KENYA (II) 311 
winter, and that was the S.S. Urlana. The captain of this slow- 
going cargo boat was enjoying the tranquillity of the Indian 
Ocean when he received a wireless communication from the 
agents asking him if he could accept the above deck-cargo. 
He must have been shattered to the core, probably on account 
of the lions, for he replied that he could not accept such a cargo. 
Well, a captain is master of his own ship and no one can force 
him to take cargo of this nature if he is unwilling. If this oppor- 
tunity failed it meant that I would probably be stranded for six 
months in Kenya with all the animals. Sensing that the captain’s 
first reaction was one of concern at the responsibility that would 
be thrust on him if he accepted the animals, I cabled the Zoo to 
ask the head office to bring pressure to bear on him. At the same 
time I got the agents to contact him, reassuring him of the tame- 
ness of all the animals, and letting him know that he would be 
relieved of all responsibility as there would be two alleged experts 
traveling home in charge of the collection to do all the feeding, 
etc., during the voyage. 
By the time all this had taken effect the Urlana had reached 
Mombasa, and one day when I thought it far too late for anything 
to happen I unexpectedly received a telegram saying that the 
captain had decided to accept the consignment. 
It was now my turn to be shaken, for there were only four clear 
days to get everything assembled at Nairobi station. My assistant 
was up-country, and all the giraffes and other large animals were 
scattered around Kenya hundreds of miles from Nairobi, being 
kept by various collectors until such time as I wanted them. Thus 
I had to send all these people telegrams to crate and deliver the 
animals immediately. Their difficulties were no less than mine, 
for they in turn had to get rail-trucks at short notice, and some 
had to be brought in by lorry. 
It happened that I could not take the whole consignment to 
the coast on one train as it was too large, so it was decided to send 
the smaller stuff on hand the day before the others, and this went 
off in charge of Harwood. This arrangement allowed the maxi- 
mum amount of time for the giraffes to arrive, which they did, 
but only just in time. 
Tons of foodstuffs such as hay, lucerne, maize, bran, ground- 
