seems an exaggeration to say in " conversation." Then they resumed their course, hold- ing up the valley ; while we followed, keeping level with them, on our side the marsh. Presently they halted again, and, after further conversation, apparently decided that the former spot was, after all, the more favourable to efli"ect their passage of the marsh ; for, wheeling on their tracks, they marched back thither in column, and presently, with great deliberation, com- menced to cross to our side. We had meanwhile, for 156 ON SAFARI lialf-an-liour, enjoyed magnificent views of the whole troop, and had made out at least two first-rate bnlls, one in particular riveting my attention by the splendid SKETCH-MAP OF SOLAI, ILLUSTKATING OPEKATION 'WITH ELEPHANTS. ivory he carried, and which he was wont to display to perfection by jaunty tosses of his head. The point they had selected for their passage possessed the advantage — we noticed this afterwards — of a half-dry islet midway across. The huge animals took the treacherous bog in ELEPHANTS 157 column of six abreast, tlie big bulls in the van, and their line extending 100 yards to the rear. Surely a more stirring spectacle in wild-life was never presented to human eye ! We had, of course, regained our former position, and now sat squatting behind that tiny bush within a few yards of the nearest flags. But with that wondrous scene enacting before our eyes no thought was spared to considerations either of tactics or of safety. Obviously the changed course of the elephants, now advancing directly upon us, had wholly altered the strategical situation. Beyond a doubt we should, at this moment, have retreated to some point at which we should still retain control of operations. By continuing to hold a false position, we presently lost all freedom of action and left ourselves to be enveloped, within a few more seconds, between the masses of advancing monsters. Lucky it was that the bulls came first. Had the prohibited sex headed the column, it is neither pleasant nor useful to speculate on what might have resulted. So directly upon our position did the unconscious elephants advance that, upon landing, the head of their column had actually to divide so as to pass our bush, some on either side. Within a few seconds the leading bull on my side (the left) towered over our low shelter not twenty yards ahead. But this first-comer was not the real monarch of the troop. His tusks, though long, were thin and ill-formed, crossing in front. The monster tusker on which my heart was set, I knew, came second. It had been agreed that I should fire the first shot ; but at that critical moment, while I waited an instant longer to get a clear sight of No. 2, my wretched gun-bearer, Mabruki, giving way to sheer " funk," fired my second gun close past my ear — deafening and, for a time, half- stupefying me. At the shot, the two great bulls on my front (the nearer being then fourteen yards off") stopped short, raising their heads and spreading their huge ears laterally as a barcj^ue sets 158 ON SAFAEI stiinsails. For six or eiglit pregnant seconds tliey stood still, looking around them with majestic deliberation, and then . . . slowly turned away. They had not seen us, simply because we were so near. As a matter of fact, the elephants, all this time, had been looking far beyond us — over our heads. By inspiration, during that crucial interval, we all lay motionless. Then, so soon as the elephants wheeled to retire, 1 placed my tw^o barrels (■450, solid) into the big tusker at twenty-five yards, aiming rather low behind the shoulder. He staggered and stopped, receiving a third ball a trifle higher up, wdien he moved slowly towards the marsh. Seeing that he had enough, I placed two more balls in the ribs of the next biggest bull, then moving three-quarters off, when the two retired by themselves to the left, presently entering the reeds alone, beyond the main herd. My brother meanwhile had devoted all attention to the other big bull, the second best in the company, w^hich had passed on his side of the bush, following the lead of two cows. This grand elephant I now saw sink stern-first among the green flags, remaining upright, dead. The main mass of elephants were now retiring most deliberately through the bog, on the same track by which they had advanced ; but my two stricken bulls, straggling to the left, lagged in the rear of the herd. We followed on through the flags in pursuit, when a badly-hit cow elephant, bleeding at mouth and trunk, turned out on our right, blocking our advance. She stood, full broadside, in front of W , wdio dropped her with a single shot in the temple. Kunning past her, I presently overtook my big bull standing still, stern on, in the marsh. On finding himself pursued, he turned on us with cocked ears and upraised trunk ; but in that treacherous bog he was slow in coming round, giving time for a careful aim at about seventy yards. The ball struck close behind the orifice of the ear, and the champion of the troop w^as mine. His very death 5. 