With Flashlio-ht and Rifle ^ 



paths trodden l^y the hippopotamuses. Howe\er, I soon 

 returned with lacerated hands, and horribly bitten bv 

 mosquitoes, with the conviction that the beasts had no 

 certain resting-place, and th.it they forsook the marsh 

 at night to return thither at dawn of dav. Xeidier on 

 the marshes could I tmd trace ot them. With much 

 trouble I climbed several verv tall acacia-trees that orevv 

 on suntlry dry spots. Thence 1 could i^et a better point 

 of vic^w. and w;is able to make out the places where the 

 buftaloes were lying. Hundreds ot egrets swarmed above 

 them. Thev served to draw attention to the buftaloes, 

 to which they attach themselves alwavs. and which they 

 free from vermin without disturbing them. The region 

 swarmed with \ermin. 



Knowing" the extratirdinary timitlitv ot the !)ufialo, 

 I had given strict instructions to m\' peojde to remain 

 within the camp. Wood for burning had to be fetched 

 onlv from (|uit(" ckose at hand, and no one went t.irther 

 than the path which connected us with the mainland. 



( )ur grain was sent b\' this path from \u\ chiet 

 camp. The place of encampment itself was carefully 

 cleared of grass and bushes, a needful precaution. 

 Coimtless millions of tin\' ticks {^Rhipiccphalus sanoimieiis 

 and R. appeudicii/atus, as well as /v. pn/c/ic/Ins) co\"ered 

 the grass and bushes of the island just where the water- 

 Inick were usualK' to be seen, and especialK' at the 

 haunts and feeding-places of the buffaloes. It was im- 

 possible to pass through the island without immediately 

 being covered by lunulreds of these ticks. 



On returning to the camp mv nati\es used to remove 



288 



