THE RETURN MARCH 



animal's grunt of pain told that I had hit it, but in the dark we 

 could not follow it. 



Later in the evening, while fishing by firelight in the Athi, 

 I caught something which behaved very differently from any 

 fish that I had ever angled. It was a heavy mass, which 

 yielded gradually when I pulled it. A dark body appeared at 

 the water's edge, and I thought it was a young crocodile. I 

 approached it cautiously, keeping its head covered with my 

 revolver, and found that it was a large water -turtle {Sterno- 

 thcBvus sinuatus. Smith). The fish-hook was so deeply em- 

 bedded in its beak that I could not extract it. Yet the animal 

 lived to reach England, where it died a few days after its 

 arrival. 



The passage of the Athi next morning was most fatiguing. 

 The ford was broad and deep, and the water bitterly cold. 

 Most of the work fell as usual on Omari, and both of us had 

 renewed attacks of fever. We took huge doses of quinine, 

 drank hot tea, and then started at the head of the men for the 

 mountains of Ukamba. The fever was most unfortunate, for 

 we had used up our last food, and I had to go on ahead to try 

 to shoot some antelope. We saw some game, but my hand 

 was too unsteady ; both shots fired missed so badly that I 

 would not try again. 



We passed the southern end of Chanjavi, from which we 

 were delighted to see our goal, the mountains of Ukamba, and 

 our old friends the ridge of Lokenya and the sharp cone of 

 Malili, The smoke of some shamba fires cheered us with the 

 signs of the proximity of natives, whom we expected would 

 be friendly, and have abundant food. They did not, however, 

 at first prove very amiable. When we realised, late in the 

 afternoon, that we should not get off the lava plains that day, 

 Fundi and I went ahead to find water. We failed in this, but 

 we discovered a number of natives who were hiding in the long 

 grass. They would not come to us when we called to them, 

 and as they seemed inclined to cut us off from the porters, we 

 thought it advisable to stop till these came up. By the time 

 the caravan arrived it was dark, and we had to camp where we 

 were, though it was very cold, and we had neither firewood nor 

 water. About an hour later a fire broke out to windward, and 

 a long line of flame swept down upon us. By its glare we saw 