3>,5)> 1 i\ ELEPHANTS 159 was majestic. He seemed to rise up forward, the curved trunk held high in the air; then, with slow sidelong motion, gently collapsed stern-first till he finally fell over, lying like a dark-red mountain towering over the green Hags. Hurrying forward past him — with hardly time even to glance at those glorious tusks — and running easily on '^SMvnf^ "turned on rs with cocked eaes and upraised trunk. a broad causeway of broken-down reeds (while the elephants plunged and struggled in bog), we soon over- hauled the second wounded bull He also, at seventy yards, turned on us with cocked ears and a shrill shriek. "Shoot," said Ali, "he's going to charge." But his end was at hand. A *450 solid knocked him backwards over — passing through the hollow top of one tusk where embedded in the skull (near the eye). He struggled to regain his feet when W gave him a finisher, and he fell with his face to the foe. Four enormous elephants now lay dead — three behind us, the fourth fifty yards ahead. Of this last, 160 ON SAFARI however, we found it impossible to take possession, owing to the aggressive attitude and dangerous temper now displayed by the main troop, Avhicli had ranged up in solid phalanx just beyond the fallen bull. No sooner had they regained firm ground than the whole demean- our of the elephants changed. Instead of retreating passively, they now faced about in open defiance, formed in battle array, ready to take the offensive. With trunks upraised on ever}^ side, ears cocked, and a chorus of COLLAPSED STEKX-FIKST explosive grunts varied by shrieks of rage, there was no mistaking their temper ; and after watching the magni- ficent scene for a few moments, we decided to retire, abandoning our last prize to the enemy. There were, in fact, no more good bulls among the herd ; so we retreated campwards — to lunch, passing by the three huge carcasses lying like islands among the reeds. The affair had occupied probably no more than a hundred crowded minutes — many of these as full as whole epochs of routine existence ; and the above pages describe the main facts as such can be put down on :> 3 5 > 3 > t ■> J5, ''3 5 3 > 5 J 1 1 » 1 J»i>Oj "3),0 >i>3 ELEPHANTS 161 paper. The sensatious aroused, though they may be realised in imagination, cannot be printed so. Nor can the degree of danger be defined, since the temperament and conduct of elephants differ. No two need be alike. These, for example, retired at the crucial moment ; but in my own former experience on Lake Baringo (p. 68), a " lone bull "' charged at once on scent alone, though otherwise unmolested ; and instantly repeated the charge a second time, after being wounded. Here again, at Solai, only a few weeks before, a fatal accident r-,*^i^^1i ■\t^ ■■^fi'''^//" had occurred.^ Beyond all doubt we enjoyed unusual good fortune in thus encountering our elephants, not only in broad daylight, a steady breeze, and open country, but also taken at disiidvantage in treacherous bog. Still there was, following on Mabruki's insane shot "into the brown," a period of supreme danger, when for some seconds all our six lives hung in the balance. Had the elephants then seen us — when almost under 1 An Englishman, as related to iis, had found and stalked a single bull elejjhant, unaware of the presence of six others among bush on his flank, and to whose view he had thus unwittingly exposed himself during the stalk. On his firing at the bull, one of these six at once charged; and, the repeating mechanism of his rifle jamming, the poor fellow was straightway caught and killed. 