CHAPTRU X 

 ELEPHANT-HUNTING ON MOUNT KENIA 



Ox July 24, in order to ship our fresh accumulations of 

 specimens and trophies, we once more went into Nairobi. 

 It was a pleasure again to see its tree-bordered streets 

 and charming houses, bowered in vines and bushes, and 

 to meet once more the men and women who dwelt in 

 the houses. T wish it were in my power to thank 

 individually the members of the many East African 

 households, of which 1 shall always cherish warm 

 memories of friendship and regard. 



At Nairobi I saw Selous, who had just returned from 

 a two months' safari with MciNIillan, W'illiams, and 

 Judd. Their experience shows how large the element 

 of luck is in lion-hunting. Selous was particularly 

 anxious to kill a good lion ; there is nowhere to be 

 found a more skilful or more hard-working hunter, yet 

 he never even got a shot. W^illiams, on the other hand, 

 came across three. Two he killed easily. The tliird 

 charged him. He was carrying a double-barrelled -450, 

 but failed to stop the beast ; it seized him by the leg, 

 and his Hfe was saved by his Swahili gun-bearer, who 

 gave the lion a fatal shot as it stood over him. He 

 came within an ace of dying ; but when 1 saw him at 

 the hospital, he was well on the road to recovery. One 

 clay Selous, while on horseback, saw a couple of lionesses, 



2'2S 



