Witli Flashli^^ht ^indftRifle -^ 



In the rainy season you will scarcely come across a 

 single rhinoceros on the mountain-plateau ; they are then 

 scattered about the velt. But in the dry season it is 

 almost impossible to penetrate into the thickets of that 

 hill country, as the description -of this stalking expedition 

 ot mine shows very plainly. I 'should never have dreamt 

 that it was such a veritable rhinoceros-preserve ; but for 

 well-read zoologists this information will not be in the 

 least surprising, for they are all conversant with the 

 descriptions ot Thomson. Count Teleki, Chanler, Donald- 

 son-Smith, and, to close the list, von Hohnel (who was 

 attacked by a rhinoceros and badly injured). These and 

 many other travellers came across almost incredible 

 numbers of rhinoceroses in certain districts. Everything 

 here recounted by me of the Donje-Erok applies to all 

 the corresponding mountain-ranges of the Masai- Nyika 

 and \dasekera, and the Donje-Erok la Matumbato is 

 by no means especially rich in " faros." 



How quickl)-, though, these conditions may alter is 

 most strikingly exhibited by the fact that so keen an 

 observer as Professor X'olkens never came in contact with 

 a rhinoceros, in a stay of almost two years on Kilimanjaro, 

 although his botanical excursions took him all round the 

 mountain.^ Some years before his time the hrst com- 

 mandant of Moshi, Mr. Eltz, had killed two-horned 

 rhinoceroses by scores. And since then the Government 

 Askaris had snared this great wild beast for years in their 

 hunting expeditions. 



^ Volkens, Dcr KHhiiandjaro. 

 626 