162 ON SAFARI their trunks — nothing could have saved us. Picking out three bulls from among forty beasts necessarily involves risk. The day's bag thus totalled — 4 elephants, 1 rhinoceros. Estimated dead- weight, 25 tons ; actual weight of ivory brought into camp, 300 lbs. ; value, say, £200 sterling ! That afternoon and the following day we spent in measuring and photographing our prizes. Of the four elephants, one only admitted of accurate dimensions being taken. This, by good luck, w^as the biggest bull of all, which lay fully extended on his broadside — the other three having fallen either upright or in such positions in the bog, with legs bent or buried beneath them, that measurements were impossible. The following figures, taken conjointly with the photographs herein reproduced, should serve to give some idea of the size of this giant of the modern world. Elephakt Bull. ft. in. Height in straight line (shoulder) 11 1 Length, tip trunk to tip tail 24 3 Girth at shoulder 14 10 „ of foreleg at upper part 5 8 „ „ forefoot. 4 10 Ear, horizontal width . 3 8h ,, vertical height . 5 H It should be added that an elephant measuring 11 ft. at withers will probably stand 12 ft., or possibly 13, in front, when aroused and with head erect, as those two stood before me to-day. Their huge ears, in ad- dition, each spreading out near 4 ft. laterally, give the elephant an apparent width of, say, 10 ft., by a height of 13 ft. ! See frontispiece. The tusks of my monster bull were a beautifully symmetrical pair, the longer measuring 7 ft. 1 in., by 17|- ins. in girth. They weighed 137 lbs. the pair. > J J > J 5 -, ■> > >% ' > J J ' > ' 1 1 ) J -> J ' 5 ' > 1 , ) . 1 J > 3 JS«2J) BULL ELEPHANT EHiHT YAIIDS LONG. Walter's big bull. ELEPHANTS 163 Length exposed from gum, 4 ft 7 ins. ; widest distance apart in curve, 2 ft. 6 ins. ; between tips, 2 ft. 2 ins. The longer tusk of my brother's big bull measured 6 ft. 2h ins., by 16 ins. girth. This pair weighed 93 lbs., one tusk being broken at the tip ; those of the third bull 44 lbs., and of the cow 28 lbs. : total, 302 lbs. With regard to the latter, neither my brother nor I had shot at an animal of the wrong sex, the bull- elephants being easily distinguished from cows, even as seen from astern, by their superior height — towering an apparent fourth over the females. This unfortunate animal had undoubtedly received her wound in the first instance from Mabruki's reckless shot. Grievous to add, she was followed by a well-grown calf, about 4 ft. high. This we endeavoured to capture, but the toto proved altogether too big. On our approach, the determined little beastie (it must have w^eighed half-a- ton I) came on in most savage style, cocking his ears and screaming, till we were fain to leave him alone. We heard him calling during that night, but by morning he had gone. Immediately the shooting was over, I discharged Mabruki on the spot, taking the rifle from him and landing him a brace, right-and-left, on his snub nose to drive the lesson home. Next time I saw him, six weeks later, he was working in a docker-gang on the wharves of Mombasa. The punishment seemed severe — the fall from gun-bearer at twenty-five rupees a month to labourer at six — and for a moment I relented ; but second thoughts clinched the matter. Mabruki was totally disqualified to act as gun-bearer, and should never have been rated as such. Already, within two months, his want of nerve and self-control had twice placed ns in jeopardy, and he should not have the chance of doing the same to others. Nor should East-African shooting-agents " sign on " gun-bearers unless they have reasonable certainty in believing such to be safe and reliable men. The last view we had of our elephants, they were slowly retiring northwards through the scattered 164 ON SAFAEI trees that fringed the drier ground, and with the same majestic deliberation and coolness that they had displayed throughout the encounter ; while beyond them, above the tall green flags of the vJei, we descried the ADIEU backs of a second herd slowly moving towards the east. We regretted afterwards that we neglected to take any steps to ascertain which way they finally went, for heavy rains soon obliterated the trail. But in that moment of supreme triumph we were perhaps too ex- hilarated— in a state of mental intoxication after those deep draughts of excitement and success. CHAPTER XIV HUNTING ON LAKE SOLAI CHANCE OR SKILL ? The operation of extracting the tusks from the massi-ve rocky cranium of an elephant can be effected in two ways. The more expeditious method is to hew them out with hatchets ; but this necessarily