‘A JOURNEY IN THE EAST, 2657 
The spot where the flocks had been resting must be daily 
frequented for digestive purposes, for the whole ground was 
thickly covered with white guano and feathers, while the 
stinking remains of fish were lying about in great profusion. 
On my return to camp we decided to distribute ourselves 
along the shore again for the afternoon and evening flight. I 
chose the place where our friend Pausinger had shot. his 
pelican in the morning, and concealed myself as best I could 
by crouching under a bush, with my retrieving Arab beside 
me. Hach of us had one of these dusky fellows with him: 
they fetch everything that falls in the water; but one must 
never argue with these money-loving people, nor show great 
delight at having shot any particular bird, otherwise they 
begin bargaining at the water’s edge, demanding more and 
more, and calculating with cunning astuteness on one’s in- 
creasing eagerness to obtain the spoil. As soon as anything 
falls, one must show them a coin and force them into the 
water with a few friendly shoves before the bargaining 
begins. 
I must have been vainly waiting for a good half-hour when 
I saw a Pelican a long way off which was taking a direct line 
towards my ambush, and as soon as it came near enough I 
gave it both barrels. The shot rattled loudly on its thick 
mail of feathers, and feebly flapping its wings it dropped 
into the water severely wounded. For some minutes it swam 
about slowly, but the head with its heavy bill kept sinking 
lower and lower, until at last the waves turned the bird over, 
and it lay on its back quite dead. 
Neither money nor threats would induce my Arab to go 
into the water, as the Pelican was really rather far out. I 
therefore hurried back to the camp to get other men, but on 
my return I saw, to my great delight, that a dusky fellow 
was already approaching it through the foaming waves. The 
Grand Duke had been hidden not far from me, and on seeing 
Ss 
