Lake Victoria to Khartoum 



any certainty as these animals move about in the 

 rains and seldom stop in one place. Thus that 

 route was as good as any other, and moreover 

 the scenery was most impressive, and would well 

 bear looking at a second time. We had travelled 

 through the forest land of the uplands ; we had 

 seen the dark chocolate squares of incipient culti- 

 vation in bold relief against the green carpet at 

 our feet ; we had clambered down through forest 

 and crag to the lower level, and were encamped, 

 enjoying a well-earned snooze while waiting for 

 the return of the bands of natives who were 

 scouring the country round for spoor, when I was 

 awakened by a rough shake and the magic word 

 " Tembo " (elephant). The whole camp was still, 

 and one man after another crept in like a mouse 

 to tell me that a herd of elephants was watering 

 on the far side of the Nile. About eighteen 

 of the great quadrupeds had come down to drink 

 and were clearly visible some two hundred yards 

 away. Old ones and young ones, cows and 

 calves, and a very fine bull with about 8o-lb. 

 tusks. But — and it was a very big but — they 

 were on the wrong side, in the Congo. The 

 men knew I wanted just one more elephant to fill 

 up my licence, so made no noise, but sat open- 

 mouthed, staring at the most interesting and 

 impressive sight. The elephants drank and 

 bathed themselves by squirting water over their 

 backs, as the river was too swift and deep there 



250 