involves some injury to the ivory, one-third of which is embedded in the bone. By allowing three or four days to elapse, decomposition will have loosened the hold and the teeth can then be drawn out. Being in no special hurry, we elected to await the latter result, the more readily as we found ourselves in a lovely situation, commanding within reach of our camp both w^oocl and water, mountain, marsh and plain. We decided to spend a week exploring our environment and its wild life. This decision caused general joy among our men, who were gorging on elephant-meat. Strangely, they preferred the internals, and had driven a " drift " like a mine-shaft through the ribs, thereby entering bodily into the interior and excavatino- the coveted titbits. We had thought of experimenting on the trunk our- selves, till informed that only after forty-eight hours' cooking would the meat be soft enough to cut with a hatchet. We contented ourselves with the undercut of hartebeest and cutlets from some delicious little stein- bucks and oribi that W had shot on the hill. On one of these days I was specially pleased to secure a fine cock ostrich, breaking the thigh at 200 yards — thus killing the biggest bird on earth and the 165 166 ON SAFAKI l)iofp-est beast witliiii a short league of each other ! We also observed ostrich-poults, half-grown. Another clay, however, was memorable for shattering to atoms any complacent sentiment of self-assurance that success only follows on deserts, or that achievements are always proportioned to skill, perseverance, or other personal equalities. Those who exclude the element of chance from their creed may be interested in some notes from that day's experience. So far as the writer can remember, they stand unique in over forty years of shooting-life. It was a dull misty dawn, with a wet haze hanging- over the marshes, wdience resounded the sonorous cries of the great Kavirondo cranes, while all around our camp the bush was alive with the matutinal chorus of doves and francolins and the cackle of guinea-fowl in the thorny- scrub abov^e. Telling my brother I intended to shoot an eland, I set out w^ith my gun-bearers in the half-light. We ascended the hill behind our camp, and were walking in single file towards the west when I espied close ahead a waterbuck bull (de/assa) feeding in an open glade surrounded by bush. Strnngoly, with three pairs of keen eyes on the look-out, none had detected him in time ; for before the rifle could be handed, the big buck, though unalarracd, had moved forward out of sight, still feeding. Eventually the shot was one of those, in bush, at " horns only," with a conjectural body beneath that may be standing in any conceivable relation thereto ; the distance also was much greater, and the result a miss. The direction of the spoor coinciding with our intended route, we followed on ; but presently coming on the crest of a sudden escarpment, sighted four hartebeest on the plain far below. After a detour, I got a steady lying shot, and the best of the four (300 yards away and 200 feet below) dropped and lay motionless. It cost us half-an- hour finding a way down those crags, and then . . . that l)ull was gone ! Neither spoor nor blood served us on such ground — half rock, half bush ; and we saw him no more. Holding our course, we shortly viewed what we 1 ) i , > J J 3 ' ^ , " ' °1 1 3 > » , ■> ' ■• ' ', > , > ' > , > ' 1 » ) 1 ) ' , W AND DEAD ELEPHANT, .V. E. C, Photo., at Hov.xly. ELEPHANT S EAR, HUNTING ON LAKE SOLAI 167 judged to be the missed waterbuck, a mile ahead and on the right shoulder of a gentle pass, or depression in the foreground, which at that point dipped sharply away to lower levels beyond. On reaching our marks, where the view broadened out on either side, w^e could see nothing of our water- ../ :pmm WATERBI'CK BULL. buck, though feeling sure he was somewhere on our right and not far away. While spying, a hartebeest bull with fine head showed up on the left, and a shot at the neck dropped him — my hope in thus firing being to secure the supposed waterbuck with the second barrel. There ensued a crash among the bush on the right, and far away the expected animal appeared, halting to gaze, full broadside, as he gained the open. Salim tried to take the smaller rifle ("SOS) from me and handed me the •450. His reason I did not follow ; for at the long 168 ON SAFARI range (350 to 400 yards) my eyesiglit liad failed