I3-' KOOSEl'ELTS JOURNEY FROM UGANDA DOWN THE NILE 



the American flag, the first seen in the Congo Free State since the 

 days of Stanley. As for the Congo natives, they greeted Roosevelt 

 with the same names they had given Stanley and seemed to think the 

 party similar to that led by the famous explorer. 



The events of this excursion resembled those of former hunting 

 trips, its most important prizes being a giant bull eland shot by Roose- 

 velt and a bull and a cow brought down by Kermit. They had spent 

 from twelve to fourteen hours daily in the chase, and returned to 

 Gondokoro on the 26th, looking wonderfully well and in the best of 

 spirits. They brought with them the skins and skeletons of the elands, 

 the only specimens contributed by the Congo State. 



With this week's shooting Colonel Roosevelt proposed to close his 

 hunting experience in Africa unless an opportunity should arise lower 

 down the Nile to obtain some specimens of rare animals they had so 

 far failed to get. From Gondokoro the route lay down the Nile to 

 Khartum, nearly a thousand miles to the north. At this outpost of 

 Egyptian civilization in the Soudan he expected to meet Mrs. Roosevelt 

 and their daughter, Ethel, who had left New York on February 15th, 

 hoping to reach Khartum and meet the returning traveler by the 14th 

 of March. 



It is fitting here to state succinctly the general results of the expe- 

 dition. In all about five hundred specimens of large mammals were 

 obtained, including the following of special interest : 



Seventeen lions, eleven elephants, ten buffaloes, ten black rhinoc- 

 eroses, nine white rhinoceroses, nine hippopotami, nine girafifes, three 

 leopards, seven cheetahs, three giant elands, three sables, one sitatunga 

 and two bongos. 



From the point of scientific importance, which has been kept 

 throughout in view, the most highly-prized game may be rated as fol- 

 lows: First, the giant elands, the first complete specimens of which 

 family were now being taken from the country; second, the white 

 rhinoceros; third, the bongos, the first to be stalked and killed by a 

 white man, and, fourth, the sitatunga, a rare species of antelope. 



The naturalists secured a remarkable collection, comprising many 

 thousands of birds and other mammals. The results in this line were 

 most gratifying, and science was enriched by several new species. 



