Lake Victoria to Khartoum 



companions had been delayed by being cut off by 

 a large herd of elephants. This was great news, 

 and we retraced our steps in search of them. The 

 animals, not having been disturbed, had passed on 

 quietly feeding. The large herd, however, turned 

 out to consist of a dozen — as we expected. There 

 did not appear to be a big bull amongst them, so 

 we sat down to lunch, keeping our glasses directed 

 on them from the high position we occupied. It 

 was most interesting to watch them some three 

 hundred yards away, packed together under a 

 shady tree with their heads inwards facing the 

 tree-trunk. Now and again there was a sudden 

 slight disturbance as if one had kicked another 

 by mistake ; then one would turn round and show 

 his head and great ears flapping to and fro. After 

 lunch, before leaving them altogether, we deter- 

 mined to go and make a closer inspection, in case 

 one of the two bulls, which stood up much higher 

 than the cows, should prove to have larger tusks 

 than we supposed. It is most curious how close 

 one can get to a herd of elephants sleeping like 

 this, even though one is right out in the open 

 without a vestige of cowo^r, provided on^ approaches 

 the herd in such a way that the wind blows from 

 it to oneself We crossed and recrossed their 

 front, and on finding there was nothing worth 

 havine, came to the conclusion that it would be 

 best to make tracks for the river once more. 

 On the way we met a hartebeest. My friend 



192 