to recognise that tliis was no waterbiick after all, but a grand old eland bull ! The '303 bullet struck with the sounding "clap" that usually signifies a good hit; the eland plunged forward, staggering almost to earth, but recovering, carried on towards the plain below. The 1 - ^i4yE)'\^' i "^ :i^ ELAIsD BULL. line he took, however, viewed in relation to the con- figuration of the mountain-barrier ahead, suggested the idea that we might, by very hard running, cut him out — that is, we could take the chord while he ran the arc of a circle. There was not a moment to spare — not a second to recover our poor crippled hartebeest : a cruel exigency drove us to leave that splendid animal a prey for vultures and hyenas. HUNTING ON LAKE SOLAI 169 Half-an-hour of the hardest going and we had reached our point — alas ! too late. The spoor, crossing a shaUow pool, showed where the quarry had passed but a minute before, for on hurrying forward, we caught one glimpse of his bulky form disappearing round a bluff ahead. Having heard the impact of the ball so distinctly, and having two excellent trackers (Salim and Kenana), I had every confidence in recovering this grand prize ; a promise of good backsheesh further stimulated the men, and for three long hours we held the spoor forward, the trackers backing each other beautifully on either flank at each slight check. We were, however, rarely in difficulty, and indeed had made good at least six miles without a sign of the stricken beast ahead, nor had he once laid down. Towards noon, while passing outside a great conch- shaped recess scooped out of the impending mountain- side above, a sudden snort brought us up, and from some high bush fifty yards ahead there protruded the ugly armed snout of a rhinoceros. The wind was right and he had evidently not seen us, for his head turned to and fro, gazing ; so I gently brought my glass to bear. He carried a good head, the two horns being more even in length than in my previous specimen at Elmenteita. Motioning to Salim, he handed me the •450, and with it (thoughtfully) a couple of " solid " cartridges, one of which I directed to the junction of neck and shoulders, though, owing to intervening bush, I could hardly see so far back. The shot was followed by heavy and continuous crashing among the brushwood — presumably the death-flurry ; but w^e were soon un- deceived on that point, when two rhino dashed out straight ahead and at full gallop made direct for where we stood in the open. A couple of yards to the left was a thin burnt bush, a mere skeleton, behind which we jumped, and five seconds later the pair (which I now saw were a big cow with long thin horn, and a three- parts-grown calf) passed where we had a moment before been standing, but without seeing us, though so near. 170 ON SAFARI At the same moment I saw there was another pair, both big brutes, crashing through the thicker bush on our left, some thirty yards away, while beyond them was yet another rhino on the inner sloj^e of the conch aforesaid. This last, however, displayed a totally different demeanour. He was either overwhelmed with rage or convulsed by some violent emotion ; for he ran hither and thither, rearing up forward, snorting and grunting, and presently reached the sky-line, where he presented a picture of fury spoiling for a fight, wheeling- round in every direction and with his stump of a tail stuck vertically upright. Meanwhile, I had necessarily kept an eye on the first pair, lest after jDassing us so near they should have got our wind ; but after a single halt about a hundred yards away, to my infinite relief, they held their course along the valley. Salim at this point called my attention to yet another rhino — the sixth — standing quite motionless in full outline on the ridge ahead, but further away, say 200 yards. Concludino- that the enrag-ed rhino on the ridg-e to our left must be the wounded animal, we proceeded with due caution in his direction — so soon, that is, as the second pair, which had passed between us and him, had got sufficiently far to leeward to leave us a safe road. AVe had already arrived within sixty yards or so — rather too far to make sure, as the beast still kept constantly on the move, snorting, rearing and wheeling — when we lost sight, and hurrying to the crest the rhino was nowhere in view : nor was there blood on the spoor. That, however, with pachyderms, is not con- clusive. An ordinary body-wound is rapidly closed by their solid hides, and no blood is given. Of course, should the lungs be injured, the animal bleeds from the mouth. To make perfectly certain that a rhino had not fallen dead to the shot, we returned to the original spot, but found nothing there. We then put in another hour J , jJ 3 J J J , J J ' 3 > J J ' 5 , ? •.' HUNTING ON LAKE SOLAI 171 on the eland's spoor, passing on our way the sixth rhino, still quiescent on his ridge and attended by numerous tick-birds. The eland now led us upwards and west- wards, on to open veld where we could see for miles stretchino- away towards the Molo Kiver, and as nothino- was in sight, after four hours' spooring, we were reluct- antly obliged to abandon that quest as c[uite beyond hope. "SPOILIXG FOE A FIGHT " (RHINO). It was now nearly two o'clock. In five shots that day I had wounded four of the finest game- beasts in Africa, and had not got one of them. I concluded it was Kismet, and sat down to lunch on biscuits and cold tea while reflecting on the extraordinary events that had just occurred. "What was their inner history ? What strange frenzy had possessed them, to set all those rhinos charging madly down-ivind ? Wild animals seeking safety in flight, invariably point their noses into the wind ; that is their safeguard. Naturally one had 172 ON SAFARI concluclecl, on first seeing their wild rush direct upon us, that they were deliberately charging to the shot — to the spot w^hence the sound had come — presumably to exact retribution. But their never stopping, their holding that wild career afar, negatived any such solution. 'Twas better so ; but it leaves their precise motive, their line of reasoning, a mystery. Determined to risk no more "regrettable incidents" that day, we set out direct for camp ; but finding that the spoor of the angry rhino led in the same direction, as a mere matter of duty we followed on it, though I had lost all faith in my star. Salim presently stopped, pointing ahead, and I saw among sere grass, 150 yards away, something that appeared yellow. Both my men declared this to be the wounded rhino, lying down. I felt convinced they were mistaken, though rhinos certainly do take extra- ordinary colours, dependent on the nature of the mud in their latest w^allow. We had crept in to 100 yards when something like a big paw slowly stretched heavenwards, then disappeared. " Lion ? " I said, but both men persisted in their former verdict. Now it was perfectly open prairie all round, devoid of shelter or refuge of any kind, and in such ground it would be unwise to "walk-up" a wounded rhino — especially such an evil-tempered beast as that we had just been watching, though one need not hesitate to take-on a lion so. ^Yhile firmly of opinion that the yellow object ahead ivas a lion asleep, I, this luckless day, allowed myself to be overruled by the two hunters, who (with their keener, savage eyesight) were ecjually positive that it was the rhino — indeed, Salim even explained how the beast was lying. It was Kismet once more. On firing (aiming, as for a rhino, rather low), up sprang a lioness, and within three bounds disappeared in a dip, while all around the veld w\Ts full of bouncing lion-cubs as big as setters — six or seven of them, the men declared. The whole family had been lying asleep in the grass, and, had HUNTING ON LAKE SOLAI 173 we crept iu, tliey might have been approached within fifteen yards — though fifty would have been near enouo;h. By way of concluding this unbroken record of catastrophe, it may be added that a few weeks later I was informed by the Hon. Cyril Ward that he had come across, on the Molo River, a newly-killed rhinoceros corresponding in description to the above, and a couple of days later than the events here described. The distance between the two points would be some ten or twelve miles. During the campward march, querulous, despondent thought was deflected into new channels by a curious incident. Afar on the veld fluttered some white object. Thinking it might be a signal placed by my brother direct- ing us to a message from him — a back- veld post-oflice — I rode thither. It proved to be the landmark of a new farm-boundary ! Even these remote wilds were being- bought up by enterprising settlers. In a few years, presumptively, cattle and sheep will have displaced the lion, the rhino and the eland. Such is British progress, and it is rioht. At home under ''Free Trade" — be it for better or for w^orse — success in pastoral or agri- cultural pursuits has long been impossible ; such oc- cupations were deliberately sacrificed generations ago, to the interest of manufactures and cognate industries. At home — so long as our islands remain the workshop of the world — the artisan and mechanic may flourish : the farmer and flock-master never. Whether these latter can profitably be translated to equatorial uplands, time and hard experience alone will show. The energy and enterprise are not lacking, as this incident tends to show ; but Equatoria presents problems, and perhaps difliculties, which difler fundamentally from those of Canada or the Antipodes. May they prove soluble ! The converse a naturalist may be allowed to regret, namely, that when British flock-masters shall have settled-up the African veld, w^e cannot also translate the displaced elephants and rhinos, the lions, antelopes 174 ON SAFARI and the rest, to wander on the depopulated hills of Enoiand. As a fitting finale to this, the most luckless day of a lifetime, there followed a nightmare. During the small hours there occurred in dreams an attack on our camp by yelling Masai, whose assegais came hurtling through the canvas walls and stuck cj^uivering in the earth around. On awakening I found myself sprawling on the ground-sheet, seeking for a gun. W had reported seeing during the day some Masai cattle by the lake- side. Their presence there had puzzled us, as all the Masai should now be in the " Reserve," fifty miles away. Hence these woes. BUSH-SHRIKE {Dnjoscopus luciuleiisis) — Ibis, 1901. CHAPTER XV HUNTING ON LAKE &0LA1— {Concluded) WATERBUCK. WILD-DOGS, WART-HOG AND RHINOS (return TO NAKURU) The following is a note from my brother's diary — " A special object with me was to procure a good example of the sing-sing waterbiick, small herds of which we had observed feeding both at dawn and dusk on the grassy Hats far away beyond the marsh. These ante- lopes, however, are not seen by day, retiring then into the thicker bush. " Shortly after daybreak, we marked a herd of eight, including one fine bull, which, it seemed, might be stalked from within the cover of the marsh itself — this being embowered amidst miles of waving rush. This operation we proceeded to carry out, but promptly encoun- tered unforeseen difficalty. For this bog was over knee- deep in clinging mire, overgrown with dense marsh-plants, flags and papyrus, and intercepted with trailers that entangled every step. Moreover, a herd of elephants had recently lingered therein, leaving cavernous footprints half-a-yard in depth and filled with a compound that it would be an injustice to filthy water to describe as such. " After half-an-hour of these joys, we descried, above the bobbing bulrushes ahead, the tips of those coveted horns. But while trying to secure a better view, despite all our care, the animals took alarm, moved away, and finally oflfered but a long and difiicult shot which produced no result. " Rejoicing at least to escape from the mephitic 175 176 ON SAFAEI morass, we eagerly plunged sliorewards, mired up to the eyes, but looking forward to a few moments' rest on terra Jirma ere resuming the chase. But that was not to be our lot. Hardly had we cleared this purgatory than we found ourselves surrounded by a pack of hunting-dogs that kept bounding up among the bushes on every side. I tried my very hardest to kill one, but they were not easy to hit, so rapidly did they appear and disappear among the covert. Three or four shots produced no visible effect, though, even had one or more do.o's been "> \ \Jk >^ ^ ^>' A PACK OF WILD-DOGS. killed, they would necessarily have dropped below our sight. " Presentlv a big black-and-tan dog, coming out on an open, reared upright to see what was going on, and received a bullet in the head that dropped him ' all of a heap.' On running forward to the kill — which involved a long detour and finally plunging waist-deep through a channel of black mire — we observed another of the pack limping away with a broken leg. "Following on the spoor, which was easily held on more open ground beyond, we had just entered some thin wood, when Ali touched my shoulder, pointing forward through the trees. There, cantering back HUNTING ON LAKE SOLAI 177 directly towards us, came our eight waterbuck ! Sinking behind a friendly boulder, we watched them come with frequent halts, standing to gaze back over their shoulders. It was obvious that they had been startled by the retreating wild-dogs, and, luckily for us, in the presence of this new danger they had forgotten the old. For they were quite unsuspicious of our proximity, and all attention was concentrated on their rear, whence they clearly feared attack. A memorable picture they pre- sented as they trotted past close below, the bull leading — a true monarch, majestic in massive form and stately carriaoje. It was, however, downrio;ht bad luck for him to find a foe at each end of the trail, and a bullet on the shoulder ended his career. " Though I had never before seen hunting-dogs [Lycaon pictus) in life, yet I instinctively recognised what these brutes were, partly by their half-white brushes flashing over the scrub as they puzzled out the scent, apparently interested rather than alarmed at our intrusion." The photo overleaf shows the big dog above men- tioned, a fine adult, clean in fur, and with none of the mange that often disfigures these animals. Besides waterbuck and ostriches, there were also^ around Lake Solai a few Jackson's hartebeests, and th& marsh swarmed with the East- African Bohor reedbuck [Cervicapra ivardi). One day, riding together round the vlei, we were directed by the vultures to a good male specimen of this latter which had been killed the night before (as the pugs showed) by a leopard. On the hills above we shot steinbuck, oribi, klipsp ringer and wart-hog. Every morning at dawn we had sent out scouts in difl"erent directions to report on w^hat game they could discover — and especially to locate a good rhino bull ; but no satisfactory information was forthcoming by such means. One day we had together explored a long rock- girt valley that penetrated the hills towards the north- N 178 ON SAFARI west, without seeing anything beyond the usual game — a few zebras, ostriches, gazelles, and some klipspringers on the crags — when about ten o'clock we sat down beneath a mimosa and sent our gun-bearers over the rocky range on the west to investigate what lay beyond. Presently to us smoking in the shade they reported three rhinos in the valley beyond, and having scaled this ridge w^e verified the fact for ourselves, the rhinos looking absolutely pure white (owing to the calcareous mud they had last w^allowed in). They were a couple of miles away, down the wdnd, and moving further in that direction — involving a long detour. The wind, more- over, was shifty and treacherous, so that many changes in tactics became necessary before we gained a command- ing position. The scene of operations was a flat-floored valley two miles across, walled-in by low abrupt hills and over- grown with thin open forest, mostly thorns. Beneath a group of these — shady, flat-topped mimosas — two of the rhinos had, during our long manoeuvres with the wind, drawn up to spend their midday siesta. The third we could not see, but knew he was in the bush somewhere near by. The feature of this stalk was the extraordinary callousness to threatening danger, and its manifold signs, displayed by those two great pachyderms. Owing to the constantly-varying wind, pufl's of which came from opposite airts within a few seconds of each other, we had twice unwittingly given alarm to some groups of liarte- beests and gazelles ^ that happened to fall under our lee. On one of tliese occasions several antelopes galloped past within a comparatively short distance of the sleepy mon- sters, but without arousing their suspicion. Then, during the final approach, when we were already close in, a band of shrieking plovers [Stephanihyx onelanoi^terus) — the ^ These gazelles were all G. grant i, except a single example of G. thomsoni — the only one seen at Solai, which cle;u-ly lies north of their range, though they aie abundant a dozen miles to the southward. » 5 3 5 3 J 15 ' ' - J J J J J , ' ' ' , ' > J 3 ' ' ' >' ' IJ ' ' ' 5 ' , , WILD DOG MllH TWO .SPOTTED HYEXAS. Marq. dt lalScala, Photo. KHINO. — FROM LIFE. HUNTING ON LAKE SOLAI 179 nosiest bird in Africa — sprang from an intervening marshy patch, rending the air with shrillest and most persistent vociferations. All Nature seemed to join in common warning, yet no heed did those rhinos take. They stood side by side, the nearer beast (which was the larger of the two) covering the head, neck and part- "i'v ■^ .-*; .-rfe^-^Sr^ "^ -m